What to do and why ficus benjamina sheds its leaves. If the leaves of a ficus tree fall off, does it mean rainy autumn has arrived? If you flooded a ficus, what should you do?

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Help save! The plant is dying before our eyes, was purchased in September. They transplanted it about a month later, it seems to have taken root, and even grown a little. The first photo is how he looked in mid-January (sorry better photo no, I didn’t take a photo of it on purpose) then the leaves began to fall abundantly. The rest of the photos are from today. One branch had to be cut off because the leaves had completely fallen off and it became bald. There is one small branch left and a little more, their leaves are also falling. there is an assumption that it was overwatered, I reduced watering, but today I checked the soil, I thought it was damp, but 4 cm dry, I decided to water it. Maybe it doesn't have enough watering? Is it overwatered and the roots have rotted? I don’t know what to do! the leaves wither, turn pale, curl and fall off, some do not curl - they just turn pale and fall off! He always stands in this place, he liked everything, I don’t allow drafts, I spray him with water at room temperature. Thank you!

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There are several options in my opinion.
1) Poured. Check the roots by removing the plant from the pot with a lump, if there is a corresponding smell and appearance, then dry it, remove the rotten one and do not overwater.
2) Dry air. But you said you were spraying. How often?
3) Shortage sunlight. The photos are dark, which gives the impression that he lacks lighting.

I spray it every day. a shelf with flowers right next to the window. and the first photo was taken late in the evening, a small lamp was burning. Yes, it seems that other flowers-neighbors on the shelf do not complain, so to speak, about the low light. but it’s scary to check the roots, in case it kills the barely alive plant ((but I’ll probably decide to do it anyway.. or is it okay if I take it out and see what’s inside the pot?

Anonymous

The soil may be half dry, but underneath there is very rotten unpleasant smell, I was personally convinced. Take it out, change the substrate, there must be good drainage and it requires light. Mine has grown, I transplanted it into a larger pot, put it on a stand from the windowsill, a little further, it also began to shed leaves. Returned it to the windowsill - everything is fine.

I have had this ficus for more than 10 years. When I was little, in the summer we took it out to the balcony in the sun and sprayed it twice a day. It became 2 meters high - it stands near the window, we water it as needed - if the soil on top is very dry. Be sure to feed with fertilizers, spray, especially generously in winter, and moisten the trunk. In addition, we have three trees planted at once. We didn’t know that when they were young, it was possible to combine them into one by intertwining the trunks. So there was a small grove of ficuses in the pot.
Your ficus is clearly dark and boring.

Ficus benjamina is an evergreen perennial tree or bush, one of the most popular ornamental plants in home floriculture, purifies and improves air quality in the house. Belongs to the Tutov family, in wildlife grows in tropical areas, reaches 30 m in height.

Can be found in China, India, Australia, Asia. At home, depending on care, the height of the plant can be from 1 to 3 meters. To achieve maximum dimensions plants will have to spend up to 10 years. More than a dozen varieties have been bred in horticulture, differing in size, color and leaf shape.

It’s easy to experiment with it and create different compositions; you can grow a single-stemmed tree in a pot, or you can intertwine 2-3 plants with each other in the manner of a girl’s braid. In its natural habitat it blooms at any time of the year in small beautiful flowers different shades. U indoor species ficus only in rare cases can flowering be achieved in the form of small berries.

Why do leaves fall, reasons?

Many gardeners choose Ficus Benjamin for its attractive appearance and variety of species. Beautiful glossy leaves with a dense structure have an elongated oval shape with built-up ends. It is a fairly unpretentious plant that adapts well to new conditions. Falling leaves of ficus benjamina is a common problem and causes concern to plant owners. Many factors can provoke this phenomenon. If you know how to properly handle the bush, it will delight you with its gorgeous crown for many years.

Aging

On average, a ficus leaf lives for 3 years. When the plant is healthy, in place of the fallen one yellow leaf Several new green ones are growing. If the fall of the crown amounts to dozens of leaves, you need to look for the reasons in the malaise of the plant.

Ficus is native to tropical and subtropical zones where there is almost no change in the angle of sunlight. The plant is light-loving, but direct sunlight should be avoided, as the leaves will burn and fade. The most suitable would be bright but diffused light so that the green pet does not lose its moisture reserves.

IMPORTANT! In its natural habitat, the ficus has 14 hours of daylight. Therefore, in the autumn-winter period it is necessary to maintain the same regime with the help artificial lighting. The distance from the lamp to the plant should be 1-2 m.

To ensure that the growth of the ficus trunk and crown is proportional, it is advisable to regularly turn the pot with the plant towards the light source. Lack of light also negatively affects young shoots - upper part the crown becomes thinner and smaller, and the lower one dries out. Growth slows down.

Change of place

The ficus reacts to a change in its location with abundant leaf fall. Moreover, acute stress is caused not only by moving long distances or replanting, but also by moving a plant from one room to another. For comfortable adaptation, you should prepare the place in advance and suitable conditions habitat for ficus.

Fertilizer shortage

If the plant does not receive sufficient nutrients, this will negatively affect its growth and foliage formation. It is necessary to fertilize the soil only when warm time of the year when the growing season begins. In spring – once a month, in summer – 2 times a month.

ATTENTION! For a month after transplanting, you should not fertilize the soil in the pot, as this can lead to burns of the roots.

Based on certain signs, you can understand what elements the flower lacks:

iron– leaves become covered with pigment spots, turn yellow and fall off;
calcium and potassium– leaves quickly fade;
nitrogen– growth slowdown;
phosphorus– pulling leaves;
magnesium – bottom part the foliage becomes yellowish in color.

The dosage of fertilizer is calculated from several components: size, age and type of flower, appearance, soil condition.

Excess fertilizing

Ficus has a detrimental effect not only low level micronutrients in the soil, but also their excess. During any kind of illness, it is necessary to stop feeding until the plant has completely recovered. There are 2 types of fertilizers -

Organic:

humus;
bird droppings;
manure;
compost.

Mineral (dry and liquid):

salt;
industrial waste;
chemical compounds;
rocks;
geological deposits.

Dry ones are added to the soil surface or directly into top layer, gradually dissolve with each watering. Liquid ones are used for spraying and root feeding. IN autumn-winter season the ficus is at rest, so once a month you can supply the soil with low concentration nitrogen; no other fertilizers are required.

Improper watering

The tropical climate is characterized by high humidity, this must be taken into account when caring for ficus. It is very important to follow correctly water balance– the flower equally does not tolerate lack of moisture and stagnation of water in the pot. Here you also need to focus on the seasons - reduce watering in autumn and winter, increase watering in spring and summer.

ATTENTION! The air humidity in the room with the plant should be at least 50%.

To pet Received water on time and in sufficient quantities, you must adhere to the basic rules:

Irrigate only the top layer of soil; as soon as water begins to flow out through the drainage onto the stand, stop watering and remove excess water.
The soil must dry completely; for this you need to regularly and carefully loosen the soil so as not to damage the roots.
Water on certain days to develop a routine. 2-3 days after the top layer of soil has dried, irrigation can be carried out.
Wipe the leaves from dust weekly with a damp cloth, and use a spray bottle monthly.
Water for irrigation must be softened, this can be achieved in one of the following ways - boil, filter, settle, melt frozen water or add to it special means. Use only water at room temperature.

Drafts

Even a small draft negatively affects the well-being of the flower. If the pot is on the windowsill, with the windows open, you should move it to the side or cover it with something, but with free air circulation. If permanent place location of the ficus on the floor, be sure to provide it with a stand.

Incorrect temperature

Ficus benjamina reacts sharply to temperature changes. In the spring-summer period, the temperature should be within +25-27°C, in the autumn-winter period 16-18°C. If the temperature is higher than required, the leaves will dry out and fall off; if it is lower, the growth of the flower will stop and the process of rotting will begin in the roots. Do not forget to humidify the air in the room in a timely manner. If the top layer of soil has dried out to a depth of more than 3 cm, you can carry out emergency watering of the soil.

Diseases and pests

A flower can get sick in 3 cases: due to improper care, infection from other plants, or from an attack by insect pests. By the following signs you can determine what disease has affected the ficus:

Rust– is expressed in the appearance of yellow and brown spots on the surface of the leaves. The edges look burned, and after a while ulcers appear. Affected elements should be removed and healthy ones should be treated with fungicide.
Powdery mildew– the leaves become covered with small whitish spots. Treated with a solution based on copper sulfate and soda ash.
Pythium, rhizoctonia, late blight– this fungus causes the entire plant to rot. Cannot be treated, only disposed of.
Botrytis– on outside leaves appear dusty gray plaque. Removing the affected areas and regularly ventilating the room will help.
Sooty mushroom– the outer part of the foliage is covered with a black coating, similar to stove soot. Treat the whole plant soap solution or fungicide, remove the most affected parts of the crown.

Timely detection of diseases ensures their easy elimination.

Why does it shed its leaves in winter?

Ficus is preparing for winter period and sheds a small amount of leaf mass, which should not exceed 20%. With the onset of spring, everything grows back. But if leaf fall is abundant, you should look for other reasons. This could be due to improper care, diseases or pests.

What to do if all the leaves have fallen off?

If this does happen, the following actions must be taken: eliminate all negative factors in the room that have a detrimental effect on the ficus.

Check temperature regime and air humidity.
Eliminate drafts and nearby heat sources.
Do not move the pot with the plant.
Check the soil and plant roots.
Make sure there is sufficient lighting level.

How to save a flower?

To resuscitate a pet, you will need diligence in performing certain actions:

Completely replace the soil in the pot.
Carry out sanitary pruning of dry stems.
Moisten the trunk and crown in a biofungicide solution.
A week after transplantation, add fertilizer to the soil.
Provide permanent admission fresh air and sunlight.

If leaf fall occurs during the cold season, replace only the top layer of soil, spray the tree several times a day with a spray bottle, increase the number of light sources and avoid drafts. As soon as spring comes, carry out intensive therapy.

Answers to frequently asked questions

Some leaves have begun to dry out, what should I do?

Regardless of the ficus variety, avoid direct sunlight. Adhere to the watering regime: regular in spring and summer, limited in autumn and winter. The soil should dry out, but not be too dry. This will help keep the crown lush and green.

What care does a flower need?

Ficus does not take well to change, so you should not change its location. Monitor a comfortable room temperature - not lower than 25°C in summer, not lower than 16°C in winter. Do not leave the plant on a cold windowsill, completely get rid of drafts. Support required humidity in the room. For irrigation, use soft and warm water.

After purchasing a ficus, do you need to replant it?

Store-bought soil is only suitable for transporting the bush. The transplant should be made no earlier than 2-3 weeks after purchase in leaf soil with acidity 5.5-6.5 pH. A universal primer is perfect.

Before removing the tree from the shipping pot, you need to moisten the soil and carefully remove root system together with the adhering earth, lightly tap and place in new pot.

Conclusions

Despite so many requirements for caring for Ficus Benjamin, they are not difficult to comply with with some experience. The main thing is to love evergreen and respond to his needs in a timely manner. Then the pet will bloom in all its glory and will delight its owner for many years.

A gardener's favorite, it is represented by almost every indoor plant collector. They love it for its ease of care, excellent decorative properties and the ability to shape both the trunk and crown. But improper care leads to the fact that the plant completely sheds its foliage and is in danger of moving to the nearest trash heap. But there is no need to rush into this, as there are many ways to help the flower regain its former radiant appearance.

quite a lot, but the structural features of ficus Benjamin are as follows:
it has a straight shoot, but the stem is round

crown, branched

The leaf blades are smooth, slight bending is allowed. The skin is thin, the leaf is oblong and oval, ending in a pointed tip. The dimensions of the plate are approximately from 5 to 14 cm, its width is from 3 to 7 cm.

the arrangement of plates on the branches is regular

petiole from 0.5 to 2 cm.

well developed

gray bark

If you initially create a plant good conditions, then there will be no problems with the plant:

temperature environment, must correspond to the climatic season. In winter, ficus is kept at a temperature of 15 to 22 C, in summer 24-29 C.
Watering must be done as the top soil crust dries. Water from the pan must be removed. The water must be at least 14 C, otherwise the soil will become supercooled and all processes will begin to slow down
especially in good source variegated varieties need light
spraying is carried out only in the absence of drafts and with soft, settled water. You can add special sugar for plants or sometimes

Despite the fact that the ficus is not as capricious as many pets that need similar conditions, if not properly cared for, the ficus sheds its leaves and it is quite difficult to restore rich hair later.

There are some factors that directly affect the fact that a plant sheds its leaves:

The first reason is drafts. Ficus benjamina categorically does not tolerate even the slightest sudden fluctuations in temperature. Although airing the room where the flowers are located is welcome. There is a big difference between when the room is deliberately ventilated or when the flower is placed in places where sudden changes in temperature constantly occur. That is, a large area of the plant and its roots are in the same temperature regime, and some part is cooled. Of course, in such places the consumption of nutrients slows down, when, like in the rest of the plant, nutrition is consumed at the same level. The flower's immune system receives a signal that a disease is developing in some area and potentially diseased branches begin to die. The ficus forms new branches, and the area facing the draft wind begins to die. So if the ficus leaves fall only on a few branches, then the reason is drafts.
Lack of nutrition also has a detrimental effect on foliage and the general condition of plants. Ficus needs to be fed from early spring until late autumn. Ficus benjamina plant is large and favorable conditions developing well, therefore, the lack of necessary microelements and substances that are needed for the further growth of the tree leads to depletion. The leaves first become faded and limp, and then weaken and fall off.
Mandatory spraying. Excessive dryness of the air affects the ficus not only by the fact that abundant leaf fall begins, but also by the fact that scale insects attach without any special obstacles, which is extremely difficult to get rid of. comes from humid tropical places, and the water consumption system is designed in such a way that the plant also receives water through its leaves, in a larger volume than all others. Therefore, if you deprive it of a humid environment, the ficus will begin to lose leaves to a much greater extent than is intended by nature.

There are also other reasons why this problem occurs:

insufficient, but this is easy to fix if you periodically add additional lighting
must be checked for diseases and pests
this can happen if the ficus has changed its place of residence or when transplanted into another pot

But do not confuse abundant leaf fall with natural leaf fall, since each leaf lives for about three years, and then dies off. Old leaf plates are tougher and darker than young ones, so if a gardener periodically finds them on the floor, it’s not a big deal.

How to help a ficus if the leaves have fallen?

Help for the plant should be reasonable. Because if you take active measures during the period of biological hibernation, you can seriously harm the ficus. Therefore, if such a nuisance began to occur in the autumn-winter period, when the feeding season had already ended, then the following measures can be taken:

add some fresh soil, but not fertilizer
spray the plant several times a day
put additional source Sveta
eliminate all access to through wind

Such precautions will help slow down the process of oppression of the vital functions of the ficus, and prepare it for intensive therapy in the spring and summer.

Already at the end of March, the ficus must be transplanted into new land, according to the following scheme:

Prepare soil mixture, but not universal peat soil from the store, but a complete diet for your pet. If not garden plot and the land has not been harvested since the fall, then the land can be bought in nurseries.
Prepare a biofungicide solution in a bucket.
Remove the plant from the pot and shake off as much of the soil as possible without damaging the roots.
Soak the root system for several hours in the solution, and then place it on a perforated surface and allow excess liquid to drain.
Transplant the plant into new soil.
Sanitize unnecessary branches and cover the cut areas.
Moisten the trunk and crown generously with a biofungid solution.
After several days, the ficus needs to be fed.
From the moment of transplantation, it is necessary to either illuminate the plant daily, or it should stand on the sunny side.

Such resuscitation can work wonders, since in about a month the ficus will be covered with new young foliage.

In order to houseplant grew healthy and beautiful, you need to properly care for it:

It is definitely worth updating the soil. Even if the plant is large, this all the more indicates that the soil is basically depleted, and changing the top layer will not help good result. But if you carefully and gradually remove the old soil and replace it with new one, while fertilizing the ficus, then in about 2 months the soil will recover
it is necessary to feed the plant
crown formation is not so much a tribute to design thinking as it is the need to refresh the crown
once a month, and if possible once a week, useful procedure for ficus, this is a shower
The plant should definitely be shaded if it is located near a south or southeast window
If the plant is affected by scale insects, then if its accumulation is small, you can collect it with your hands, and then wash each leaf with soapy water. If there is a large cluster, the ficus should be placed in plastic bag and spray pest control inside it
For irrigation, only warm and filtered water should be used.

It is worth remembering that an initially healthy plant cannot “wither away” in a tub for no reason. There is always either a pathogen or the conditions of containment are violated. Ficus Benjamin can delight you with its appearance for many years, but only if you take at least a little care of it.

More information can be found in the video:

When ficus trees begin to fall, not everyone realizes that there are some problems with the flower. Unfortunately, if you fail to notice the problem in time, then it is quite possible that you will no longer be able to save the ficus. True, there is also no need to panic ahead of time, since sometimes the leaf blades fall off due to the change of seasons.

Experienced gardeners note that a small shedding of leaves is allowed (no more than 10 pieces per month). If the process only intensifies, then in this case you need to think about why this is happening. It is especially important to find and determine the cause when not only leaf fall occurs, but also flower drying, leaves wrinkling, and the like.

Many gardeners, without understanding the root cause (there is far from one), start with all possible ways to revive the flower, unaware that sometimes they make things even worse, aggravating an already difficult situation. Under no circumstances should this be done. First you need to assess the condition of the sheet plates.

It is possible that the following points were noticed:

spots on leaves;
plaque on leaf plates;
a cobweb entangling the entire flower;
the appearance of larvae on greenery.

All these important nuances will lead to the fact that sooner or later the leaves will begin to turn yellow and then completely fall off.

Important! Another sign that something is wrong with the ficus is the fall of old leaf blades and the appearance of new ones, but of a different size and irregular shape.

Having noticed all this, you should first of all think about how the plant is cared for.

Natural causes of leaf blades falling off

Flowers, like people, tend to experience stress. Of course, plants will not say this, but they will show it by their appearance. If a flower has just been bought and brought home, then it is not surprising that the first thing it will begin to do is shed its leaf blades. In this case, there is no need to touch the ficus; after a while, the leaf fall will stop and the flower will begin to grow green mass.

Fall of foliage may also occur in the autumn-winter period. In fact, ficuses are the same trees, but only small and they also tend to lose leaves before the approaching winter. Therefore, the flower does not need any resuscitation in this case.

Unnatural causes of leaf falling

In the case where the ficus tree has been growing at home for quite a long time, in spring or summer, then you need to carefully think about what caused and led to such a situation.

It could be:

frequent rearrangement of the flower pot;
unsuccessful transplant;
lighting problems;
drafts;
non-compliance with temperature conditions;
low humidity;
improper watering;
lack of fertilizers;
diseases and pests.

Having identified an error in care, salvation will come on its own when the gardener returns to proper care.

Frequently rearranging the flower pot

Ficus benjamina or any other species is not a plant that welcomes constant “moving”. If a tree is constantly moved or moved from place to place, then it will spend all its strength trying to adapt to new conditions. And if so, then the ficus will rapidly lose its green mass.

Failed transplant

After each transplant into a new substrate, ficus trees may lose leaf blades in small quantities. If after a while the flower dries out and heavy leaf fall is noticed, it means that the plant was transplanted into unsuitable soil. In cases where the ficus is replanted frequently, it may also begin to lose green mass in response to severe stress.

Lighting problems

Almost all types of ficus need bright lighting. True, you should not place a flowerpot with a flower so that the sun shines clearly on it. In this case, the leaves will become hard and dry, and after a while they will completely fall off. Therefore, it is better to shade the tree a little in strong sunshine, but not hide it in dark room, since in this case the plant will not dry out, but will fade due to lack of lighting.

Drafts

When deciding to buy a ficus, you need to remember that there should be no drafts in the house. All of them are destructive to the flower. When growing a plant at home, it needs to create suitable conditions. By the way, putting the flowerpot in a place where the air conditioner blows is also not worth it.

Failure to comply with temperature conditions

The correct temperature is the key good growth and plant condition. IN winter time the temperature should not be lower than +18 °C, and in summer – higher than +25 °C. If the flower is drying, but the room is not hot, then most likely the pot is located next to heating devices.

Low humidity

It is a mistake to think that ficus will grow in a room with low humidity. These plants react sharply to such a nuance. The leaves begin to quickly darken and disappear. To prevent this from happening, you need to ensure that the humidity in the room is kept at 50-70%.

Watering

Manipulation should be carried out as needed. Many gardeners once read that this is done a couple of times a week, and so follow the erroneous recommendation. And then it turns out that the sheet plates are covered brown spots and the flower dies. Such a moment signals rotting of the root system. If, on the contrary, the flower is completely dry, then they forgot to water it for many weeks.

No fertilizer

If the substrate lacks useful substances, the ficus may begin to wither, the leaf plates will curl and crumble. This can also happen if there is an excess of fertilizing in the soil. This point must be monitored carefully.

Diseases and pests

What to do to save ficus

When deciding how to revive a ficus, you need to rely on the main reason. Having determined which care rules were violated, they will need to be corrected, then the flower will quickly gain green mass, and the problem will no longer bother the gardener.

As for pests and diseases, sometimes they arise due to errors in care, and sometimes they “come” into the house along with new plants. In this case, you can first treat the flower with a soap solution (it helps fight many pests), and then spray the ficus with insecticides. Some gardeners use traditional methods, which are effective when trouble has just made itself felt.

By carefully monitoring all the manipulations that occur with ficus trees, you won’t have to revive them, because it won’t come to that. Flowers react acutely to any changes and it is impossible not to notice appearance plants.

When Benjamin's ficus suddenly begins to shed its leaves, the reaction of its owners is exactly the opposite: from “somehow autumn started early for him” to “what to do, the plant is dying!!!”.

As always, the truth is out there somewhere.

In order to make the former think and reassure the latter, this article was created. It contains the reasons for leaf fall in Ficus Benjamin, the algorithm of action and ways to prevent excessive “balding” of your indoor pet. Let's start, as always, with the facts.

This is an evergreen plant, common in the subtropics and humid tropics of Asia: India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia. In the homeland of this ficus there are specimens more than 40 m in height and about 5 m in width.

At home, the maximum height of ficus Benjamin is 1.5 - 2.0 m. The reason for this is the unsuitable conditions of our apartments.

And yet, over several centuries of cultivation, Benjamin learned to adapt to home conditions. Why do crashes happen?

Leaf fall in small-leaved ficus

The fall of leaves in Ficus Benjamin is a natural process: each leaf of this plant can live no more than three years. 20-30 leaves that turn yellow and fall off every month on an adult plant in the autumn-winter period is normal.

Don't worry if they fall off quite actively lower leaves– the plant forms a crown.

When to sound the alarm

In case of serious “baldness” of the plant, especially in spring and summer, you need to understand its causes and immediately take necessary measures to save the plant. Ficus (especially variegated specimens) is capable of shedding almost all its foliage in 1-2 days.

But first it is necessary to identify the cause of the disruption to the usual way of life.

Why do ficus leaves turn yellow and fall off en masse?

Experienced flower growers point to 8 reasons why Benjamin can drop almost all of its leaves:

Moving, especially to worse conditions or sharply different from those to which the ficus is accustomed. For example, from the nursery to the apartment, from one room to another, from the windowsill to the interior of the room.
Transplant into a new pot with a new substrate.
Drafts, especially after spraying the plant or bathing it in a warm shower.
The air is too hot or too dry.
Lack or excess of sunlight.
Over or under watering.
Pest attack.
Deficiency or excess mineral fertilizers, unsuitable soil.

How to save ficus

Let's look at each of the reasons in more detail and find out how to revive the ficus.

Moving

If immediately after moving to a new place the ficus dropped its leaves, it means it is stressed. In this situation, spraying with Epin, Zircon, HB-101 will help.

It is advisable to perform this procedure according to the following scheme:

on the first day after moving - half the dose of the drug;
after 5-6 days - full dose;
after 2 weeks - half the dose.

In the future, spraying is carried out in the event of renewed leaf fall, but in combination with other measures.

Pay attention! Often, the fear of moving extends to regular rotation of the pot on the window to ensure even illumination of the crown from all sides. You should not be afraid of this; moreover, turns must be done for variegated ficuses: leaves that are constantly in the shade lose their multi-colored color.

Transplanting into a new pot with a different substrate

During the process of growth in the pot, a symbiosis of the plant roots and soil microflora developed. Therefore, it is not recommended to completely clear the root system of old soil, since in this case the usual habitat of the ficus will be disrupted. In addition, during the process of removing soil, small roots may be damaged, to which the ficus reacts very painfully.

Important! Complete cleaning of the roots from the soil and soaking them in a disinfectant solution is indicated only in the presence of root rot or soil pests.

If it is necessary to transplant the ficus into a larger pot, you should resort to the transshipment method.

Immediately after the transplant, you need to carry out anti-stress measures, as in the case of moving, according to the above scheme.

Remember! Frequent (more than once every 2 years) transplants of Ficus Benjamin can lead to its death. To improve the soil, it is enough to replace the top layer of soil in the pot.

Drafts

This is something that is categorically contraindicated for the heat-loving ficus: in its homeland there are no drafts, and it has no immunity to them! Open in winter windows can destroy a plant in a day. If it is necessary to ventilate the room, protect the flower from cold air currents.

Pay attention! Drafts are especially destructive for a ficus that has just been sprayed with water, sprinkled with a warm shower or watered.

For the ficus to survive, the air temperature must be at least 18 degrees.

Air is too dry or too hot

Ficus is a native of very warm countries with high temperature air, but dry warm air He doesn’t like our apartments at all during the heating season! The flower is comfortable with high humidity air - more than 70% and temperature from 18 to 25 degrees.

It can be seen that the ficus does not have enough moisture in the air if its leaves, which have not yet fallen, are dry and wrinkled.

To prevent this from happening, at the beginning heating season It is recommended to artificially increase the air humidity near the ficus.

To increase humidity you can:

place a wide flat vessel with water next to the flower;
place the pot with the plant on a tray with wet expanded clay;
place a damp cloth on the battery next to the ficus.

Spraying ficus is especially effective in combating dry air. It should be carried out more often, the drier the air in the room.

spraying and sprinkling are carried out in the first half of the day, preferably in the morning, so that the plant leaves at night with dried leaves;
immediately after these operations you need to protect the flower from drafts;
When sprinkling, you need to cover the soil with a film to prevent it from becoming waterlogged.

Lack or excess of sunlight

In wet tropical forests Southeast Asia Where the ficus comes from, diffused light predominates, so for ficus at home this lighting is optimal - 10-12 hours a day, but not direct midday sunlight.

At sunburn appear on the leaves first brown spots, then the leaf blades become dry and fall off.

With insufficient lighting, the leaves become dull and lethargic. In this case, it is necessary to provide illumination to the plant.

Important! The lack of lighting cannot be compensated for by anything: neither increased nutrition nor watering. Only lowering the air temperature can reduce the harm from light starvation.

Over or under watering

Ficus plants are one of those plants that do not like “wet feet”. Overfilling is worse for them than underfilling. Waterlogging of the soil can kill the plant.

A characteristic sign of overwatering is that only the edges of the leaves turn yellow, after which they fall off.

When the soil dries out for a long time, the leaves dry out and fall off without turning yellow.

Remember! You can correctly determine the watering time by assessing its moisture content at a depth of 1.5 - 2.0 cm. This can be done by lowering your finger or wooden stick to the specified depth.

Filtered or settled soft water at room temperature for 3-4 hours is suitable for irrigation.

Pest attack

The most common pests of ficus are red spider mite, scale insect, mealybug. The presence of pests can be determined by the appearance of the flower:

sticky coating on the surface of the leaves;
deformation and unusual color of leaves and stems;
cobwebs around branches;
pests visible even to the naked eye.

Spider mites are activated in dry, warm air, so increasing air humidity significantly reduces its colony.

If the ficus is affected by pests only in the very initial stage, then it can be revived by sprinkling hot water(40-45 degrees). For more serious lesions, when leaf fall has already begun, only insecticide treatment will help.

Lack or excess of mineral fertilizers

A sign of insufficient nutrition is the appearance of new small deformed leaves with the simultaneous profuse shedding of old ones.

During magnesium starvation, the leaves at the ends of the branches change color and fall off. In this case, the use of Emerald helps.

About excess availability minerals signaled by brown spots in the center of the leaf blades.

Pay attention! When replenishing nutrition, you should not give the plant a shock dose of fertilizer. It is better to carry out the first fertilizing in a concentration half as much as suggested by the instructions.

Feeding is carried out only after abundant watering of the ficus. Otherwise, you can burn the roots.

To summarize: how to save Ficus Benjamin

Fulfill 8 conditions for comfortable life beautiful and useful plant difficult, but quite possible. If, however, the ficus begins to lose leaves catastrophically quickly, then the following must be done.

Identify the causes of mass leaf fall.
Review your care schedule:
- watering;
— temperature regime;
— lighting;
- humidity;
- fertilizers.
Remove the causes of stress.
Destroy pests.

And remember - even if all the leaves have fallen, the probability of resuscitation of the ficus is quite high. The main thing is not to give up and believe in success!