Ficus Benjamin is a very attractive plant. Falling branches, variegated leaves attract the eye. But what to do when Benjamin's ficus sheds its leaves, loses its main decoration? Only proper care will help to cope with this problem.

Where to put the ficus?

You need to find in advance a suitable place for the flower in the room. Movements have a bad effect on the well-being of the ficus. Therefore, it is undesirable to rearrange it. Moving from a store to a permanent place of residence is a lot of stress for a plant. Often in such a situation, Benjamin's ficus drops its leaves. It is better to buy it in the warm season, so as not to catch a cold on the way.

Lighting for ficus should be quite bright, but diffused and uniform. In winter, if the plant is located far from the window, the bush may take an irregular shape. The temperature in the room should be at least 15 ° C. It is necessary to ventilate the room, but avoid drafts.

Care and watering

It needs to be watered abundantly in summer, less in winter. The earth on top can dry up to 1/5 of the volume of the pot. To saturate the entire earthen clod, you need to water in several stages. Soil moisture should be medium. If the leaves of the ficus have fallen, this may indicate rotting of the roots. Humidity should be at least 50%. In summer, it is advisable to spray the ficus. Sometimes you can give the plant a warm shower. The earth in a pot must be covered with a film. So that the ficus does not freeze after bathing, it must dry out, then you can already transfer it to a permanent place.

Transfer

A young ficus needs to be replanted every year, after four years - less often, as the roots grow. The best time is spring or early summer. Transplanting is easier to do after abundant watering. The roots must be removed from the pot along with the earthy clod, removing only the top layer. The diameter of the new pot should be 3 cm larger than the old one. It is imperative to place drainage and some soil in it, then install the ficus roots. Sprinkle with fresh earth along the edges and on top, slightly compact. It is difficult to transplant a large ficus, you can limit yourself to replacing the top layer with fresh soil.

Reproduction by cuttings

In spring and summer, when the ficus is actively growing, you can get layering from it. To do this, cut off the tops of the shoots with two leaves and put in a container of water. You can dig cuttings with wet sand. Water needs to be changed sometimes. When the roots appear, plant the plant in a pot, covering it with a jar or film. After the appearance of a new leaflet, the shelter can be removed.

crown formation

The ficus itself is quite beautiful, but it needs pruning. It stimulates the development of axillary buds from which branches grow. The plant is getting bigger. Ficus Benjamin tolerates pruning well and takes any given shape. To disinfect the secateurs, it must be treated with alcohol or potassium permanganate. The central shoot cannot be cut more than 20 cm. At least five leaves should remain on it. Lateral branches can be shortened or removed completely if the crown is too dense. Lack of light can lead to leaf drop. Chopped charcoal is used for sprinkling slices. To get a bole, you need to remove all side branches, except for the top five. If the ficus is on the floor, the crown is formed at a height of about one meter. For a desktop trunk, shoots are left at a height of 40 cm.

A young ficus needs support, its trunk is very flexible. To form a beautiful composition, sometimes several plants are planted in one pot. Flexible trunks are gradually twisted or intertwined, giving them bizarre shapes. Trellis and supporting clamps need to be loosened as the stems grow.

Why does Benjamin's ficus shed its leaves?

The reason may be a lack of nutrition. The ficus has a rather capricious character, it is better to buy special fertilizer for it. The plant should be fertilized twice a month, in spring and summer, alternating mineral and organic substances. In winter, you do not need to fertilize, at this time the plant almost does not grow. Moreover, even for complementary foods, ficus can react with leaf fall. If you turn it or move it from its usual place, the leaves may also turn yellow and fall off. This happens especially often in winter.

Seeing that Benjamin's ficus sheds its leaves, its owner, of course, will be upset. After all, this plant is valued precisely for its lush crown. The leaves of different varieties of ficus are dark green, variegated or white, yellowish. Leaves with a clear pattern look especially elegant, for example, dark leaves with a wide white stripe along the edges. The shape of the leaves resembles a drop or a boat. Their surface is smooth, and the edge can be smooth or wavy. The leaves are up to 7 cm wide and up to 12 cm long.

Why are the leaves falling? Ficus Benjamin is an evergreen plant. But each leaf lives no more than three years. That is why they die from time to time. It's worth worrying if Benjamin's ficus sheds leaves in large numbers. It is rather difficult to comply with all conditions of detention, so any ficus sometimes turns out to be bare. There are many possible reasons.

The female scale insect sits motionless on the leaf, covering the laying of eggs. It secretes a sticky secret, on which fungus often develops. This causes even more damage to the plant. That's why Benjamin's ficus sheds its leaves. It is easy to remove the scale insect from the sheet, but it is not always possible to completely get rid of it. The wax shell protects this insect from the action of insecticides. It is better to wipe the leaves and stems with infusion of garlic or plain vodka. Then the top layer of soil should be removed, it may contain larvae. These procedures should be repeated several times a week.

If the leaves of Benjamin's ficus turn yellow, it may be affected by a spider mite. These are small arachnids up to 1 mm in length. Their presence on the leaves appears first as white or yellow dots and specks. Then the discolored and thinned areas increase in size, the entire leaf dies and falls off. The tick multiplies rapidly in warm and dry conditions. Therefore, the plant must be sprayed regularly. In case of damage by a spider mite, ficus should be treated with sulfuric or phosphorus preparations, not disregarding secluded places, for example, cracks in the windowsill. It is better to alternate medicines so that ticks do not develop resistance to them. The eggs remaining in the soil can remain viable for several years. It is not easy to remove a spider mite, so it is better to monitor the humidity of the air, and take action at the first signs of the disease.

Prevention of leaf fall

So, in order to avoid such a nuisance with Benjamin's ficus, the following conditions must be met:

• the plant must have a permanent place;
• it is necessary to maintain the optimum temperature, to observe sufficient air humidity;
• good drainage and moderate watering should be carried out.

Despite the capricious nature, Benjamin's ficus does not lose popularity, because it is able to decorate an exquisite winter garden or greenhouse, as well as the interior of any room.

Ficus benjamina is a beautiful but somewhat capricious plant that can often be found in our homes. It’s great if the plant looks healthy and decorates the apartment with its appearance, but this is not always the case. Sometimes, for unknown reasons, the leaves of Benjamin's ficus fall. Why is this happening? How to help the plant in this case?

What causes leaf fall in ficus

Why does leaf shedding occur? First of all, there are natural reasons for this.. In nature, in autumn and winter, the Benjamin ficus begins a period of leaf fall. Its foliage is gradually exchanged. Old leaves fall off in a small amount every day, and new young leaves quickly appear in their place.

Ficus Benjamin sheds leaves if:

It is very important to determine exactly the reason why the leaves fall off. Only then can you help the plant regain its lush foliage and attractive appearance.

We identify the cause

Ficus benjamin sheds leaves, what to do? If you still have not guessed what care mistakes led to leaf fall, it's time to take action. We will give you some tips that will be useful to both experienced growers and beginners.

First of all, determine the condition of the soil. If it is dry and has a cracked crust on the top layer, the ficus is definitely thirsty, so it sheds leaves, saving moisture. If the earth is too damp and an unpleasant smell emanates from it, you have flooded the plant. The surest solution would be to transplant the ficus into a fresh substrate. If you don't have time to do it yet, just stop watering the plant so that the soil in the pot dries out.

If the plant has not been fertilized for a long time, fertilize with mineral fertilizers. In order not to burn the roots, the flowers are fertilized some time after watering, in moist soil. If the ficus dropped its leaves after rearrangement, then it is necessary to use stress medications. Means such as Epin and Zircon will increase resistance and restore the plant's immunity. These drugs need to wipe the leaves, they are not used under the root.

You have carried out the above measures, why is there still no result? Most likely, the problem is in the roots. Take the plant out of the pot and inspect the roots, they may be damaged by pests, or thoroughly rotted. In this case, it is better to cut out the affected areas by powdering the cuts with crushed coal, and plant the ficus in a pot of a suitable size.

Other symptoms

The plant can respond to diseases, pests and improper care not only by dropping leaves, but also by other symptoms:

First aid for a sick plant

When a ficus sheds its leaves, first of all, it needs proper care. But only this measure cannot get rid of pests and diseases. At the first sign of illness, do the following:

Ficus sheds leaves, what if there is no desire to use chemistry? In this case, you can try proven folk recipes that will help get rid of both pests and rot.

Processing with garlic infusion is considered an effective way. To prepare it, prepare 1 liter of boiling water and a few cloves of garlic, rubbed into a fine grater. Garlic gruel is poured with hot water and infused for 1-2 hours under the lid. Strain the finished infusion and use it daily for spraying until the ficus is completely healed.

The second method involves the use of an aqueous solution of laundry soap with the addition of alcohol. For 1 liter of water at room temperature, add 1 tablespoon of soap shavings and medical alcohol. The mixture is then shaken until the chips are dissolved. All aerial parts of the plant are sprayed with the finished solution, and after 12 hours the tree is rinsed with clean water, this is necessary so that the soap film does not clog the stomata of the leaves and the plant can breathe normally. In the future, these actions are repeated 1 time in 3-4 days.. The earth in a pot is covered with plastic wrap before the procedure.

As a rule, two weeks is enough to cure the ficus. Weak garlic solution it is also recommended to spill the soil in the pot, just in case pests hide there.

Causes of blackening of ficuses and their shedding of leaves, home care

Scientific research has established the fact that ficus can drop leaves in two ways:

1. in a natural way;
2. as a response to adverse external factors.

Why do ficus leaves fall even though he was properly cared for?

In the process of renewal and growth from old age, ficus can also fall leaves, and this is a generally accepted factor within the normal range. As for the rapid and rather active loss of green mass, it can be caused by a number of reasons:

• errors in the mode of fertilization and watering;
• low air humidity:
• drafts and hypothermia;
• change in conditions and place of plant maintenance;
• sharp jumps in temperature, caused by sudden drops;
• soil poisoning with pesticides;
• unbalanced soil composition;
• plant pests;
• various flower diseases

By the way, if you have a large flower garden, we have a lot of useful articles about diseases of various plants. Here is one of them - "".

Methods of preventive control of leaf fall in ficus benjamin

To begin with, we will take a closer look at the causes of leaf fall using the example of ficus benjamin, as well as ways to prevent and combat these phenomena.

Ficus benjamina looks luxurious in any interior, perhaps by its presence it is able to emphasize and focus on the social status or material well-being of its owner, thereby raising the level of the above factors in the eyes of others. At the same time, novice flower growers instantly experience an all-consuming feeling of confusion, because they simply give up when the crown is thinning before their eyes. Beginners in the field of floriculture absolutely do not know what measures need to be taken in order to provide all possible effective assistance to their beloved plant ... If you are faced with such an unpleasant problem, what should you do if the leaves of ficus benjamin fall?

1. Initially, the most likely cause of a flower ailment should be identified and eliminated, while all external conditions and symptoms should be adopted;
2. Take into account the peculiarities of the content of specific varieties and varieties, on the basis of which it is necessary to ensure correct and competent care for ficus. Flower leaf fall can occur year-round, but most often such an incident occurs in autumn and winter. Three main aspects are directly dependent on each other - temperature, air humidity and proper lighting: if the value of one indicator rises, therefore, others should rise along with it. However, in winter, a diametrically opposite situation occurs, which is characterized by short daylight hours, too high temperatures and dry air. It is possible to correct such an imbalance with the help of available improvised means and methods. For example, in order to take preventive measures against absolute dehydration, the ficus is forced to take off its leaves on its own when intensive evaporation of moisture occurs in a warm room with dry air. Given the low humidity, the necessary measures are regular spraying, air humidifiers, mini-greenhouses, pallets with raw expanded clay or water. Sources of artificial light, the role of which is successfully performed by tubular or compact fluorescent lamps, are actively used when there is a lack of sunlight.
3. To increase the level of resistance and resistance to external adverse factors and irritants, it is recommended to use anti-stress drugs such as Zircon or Epin. A solution for spraying the crown is advised to prepare immediately before the procedure itself. A similar recommendation can also be found in the manufacturer's instructions.
4. Significantly reduce or even stop fertilizing (an exception is the case when a flower ailment arose due to a deficiency of fertilizer). A weakened plant has a lack of strength for further vegetation, so additional nutrients are an incentive for it.
5. Treat the plant with appropriate suitable chemical protection when diseases or pests are detected. In this case, you should carefully read the recommendations on the package.
6. With a progressive disease and ficus leaf fall in droves, the state of the root system should be checked, because in some cases the ficus leaves not only fall off, but also turn black. When performing the above procedure, carefully remove the bush from the container and scrupulously inspect the underground part. Soft and rotten (blackened) or shriveled and dried roots are cut to healthy tissue (its main characteristics are density and milky or white color), it is important to powder the sections with charcoal (you can use a tablet of crushed activated carbon), after completing the “treatment” procedures ficus should be transplanted into a smaller pot, in which it is imperative to completely or partially replace the earth.

Is it possible to save a ficus if it is completely naked?

How to save a ficus if its last leaves fall and it remains completely naked?

Even when the last leaves of ficus benjamin fall, you should not get upset, become discouraged or depressed and hang your nose! Even a tree that does not have a single leaf has every chance to successfully grow new shoots, thanks to the regenerative function of the function of a living microorganism, the necessary effective preventive and curative measures taken in a timely manner and the ongoing, never-ending efforts to save it.

In order to determine the state of “health” of ficus flowers, you do not need to apply any special efforts, everything is quite simple and banal: if milky juice appears on the stem incision and you can determine by touch that the branches are flexible, barely touching them, therefore, the plant living and the state of his "health" in perfect order, which means that the owners do not have the slightest cause for concern.

And the ficus is actually a magical flower, homely, it can fulfill any desires for housekeeping. It helps in establishing family relationships, maintains the health of the owners of the house. If you want to have a baby, bring a ficus into the house, you can already have a solid one, or you can just a twig.

Ficus varieties: problems and diseases of foliage

There may also be a number of problems with the fall of the leaves of the rubber-nosed ficus, which propagates by air layering or cuttings and forms in the form of a bush or tree. To avoid abundant leaf fall of the plant, it is necessary to keep in mind, taking note of general information regarding the conditions of detention and how to care for it.

18-25 degrees above zero is the optimal temperature for keeping rubber-bearing ficus (avoid hypothermia of roots and drafts). Pay attention to lighting (for variegated varieties, find a bright place; in summer, the ficus needs protection from the direct rays of the midday sun. Water the plants correctly, using filtered or warm settled water, but at the same time avoid waterlogging the soil. Rational top dressing ( application of nitrogen fertilizers to the soil from early spring to early autumn every one or two weeks). Transplant rubber-nosed ficus every 1-3 years, when the roots will braid the entire clod of earth, in spring or early summer.Perform hygiene procedures: arrange a warm shower every month, and clean the leaves with a damp sponge from dust weekly.

As the next variety of ficus, consider the ficus kinki, which, having medium-sized leaves, resembles a tree in its appearance. Ficus kinki is more elegant compared to its large-leaved compatriots. A properly formed crown is an important factor in growing this type of ficus. Sometimes several plants are planted in a pot to keep the bush upright. Young shoots are intertwined with each other as they grow, and over time, the trunks are spliced ​​at the point of contact. Assistance in this procedure will be provided by a support peg, to which, in order to give a vertical position to the plant with the prospect of its further growth, it is necessary to tie up a young shoot. Upon reaching the shoot, which must necessarily become thick enough, the desired level of height to hold the crown, the peg can be removed. Ficus kinki can be sheared without any problems, because it tolerates a haircut quite easily, and form a beautiful figured crown, and the small foliage of the ficus will be a concomitant factor for its formation.

The main reason for the massive leaf fall of Kinki's ficus is a change in the usual conditions of detention or a lack of light.

Ficus bonsai drops leaves due to a number of reasons:

• excessive watering, which causes dark spots or root rot on the leaves;
• insufficient watering, which serves as a factor that weakens the general condition of the plant and leads to leaf shedding;
• low air humidity, causing abundant leaf fall and infection with spider mites;
• insufficient level of lighting quality, watering with cold water or keeping ficus bonsai at a temperature that is too low (below +17 degrees) or too high (above +23 degrees) for it;
• flows of both cold and warm air along with drafts;
• sharp jumps in temperature;
• moving to a new place of residence.

Ficus nitida is one of the varieties of ficus benjamin. This species can be attributed to an artificially created plant planted in tubs, which has oval-oblong glossy dense leaves that have a rich and juicy dark green color. The trunk of the ficus nitida has graceful smooth curves, and the crown of the described tree is lush and dense. This ficus, due to the dark green color of the leaves, is resistant to a temporary lack of light.

However, ficus nitida can shed its leaves due to a waterlogged state of the soil, a sharp change in climate, watering with cold water, low indoor air temperature, a cold piercing draft, or an excess amount of nutrients in the soil.

Dear readers, if you are seriously interested in decorating your home, we have an excellent one.

Video: Ficus care

Many flower growers love ficuses not only for their external beauty, but also for their unpretentiousness, because these plants do not need to be watered, fed and transplanted often. But, despite this, certain difficulties with the cultivation of ficuses still arise. Most often this concerns the fall of the leaves.

In this article, we will give the main reasons that can explain why the ficus sheds leaves, and what measures should be taken to keep the plant green.

Novice flower growers can be excited by the fall of leaves from a ficus. If this process occurs at the end of autumn or the beginning of winter, you should not worry - this is an absolutely natural process.

In the cold season, most varieties of this crop enter a period of vegetative dormancy and begin to change their green cover, shedding the old one. In this case, new leaves are formed almost immediately.

In addition, the fall may be associated with the age of the plant. As a rule, the green parts of the culture live for two to three years, after which they are renewed. But, if your flower is relatively young, and the cold time has not yet come, and the leaves are falling off the plant, you should think about external factors that could provoke this process.

Why ficus sheds leaves

Dropping leaves is considered a completely natural renewal process. In some varieties, it starts from the lower tiers, which gradually turn yellow, dry out and fall off (Figure 1).

In other species, with the onset of winter, all foliage may fall. You should not worry about this, as new parts are formed almost immediately. But it often happens that leaf fall is associated with negative environmental factors that must be eliminated in order to preserve the decorativeness of the culture.

Why do ficus leaves fall?

Despite the fact that the ficus is considered a relatively unpretentious plant in terms of care, some actions of the grower can lead to the fact that the leaves of the culture will begin to fall off.

If such a nuisance has already happened to your flower, exclude negative factors one by one in order to accurately determine the cause and eliminate it. We will describe the most popular reasons for falling off below.

Air temperature

Under natural conditions, ficuses grow in the tropics, so drafts and low temperatures affect them extremely negatively (Figure 2).

Note: The root system of the flower is especially sensitive to cold and drafts, therefore it is not recommended to put the plant pot on a cold windowsill.

+20 degrees is considered the most comfortable temperature for a crop, but there are varieties that require higher temperatures for normal growth and development. But you should not overheat the flower either: if the temperature in the room exceeds +28 degrees, the leaves will begin to wither and lose color.

Wrong watering

These inhabitants of the tropics react extremely negatively to excess moisture. And if the water begins to stagnate at the roots, they will begin to rot altogether. If appropriate measures are not taken in time, the plant will first lose its greenery, and then die altogether.

To prevent this from happening, you need to strictly follow the irrigation schedule. In general, the plant does not need to be watered too often. To check the need for moisture, it is enough to pierce the substrate with a thin wooden stick. Ideally, it should stay dry. This means that the soil has dried to a sufficient depth and the flower can be watered.

Air humidity

In winter, during the heating season, the air in the room becomes too dry, which negatively affects the ficus. Similar processes occur in hot summers without rain.

Such conditions can lead to yellowing and leaf drop (in dwarf varieties) or the characteristic spots of large varieties. To prevent such a nuisance, you need to periodically spray the plant with water at room temperature (preferably in the morning and evening) and from time to time wipe the green parts with a damp sponge.

Presence of pests

It often happens that the grower simply did not notice that insects were wound up in the pot. But their presence will not go unnoticed. Most pests feed on plant juices (aphids, spider mites and scale insects). Accordingly, the culture loses vitality and simply cannot support foliage.

If you notice that your flower is starting to shed its leaves, carefully inspect the soil and above ground parts of the plant. So you can detect insects and take measures to eliminate them. So, aphid colonies most often settle on the stems and the inner surface of the plates, spider mites form a characteristic web on the aerial parts, and scale insects stick to the stems and leaves, and outwardly resemble brown growths.

To remove pests, you must first wash the plant with soapy water (followed by washing with clean water) and spray with special insecticides (depending on the type of pest found).

fungal diseases

If the ficus not only began to lose leaves, but also changed color, there is every reason to suspect fungal diseases. In this case, the foliage can not only change color, but also cover with age spots or stripes.

As a rule, fungal diseases occur when the plant is not cared for properly, or when an infected substrate is used for transplantation. You can’t hesitate: in order to save the plant, you must immediately treat it with fungicides.

Pesticides

The fact is that the flower itself is quite resistant to diseases and pests, and such troubles most often occur with improper care of the plant. Therefore, if you fertilize or treat the flower with pesticides too often and intensively, the plant may simply not withstand such a load and begin to shed its leaves.

Transfer

The only characteristic feature of the ficus, which greatly distinguishes it from other indoor crops, is a strong intolerance to transplanting or changing the location. Even if you just moved the pot of the plant, its leaves may begin to fall off.

This also applies to transplants. It is advisable to carry it out in early spring, when the culture has not yet awakened after a period of vegetative dormancy. But even in this case, it is possible that after transplanting the leaves will begin to fall off. Do not panic: you need to leave the flower alone for a while, and after about a month, apply top dressing, which will help the plant gain strength.

Bad light

As we have already said, in nature, ficuses are found in the tropics, so both direct sunlight and lack of lighting are detrimental to them. If it is dark, its leaves will gradually begin to shrink, and then fall off. With strong exposure to direct sunlight, signs of burns (yellowing) will first appear, and then the foliage may completely fall off (Figure 3).

To prevent this from happening, it is advisable to place the flower pot at some distance from the window: so that the culture receives enough light, but it is diffused. Only such conditions will be suitable for this inhabitant of the rainforest.

Why do ficus leaves fall in winter

In winter, most varieties of crops enter a period of vegetative dormancy. Therefore, if you notice that your flower has noticeably thinned out, you should immediately water and feed it intensively. On the contrary, such procedures will only worsen the situation.

It is important to remember that leaf fall in the cold season is an absolutely natural process, and soon new greenery will appear in place of the old foliage.

How to prevent

If you notice the beginning of leaf fall in time, and establish that this process is not associated with natural causes, you must immediately take certain actions to save the flower (Figure 4).

You can prevent leaf fall in ficus as follows:

1. Check the quality and degree of soil moisture: if it is too wet, watering is completely stopped for two weeks. If after this the plant does not recover, transplant into a new and moderately moist soil.
2. Feed the plant: perhaps you have not added nutrients to the soil for too long, and your flower simply does not have enough trace elements.
3. Check the plant for pests: to do this, it is enough to inspect the soil and above-ground parts. If insects were found, they must be destroyed with special chemicals.
4. Inspect the root system: to do this, the plant must be carefully removed from the pot and checked if the roots have rotted. If such areas have been noticed, they should be cut off, treated with crushed coal, and the plant itself should be transplanted into a new pot with fresh soil.

It is important to remember that ficus should not be watered and fed too intensively. It is also advisable to determine in advance the location of its location: the plant reacts negatively to a change of scenery.

More information about the cause of dropping leaves in this crop is given in the video.