Features of ficus lyre

Ficus lyre – an evergreen tree. Belongs to the mulberry family, which includes more than 1000 species. Lyric ficus differs from other relatives by large dimensions. It is not recommended to place it next to other indoor plants.

Ficus lyre

Description of external data

Ficus lyrata is named so because of the shape of the leaves, reminiscent of the structure of the lyre.On a plain dark background, light green veins are clearly visible.The African homeland is African tropic. In the natural environment, it can grow on forest edges, reaching 12 m in height, or most often, as an eliphite. At home, lyre-shaped ficus reaches a size of 2.5 m. Aerial roots are rare or absent. does not apply to banyan trees, like many other ficuses. The stem part is erect with roughness, painted in gray-brown color.

The highlight of the lyciform ficus is its leafy part. The leaves are large in the form of a violin, wrinkled, of dense structure, the edges are slightly wavy. Leaf sizes reach 50 cm in length and 25 in width. The base of the leaf is narrowed, the top is cut off or round.

The flowers of the plant are inconspicuous.After flowering, the fruits of siconia are formed, painted in a green tint with darker inclusions. When breeding at home, it is very difficult to achieve flowering even with an adult representative. The most popular varieties of ficus, which are presented below.

• Bambino; ​​
• Compact;
• Phyllis Craig;
• Resa;
• Rev.

How to care

You need to take care of the plant correctly. Ficus lirata is notable for its exacting conditions. The key to proper growth and development is the creation of conditions that are as close to natural as possible. The plant will respond to any discomfort by dropping the leaf part. Care for lyre-shaped ficus suggests its location in a bright room. The plant should be protected from direct contact with the sun. The best option is the location on the east or west side, but not on the window itself, but in the room. If there is not enough light for the ficus, the foliage growth will slow down. ;

• as a result of changes in the temperature regime, brown spots may appear on the leaves;
• it is necessary to provide increased humidity by constantly spraying the flower;
• water only with standing room temperature water;
• the soil must not be frozen, otherwise the plant may die.

Watering does not imply a certain cycle, because it will directly depend on the conditions in which the plant is contained. Water the tree should be when the outer layer of soil is slightly dried. In the cold season, watering is reduced.

Home care involves the addition of minerals. Use universal fortified fertilizers for indoor flowers. The dosage for lycid ficus should be half that described in the instructions.

How to plant and propagate

Ficuses are transplanted in mid-April. During transplantation, it is necessary to cut off all the roots that began to grow up, as well as broken and rotted ones. You can trim no more than a third of the rhizome. The new container for the plant should be two fingers larger than the previous one. The plant is large and massive, therefore, heavy pots should be selected for transplanting, clay vessels are a good option, they are sufficiently stable.

The reproduction of lyciform ficus is mainly carried out by cuttings. For the procedure, you need a sharp knife or secateurs. A sprout of about 16 cm long with at least two buds is selected. The distance from the cut to the first kidney is about 10 mm. Cuttings will be successful only if you pick a stiffened sprout: young green shoots are not able to develop a strong rhizome.

After trimming, the cut place on the handle is treated with warm water to remove milky juice, and put a little to dry. Then put in a glass of water, after dissolving in it a tablet of activated carbon for disinfection. After a couple of weeks, when the roots appear, you can plant the plant in a pot. Do not immediately take too large containers.

For planting, use universal soil or a self-prepared mixture of peat, sand and hardwood humus. Self-prepared mixture must first be fried in an oven to prevent infection of the roots with parasites. You can propagate ficus lyre with a leaf. This means using the handle not with eyes, but with fully formed leaves. They should be 2.

Pruning is carried out in the same way as in the previous version, only the cut itself is done in the stem internode. Both sheets need to be rolled up and tied with a soft thread so as not to injure. Further care for the future lyre-shaped ficus is identical to the method with cuttings.

When to trim the bush

Formation of the crown of lyre-shaped ficus at home is carried out in spring. Pruning is necessary in order to regulate plant growth. The upper hardened cage is cut into 4-5 internodes. Top reproduction is not practiced, because the green sprout is not able to form a powerful root system.Cutting aerial roots is carried out as necessary, regardless of the time of year. It is important not to forget about the precautionary rules when working with a flower. Milky juice causes an allergic reaction if it enters the dermis.

After trimming, the cut site should be treated. Juice that has fallen on the leaves should be washed off immediately with a cotton swab dipped in warm water, otherwise after drying it can be removed without damaging the foliage. The place of the cut is covered with charcoal to prevent infection and moisture loss.

What it can hurt

Most often, the plantlet is attacked by pests, such as:

• mealybug;
• scutellum;
• ticks.

The structural features of the stem part greatly complicate the control of pests. The scales of the bark and the relief of the foliage allow the insects to go unnoticed. During processing, all places where pests can hide should be carefully examined. The second difficulty lies in the sensitivity of the plant to the chemical composition of many fungicides and even fertilizers. Processing begins with one sheet. After a day, if there are no chemical burns, you can carry out a full treatment of the entire tree.

Lyre-shaped ficus diseases are most often the result of improper care:

• brown twisted leaves are the result of waterlogging of the soil or an excess of sunlight;
• falling of an excessive amount of leaves from the bottom part of the bush indicates a lack of moisture;
• slow growth or its complete stop is the result of a lack of vitamins, salinization of the soil, rotting of the roots as a result of too frequent watering;
• part of the deciduous cover falls when changing habitats, for example, after purchase;
• p yellowing and sagging of the leaf is the result of stagnation of water in the pot with excessive watering.

Often there are diseases of fungal origin. They appear in the form of brown and green-gray spots on the foliage. If the plant is not treated in time, the leaves die off and crumble. A warning for fungal diseases is proper care. All manipulations during trimming should be carried out only with sterile instruments.

When planting, a self-prepared soil mixture must undergo preliminary heat treatment. Leaves must be kept clean. The recommended plant conditions should not be neglected.

Conclusion

Very Ficus lyre valued for its unusual appearance. Unlike other species, lirovidnaya Representative has overall dimensions. One of the compact varieties of lyrata is Bambino. This is a miniature variety with densely planted leaves up to 25 cm in length.

Ficus has long been a popular occupant of apartments and offices. The plant perfectly cleans indoor air. The photo with the image of ficus Lyra is simply mesmerizing with its beauty. A tall beautiful stalk is framed by large green leaves of a dark green hue from the outside and a lighter one from the inside.The veins are pronounced, painted in light green or yellow-green. Growing a sprout at home is quite difficult. This representative is much more demanding in care compared to other varieties.

Reproduction is carried out by cuttings. With improper care, the tree responds by changing the color of the foliage or dropping it. The complexity of the move is that the flower negatively reacts to many fertilizers. The tree is often overpowered by insect pests. It will be quite difficult to remove them, because the plant does not tolerate contacts with many fungicides. The second nuance complicating the fight against insects is the structure of the bark and leaves. The relief of the stem cover and foliage is an excellent shelter for pests.

In order for the ficus not to be sick, but to please the eye with its lush greenery, it is necessary to adhere to all the rules described. The main thing is to create conditions close to natural. The homeland of the tree is subtropics, therefore it is extremely important to ensure optimal humidity. This does not mean that the number of irrigations should be increased. Increasing humidity is achieved by spraying and rubbing the leaves with a damp sponge.