Why ficus Benjamin dumps leaves

Floriculture is a rather troublesome task, but the result of work is always impressive, because plants provide comfort in the house. Nevertheless, when breeding flowers, you can encounter a lot of problems. For example, a plant may begin to drop foliage. Consider why Benjamin’s ficus drops leaves, what reasons can contribute to this and how to eliminate them as soon as possible.

Consider why the leaves of the ficus Benjamin turn yellow and why the leaves of the ficus crumble and fly around:

• The conditions for tree breeding have changed . Even the usual change of location of the pot with ficus can lead to the fact that Benjamin’s ficus will lose its leaves. It is necessary to select and prepare in advance a place in which the ficus will stand constantly.It is strictly forbidden to take out a pot of green ficus on the balcony. The fact is that direct sunlight affects the condition of dried leaves. In addition, you need to keep the plant from drafts: even ordinary ventilation can adversely affect the plant.
• The temperature in the house is too low. It is no secret that ficus came to us from distant tropics, where the average annual temperature does not fall below 20 ° C. For this reason, a sharp change in climate in the direction of decreasing temperature may result in the leaves falling off at the ficus. We must try to maintain maximum heat, especially for the roots of the plant, for this reason it is not recommended to put ficus on the windowsill in the winter if there is no battery under it. The most acceptable temperature for ficus Benjamin is considered to be 20-25 ° C. This is optimal for both the root system and foliage. You also need to ensure that the temperature in the room does not rise above 29 ° C, because it can also happen that Benjamin’s ficus will drop leaves.
• Lack of nutrients. If the plant does not receive sufficient nutrition, this will certainly affect the appearance of the green flower, the fall of the leaves will begin actively, and those that remain will acquire a yellow tint and will soon dry out. This can be corrected by adding special fertilizers to the soil. You need to do this with a frequency of 1 time in 2-3 months, for the ficus this is enough.
• The influence of the external environment.Not only direct sunlight affects the condition of the foliage, there are other negative factors. Leaves may fall from Benjamin’s ficus due to insufficient air humidity. In this case, it is ideal to purchase an air humidifier that will automatically maintain the normal rate. Or use a spray bottle with water, periodically spraying ficus with water.
• Errors when watering. It is important to find a middle ground in the issue of watering the tree. If the foliage turned yellow, then this is the first bell, indicating that there is too much watering. If they dry out, then it is worth adding water when watering or producing it more often.
• Parasites on the foliage of a tree. It is worth saying that the ficus of Benjamin quite often becomes a victim of parasites. Usually it is a martyr and spider mite. If there is a faint white coating and light spots on the fallen leaves, this is a mealy mite. If it turned out to consider small brown moving spots or dots, then this is a spider mite. In any case, no matter what the parasite is called, the surviving leaves need to be washed with soap and water, and then use a ready-made insecticide that can be bought at flower shops. For example, you can buy Fungicide: the reviews about its use are mostly positive.
• The reason for the leaves to fall is not necessarily a disease or damage to the plant by parasites or fungi, it may well be that the leaves fall for natural reasons in autumn and winter.If so, then only the lower crown will be discarded, the upper leaves will remain intact. The natural process should last no more than 2 weeks.

Knowing why the leaves of Benjamin’s ficus fall, even a completely bare tree trunk can be saved. The main thing is to take measures in time and fix all the mistakes that you have to take care of the plant at home.

Eliminate the negative effect on the flower

Prepare for the appearance of ficus in the house, choose a place for him and create the necessary conditions. The first thing to worry about is temperature conditions. The minimum temperature is 19 ° C, with a lower indicator, Benjamin’s ficus can drop leaves. If there is no humidifier in the house, you need to spray the foliage of the plant 1-2 times a day: this will provide the necessary humidity. It is important that the water temperature should correspond to room temperature, that is, it should not be much lower or higher.

Earlier we said that the ficus tree does not like permutations, it is better to immediately find its permanent place and not change it unnecessarily. Experienced flower growers recommend using drugs such as Zircon or Elin from the very beginning, they are also called antidepressants for ficus. Their action is to minimize stress for the plant during the transplant period. To obtain a lasting effect, you need to process the foliage with a solution. The number of sprayings is indicated in the instructions for the drug, you need to carefully study it before use.

Lighting affects the foliage. In order for the leaves to stay firmly in the trunk, it is important to create the right lighting conditions. Ficus does not like darkness, the plant feels most comfortable in diffused sunlight. It is not worth putting a pot with a ficus tree on the windowsill, but the place near it is considered ideal, so the foliage will be able to get maximum sunlight. In winter you will have to use additional lighting.

Extra nutrition

A lack of nutrition often causes Benjamin’s ficus to drop leaves. However in this case, the foliage does not fall off immediately, it is a rather slow process.First, the foliage loses its bright green color, acquires a whitish color, then curls up and only then falls off.

The standard schedule for fertilizing Benjamin’s tree is once per the year of the year, and it’s worth choosing spring or autumn for this procedure, when the ficus is in an active stage of growth. Complex preparations containing all the necessary minerals are suitable as fertilizers.

One of these components is nitrogen. Its addition to the soil helps to maintain normal growth of the plant. Adding magnesium to the soil affects the color: as a result, it will be bright green and juicy. It is advisable to give preference to those fertilizers that have iron in their composition: its presence in the soil will not let the leaves fall or turn yellow.

It is important to note that the finished fertilizer mixture should be added only to well-moistened soil, otherwise there is a chance that the root system will suffer.If Benjamin’s ficus is currently dropping the foliage, then you should not pour in the fertilizer in full, only half of the solution will be needed, given that the flower is weakened.

If all the leaves of the ficus have fallen

If there is not a single leaf left on your favorite ficus tree, you do not need to rush to throw the plant away, it can still be saved. The fact is that the root system is still alive, and after a certain time, the ficus will shoot again. To understand that everything is in order with the roots, you need to carefully examine the trunk of the ficus. In the absence of diseases, normally it should be flexible, and with a small incision, the whitish flower juice comes out of it. If it withered, then the plant died.

Only in 40% of cases the causes of problems with leaves of the ficus are associated with diseases, and in most cases with normal care it is possible to solve the problems with a small adjustment for home care. This unpretentiousness has become the reason that Benjamin’s ficus can be seen not only in residential apartments and houses, but also at work, in office buildings, as well as in hospitals and other public institutions. As mentioned earlier, it is important to understand in time the reason why the leaves fall, after which the plant will return to normal again.

Prevention

To prevent ficus leaves from falling off, you need to pay sufficient attention to caring for it at home:

• regularly moisten the air when using a spray gun or a humidifier;
• protect drying leaves from direct sunlight;
• water only as needed;
• avoid drafts, this contributes to leaf fall ;
• periodically loosen the ground;
• regularly feed.

All these recommendations apply to the already purchased a plant that is in its own pot at home. However, do not forget that as the root system grows, Benjamin’s ficus needs to be transplanted. The first transplant occurs after the acquisition of the flower.

Usually it is sold in a temporary transportation pot, the plant is usually extracted after 2-4 weeks, this time is needed for the plant to get used to new living conditions. At this time, active dropping of leaves may be observed, but this is a temporary phenomenon.

In addition, during transplantation, it is worth considering the following recommendations:

• Only soil for ficuses should be used as land drainage: the plant takes root in it best.
• It is better to refuse feeding after transplantation, after 2-4 weeks it can be restored.
• Further transplantation should be done as the roots grow, but no more than once every 2-3 years.
• In order to update the root system, it is recommended to remove the tips of the shriveled roots and branches.

So that the leaves do not fall, you need to know the nuances of the reproduction of the flower. Usually ficus is propagated by air removal. To do this, a shallow incision is made on the stem of the plant in a circle, moistened moss is placed on top of it, fixed and tied with cling film. After 4-8 weeks, it is possible to see that roots have appeared on this stem that can be transplanted into the soil. It is advisable to use this method in the summer, this gives the best result. It is in summer that the plant is in a state of rest. More details on this method can be found in the photo and video.

A well-chosen pot will be an excellent prevention of fallen leaves of Benjamin ficus. This usually happens when the root system ceases to fit in the pot. First, the leaves of Benjamin’s ficus dry and turn yellow, then fall off. The ficus also feels uncomfortable in a too spacious pot: in this way, a large amount of moisture accumulates, which causes the roots to rot.

Now you know what to do if the leaves of the ficus Benjamin fall off and turn yellow. It is important to provide the plant with sufficient care and monitor its appearance.