Tree-like evergreen plant - ficus "Lirata"

Flowers

Reading time 6 min Updated

• Ficus lyre-shaped - soil requirements
• Planting and growing ficus
• Lighting
• Transfer
• How to feed and water a lyre-shaped ficus
• Diseases and pests
• Rest period
• Propagation by cuttings

Ficus lyreata is a plant that has been growing on Earth for millions of years. And although when grown in pots it is primarily a pleasant graft of tropical greenery, in the wild it leads a truly fascinating life. Each ficus begins its existence as an epiphyte, that is, a plant that lives on another tree, but is not a parasite. Over time, the ficus grows downwards, looking for a substrate in which it could take root, and turns into a tree up to 15 meters high!

What does Ficus lyreate look like, what family does it belong to?

Ficus lyre (lat. ficus lirata) belongs to the mulberry family. It is an evergreen deciduous plant. It can reach a height of 2.5 m. The trunk is straight, the leaves are large, up to 45 cm long. They are smooth to the touch. The foliage looks very beautiful and decorative.

Common varieties

Most often you can find ficus varieties:

• Columnaris – tall variety;
• Little Fiddle – medium height;
• Bambino - short;
• Phyllis Craig is a variety with a compact crown.

Decorative view of ficus lyreate

The last two are best suited for planting at home. The homeland of the ficus lyreate is Western Africa. The plant grows in tropical forests.

Signs and superstitions

Many people want to see the lyre-shaped ficus in the interior, but they doubt it when they hear about the negative signs associated with the plant. How much should you trust them? Each nation has its own ideas about the properties of this plant.

1. The Slavs believed that keeping a ficus in the house was not suitable for single girls and ladies. In their opinion, the flower scares men away from home and does not allow love into it.
2. Europeans have a positive attitude towards ficus; they are confident that this tropical resident helps strengthen family relationships.
3. The Chinese believe that lirata maintains comfort in the home, helps a woman get pregnant and keeps peace in the family.

It has been scientifically proven that the lyre-shaped ficus cleanses the air in the house well. In addition, it looks amazing in the interior and creates a good mood with its original appearance.

Features of flower care at home

Unlike most varieties of ficus, this variety is demanding in care.

Temperature

Ficus rubber - home care

Ficus lyreformis is a heat-loving plant. In summer, the room temperature should be at least +25 ℃. In winter, it is enough to maintain it at a level of 17-22 ℃ above zero.

Note! It is not recommended to leave the plant in a draft - this may cause the root system to die.

Lighting

Good lighting at home is the key to successful cultivation of this type of ficus. It is best to place pots on windows facing east. Bright sunlight is detrimental to the plant, and the eastern windows have soft, diffused light.

Watering

Depending on the time of year, watering features will differ. In winter, the amount of irrigation is reduced. In summer, on the contrary, watering should be abundant and frequent. The water is allowed to settle for 24 hours before irrigation. If you water with unsettled water, white streaks will begin to appear on the leaves.

Spraying

A lot of dust accumulates on the leaves, making regular spraying and wiping necessary. They need to be cleaned of dust several times a week. In summer they wipe more often.

Humidity

Since ficus lyreate is a tropical plant, it needs high humidity (at least 70%). To increase humidity, you can place the pot in a tray with wet expanded clay, wipe the leaves with a sponge more often, or use a humidifier.

Priming

Soil composition for ficus:

• turf land (3 parts);
• peat (1 part);
• coarse river sand (1 part).

Before planting, all ingredients are thoroughly mixed to obtain a homogeneous mass.

Feeding

Caring for ficus lyreate at home involves regular fertilizing. Fertilizers are activated during the plant’s active period, which lasts from March to September. They are applied twice a month. Fertilize with fertilizers for ficus or decorative deciduous crops.

Important! When fertilizing with mineral fertilizers, make sure that the solution does not get on the leaf.

When is it required?

It is necessary to trim the crown when it grows strongly. This should be done 1-2 times a year. Plant growth is regulated by pruning. If the branches are not shortened, it will only grow in height. Then, in apartment conditions, the tree will soon become cramped.

Specimens affected by diseases or pests also need this procedure. Rotten or dried areas must be removed. This helps save the ficus from death.

Crown formation is not done all year round. Only a certain period is suitable for this:

• young shoots are pruned in the spring;
• mature trees - in spring or summer;
• In autumn, only diseased branches are pruned.

In winter, ficus hardly grows. If you trim it, the crown will be skewed. New shoots will grow only at the cutting sites.

When and how does it bloom

Ficus - home care, ficus diseases

At home, ficus does not bloom. The plant can bloom only in its natural environment or in a botanical garden. Sometimes you may not even notice the inflorescences. Ficus lyrata grows only upward and is a fairly tall, erect plant. Not all gardeners may like this. In order for the ficus to produce lateral shoots, it must be pruned. To do this, the top of a flower whose height has reached 70 cm is cut off above one of the internodes. This ensures the formation of the crown.

Ficus pruning is an important part of care

Rules for pruning that is safe for the plant

First of all, in order for pruning to bring maximum benefit and not harm the flower, you must use a sharp, disinfected knife or pruning shears; scissors are suitable for thin branches. To peel off, you need to retreat 10-15 cm from the top, that is, approximately 3-4 leaves.

In addition, experts recommend using gloves and glasses when pruning ficus, since the milky sap contains toxins that can trigger the development of an allergic reaction. Pruning is best done in the spring, when the plant begins its active growth phase. It is during this period that you can get the maximum result.

Experienced gardeners recommend carrying out manipulations when the height of the flower reaches 70 cm. It must be remembered that removing most of the stem can lead to the plant stopping growing and remaining the same size.

How does ficus lyrera propagate?

There are several ways to propagate ficus at home.

Germination of seeds

It is impossible to obtain seeds at home. You can only buy them. How to propagate by seeds:

• before planting, planting material is soaked in water;
• after a few days they are planted in the ground;
• water and cover the pot with film;
• shoots should appear in about 10-14 days;
• after this the film is removed.

On a note! Seedlings are planted when their height reaches 5-7 cm and several full leaves appear.

Rooting cuttings

Before cutting the cuttings, the soil is carefully weeded so that the plant is saturated with water. They begin planting the next day. Planting ficus cuttings:

1. A powerful shoot is chosen for the cutting.
2. Cut it at an angle of 45 degrees.
3. The lower leaves are torn off, leaving 2-3 upper ones.
4. The cutting is placed in a glass of water so that the juice comes out of it.
5. Then dry it.

The cutting can be left in water and wait until roots appear. Then replant into the ground. Or immediately plant it in the soil and do not forget to water it regularly.

Propagation by cuttings

Air layering

How to propagate by air layering:

• select the location of the layering;
• from the top of the plant should be at least 60 cm;
• at this point, the leaves are torn off and two cuts are made (the distance between them is at least 3 cm);
• the cuts are treated with a root formation activator;
• then the place is wrapped in moss.

After a few weeks, a shoot should appear. There are no other ways to propagate ficus.

Tree-like evergreen plant - ficus "Lirata"

Before buying a ficus "Lirata", you need to decide where it will be located.
He doesn't like to move. This may cause the leaves to drop. A sunny room that is constantly ventilated is suitable as a permanent place. Direct sunlight should not hit the foliage. It is best to place the pot at a distance of 1-1.5 m from the window .

It is imperative to transplant the tree into new soil, since store-bought soil is not suitable for constant growth. It is necessary to transfer it into a new pot carefully, without destroying the earthen ball and without breaking the root system. This should be done no later than 5 days after purchase. After transplanting, special attention should be paid to moistening the soil and air.

Watering

Since “Lirata” comes from tropical forests, watering should be plentiful. Pour water until it appears in the pan, remove excess after 20 minutes. You need to moisten the soil when the top layer dries.

Transfer

Ficus grows very quickly, so it will have to be replanted often. The transplant is carried out in the second ten days of April. The process involves the following:

• remove the plant from the pot, cut off all the roots that have begun to grow upward;
• remove rotten roots;
• the new capacity should be 30% larger than the previous one;
• pour some of the soil into the pot and place the plant;
• Fill the container with soil and compact it lightly.

At the end of the transplant, be sure to water with plenty of warm water. Wood ash or vermicompost is added to the water.

Ficus pruning Melanie

Being one of the varieties of rubber ficus, this specimen also needs pruning.
At the beginning of its growth period, this plant is an unbranched trunk with a woody stem. Over time, Melanie begins the process of branching, aerial roots appear, which, reaching the soil, form new trunks. Every owner of this unpretentious species should know how to prune ficus Melanie so that the plant retains its beauty and brightness. Typically, pruning of this specimen is done at the end of winter. Experts advise how to trim a ficus so that it is fluffy, and emphasize that to do this it is necessary to get rid of the six internodes on top. By cutting off just the top, the grower will not be able to achieve lush development of the branches.

For those who are unsure whether they should prune their ficus this year, there is another method to force the flower to produce side shoots. To do this, the barrel is tilted as low as possible and fixed in this position. After this manipulation, dominance will be transferred to the lateral bud, which is located above the others. The growth of the crown will be stopped, and active growth of lateral shoots will begin.

Possible problems in cultivation and diseases

If you care for it incorrectly, the ficus will hurt. It is due to improper care or lack thereof that problems most often arise.

Drops buds and leaves

The reason for dropping leaves is low humidity. In this case, they also turn yellow. Leaves should be wiped and sprayed more often. Place a container with wet expanded clay nearby.

Additional Information! If the leaves become small and begin to fall off, then the plant does not have enough nutrients.

The leaves are turning pale

If the leaves turn pale, it means the plant is not getting enough sunlight. In this case, it is moved to the sun. Leaves may turn pale due to chlorosis. Spraying with ferovit will help cure the disease.

The tips of the leaves are drying out

If the ends begin to dry after transplantation, it means the roots have been damaged. Also, the reason may be dry air or lack of potassium in the soil.

The lower leaves fall off

The lower leaves may fall off naturally if they are old. Leaves fall in autumn or early winter as part of the natural process of leaf change.

The lower leaves are falling

Pests

Ficus pests:

• spider mites (spray with Vertimek, Mavrik);
• orange aphids (spray with tobacco decoction and soap);
• scale insects (wipe with alcohol and rinse the foliage in the shower);
• mealybug (treat the plant with fungicides).

Insects often cause diseases.

Other problems

Another problem when growing ficus is disease:

• gray rot;
• sooty fungus;
• powdery mildew;
• cercospora;
• root rot.

To combat diseases, plants are sprayed with fungicides. For powdery mildew, wiping the foliage with a soapy solution helps.

Additional Information! With gray rot, the affected parts are cut off, the soil is dried or changed. Cercospora infection is treated with antifungal drugs.

Reproduction

It is important to remember some features of ficus propagation:

1. This is allowed only in spring or early summer.
2. After cutting the cutting, it is necessary to rinse the cut with water, since juice will flow from there. Then you need to give the wound time to heal, leaving the stem in the fresh air for several hours.
3. You can only cut off woody shoots, since the young ones will not yet take root.

Reproduction of the lyre-shaped ficus occurs using cuttings. They are removed strictly at an angle, armed with a very sharp knife (not pruning shears!) It is not recommended to cut short shoots; the optimal length is ten centimeters. The bottommost sheet needs to be removed.

When the cutting is already dry (after washing), it must be placed in water. Activated carbon is also added there (one tablet). If the leaves on the shoot touch the water, they need to be cut off - otherwise it will simply rot and everything will go down the drain. The cuttings will begin to take root in about a month. If you create a “greenhouse effect” (wrap it in plastic, heat it), the process can be accelerated. When the shoots send out roots, you can safely transplant them into small pots with a suitable soil substrate.

Maintenance and care

Ficus Lyre-shaped is very demanding: living conditions must be as close to natural as possible. To begin with, the ficus should choose a comfortable place, preferably a secluded one. The place should be well lit: the large leaf plates of the flower actively absorb light, and photosynthesis occurs more efficiently.

Naturally, then the plant receives more energy for development, and they reproduce more actively. Therefore, it is preferable to choose rooms with panoramic windows or large doors, with a good lighting system. However, do not forget that exposure to direct sunlight can cause burns to the dermis. Provide light shade with curtains or curtains to create diffused lighting.

Drafts and sudden changes in temperature are contraindicated for the flower. Do not forget that in the natural environment the temperature and humidity are high. But for a home ficus, a temperature in the range of 18–25 degrees will be quite acceptable. Hypothermia of the soil and a decrease in temperature below 13 °C is fraught with diseases for the Lyre-shaped ficus.

Under no circumstances should there be “dry” air in the room: the native tropics provide the flower with increased requirements for humidity. Buy an air humidifier or place containers of water near the plant, try to spray more often. Heat sources should not be close to the plant. Also, we should not forget that house ficus, due to its rapid growth, requires frequent replanting. Until three years, the flower is replanted every year, after that - every few years.

The soil must be fertile, with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. You can purchase special substrates at a flower shop containing turf, river sand and charcoal. While the ficus is growing and developing, it is necessary to feed it using universal fertilizers. Experienced flower growers advise using liquid mineral fertilizers, but the dose should be halved from the recommended one.

Description

The homeland of the lyre-shaped ficus is the hot African continent. In its natural environment, the plant reaches 13 meters, but as a houseplant it is much shorter - on average, the lyrata grows by 2.5-3 m, and with decorative pruning you can even get a mini-version of this unusual tree.

This unusual variegated ficus received its name due to its external similarity with the silhouette of a lyre. Lyrata is distinguished by rather wide leaf plates with wavy edges and clearly visible veins of pale green color - they stand out strongly against the overall dark leaf plate. The top of the leaf blade is rounded, and the base is more narrowed, the length of the leaf of an adult plant is 40-50 cm in length and about 20-25 cm in width, the coating is glossy, shiny. In the middle, the leaves are pulled “at the waist”, due to which they take a shape reminiscent of a musical instrument.

The trunk is grayish in color, as a rule, the trunk is straight and rough.

Benefits and harms

When contacting the plant, it is advisable to use protective gloves. Ficus sap can cause an allergic reaction.

Attention: Ficus "Lirata" is contraindicated in the home for people suffering from bronchial asthma.

But still, this tree-like plant does more good than harm.

Many medicines and ointments are made from the juice of the lyre-shaped ficus. They are used to treat female diseases. They also treat hemorrhoids, radiculitis, osteochondrosis, and arthritis.

Scientific name

Ficus "Lyrata" has a scientific name - Ficus lyrata. It is increasingly found in homes and is becoming a decoration for offices.

How to trim correctly to give a beautiful shape?

During the pruning process, it is advisable to follow the following recommendations:

1. Wash your hands with soap. Disinfect tools with alcohol or heat their metal parts over a fire.
2. Carefully examine the plant. You need to plan in advance which branches are best to cut.
3. First, dry branches are removed. After this, you can begin to form the desired shape.
4. For convenience, the boundaries of removal can be marked with colored tapes or chalk. Then there will be less risk of accidentally cutting off the wrong section of the shoot.
5. The cut is made strictly above the kidney.

If it is necessary to trim a small section of the stem, pinch it. The shoots obtained during shearing are not thrown away. This material is useful for propagating ficus.

How to trim so that Benjamin is fluffy and lush?

The crown will be thick if you do the following:

• shorten the trunk by 5-10 cm;
• periodically trim the remaining shoots to activate the lateral buds;
• Prune both outer and inner branches.

After this, the plant almost does not grow upward. It begins to actively grow in breadth. Removing the top of the trunk can only be done once a year. The lateral processes are trimmed 2-3 times a year, but no more.

What should I trim to make the plant bush?

In order for the ficus to take on the shape of a bush, you must:

1. Trim off the top of the central stem. If the height of the tree is less than 80 cm, the top is shortened by 10-15 cm. With a height of 1 m, you can cut it to 20-25 cm.
2. Shorten side shoots that have reached a length of 10-12 cm by 2-3 cm.
3. As they grow back, cut off the side shoots again.

After deep pruning of the trunk, the plant gradually takes on the desired shape. And if there is high humidity in the room, the ficus grows aerial roots. They can be directed into the soil. Then they will gradually take root and form a banyan tree with a spreading crown.