Ficus robusta is the most unpretentious of all ficus plants.

What does ficus Robusta look like, what family does it belong to?

Robusta belongs to the rubber-bearing species of ficus or, as they are also called, Elastica. Family – Ficus.

Description of appearance:

• The leaves are evergreen, slightly drooping. The shape is oval, pointed at the ends. Color – dark green, surface – glossy. There is a vein running through the middle of each leaf blade; its color can be light green or red. Leaf length – up to 25 cm, width up to 15 cm.
• The trunk is green.
• Height – from 1 m.
• The flowers are inexpressive, no more than 1 cm in diameter.

Ficus is one of the most common indoor plants with an evergreen lush crown.

Additional Information! Ficus Elastica Robusta is a very massive representative of its species. In its natural growing environment, its height can reach 60 m, diameter - up to 2 m.

Medicinal properties

Robusta is a plant that is recommended to be placed in every home. It is able to absorb negative energy and clear the atmosphere of anxiety.

Robusta cleanses energy, bringing peace and comfort

The leaves of the plant are used to prepare tinctures that are used in the treatment of arthrosis, rheumatism and arthritis. Folk remedies based on ficus help get rid of papillomas, warts, and wen.

Briefly about the history of appearance

It is not known exactly how and when the flower came to Europe. The homeland of ficus is India, the southern regions of China, Nepal, Burma, Indonesia.

Folk signs and superstitions

The exotic appearance and ability to purify the air from accumulated phenolic and benzene compounds contributed to the appearance of “supernatural abilities” in the indoor ficus:

• cleansing the aura of the home from negative energies;
• protection from evil spirits;
• maintaining financial balance in the house;
• balancing the temper of the owners.

Did you know? Suspension bridges are woven from the aerial roots of giant elastic ficus trees in Indonesia.
Proper care and maintenance contribute to the emergence of a new family member: Robusta will thank you for your care with clean air, a feeling of warmth and comfort in the house.

Ficus Robusta: home care

Caring for a flower is easy. You just need to adhere to certain rules.

Temperature

Ficus rubber - home care

The optimal temperature regime for a flower is +18 °C…+25 °C.

Attention! At higher or lower temperatures, ficus leaves begin to fall off.

Lighting

The light should be diffused. The ficus is most comfortable on the north side of the room. In winter, you can additionally use fluorescent lamps.

Watering

You need to water the flower moderately and regularly. The soil should be allowed to dry out a little. Recommended watering schedule: in summer - every 3 days, in winter - every 5 days. The water from the pan must be drained so as not to cause root rot.

Spraying

In summer, the plant needs to be sprayed once a week, in winter or when the air is dry - 2 times.

Humidity

The ideal humidity for ficus is from 50%.

Priming

The soil must have a neutral acidity level. It is important that the soil is light, loosened, with the addition of sand. The optimal solution is to purchase special soil for ficus plants.

Feeding

Complex mineral fertilizers are applied under the flower every 15 days from March to the last days of November.

Reproduction

Reproduction occurs by cuttings. You can use the stems after trimming the top crown. It is necessary to choose planting material with three leaves (internodes).

Rooting occurs in home greenhouses. They are created using plastic bottles or glass jars. The main thing is that such a container allows sunlight to pass through.

Temperature

Good growth of ficus occurs at temperatures from 18 to 25°C.

A shorter or longer interval has a negative effect on the plant.

When and how does it bloom

Ficus Melanie - home care

The flowering of ficus Robusta has no decorative significance. Its inflorescences are small, no more than 1 cm in diameter, collected from several yellow flowers with a green tint and are almost invisible among the massive leaf plates.

Robusta blooms extremely rarely and barely noticeably

In the natural environment, flowering can begin in May - June.

Additional Information! At home, ficus blooms in the rarest of cases.

Changes in care during the flowering period

If the rubber ficus Robusta blooms indoors, it needs to increase watering and spray the bushes more often.

How to choose in a store

It is better to buy fucus during the period of its active growth, which occurs in the spring and summer months. When purchasing at another time of the year, you should be prepared for the fact that the plant will not be able to fully adapt to the new conditions provided to it and will die as a result.

The age of the flower also affects acclimatization. Buying a mature plant is not the best option.

Close attention should be paid to the leaf plates and root system visible through the drainage holes - they should not contain any inclusions or defects that differ in color.

For particularly careful selection, you can gently shake the flower, thus checking whether the foliage will fall off. An alternative to this method is stroking the green mass with your palm.

When transporting, the tree must be wrapped in packaging to avoid possible freezing, and at home the surface is thoroughly wiped of polish, which is often used to treat Robusta in florist shops in order to make the appearance even more attractive.

The cost of a houseplant directly depends on the size and supplier. The price varies from 900 to 28,500 rubles.

Trimming

The rapid growth of ficus must be restrained by regularly cutting off the top. This measure helps to form a beautiful crown and rejuvenate the plant.

The procedure is carried out in early March, when the growing season begins. Rules:

• shoots are removed at a height of 3 to 5 leaf blades;
• thin branches are cut straight, thicker stems - at an angle;
• cut areas are treated with crushed activated carbon.

When removing shoots, stumps should not be left, so as not to provoke the development of fungal diseases.

If the ficus is not pruned, it will very quickly grow to the ceiling.

Methods of fertilizing a plant

Ficus Robusta needs fertilizer. It is necessary to feed the flower during the growing season. It begins in early spring and ends in late autumn.

It is best to give preference to nitrogen-containing fertilizers that stimulate leaf growth. Fertilizers are applied 3 times a month. Some gardeners believe that the more often they manipulate, the better. Although they do not understand that this is fraught with unpleasant consequences. We must remember that a lack is bad, but an excess is not the norm.

How does Ficus Robusta propagate?

Ficus propagation is easy, carried out by seeds, cuttings and air layering.

Germination of seeds

Purchased seeds are soaked for several hours in a growth stimulator. It is necessary to place the seed on nutritious soil, moisten it with a spray bottle, and cover it with a thin layer of soil. The first shoots will appear in about 7-10 days.

Attention! You can expect germination only if you use high-quality seeds.

Rooting cuttings

This is the most convenient and frequently used method. Procedure:

1. Cut the stems from the top; each should have 2-3 leaf blades.
2. Rinse the plant juice from the cut and air dry it for 1 hour.
3. Plant the cuttings in nutrient soil mixed with sand, lowering it into the ground at an angle.

It is recommended to place a support under each cutting, for example, a thin stick.

Air layering

Old stems and woody shoots are suitable for layering. How to propagate ficus by air layering:

1. Make a diagonal cut on the branch.
2. Insert a match into it to prevent it from becoming overgrown, wrap it with moistened moss, and wrap it with film on top.
3. Mist the moss regularly to keep it moist until roots emerge. Water is added under the film through a syringe.

Roots will form in about 2 months. The branch with roots is cut and inserted into nutritious soil.

The preferred method of propagating ficus is cuttings.

Other options

You can plant a ficus using a leaf plate. You need to choose only strong specimens, without any damage.

The leaf plate is cut off with part of the shoot, the cutting is placed in a container with clean water or wrapped in wet cotton wool.

Attention! Only a piece of the shoot should have contact with water. The leaf plate should not touch the water. When the shoots have roots, they are planted in a small container with nutritious soil and covered with a plastic bottle on top. After rooting, the leaf must be planted in a permanent place.

How to form a crown

Ficus grows only upward, and most gardeners like lush plants. The best time to prune plants is spring. At this time, sap flow increases and favorable conditions for growth are created.

Pruning rules for crown formation:

• The top of the ficus, the length of which has reached 70 cm, is cut off. The cutting is placed in water so that it takes root. New shoots will grow from the cut trunk.
• In short plants, pinch the top; one shoot will sprout in this place.
• Bend the top down and tie it to the trunk. After a shoot appears from the upper bud, the crown is untied and released.
• A hole is pierced with a needle at 1/3 of the depth of the trunk. The operation begins from above, since the process grows only from the lower puncture. If you first pierce the bottom of the trunk, only one shoot will grow; sprouts will no longer appear from the upper punctures.

The juice that appears after pruning is removed with a damp cotton swab. A month after pruning, the soil in the ficus pot is fertilized.

Transfer

Replanting should be done as the flower grows, when the roots are visible on the surface of the soil. Rules:

• The next pot should be 2-4 cm larger in diameter than the previous container.
• Young ficus are replanted annually, flowers over 4 years old - once every 2 years.
• The root collar does not go deep into the soil.

Attention! Ficus purchased in a store must be replanted after a few days, when the plant acclimatizes to the new place.

Difficulties in growing

The most common mistakes of novice gardeners:

1. Yellowed leaves, their constant falling. Reasons: draft, lack of moisture, improper lighting.

2. Brownish spots on leaves. Reason: excess moisture. It is necessary to reduce watering, or better yet, stop completely, wait until the soil dries 2-3 cm deep.

3. The bush suddenly dropped its leaves: stress. Sudden change in temperature, drying out followed by watering with cold water. It may be necessary to restore the plant by cuttings if shoot growth has not stopped.
4. Spider mite. Reason: very dry air. Spray the plant with a special product and first isolate it from other indoor flowers.

Possible problems in cultivation and diseases

Caring for a flower is easy, but the gardener may still encounter certain difficulties.

Based on the condition of the leaf blades, you can understand what is bothering the plant.

The flower sheds buds and leaves

The appearance of such a symptom may be due to the fact that the plant is renewing itself. But more often this symptom occurs due to improper watering and lack of nutrients.

The leaves are turning pale

This indicates that the room temperature is too high.

The tips of the leaves are drying out

The causes of the condition are excessive lighting, lack of watering.

The lower leaves fall off

This indicates the presence of pests or soil depletion.

Pests

Most often, the plant is affected by spider mites or scale insects. The flower is treated with a soap solution. In advanced cases, insecticides are used.

Other problems

If the leaf blade begins to turn yellow, it means the flower lacks iron. If blackness appears on the green surface, this is sunburn.

Robusta is a beautiful, fast-growing ficus with a lush and spreading crown. The plant is completely unpretentious. But even if the most comfortable conditions are created, the likelihood of it blooming in captivity is extremely low.

What to do with ficus after purchase

First, the plant is quarantined for 2 weeks with minimal lighting and watering. This is necessary in order to observe the new pet and not infect the entire collection of flowers with pests or diseases.

Then they look to see if Robusta needs a transplant. If the pot contains ordinary mixture or soil, you should focus on the season and the condition of the root.

The ficus definitely needs to be moved from a container filled with peat in the spring or early summer. If the purchase was made during the dormant period or at the end of the growing season, you should evaluate the condition of the plant, first of all, the root system.

Ficus Robusta should be replanted, regardless of the season, in the following cases:

• the substrate has turned sour, turned to stone or smells bad;
• for some unknown reason, the leaves began to wrinkle, turn yellow, curl, and fall off;
• the root has filled the container, the peat is practically invisible;
• the owners specifically bought an unpretentious flower because they cannot pay much attention to it or regularly care for it.

The main disadvantage of peat used for planting ficus plants in shipping containers is that it requires very careful watering. When the substrate dries out, it turns into stone and is difficult to absorb with water. When overmoistened, it remains wet for a long time, and there is a high probability of rotting first of the root, then of the above-ground part. This is especially dangerous during the dormant period of the ficus, when all growth processes, including regeneration, slow down.

Appearance and features

The Robusta rose is a simple shaped scarlet flower with about five wide petals and an open center. There are often yellow stamens in the center of the flower, but some specimens do not have them; such buds are called sterile.

The shade of the buds is very rich, closer to the center you can see a slight gradient; the stamens on the petals have a narrow white-pink stripe. Robusta flowers are called wrinkled flowers due to the waviness of the petals and the wavy edge.

Some buds create a bowl shape due to the strong curvature of the petals. Despite their simple shape, the roses look bright and festive; many scarlet, rather large flowers cover the tall bush in tassels. The aroma of roses is weak.

The Robusta variety shrub reaches 2 meters in height. Kulyutra belongs to the climbing varieties, but differs from them in its non-spreading crown, the width of the bush does not exceed 1.5 meters.

The plant can be grown as a climbing rose by placing it on a vertical support. The shoots are thin burgundy-green, densely strewn with short and sharp thorns, which make caring for the crop difficult. The foliage is medium-sized, glossy, light green in color with many veins.

Description of the Robusta variety

Robusta rose is highly resistant. The only thing that can significantly damage the plant is black spot. The Robusta variety is not afraid of rain, tolerates extremely low temperatures and is able to grow in rather poor soil.

The shrub blooms continuously. Flowering begins in May, new flowers replace old ones without interruption. Peak flowering begins in mid-August and ends in September. In warm climates the bush blooms until October.

Options for using Robusta roses

The Robusta rose is suitable for bright landscaping in a garden or park area. This unpretentious plant can bloom almost anywhere with minimal care. The tall bush can be used to create a hedge or border.

The plant is great for zoning a site. Many gardeners grow Robusta as a climbing bush, planting it along fences or building facades. With proper formative pruning, the rose looks good alone in the middle of the lawn or in rows along the paths.

how – Body book

When a person has to say what, when he wants to show off what he is doing, he deepens the tattoo-inscription. The inscriptions are generally perceived by tattoo artists and fine connoisseurs of tattoo art with hostility: this plot is too different and not just original. Thousands of inscriptions from people “Love”, “Peace”, “Veni, vidi, However” go around the world.

vici, inscriptions can be justified if they are lines from a favorite song that deeply touched the heart, or a poem of one’s own composition. Placed deeply under clothing, close to intimate places, these lines acquire special frankness.

Conditions of detention

As already mentioned, ficus Robusta develops normally if a number of requirements for the place of growth are met. The plant originally appeared in warm regions with heavy rainfall.

Temperature

Ficus Robusta is recommended to be grown in warm rooms. The optimal temperature for normal plant development is +18-25 degrees. If a flower is grown in a stuffy room, the leaves gradually turn pale and begin to droop. The culture does not tolerate temperature drops well. Ficus does not develop if placed in a place where drafts constantly occur.

See also

Caring for succulents at home and how to make soil with your own hands, replanting rules

Despite the fact that the plant is heat-loving, Robusta cannot be grown near radiators. Due to the proximity of heat sources, the evaporation of water from the leaves accelerates, which leads to the death of the plant. In autumn and spring, it is recommended to periodically place the flower on the balcony. In warm summers, ficus can be left outside.

Illumination

Due to the fact that the plant originated in South Asia, where tropical forests are common, Ficus Robusta grows well in shaded areas and on windows on the north side of the house. The lack of sunlight is compensated by artificial lighting. Thanks to this feature, the plant can be grown anywhere in the room.

When choosing a location, it is necessary to take into account that ficus does not tolerate contact with direct sunlight. Because of this, burn marks quickly appear on Robusta leaves.

Air humidity

The air humidity level where Robusta grows must be kept at 50% or higher. In the cold season, it is allowed to reduce this figure to 30-40%. In this case, it is necessary to periodically spray the plant with a spray bottle.

Priming

For ficus Robusta, a universal soil with neutral acidity is suitable. Before planting, it is recommended to mix the soil material with a small amount of sand, which will ensure a flow of oxygen to the roots. A drainage layer should be placed at the bottom of the container in which the ficus is grown. The latter will prevent rotting of the root system.

Watering

Ficus loves abundant (but not excessive) watering. It is recommended to add water once every three days in summer and every 5 days in winter. Before watering, you need to wait until the soil dries, and then loosen the soil.

If, due to flooding with water, traces of fungal diseases appear on the plant or the leaves begin to wither (indicates rotting of the root system), Robusta needs to be transplanted into a new pot.

Top dressing

During the period from March to November, when the plant is actively growing, it is recommended to apply universal fertilizers such as Humisol or Palma under the trunk every 2 weeks. This feeding ensures normal development of the crown.

Pros and cons of the Robusta variety

Advantages:

• An abundance of bright colors;
• Tall but compact shrub;
• Continuous flowering from May to September;
• Unpretentiousness of the variety;
• Possibility of growing in areas with poor soil;
• Minimal care;
• Not afraid of rain.

Flaws:

• There are many small thorns on the shoots;
• Weak aroma;
• Susceptible to black spot infection.

Pests

Mole crickets have appeared in the garden, this is very dangerous for your flowers, find out how to get rid of the pest

Medvedka

Several sources of foamy liquid have been observed on the rose bush; this is a dangerous pest.

Slobbering Penny

Before wintering, it is necessary to cut off dry branches that do not produce foliage and buds. Robusta roses need to be prepared for wintering. If the variety grows in the southern region, then you can do without shelter; just hill up the bush. In regions with harsh winters, the plant needs to be shortened slightly and covered with film or burlap.