Ficus benjamina care is easy because it is a very resistant plant; not everyone makes it grow as lush and vital as it should.
You will discover in this tutorial the basic and secondary care required for a Ficus benjamina to thrive and keep its attractive appearance for many years.
I will also explain the common problems and diseases, including the cures and precautions.
let’s begin
Characteristics Of Ficus Benjamin
Ficus benjamina is a tropical evergreen plant native to a vast area, which includes:
India, the Philippines, Malaysia, southern China, some Pacific islands, and northern Australia.
This plant in nature is, to all intents and purposes, a tree that can reach 30 meters in height.
The dimensions remain smaller at home, although they can reach 3–3.5 meters in height over the years.
The stems are initially slender, have a light brown bark, and tend to thicken over time, reaching a diameter of several centimetres in the pot.
A typical characteristic of ficus is that they produce aerial roots with high environmental humidity.
Suppose these roots remain in contact with the stem. In that case, they can weld together and grow as a whole, giving the trunk an attractive, irregular shape.
Ficus Benjamina Care
For Ficus benjamina to grow luxuriant and maintain thick, healthy foliage all year round, It is important to find the right position to have the right light and temperature to thrive.
Added to this are two other fundamental treatments: watering, which must be abundant but not excessively frequent, and fertilization during the growing season.
Location And Lighting
Light, temperature, and humidity are ways to care for Ficus benjamina and it is the fundamental prerequisites for good growth; they contribute to 50% of the final result.
In addition to this, they make ficus care much easier.
Once positioned in the right place, the ficus should be moved as little as possible because it is susceptible to environmental changes and could lose its leaves.
Are you interested in reading about why Ficus Benjamina loses? It leaves READ NOW.
For it to grow strong and luxuriant, it is essential to place the Ficus benjamina in a very bright place where it can also benefit from direct light.
If you are not lucky enough to have a good display, ensure it stays near the brightest window in the house.
Another tip is to turn the plant 90° every 10–14 days to develop balanced and thicker foliage.
The ideal temperature is 22–28 °C, with minimums that can drop to 13–15 °C at night and maximums that go well above 30°C.
Protecting the ficus from cold air currents, such as drafts or the air conditioning jet, is important.
During spring and summer, the ficus can be kept outside, and the increase in light and wind greatly benefits its growth.
The plant grows faster, produces many leaves, and strengthens branches.
Just make sure you bring it back indoors when the lows approach 15°C.
Ficus, a tropical plant, loves humidity, but fortunately, it adapts well to lower levels. A range of 40–70% is great.
I have an article that discusses the best place to keep a bonsai tree. It is also applicable to other parts, like ficus.
To learn more about the best location for bonsai, click this link.
Watering
In dry soil, Benjamina needs a lot of watering to let oxygen to move through the soil between applications.
Watering can be done from above or by sub-irrigation; the important thing is that the entire root ball is wetted well and evenly.
Next, you need to remove the excess water from the saucer.
To understand when to water, I recommend sticking a finger into the soil and feeling the humidity at a 5–6 cm depth.
If it’s dry, you water it; if it’s wet, you wait another day or two.
Watering can only be brought forward a little during the hot summer months.
Especially if the plant is outdoors and receives a lot of light, in this case, proceed with slightly damp soil.
Ficus benjamina does not particularly suffer from limescale in the water, so it can be watered with simple tap water.
To learn more about watering a Ficus benjamina, click here.
This should first be left to rest for 24 hours so that it disperses the excess chlorine.
The ideal would be demineralized rainwater or filtered water in one of these jugs.
click here to learn How Often Do You Water Bonsai Trees
Fertilization
Fertilization is the third fundamental step in Ficus Benjamina’s care becuse fertilization are ways to care for Ficus benjamina.
During the active growth phase from April to September, the plant should be fertilized regularly for green plants or a slow-release fertilizer.
In autumn and winter, fertilization should be reduced or diluted more because the plant’s growth slows down and its nutritional requirements reduce at the same rate.
This is a practical example.
- In the spring/summer period, it is necessary to fertilize every two waterings, following the dosage recommended on the label. Or fertilize at each watering point using half the concentration.
- In autumn and winter, fertilize once a month (full dosage) or once every two weeks at half the dosage.
When using liquid or soluble fertilizers, it is important to water thoroughly and allow some water (about 10%) to drain from the holes in the pot.
This way, the earthen block is slightly rinsed, which avoids accumulating unused salts over time.
The second (the most preferred) is to use the gradual-release fertilizer Osmocote, which should be spread on the soil in April and cover the plant’s needs for six months.
This way, you will no longer have to think about fertilization throughout the vegetative phase, and the ficus will continue to grow smoothly.
You can read the benefits and dosage in my post on Ficus benjamina fertilizer. READ NOW.
Repotting
Repotting are ways to care for Ficus benjamina It is advisable to repot Ficus benjamina every 2–3 years when the roots have filled the soil well.
Early spring is the best time for reporting because of the increasingly abundant light and rising temperatures, and the plant’s metabolism moves more rapidly.
This allows the roots of the ficus to adapt to the new soil and start growing quickly again.
Furthermore, the plant will have all summer to vegetate and colonize the new pot, maximizing the benefits of repotting.
The new pot must be 2-3 sizes larger than the previous one and filled with soft, draining, and nutrient-rich soil.
Mixing green potting soil and perlite in a 4:1 ratio can get a great mix.
To better understand how to repot Ficus Benjamin, read this article. READ NOW.
I explain the entire process step-by-step and also talk about repotting large plants.
Pruning
Pruning are ways to care for Ficus benjamina and it should be done when necessary to contain the excessive development of the foliage.
Keep it compact and thick, and stimulate the growth of the most vigorous branches.
In most cases, we proceed with containment cuts. Still, over time, it becomes necessary to intervene with thinning pruning so that air and light also reach the inside of the foliage.
It leads to more harmonious and well-distributed foliage. Still, it prevents pockets of moist and stagnant air within the foliage from giving rise to fungal diseases.
The entire procedure for pruning Ficus benjamina is explained in this article. Read now.
It is possible to prune the ficus all year round.
However, in the case of interventions on large branches, it is better to wait until the end of winter when the plant is “resting” to avoid excessive stress.
Grafting mastic should be spread on these cuts to speed up the formation of the healing callus and prevent pathogens from entering the plant’s lymphatic system.
Propagation
Ficus benjamina can be easily propagated by cutting 10–12 cm-long twigs and rooting them in water or soil.
The ideal season is spring or summer when growth is active.
It is also possible to take cuttings in autumn as long as there is sufficient light and the temperatures are good (above 18°C), even if the rooting rate is lower.
The process is very simple:
[1] Cut twigs 10–12 cm long. They can also be shorter; the important thing is that they have at least 2–3 knots.
However, I advise against taking cuttings that are too large (more than 20–25 cm) because you risk excessive foliage dehydrating the plant before it begins to root.
[2] Remove the leaves from the lowest nodes, which will subsequently be immersed or buried.
[3] (Optional) Apply rooting hormone gel to the basal 2-3cm of the branch to increase the chances of success.
[4] Plant about 1/3 of the cutting in potting soil or soak it in water until it produces a good root system.
[5] Keep the cuttings in a bright environment with temperatures above 20–22 °C.
Avoid direct sunlight and keep humidity as high as possible to slow down leaf transpiration.
If you choose to root the cuttings in water, you must be careful when repotting them in soil.
In the first few weeks, you must always keep the substrate moist to prevent the roots (without root hairs and used to being in water) from drying out.
Once the plant has adapted and starts growing again, watering is gradually reduced until its first dry period, approximately 30 days after repotting.
The entire procedure for propagating Ficus benjamina is explained in this article. Read now.
How Do I Care For Ficus Benjamina In The Winter?
During the winter, it is important to place the ficus indoors or in another closed place with temperatures above 15–18 °C.
Since there is a lack of light during this period, it is best to find a location that is as bright as possible.
Since the plant’s metabolism slows down, watering must be reduced, paying particular attention to letting the soil dry well.
At the same time, fertilization must also be reduced.
Ficus Benjamina Diseases
Although Ficus benjamina is a very resistant plant to fungal and bacterial diseases.
Attention must still be paid to the particular environmental and cultural circumstances in which these pathogens increase faster and more aggressively.
When the environment is very humid, and the air is still, or when water stagnates on the foliage or soil, fungal diseases can affect both leaves and roots.
These diseases tend to cause yellow leaves and brown spots, which are often easy to confuse with other crop problems with similar symptoms.
Such as excess or lack of water, little light, temperature changes, or stress of various kinds.
The entire cause and solution of Ficus benjamina turning yellow are explained in this article. Read now.
How To Cure Ficus Benjamina With Diseases
If you think the symptoms at the leaf level are due to a fungal or bacterial disease.
You must first isolate the plant to limit the infection and prevent it from spreading to others.
Next, you need to:
- Remove spotted, brown, or yellow leaves.
- Contain environmental humidity and limit watering.
- To activate the plant’s defenses against infection, apply a systemic fungicide.
To learn why Ficus benjamina has spots, brown, and dry leaves, click here.
To prevent these infections from occurring, it is necessary to guarantee good air circulation, avoid wetting the foliage before evening, and prune the branches to allow better air penetration within the foliage.
If the water stagnates in the soil, the problem occurs at the root level, called root rot, also due to fungal pathogens.
In this case, you must resort to repotting, remove as much contaminated soil as possible, and possibly treat the plant with a systemic fungicide.
After transplanting, the ficus should be left dry for a few days without watering it.
If you intend to reuse the same jar, you must first sterilize it with bleach to kill any remaining spores.
Parasites On Ficus Benjamina
Ficus benjamina can be attacked by parasites common to houseplants, such as mealybugs, aphids, red spider mites, or thrips.
These insects (arachnids, in the case of the red spider mite) are phytophagous parasites that feed on the plant’s sap, weakening its immune system and limiting its photosynthetic capacity.
They prefer soft tissues, such as young leaves and root tips (in the case of thrips larvae), precisely because most of the processed sap is conveyed here.
While some parasites (like mites) are easily detectable, others (like other parasites) are only identified after their first symptoms show up after their population has grown.
If you fear an infestation, the first thing to do is isolate the plant by distancing it from the others and then follow the advice below.
Ficus Benjamina: A Cure For Parasites
Most Ficus parasites can be fought (or at least contained) with general treatments based on white or neem oil.
The oil creates a film on the leaf cuticle that suffocates the insect.
Potassium soft soap is a third product that works synergistically with the two mentioned.
In the case of cochineal and thrips, the treatment must be repeated 10 days later to affect second-generation insects previously hidden in the soil or parts of the plant.
Because they are oily products, they tend to block the plant’s stomata and reduce leaf transpiration.
For this reason, it is necessary to dilute the product more during the hot months (when transpiration is greater) and rinse with water once the infestation has been eradicated.
Common Problems
After reiterating for the umpteenth time, Ficus benjamina became a resistant and easy-to-care-for plant.
It is right to mention some of the most common and recurring problems, such as yellowing of the leaves or falling leaves.
Although this plant is quite dramatic in showing us these symptoms, in most cases, they are easily solvable problems.
Let’s look at them one at a time.
Yellow Leaves
Leaf yellowing is one of the most common problems in Ficus benjamina. The causes can be various, such as:
- Watering too close together
- Water shortage
- Jump in temperature
- Settlement stress
- Lack of light
- Nutrient deficiency
- Root system problems
- Fungal diseases
- Parasitic infestations
Find more details on why Ficus leaves turn yellow and complete solutions.
In most cases, the leaves dry out and fall after yellowing.
Luckily for us, once the cause and cure have been found, the plant quickly starts growing again and develops new foliage.
It Loses Its Leaves.
Leaf fall is the second most frequent problem.
Here, the reasons why Ficus benjamina loses its leaves are different here. Read more.
In some cases, it is a marginal problem; in others, it almost remains bare.
Often, these are environmental problems, such as settling-in stress, cold, jets of hot, dry air, or freezing drafts.
In other cases (equally common), the lack of light causes the fall, particularly when the ficus has produced lush foliage in a well-lit position and is subsequently moved to the shade.
For example, when we bring it back into the house with the arrival of autumn or immediately after purchase.
Ficus Benjamina With Stunted Growth.
The reasons why Ficus benjamina does not grow are mainly linked to its metabolism.
During the dark months of the year, the plant slows down its development due to the dim light and short days.
It is normal for the ficus to grow little at this time of year.
If the problem occurs in the spring and summer months, other factors must be investigated, such as:
- Positioning: Make sure it receives light, possibly direct, and that temperatures remain stable above 18–20 °C.
- Fertilization: Fertilize regularly throughout the growth phase with a liquid fertilizer for green plants or a slow-release one.
- Repotting: If the roots have filled the lump of earth, transfer them to a larger pot with soft, draining soil.
To learn more about the common problem of ficus, click here to read.
How Long Does A Ficus Live?
Ficus benjamina is a real tree that can live for hundreds of years.
Consider that the oldest specimen in the world is estimated to be around 422 years old.
The average life expectancy in Potsdam is between 25 and 30 years, which is far lower than normal.
Having said this, it is not uncommon to see ficus passed from generation to generation for much longer, as long as they consistently receive the right care.
How Can Ficus Benjamina Become Thicker?
To thicken the foliage of Ficus benjamina, it is necessary to adopt containment pruning, such as:
Topping, where the vegetative apex of the branches is removed to convey the sap to the underlying buds.
In this way, the plant is forced to create new secondary branches and many new leaves.
Also read about Monstera Adansonii Care Read now
Conclusions
Now that you have learned how to take proper care of your Ficus benjamina, it is essential to maintain this care.
- Good positioning in a very bright place with a stable temperature.
- Watering, if necessary, when the soil is nice and dry
- Fertilize during the growing season.
It is important to maintain good pruning habits. Repot the plant every 2–3 years and prune it to thicken the foliage, give it shape, or contain its volume.
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