How to Fertilize a Ficus: The Complete Guide – Sembrar100
Ficus plants are a fairly varied family that are generally used for decorative purposes, both indoors and outdoors.
Its resistance capacities and little demand in terms of care have allowed it to be among the favorites of gardeners.
Keeping them healthy is a task that will hardly take your time because it behaves very well in almost any condition.
But if you decide to give him love with a dose of fertilizer for ficus at the right time, he will know how to compensate you very well. Do you want to see how to do it?
Why is it important to pay the ficus?
For ficus plants, subscribers are important because they help them grow vigorously, with pronounced colors in their foliage and remain healthy.Much has been said about the resistance and robustness of the members of this family, but that does not mean that they should be neglected.
A well-nourished ficus will maintain a healthy and beautiful appearance that will say a lot about you as a grower and that will allow you to feel happy and proud of the results. In addition, it will help protect you from problems associated with pests or diseases that may arise.
How often should we pay the ficus?
Ficuses are usually fertilized throughout the year when they are indoors. Yes, even in the winter.
In ficuses kept outdoors, this rate will become much lower because the roots are able to absorb nutrients more deeply.
The ideal is to apply the subscribers twice a month. That means they are unlikely to run out of nutrients when the soil is fertile and you regularly add organic matter to it.
In this case, you must add the fertilizer at the beginning of spring and continue the cycle every two months during the warm season, ending in autumn. Being in direct contact with low temperatures, it is not necessary to pay in winter.
Take into account that potted plants have very little substrate from which to obtain resources and irrigation, in addition to providing them with moisture, also produces a washing of the soil that reduces the amount of nutrients.
What nutrients do ficuses need?
For ficus plants, nitrogen ( N) is elemental because it is what will allow them to grow vigorously. It is necessary to apply this nutrient with greater interest during spring and summer.
In the case of winter, the demands of the ficus are oriented towards potassium (K), since it is the element that helps the plant to be strengthened. The other nutrients must be in a balanced condition.
What kind of fertilizers do ficuses need?
Being plants that can be worked both indoors and outdoors, the use of fertilizer will also respond to this same work scheme.For indoor plants, the best option is liquid fertilizer to dilute in water and that you can apply with irrigation.
This method will allow the plant to absorb nutrients through the roots or through the leaves, as the case may be.The ficus you have outside can be fertilized with homemade organic fertilizers or take advantage of complex granulated fertilizers.
Due to their condition, they are fertilizers that you can spread on the surface and that little by little will mix with the soil until it is nourished. One of the most suitable in the case of ficus is earthworm humus, since it has great nutritional potential to give to your plants.
How do we prepare fertilizer for ficus?
The fertilizer for indoor ficus is generally water soluble, so you will apply it with the irrigation water.
The preparation must be carried out according to the instructions indicated by the manufacturer, taking into consideration that watering in spring and summer is more frequent than in winter.
This implies that the concentration of the product has to be done considering a higher level in winter and lower in summer.
The reason is that in the hot season you tend to water more than in the cold season and if you maintain the same concentration, you will undoubtedly overfeed. For ficuses that are outdoors, the rate of fertilizers will follow a different process because the products do not need to be diluted.
This means that you will spread them directly on the ground, just stirring a little to homogenize the mixture. It is important that homemade organic fertilizers are well fermented before contributing to the ground.
And you must also ensure that the plant is not suffering from a water deficit because then it will be more difficult for it to absorb nutrients. In case this happens, you will have to water deeply first and then pay.
Similarly, after applying the fertilizer, water to help the products penetrate more deeply.
How do we detect if the ficuses need fertilizer?
Macronutrients are key to the proper development of ficuses and their deficit can be noticed in situations such as the following:
- A slow or defective growth that prevents you from enjoying your ficus plant as you had thought. Generally this problem responds to a nitrogen deficit.
- The plant, when outdoors, feels weakened by the arrival of winter. You must assess the temperatures that exist and if the version of ficus you have is suitable to withstand it. Take into account that frost is detrimental to your health. If none of these are the problem, you may have a potassium deficiency.
- The leaves turn yellow, although the veins remain green. It is a condition known as iron chlorosis and is due to low levels of iron.
Ficus are very noble plants that are useful for those starting out in the world of gardening because they are not very demanding. Keeping them in perfect condition with the use of fertilizers is an action of proven efficiency.
You will only have to take into account the recommendations that we leave you above and get to work, depending on whether you have them indoors or outdoors. Easy? In fact, it can be considered very easy for the amount of benefits that they will give you in return, so get down to the payment.
Bibliographic references
- Effect on the production of Prickly pear (opuntia ficus indica) through the application of four doses of organic fertilizer (cuyasa) for recovery purposes and…, DR Centeno Chiguano – 2019 – 181.112.224.103
- Evaluation of the growth of nopal (Opuntia ficus -indica) to three organic fertilizers, MI Coriolan, JA Arce Portuguez, E Castro – 2006 – sidalc.net
- Evaluation of the Adaptation of the Prickly Pear (opuntia ficus indica l. mill.) applying Organic Fertilizer (cuyasa) in 4 different doses, as an alternative for the recovery…, CD Oña Catota – 2019 – 181.112.224.103
- Response of brevo (Ficus carica L.) to the application of organic fertilizers in an andisol in eastern Antioquia, AJ Tamayo Vélez, M Hincapie Zapata – 2018 – agris.fao.org
- Root development, yield and mineral concentration in prickly pear Opuntia ficus -indica (L.) Mill. in different fertilization treatments, R Zúñiga-Tarango, I Orona-Castillo… – Journal of the…, 2009 – researchgate.net
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