Ficus Benjamin's leaves are falling - how to save a plant. If the ficus leaves fall, does it mean rainy autumn? If you flooded the ficus, then what to do

I bought a ficus in the fall, immediately transplanted it into a larger pot, rearranged it from place to place, poured it, underfilled it - I don’t know when, how, I added fertilizer from time to time; the flower fell under the drafts. in short, she was a terrible flower grower and did everything that should not be done, I confess right away, my fault. as a result, all the leaves flew around, only one lone green twig remained. terribly sorry, I want to save him, but I have no idea what to do

Ficus (especially Benjamin's ficus, which is demanding on the conditions of maintenance) can begin to "fall leaves" for many stressful reasons - from a change in "place of residence", hypothermia and transplantation, as well as from care errors (lack of light, dry air, excessive watering, drafts, cold substrate).

At the first sign of falling leaves in a ficus, a series of sprayings of the trunk and crown with "Epinom" should be carried out; analyze and eliminate the causes of "leaf fall" (there is a peculiarity here: the reasons for the fall of ficus leaves could be both recently and quite a long time ago - for example, a month ago, an inhibited reaction is possible).

All types of ficuses love a bright, but not sunny location, regular watering (moderate in spring and summer, limited in autumn and winter). humid air and frequent spraying. Between watering ficuses, you need to let the soil dry out a little (avoiding drying out the earthy coma). otherwise, leaves will fall off from stagnant moisture.
With dry air and lack of light, ficuses can also lose leaves; species with green leaves are more shade-tolerant, variegated species are more photophilous.
Most ficuses grow year-round at room temperature; for ficuses with green leaves in winter, the temperature may drop to 16 degrees (warm soil is important, hypothermia of the soil leads to dropping leaves). Ficuses need to be protected from drafts and cold air - two more causes of leaf loss.

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The flower loves moderate lighting and watering, is afraid of drafts and does not tolerate overdrying of the soil. Therefore, thinking about how to revive a ficus, first of all analyze the conditions of its maintenance. Perhaps a simple change in its location can help. If possible, place the ficus on the windowsill of a window facing southeast or southwest.

In the case when the ficus leaves fall, but the trunk remains flexible and alive, it can go out. If rot has appeared, and plaque has formed on the top layer of soil, transplant the plant. The roots sticking out of the pot also indicate the need for transplantation. In this situation, the plant simply lacks nutrients, since the roots have filled all the free space. Take a pot that is no more than a couple of centimeters larger than the one in which the plant is located. Pour drainage to the bottom, and then add soil for the ficus. The roots of the plant must be carefully examined. dry roots

After the plant has been transplanted, water it regularly to keep the soil from drying out, and mist the remaining leaves with a spray bottle to keep the room moist. Until the plant takes root, it is not fed. If everything goes well, then feed the plant no earlier than a month later.

Starting to fear for the health of the ficus, you need to remember that in a variety like Benjamin's ficus, leaf fall in autumn is natural. The plant loses up to 20% of the total foliage and this is not associated with diseases.

Sometimes flower growers make a common mistake: believing that all ficus diseases are associated with malnutrition, they begin to feed it intensively. For a plant that is trying to survive, such an influx of nutrients is unnecessary and can cause a backlash.

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More than once I had to reanimate completely neglected indoor plants. Successful in most cases. So it happened with the ficus om Benjamin. The plant came to me in a very bad condition. There were only five leaves left on it, the rest flew around. The tips of the branches were completely dry, some of the branches were completely damaged.

To begin with, I changed the soil and thoroughly washed the roots in potassium permanganate. Because I was not sure that the oppressed appearance of the plant did not become a consequence of disease or pests. Then she cut off everything that was dry with scissors and fed it with complex fertilizer. I put the ficus on a bright windowsill and covered it a little with a homemade screen so that the bright sun would not shine on it. Every day I sprayed the trunk and the remains of the leaves with warm water. Watered regularly.

A week later, the first light green leaves appeared on the ficus. And after two months, a stunted plant. which came to me, it was simply not to know. Juicy shiny leaves have already adorned all the branches. Now the ficus is in the bathroom on the north window. Feels great there. True, as a result of deep pruning, the ficus does not grow tall. But still squat and powerful, it looks very beautiful.

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A colleague brought a dying ficus from home. And now, for a month now, we have been observing how it is losing leaves, and some kind of flies or spiders live near its roots.
The hostess herself resigned herself to the probable proximity of his death, but I don’t want to look at it and not even try to do something.
I just don't know what is good to do.
On the sites, they explain painfully intricately, for experienced gardeners, which I am not.
However, it became clear to me that:
1. In winter, it is better not to touch the plant.
2. It is better not to top up than to overfill
3. It is necessary to spray it with something from pests
4. It would be nice to feed something weak.

The flies are probably from overflow, as you have already learned, it is impossible to overflow.
Leaves can lose even a completely healthy ficus. There is little light, the situation has changed. Loses even from a change of place in the room. If the branches do not dry, the foliage will grow. Mine also had leaf fall today, and sharply. The sun stopped peeking through the window. After a couple of weeks it stopped, but the foliage thinned out. I also reduced watering, I do not fertilize.

flies or spiders. if black flies, then your ficus has a problem. buy thunder-2 - since the flies are harmless, and their larvae eat the roots

LiSa Thinker (9005) it's okay - you need to sprinkle the soil - although it is written on the bag how to apply it

Midges can start up from overflowing and also if there is organic matter in the pot. Spill the primer AKTARA. thunder-2 is a good remedy for healthy plants. Feeding can only be done for healthy plants. Spray the plant with EPIN. You can make a greenhouse with daily ventilation for 10-15 minutes. Put in the brightest and coolest place. And wait for spring.

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There are quite a few lighting options and each gives its own effect. The most widespread - illumination of facades of buildings, illumination before.

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In the year of the 170th anniversary of I.E. Repin Museum-Reserve "Abramtsevo" held an unusual musical and floral celebration.

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When planning such a flower garden, it is necessary to be guided by the dimensions of the plants, the characteristics of their development and the requirements for the conditions.

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Often, the owners of Benjamin's ficus are faced with the problem of dropping leaves, while not suspecting why Benjamin's ficus is shedding leaves. There are natural reasons for this (for example, seasonal shedding), and reasons that indicate a disease state of the plant. Today we will try to find out why the leaves of the ficus are falling off, and how to reanimate Benjamin's ficus.

It is believed that the minimum shedding of leaves in an amount of up to 10 pieces per month is normal, especially for small-leaved flowers. However, if the development of the plant at some point in time began to be accompanied by abundant leaf fall, there is reason to wonder why the ficus also turn black.

If you notice that the flower is not just losing dry foliage, but the leaves of the ficus turn black before falling off, then now is the time to decide how to save the ficus. Minimal blackening is already a cause for concern, since no seasonal changes are accompanied by such an indicator. However, determining why ficus leaves fall is a rather difficult task. As a rule, the reason for this condition is not one, there is a whole complex of them.

Nevertheless, before deciding how to revive the ficus, it is necessary to highlight all the available signs of an unhealthy state of the foliage of the flower. Among these signs are brown and whitish spots on the leaves, which cause the leaves to drop.

Ficus Benjamin's leaves also fall after the appearance of such signs as white fluff, brown putrefactive points, white-gray bloom and the presence of small larvae and midges that live on greenery. All of the above signals portend the yellowing of almost all leaves and the likely disappearance of your plant without the possibility of resuscitation.

Another omen of the unhealthy state of the ficus is that the old leaves turn yellow and crumble, and new ones are born of irregular shape and size.

All of the above marks should inform the ficus owner that his plant needs a serious one that will help save the plant from possible death.

Natural causes of fall

There is a natural reason why Ficus Benjamin leaves fall. This reason is that this type of ficus is a deciduous plant that needs to shed old leaves for rejuvenating purposes. Such a measure is characteristic of all trees in the autumn and winter, which, in fact, are Benjamin's ficuses. Therefore, do not worry if the plant throws off the lower old leaves during the cold season.

If the ficus disappears in the summer or spring, then the prerequisites should be sought in the improper care of the indoor tree.

Unhealthy leaf shedding

Unhealthy yellowing of leaves and further disappearance of ficuses is observed in the following cases:

• frequent change of position of the plant. Ficus is a rather sensitive tree that does not want constant worry. Constant changes in its location in the house and turns to the sunny side for uniform will cause excessive waste of nutrients on adaptability to new conditions, which causes the plant to lose greenery;
• unsuccessful transplant. After transplanting ficuses into suitable soil, they may lose a few leaves in the first weeks - this is normal. But if the plant loses greenery in excessive amounts, then this indicates unsuitable soil used for transplanting. In addition, it is forbidden to replant the tree often, since such a measure becomes a regular source of stress for the plant;

• improper lighting. Benjamins need good long-term lighting, but they do not tolerate direct sunlight. As a result of a sunburn, the leaf will turn black, become dry and hard, and with constant exposure to the aggressive sun, the foliage will begin to disappear en masse. Ficus Benjamin loves diffused light somewhere a meter from the window. The leaves also darken or turn yellow in case of insufficient lighting. In addition, the greens of a shaded plant run the risk of appearing misshapen;
• drafts. Ficus care includes a properly selected place for a plant pot. This place should not be in open drafts, especially in summer, when the windows are constantly open in the apartments. An even worse option, which will cause the greens to fall off and turn yellow, is to place the plant under the air conditioner;
• non-compliance with the temperature regime. To prevent the leaves from falling off, efforts must be made to create the correct temperature regime for the tree. In winter, the temperature of the content should not fall below +18, and in summer rise above +25. The green of a plant that is too cold or hot will begin to become covered with abundant white or dark spots, after which the flower will drop it;
• low air humidity. Ficuses for the most part are very sensitive to low air humidity, and they signal it brightly - the leaves darken and disappear. Benjamins born in tropical climates need to maintain humidity at 60-70%;

• watering. Ficus Benjamin does not need too much care, but the frequency of watering should be determined immediately. The deformation of the foliage, its weak development and covering with brown spots indicate that the roots are rotting due to an excess of moisture. Dry foliage indicates insufficient watering;
• lack of nutrients. Often, dropping greenery can be observed in case of insufficient nutritional value of the soil, as a result of which the plant tries to get rid of excess “consumers” of nutrients;
• and pests. If the flower began not only to shed its foliage, but also generally lost its vitality, most likely, pests started up in the soil. In addition, the detection of white plaque, larvae, midges, worms, white drops, black putrefactive spots and cobwebs on the leaves is also a clear signal of the painful condition of the tree.

How to save a ficus

What to do if Benjamin's ficus sheds leaves abundantly? Reviving a plant is a difficult task, therefore it is better to do something right away to improve the condition of your flower. It is easy to do this: you should once again go through all the points of plant care and pay attention to which of these does not meet the requirements of the ficus. This point is especially important in the first year of a tree's life.

With insufficient lighting, artificial lighting is made, and with an excess of sunlight, the plant is removed deep into the room. Abundant moisture makes the flower sick? It is enough to reduce the frequency of watering. In case of insufficient moisture, Benjamin is sprayed 1-2 times a day, depending on the season.

Feeding and transplanting the tree into acid-neutral fertile soil will help revive the plant, and improving the temperature regime and getting rid of cold air masses will relieve the flower of stress.

In the event that the first signs of the disease appear on the flower, it is important, without delay, to make efforts to rid the ficus of the pest. To do this, there are insecticides and folk methods, which include publicly available laundry soap and ammonia.

Transplants and rearrangements will worsen the viability of the plant. The root system of the tree is not developing fast enough to be replanted every six months, and the leaves will not grow more evenly from daily turning the pot towards sunlight. You can turn the pot every 2-3 months, and carry it out as the roots grow.

Video "Ficus Benjamin sheds leaves"

In this video, you will learn why the Benjamin variety sheds leaves and how to fix it.

When ficus leaves begin to fall, not everyone realizes that there are some problems with the flower. Unfortunately, if it is not possible to notice the trouble in time, then it is quite possible that it will no longer be possible to save the ficus. True, it is also not worth panicking ahead of time, because sometimes leaf plates fall off due to the change of seasons.

Experienced gardeners note that a slight shedding of leaves is allowed (no more than 10 pieces per month). If the process only intensifies, then in this case it is already necessary to think about why this is happening. It is especially important to find and determine the cause when not only leaf fall occurs, but also the drying of the flower, wrinkling of the leaves, and the like.

Many gardeners, not having dealt with the root cause (it is far from alone), begin to reanimate the flower in every possible way, unaware that they sometimes make it even worse, exacerbating an already difficult situation. Under no circumstances should this be done. First you need to assess the condition of the sheet plates.

It is possible that the following points were noticed:

• spots on the leaves;
• plaque on leaf plates;
• cobweb, entangled the whole flower;
• the appearance of larvae on the green.

All these important nuances will lead to the fact that sooner or later the leaves will begin to turn yellow, and then completely fall off.

Important! Another omen that something is wrong with the ficus is the fall of old leaf plates and the appearance of new ones, but of a different size and irregular shape.

Having noticed all this, you should first of all think about how the plant is cared for.

Natural causes of leaf fall

Flowers, like people, tend to experience stress. Of course, plants will not say this, but they will show this with their appearance. If a flower has just been bought and brought home, then there is nothing surprising in the fact that the first thing he will start to do is drop the leaf plates. In this case, you do not need to touch the ficus, after a while the leaf fall will stop, and the flower will begin to grow green mass.

Falling leaves can also occur in the autumn-winter period. In fact, ficuses are the same trees, but only small and they also tend to fall leaves before the approaching winter. Therefore, no resuscitation of the flower in this case is needed.

Unnatural causes of leaf fall

In the case when the ficus tree has been growing at home for a long time, and in spring or summer, then it is necessary to carefully think about what caused and led to such a situation.

It could be:

• frequent rearrangement of the flower pot;
• unsuccessful transplant;
• lighting problems;
• drafts;
• non-compliance with the temperature regime;
• low humidity;
• improper watering;
• lack of fertilizers;
• diseases and pests.

Having identified the error in care, salvation will come by itself when the gardener returns to proper care.

Frequent rearrangement of the flower pot

Ficus benjamina, or any other species, is not a plant that welcomes constant “moving”. If a tree is constantly moved or moved from place to place, then it will spend all its strength on adapting to new conditions. And if so, then the ficus will rapidly lose its green mass.

Failed transplant

After each transplant into a new substrate, ficus may lose leaf blades in a small amount. If after a while the flower dries up and strong leaf fall is noticed, then the plant was transplanted into unsuitable soil. In the case when the ficus is transplanted frequently, it can also begin to lose green mass in response to severe stress.

Lighting problems

Almost all types of ficus need bright lighting. True, you should not put a flowerpot with a flower so that the sun clearly shines on it. In this case, the leaves will become hard and dry, and after a while they will completely fall off. Therefore, it is better to shade the tree a little in strong sunshine, but not hide it in a dark room, because in this case the plant will not dry out, but will fade due to lack of lighting.

drafts

When deciding to buy a ficus, you need to remember that there should not be any drafts in the house.. All of them are detrimental to the flower. Growing a plant at home, it needs to create suitable conditions. By the way, putting the flowerpot in the place where the air conditioner blows is also not worth it.

Non-compliance with the temperature regime

The correct temperature regime is the key to good growth and condition of the plant. In winter, the temperature should not be below +18 °C, and in summer - above +25 °C. If the flower dries, but the room is not hot, then most likely the pot is located next to the heaters.

Low humidity

It is a mistake to think that ficuses will grow in a room with low humidity. These plants react sharply to such a nuance. The leaves begin to quickly darken and disappear. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to ensure that the humidity in the room is kept at around 50-70%.

Watering

Manipulation should be carried out as needed. Many gardeners once read that this is done a couple of times a week, and follow the erroneous recommendation. And then it turns out that the leaf plates are covered with brown spots and the flower dies. A similar moment signals the decay of the root system. If, on the contrary, the flower is completely dry, therefore, it has been forgotten to be watered for many weeks.

Lack of fertilizer

In the case when there are not enough nutrients in the substrate, the ficus may begin to fade, the leaf plates will curl and crumble. This can happen with an overabundance of fertilizing in the soil. This point must be monitored carefully.

Diseases and pests

What to do to save the ficus

When deciding how to revive a ficus, you need to rely on the root cause. Having determined which care rules have been violated, they will need to be corrected, then the flower will quickly gain green mass, and the gardener will no longer be bothered by the problem.

As for pests and diseases, sometimes they arise due to care errors, and sometimes they "come" into the house along with new plants. In this case, you can first treat the flower with soapy water (it helps fight many pests), and then spray the ficus with insecticides. Some gardeners use folk methods that are effective when the trouble has just made itself felt.

By carefully monitoring all the manipulations that occur with ficus, they will not have to be revived, because it will not come to this. Flowers react sharply to any changes and it is impossible not to notice in the appearance of the plant.

A favorite of flower growers is represented by almost every collector of indoor plants. He is loved for ease of care, excellent decorative properties and the ability to shape both the trunk and the crown. But improper care leads to the fact that the plant completely sheds foliage and is threatened with moving to the nearest garbage dump. But you should not rush into this, as there are many ways to help the flower return its former radiant appearance.

quite a lot, but the structural features of Benjamin's ficus are as follows:

• it has a straight shoot, and the stem is round
• crown, branched
• leaf blades are smooth, slight bending is allowed. The skin is thin, the leaf is oblong and oval, ending in a pointed tip. The dimensions of the plate are approximately from 5 to 14 cm, its width is from 3 to 7 cm.
• the arrangement of plates on the branches is regular
• petiole 0.5 to 2 cm.
• well developed
• gray bark

If you initially create good conditions for the plant, then there will be no problems with the plant:

1. ambient temperature must correspond to the climatic season. In winter, ficus is kept at a temperature of 15 to 22 C, in summer 24-29 C.
2. watering must be done as the top earth crust dries up. The water from the pan must be removed. Water must be at least 14 C, otherwise the soil will overcool and all processes will slow down
3. especially variegated varieties need a good light source
4. spraying is done only in the absence of drafts and soft, settled water. Special sugar for plants can be added to it, or sometimes

Despite the fact that the ficus is not as capricious as many pets that need similar conditions, but with improper care, the ficus sheds its leaves and it is rather difficult to restore rich hair afterwards.

There are some factors that directly affect the fact that the plant sheds foliage:

1. The first reason is drafts. Ficus Benjamin categorically does not tolerate even the slightest sharp fluctuations in temperature. Although airing the room where the flowers are located is only welcome. There is a big difference between when the room is deliberately ventilated or when the flower is in places where there are constantly sudden changes in temperature. That is, a large area of ​​the plant and its roots are in the same temperature regime, and some part is cooled. Of course, in such places, nutrient intake slows down, when, as in the rest of the plant, nutrition is consumed at the same level. The immune system of the flower receives a signal that a disease is developing in some area and potentially diseased branches begin to die. Ficus forms new branches, and the area standing in the through wind begins to die off. So if the ficus leaves fall only on a few branches, then the cause is drafts.
2. Lack of nutrition also has a detrimental effect on foliage and the general condition of plants. Ficus must be fed from early spring to late autumn. Ficus Benjamina is a large plant that develops well under favorable conditions, so the lack of essential trace elements and substances that are needed for the further growth of the tree leads to exhaustion. The leaves first become faded and lethargic, and then weakening fall off.
3. Mandatory spraying. Excessive dryness of the air affects the ficus not only by the fact that abundant leaf fall begins, but also by the fact that a scale insect is attached without any special obstacles, which is extremely difficult to get rid of. comes from humid tropical places, and the water consumption system is designed in such a way that the plant also feeds on water through the leaves, in a larger volume than all the others. Therefore, if you deprive it of a moist environment, then the ficus will begin to lose leaves in a much larger volume than it is laid down by nature.

And there are other reasons why this problem occurs:

• insufficient, but it is easy to fix if periodically illuminate
• check for diseases and pests
• this can happen if the ficus has changed its place of residence or when transplanting into another pot

But do not confuse abundant leaf fall with natural leaf fall, since each leaf lives for about three years, and then it dies off. Old leaf plates are tougher and darker than young ones, so if the grower periodically finds them on the floor, then this is not scary.

How to help the ficus, if the leaves have fallen off?

Helping the plant should be reasonable. Because if you take active measures during the period of biological hibernation, you can seriously harm the ficus. Therefore, if such a nuisance began to occur in the autumn-winter period, when the feeding season has already ended, then the following measures can be taken:

1. add some fresh earth, but no fertilizer
2. spray the plant several times a day
3. add an extra light source
4. eliminate all access to through wind

Such precautions will help slow down the process of inhibiting the vital functions of the ficus, and prepare it for intensive care in the spring and summer.

Already at the end of March, the ficus must be transplanted into a new land, according to the following scheme:

• Prepare a soil mixture, but not a universal peat soil from a store, but a complete diet for a pet. If there is no garden plot and the land has not been harvested since autumn, then the land can be bought in nurseries.
• Prepare a biofungicide solution in a bucket.
• Remove the plant from the pot, shake off as much of the soil as possible without damaging the roots.
• Soak the root system for several hours in the solution, and then lay it on a perforated surface to allow excess liquid to drain.
• Plant the plant in a new land.
• Make sanitary unnecessary branches and cover the cut points.
• Moisten the trunk and crown abundantly with a solution of biofungicide.
• After a few days, the ficus must be fed.
• From the moment of transplantation, it is necessary to either highlight the plant daily, or it must stand on the sunny side.

Such resuscitation can work wonders, since in about a month the ficus will be covered with new young foliage.

In order for a houseplant to grow healthy and beautiful, you need to properly care for it:

• be sure to update the soil. Even if the plant is large, this all the more indicates that the soil is mostly depleted, and changing the top layer will not give a good result. But if you carefully and gradually take out the old soil and change it to a new one, while fertilizing the ficus, then in about 2 months the soil will recover
• need to feed the plant
• the formation of the crown is not so much a tribute to design thinking as the need to refresh the crown
• once a month, and if possible once a week, a useful procedure for ficus is a shower
• be sure to shade the plant if it is located near the south or southeast window
• if the plant was struck by a scale insect, then with a small accumulation of it, it can be collected by hand, and then each leaf should be washed with soapy water. With a large accumulation of ficus, it is worth placing it in a plastic bag and spraying a pesticide inside it.
• for irrigation, use only warm and filtered water

It is worth remembering that an initially healthy plant cannot “waste” in a tub for no reason. There is always either a causative agent of the disease, or the conditions of detention are violated. Ficus Benjamin can please with its appearance for many years, but only if at least a small part of the care is taken of it.

More information can be found in the video:

When Benjamin's ficus suddenly begins to shed its leaves, the reaction of its owners is exactly the opposite: from “something early autumn started for him” to “what to do, the plant is dying !!!”.

As always, the truth is out there somewhere.

In order to make the first think and calm the second, this article was created. It contains the causes of leaf fall in ficus Benjamin, the algorithm of action and ways to prevent excessive "baldness" of a pet. Let's start, as always, with the facts.

This is an evergreen plant, common in the subtropics and humid tropics of Asia: in India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia. In the homeland of this ficus, there are specimens of more than 40 m in height and about 5 m in width.

At home, the maximum height of ficus Benjamin is 1.5 - 2.0 m. The reason for this is the unsuitable conditions of our apartments.

And yet, Benjamin, over several centuries of cultivation, learned to adapt to domestic conditions. Why do crashes happen?

Leaf fall in small-leaved ficuses

Ficus Benjamin leaf fall is a natural process: each leaf of this plant can live no more than three years. 20-30 leaves that turn yellow and fall monthly in an adult plant in the autumn-winter period is normal.

Do not worry if the lower leaves are actively falling off - the plant forms a crown.

When to sound the alarm

In the event of a serious “baldness” of a plant, especially in spring and summer, it is necessary to deal with its causes and immediately take the necessary measures to save the plant. Ficus (this is especially true for variegated specimens) is able to shed almost all foliage in 1-2 days.

But first you need to identify the cause of the violation of the usual way of life.

Why do ficus leaves turn yellow and fall off en masse

Experienced flower growers point to 8 reasons why Benjamin can drop almost all the leaves:

1. Moving, especially in worse conditions or sharply different from those to which the ficus is accustomed. For example, from the nursery - to the apartment, from one room - to another, from the windowsill - deep into the room.
2. Transplant to a new pot with a new substrate.
3. Drafts, especially after spraying the plant or bathing it in a warm shower.
4. Too hot or too dry air.
5. Lack or excess of sunlight.
6. Over or under watering.
7. Pest attack.
8. Lack or excess of mineral fertilizers, unsuitable soil.

How to save a ficus

We will analyze each of the reasons in more detail and find out how to reanimate the ficus.

moving

If immediately after moving to a new place, the ficus dropped its leaves, then it has stress. In this situation, spraying with Epin, Zircon, HB-101 will help.

It is advisable to perform this procedure according to the following scheme:

• on the first day after moving - half the dose of the drug;
• after 5-6 days - a full dose;
• after 2 weeks - half the dose.

In the future, spraying is carried out in case of renewal of leaf fall, but already in combination with other measures.

Note! Often, the fear of moving extends to regular rotations of the pot on the window to evenly illuminate the crown from all sides. You should not be afraid of this, moreover, turns must be done for variegated ficuses: leaves that are constantly in the shade lose their multi-colored color.

Transplanting to a new pot with a different substrate

In the process of growing in a pot, a symbiosis of plant roots and soil microflora has developed. Therefore, it is not recommended to completely clean the root system from the old soil, since in this case the habitual habitat of the ficus is disturbed. In addition, in the process of removing the soil, small roots can be damaged, to which the ficus reacts very painfully.

Important! Complete cleaning of the roots from the soil and soaking them in a disinfectant solution is indicated only in the presence of root rot or soil pests.

If it is necessary to transplant the ficus into a larger pot, one should resort to the transshipment method.

Immediately after the transplant, you need to perform anti-stress measures, as in the case of moving, according to the above scheme.

Remember! Frequent (more than 1 time in 2 years) transplantation of ficus Benjamin can lead to his death. To improve the soil, it is enough to replace the topsoil in the pot.

drafts

This is something that is categorically contraindicated for heat-loving ficus: there are no drafts in its homeland, and it has no immunity to them! Windows open in winter can kill a plant in a day. If it is necessary to ventilate the room, close the flower from cold air jets.

Note! Drafts are especially detrimental to ficus, which has just been sprayed with water, sprinkled with a warm shower or watered.

The air temperature for the survival of the ficus must be at least 18 degrees.

Too dry or too hot air

Ficus is a native of very warm countries with high air temperatures, but he does not like the dry warm air of our apartments during the heating season! The flower is comfortable with high humidity - more than 70% and a temperature of 18 to 25 degrees.

It can be seen that the ficus lacks moisture in the air if its leaves, which have not yet fallen, are dry and shriveled.

To prevent this from happening, at the beginning of the heating season, it is recommended to artificially increase the humidity of the air next to the ficus.

To increase humidity, you can:

• put a wide flat vessel with water next to the flower;
• place the pot with the plant on a pallet with wet expanded clay;
• put a damp cloth on the battery next to the ficus.

Ficus spraying is especially effective in combating dry air. It should be carried out the more often, the drier the air in the room.

• spraying and sprinkling are carried out in the first half of the day, preferably in the morning, so that the plant leaves at night with dried leaves;
• immediately after these operations, you need to protect the flower from drafts;
• when sprinkling, it is necessary to cover the soil with a film in order to prevent its waterlogging.

Lack or excess of sunlight

In the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, where the ficus comes from, diffused light predominates, so for ficus at home, it is the lighting that is optimal - 10-12 hours a day, but not direct midday sunlight.

With sunburn, brown spots first appear on the leaves, then the leaf blades become dry and fall off.

With insufficient lighting, the leaves become dull and lethargic. In this case, it is necessary to provide illumination of the plant.

Important! The lack of lighting is not compensated by anything: neither enhanced nutrition nor watering. Reduce the harm from light starvation can only lower the air temperature.

Over or under watering

Ficus are among those plants that do not like "wet feet". Overfilling is worse for them than underfilling. Waterlogging the soil can kill the plant.

A characteristic sign of overflow is that only the edges of the leaves turn yellow, after which they fall off.

With prolonged drying of the soil, the leaves dry up and fall off without turning yellow.

Remember! You can correctly determine the watering time by estimating its moisture content at a depth of 1.5 - 2.0 cm. This can be done by lowering your finger or a wooden stick to the indicated depth.

For irrigation, filtered or settled for 3-4 hours soft water at room temperature is suitable.

pest attack

The most common ficus pests are red spider mites, scale insects, and mealybugs. The presence of pests can be determined by the appearance of the flower:

• sticky coating on the surface of the leaves;
• deformation and unusual color of leaves and stems;
• cobwebs around branches;
• visible even to the naked eye pests.

The spider mite is activated in dry, warm air, so an increase in air humidity significantly reduces its colony.

If the ficus is affected by pests only at the very initial stage, then it can be reanimated by sprinkling with hot water (40-45 degrees). For more serious lesions, when leaf fall has already begun, only insecticide treatment will help.

Lack or excess of mineral fertilizers

A sign of malnutrition is the appearance of new small deformed leaves with the simultaneous abundant fall of old ones.

With magnesium starvation, the leaves at the ends of the branches change color and fall off. Helps in this case, the use of funds "Emerald".

About the excessive presence of minerals signal brown spots in the center of the leaf blades.

Note! When replenishing nutrition, you can not give the plant a loading dose of fertilizers. It is better to carry out the first top dressing at a concentration half as much as suggested by the instructions.

Top dressing is carried out only after abundant watering of the ficus. Otherwise, you can burn the roots.

Summing up: how to save Benjamin's ficus

It is difficult, but quite possible, to fulfill 8 conditions for a comfortable life of a beautiful and useful plant. If, nevertheless, the ficus began to lose leaves catastrophically quickly, then the following must be done.

1. Identify the causes of massive leaf fall.
2. Revise care schedule:
   - watering;
   - temperature regime;
   - lighting;
   - humidity;
   - fertilizers.
3. Remove the causes of stress.
4. Destroy pests.

And remember - even if all the leaves have fallen, the probability of resuscitation of the ficus is quite high. The main thing is not to give up and believe in success!