Ficus Benjamin drops leaves - what could be the reason?

In the wild, the ficus of Benjamin presentsa tall, sprawling evergreen plant with a bark of gray color, covered with short brown strokes. Its maximum height is about 25 meters. The plant is widespread in India and South-East Asia, in the tropical and subtropical zones, and also grows in the northern regions of Australia. He has brilliant glossy leaves of bright green color, which can grow up to 13 cm in length and 6 cm in width.

At home with proper care, the ficusBenjamin grows very quickly and in just a couple of years can reach significant proportions. The term of his life in captivity is usually from 2 to 15 years. Ficus loves moderately warm air and well-lit rooms. The most comfortable temperature for this plant is + 15-20 degrees Celsius in the summer and +13-15 in the winter. Violation of the temperature regime in one direction or another may be the reason that Benjamin Ficus sheds leaves.

The plant is best placed on the windowsillseastern windows, or, with its considerable size, near them. However, if the windows go to the southeast, in the daytime, the ficus should be shaded. Direct sunlight is another possible reason for the fact that Benjamin Ficus plants fall off leaves: it can get sunburn.

Ficus of Benjamin drops leaves andinsufficient soil moisture. The plant requires abundant, but uniform, without "flooding", watering in the summer. In addition, at an air temperature above +30 degrees Celsius, it must be sprayed daily. It makes sense to do this in winter, if the heating radiators work too intensively. It will also be useful to put a large container with water near the plant. At the same time, it should be remembered that excessive watering can lead to the development of root rot. If the water stagnates in the pot, the plant may have dark spots, after which the foliage will begin to fall: this is another answer to the question of why the ficus sheds leaves. In the regime of watering, it is important to find a golden mean to provide the plant with comfortable growth conditions. In no case should you water the ficus with cold water!

As for the land, the Benjamin ficus is bettergrows on special soil mixtures for this type of plant, which are sold in flower shops. They can be replaced with mixtures from hardwood and sand (2: 1) or from sand, clay granulate and humus, taken in equal parts. Ficus can not be grown in peat mixtures: if you bought a plant in a pot of peat, you need to transplant it as soon as possible. Ficuses grow quite quickly, but do not transplant the plant into a container that is much larger than its roots. A transplant is done when the roots completely fill the pot. If the ground is covered with a white salt spray - in this case it is time to replace the upper part of it. Transplant the plant in the spring; as a rule, do it every year. Often after transplantation for some time, Benjamin Ficus sheds leaves - this is in the order of things.

Thus, the reasons why this plantcan lose leaves, the most diverse: insufficient or, on the contrary, excessive watering, violation of temperature, sunburn or a recent transplant. Quite often, Benjamin Ficus sheds leaves and lacks nutrients in the soil, so every month, from May to September, it should be fed with fertilizers. In addition, the plant is afraid of drafts and can dump foliage if it is put in a well-ventilated place. In general, the ficus can lose a small amount of foliage and for no particular reason - it is necessary to beat the alarm if the leaves are wrinkled, spots appear on them, or the branches are significantly stripped.