Help with a new plant I received as a gift

Dear all,

I have been given the plant in the attached picture as a gift. It came with its name but I didn’t keep the label unfortunately. I have never owned a plant before so I have a few questions:

- How often should I water it, and should the soil be always quite wet, or should I let it dry?

- Does it need repotting with something like little stones under the soil to help drainage?

- Does it need a pot with holes in the bottom and a saucer underneath, or can it stay in a pot without holes, like a copper one for instance?

- Lastly, what about feeding? I remember the label said feeding every two weeks with a liquid feed, but I can’t remember what kind of feed and if there is some particular kind I should purchase.

Thanks for your kind help.

Regards,

Carlo La Duca

I am not sure what it is, but there are some pretty good guidelines for house plant care at the top of this forum.

VERY ROUGHLY

If I do not know a plant, I will start out this way:

1) Drainage is very important. Roots need oxygen as well as water. Do not keep it so wet or in standing water. This will exclude oxygen from the soil. Allow the water to freely drain from the pot. No gravel inside the pot. It should be on a saucer to protect whatever it is sitting on (the floor, in this case) but the saucer should not hold water for a long time.

2) The soil does need to be thoroughly wet when you do water. If the water runs off between the soil and the pot then do this: Plunge the whole pot into a bucket of water and wait for it to quit bubbling. Then lift, and allow to drain. This should not need to be done very often; just watering from the top ought to work, now.

3) Check the soil about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way down into the pot to see when to water again. You can do this with a freshly sharpened pencil. If the wood gets dark, it is very wet, do not water yet. If the wood is sort of blotchy, then plants that like to stay a bit moist would need water. If the wood is pale (dry) then plants that need more water should have been watered yesterday. So you won't have to keep poking holes in the soil, try lifting the pot, get a feel for how heavy it is when it is wet, and how it changes as it dries out. When you get to know this you can simply lift or tilt the pot to know if it needs water yet.

4) Fertilizer: If the plant is fast growing, then use whatever fertilizer you like, probably at half strength but twice as often.
If the plant is slower growing, then use the fertilizer at half strength and only half as often.
Many plants go through a faster growing stage and a slower growing period. If yours does this, then do not feed while it is quiescent.
As to which fertilizer: I have used quite a few, and they all work just fine. I would prefer to suggest something slow release if you can find it. Something like Osmocote or Dynamite. These pellets can be blended with the soil when you repot, or scattered on the soil surface. They will release a little fertilizer each time you water.
Fertilizers have 3 numbers on them. The first is nitrogen, and grows leaves. It should be fairly high. The next is phosphorus, and grows stems, roots and flowers. It should be lower than the first number for plants that are mainly grown for leaves. The last number is potassium, plants use it to regulate water and some other things. It should be about as high as the first number.
The exact ratios are not so critical, but these should not be zeros.

There is a lot of confusion over what species we should call this plant. Previously, it would be called Ficus alii, but now it might be Ficus maclellandii or Ficus bennendijkii, with the cultivar 'Amstel King' thrown in here and there for good measure. Point is, they all look enough alike that you'll probably have to take the tag supplied with the plant as gospel or pick one of the three names and stick with it because it'll be hard for anyone to prove your choice of names wrong.

The sticky at the top of this forum has good info that will help you avoid all the most common problems you might encounter, or you could read through this info, copy/pasted from one of my previous posts:

I have been tending to more than 40 of my own Ficus trees covering at least12 species in containers for more than 20 years, and teaching others in the community how to manage their containerized trees for the long term for >15 years. I'm also called on regularly to repot/rejuvenate large trees owned by others, so my experience with the genus is extensive, even to the inclusion of Ficus carica - the hardy fig. The information I am supplying comes from knowledge gleaned from diligent pursuit of the physiology of woody plants, and in many cases from the pursuit of information specific to various Ficus species. In order that I might be proficient at maintaining trees in containers over the very long term, I have also spent a considerable amount of time and effort gaining a command of other plant sciences, with soil science, soil/water relationships, and nutrition getting special attention. My habit is to share information, particularly information I have verified via my own practical experience and observations, which run to more than 20 years of maintaining healthy Ficus specimens in containers, as previously mentioned. In short, I'm not here to reinforce what you don't have to do; rather, I'm here to help you get more from your container gardening experience by helping you learn how to give your trees the best opportunity to grow as close to their genetic potential as possible, by helping you reduce or eliminate factors that limit growth and vitality.

From the family: Moracea (relative of mulberry)
Native: India, other tropical - subtropical regions

The Ficus genus with more than 800 known species, is undoubtedly an extremely popular choice as a containerized tree. It tolerates the dryer than desert conditions actually found in many or most centrally heated homes reasonably well, and is endowed with a natural genetic vigor that makes it easy to grow. There is however, much myth and misconception regarding the care of this plant and the reasons it reacts as it does to certain cultural conditions. I would like to talk a little about the plant and then offer some specific information regarding its culture. I will primarily address Ficus benjamina - the 'weeping fig', but the commonly grown Ficus elastica (rubber tree), has the same cultural preferences. In fact, we can virtually lump all the Ficus species commonly grown as houseplants into a single group in all areas except light preferences. We need to make allowances for some of the fig species that won't tolerate direct sun as well as benjamina, elastica, microcarpa, macrocarpa, and others, and we may as well expand that exception to the variegated cultivars of benjamina and elastica as well.

Ficus benjamina is one of the species of Ficus commonly referred to as a strangler fig. It often begins its life by falling onto forest duff that collects in the crotches of trees, or high on a branch as a seed deposited in the droppings of a bird or other tree-dwelling animal. After the seed germinates and as it grows, it produces thin aerial roots that often dangle in the moist air or attach themselves to the host trunk while gaining nutrients and moisture from the air, leaf litter, and the bark of the supporting tree. It does not actually parasitize the plant it grows on, it only uses it as support. This relationship is termed epiphytic, or the tree an epiphyte. Those familiar with the culture of orchids and bromeliads will recognize this term. After the aerial roots have formed and extended, and when they finally reach the ground, the tree begins a tremendous growth spurt, sending out more roots and developing a dense canopy that eventually shades out the supporting tree at the same time the roots are competing for nutrients in the soil and compressing the trunk and branches of the support tree to the point of stopping sap flow. Eventually the supporting tree dies and all that is left where it once stood is a hollow cavity in the dangling Ficus roots that have now thickened and grafted to themselves to become the trunk. It is easy to see how many of the trees in the Ficus genus have come to be called by the name strangler figs.

Roots and soil
The roots of some Ficus species are so powerful they can destroy concrete buildings or buckle roads, and can be measured in miles as they extend underground in search of water. When we consider the young tree and its ability to obtain sufficient moisture from just the surrounding air and bark surface of the support tree by way of aerial roots, we can draw an important conclusion: All species of Ficus prefer well-aerated and fast draining soils. In this regard, they are actually no different than any other tree you would endeavor to grow in a container, so try always to use a soil that guarantees an ample volume of air in the soil and excellent drainage for the intended interval between repots - a soil you can water copiously and flush to remove accumulating dissolved solids (salts) from fertilizer solutions and tap water. It's important to be forgiving enough that you can water this way without risking root rot or extended impairment of root function. This can be accomplished by using a soil whose primary fraction is comprised of large particles (like pine bark) combined with ample volumes of perlite or other inorganic ingredients like Turface, pumice, Haydite, crushed granite, or others. I grow all my Ficus in a soil mix consisting of equal parts of screened pine or fir bark, screened Turface (a calcined clay product), and Gran-I-Grit (crushed and screened granite in grower size).

To be fair, I will add a qualifier here: the cost of the potential for superior growth and added vitality when using these fast (draining) well-aerated soils comes in the form of the grower needing to be prepared to water more frequently as the average soil particle size increases.

Roots are the heart of the plant. A healthy plant is impossible without a healthy root system. Take care of the roots; if your other cultural conditions are favorable, your plants will thrive.

Before I go on I would like to say there is a very important relationship between your choice of soil, watering habits, and a very common and serious problem that too often goes completely undiagnosed. That problem is a high level of soluble salts in the soil. When we choose soils that hold water for extended periods, we put our trees at risk for the fungal infections that cause root rot. Reasoning tells us that to avoid the root rot issue, we should not water to the point of soil saturation; rather, we often feel that watering in sips to avoid the specter of root rot is the wise alternative. This strategy though, puts us squarely on the horns of a dilemma. If we don't/can't water copiously on a regular basis, the soluble salts, that is to say all the dissolved solids in our tap water and fertilizer solution accumulate in the soil. As the level of salts in the soil increases, it becomes increasingly difficult for the plant to absorb water and the nutrients dissolved in water. If the salt level gets too high, it can actually pull water OUT of cells in exactly the same fashion that curing salt 'pulls' moisture from ham or bacon. This 'reverse osmosis' causes plasma to be torn from the walls of cells as they collapse, killing cells and tissue. The technical term for this is plasmolysis, but we more commonly refer to it as fertilizer burn. Fertilizer burn can occur whether or not we use fertilizer. The salts in our tap water alone, can/will eventually build to the point where water uptake is impossible, unless we actively take precautions.

Your soil is the foundation of every conventional container planting, and your choice of soils probably has a greater impact on your effort:reward quotient than any other single factor. Please take some time to learn more about soils. My experience has shown that understanding how soils work and how to tell the difference between a good and a not so good soil is probably the single largest step forward a container gardener can take at any one time. Find more about soils here.

Watering
Ficus b. will tolerate dry soil quite well. Allowing the soil to completely dry; however, will result in undue drought stress and accompanying leaf loss, an expensive affair, considering the plant will call heavily upon energy reserves to replace lost foliage - reserves that might better have been directed to other functions and growth. If you wait just until the soil feels dry to the touch at the drain hole before watering, your tree will be free from the effects of drought stress. Soils feel dry to the touch when their moisture content is somewhere between 40-45%, but Ficus can still extract water from soils until moisture content drops to about 25-30%, giving you a 10-15% cush AFTER the soil feels dry. Use a finger or a sharpened wooden dowel stuck deep into the soil to check for moisture content. A wooden skewer or chopstick used in similar fashion is also a useful tool, and feeling the soil at the drain hole and withholding water until it feels dry there, is also a good way to judge.

Water meters are rather ineffective, They actually measure EC (electrical conductivity). To illustrate: Insert a clean probe into a cup of distilled water. It will read 'DRY'. Add a little table salt or fertilizer and it will read 'WET'. Though I try never to water my Ficus with cold water, I have never been able to verify that cold water has any negative impact on our houseplants ..... and I've asked a good number of horticulture's upper crust about any potentially negative effects, always receiving a shrug.

The best way to water your Ficus it to apply water slowly until you estimate the soil is almost wet enough that water is about to appear at the drain hole. Wait a few minutes and water again so at least 15-20% of the total volume of water applied exits the drain. The first watering helps dissolve accumulated salts in the soil and allows them to go into solution. The second watering carries them out of the container. We already illustrated the importance of using a soil that allows us to water in such a manner without having to worry about root rot. If you feel you cannot water in this manner without risking lengthy soil saturation and the possibility of root rot, your soil is probably inappropriate for the plant. Lest anyone complain at that observation, I would point out there is a difference between the growth and vitality of plants that are only tolerating a soil vs. the same traits in plants that appreciate (thrive in) a medium with superior properties. More about soils as questions arise .... please ask!

Light
Although many Ficus begin life as an understory tree and are generally quite shade tolerant, most actually spend their life struggling through the shaded understory until they eventually reach the forest canopy, where they finally find full sun and can begin to come into their own. We should give Ficus all the sun they will tolerate. I grow all varieties of Ficus b. in full sun, and they tolerate it well - even some of the newer cultivars that are supposed to be extremely shade-tolerant.

I have often read anecdotal assertions that Ficus b defoliates at the slightest change in light levels (or temperature). I have found this to be only partly true. Any trees I have moved from a location with a lower light level to a brighter location have not suffered leaf loss (abscission). Instead, they have rewarded me with more robust growth and back-budding. If the change is reversed, so the tree is moved from high irradiance levels to a dimmer location, leaf loss is probable, but even then it depends on both the suddenness of the change and the difference between the two light levels. It might be interesting to note that trees that are being grown out, or allowed to grow unpruned, are most likely to suffer loss of interior leaves when light levels are reduced. Trees in bonsai culture, or properly pruned trees where thinning has occurred to allow more light to the trees interior are less affected. Indoor supplemental lighting is a broad subject, but if you have the ability to provide it, your trees will definitely show their appreciation. Brighter light = smaller leaf size, shorter internodes, and superior ramification (finer branching), not to mention a marked increase in overall mass.

Temperature
Expect the most robust growth characteristics when the plant is kept in a temperature range between 60-80* F. Actual root temperatures above 90-95* should be avoided because they impair root function/metabolism and slow or stop growth. Temperatures below 55* should also be avoided for several reasons. They slow photosynthesis to the degree that the plant will necessarily call on stored energy reserves to power metabolism and keep its systems orderly. This essentially puts the tree on 'battery power' - running on its energy reserves. After exposure to chill and subsequent return to more favorable temperatures, the plant does not quickly recover the ability to carry on normal photosynthesis. The time needed for the plant to recover its normal photosynthesizing ability is more appropriately measured in days, than hours. Leaf loss can also occur as a result of exposure to chill, particularly sudden chill. It is prudent to select a location free from cold breezes for your tree. Even short exposure to very cold draughts can cause leaves to abscise (fall/shed). Cool temperatures slow or halt the flow of auxin (a growth regulator - hormone) across the abscission zone at the base of each leaf petiole (stem) which allows an abscission layer to form and causes leaves to fall. Chill also stimulates an increase in abscissic acid (another growth regulator/hormone) which is also a player in leaf loss.

Benjamina can tolerate temperatures as low as the mid-30s for brief periods if the exposure to chill is gradual, but it should be noted that even though there may not be any readily visible impact on the tree, the tree will always be in decline at temperatures below about 55* because of the impact on the tree's ability to carry on efficient photosynthesis. Sudden and large temperature drops can cause varying degrees of chill injury in the plant, caused by phenolic compounds leaking from cells, which shows up looking much like freeze damage. Severe injury could occur in plants that were growing at 80-85* and were subjected to sudden chilling to temperatures as high as 45-50*.

Humidity
Thick leathery leaves with waxy cuticles help to limit moisture loss, making the plant well suited to a wide range of indoor humidity levels, even though it prefers humidity levels above 50%. When humidity levels are blamed for leaf loss or necrotic leaf tips and margins, it is likely the blame has been misplaced. Those pesky high salt levels in soils, most common in late winter, can make it difficult and in extreme cases impossible for the plant to absorb water to replace that being lost to the air through transpiration. The fast soils that allow copious watering, which flushes the soil of salts regularly, are actually much more important/beneficial than maintaining ultra high humidity levels. Misting is very effective ..... for about 30 seconds. Forget the misting please, it is ineffective. For small plants, a humidity tray may be marginally effective by providing a very slight increasde in humidity. A room or whole-house humidifier is best.

Fertilizer
I prefer any 3:1:2 ratio soluble fertilizer like Miracle-Gro 24-8-16 or 12-4-8, and I especially like Dyna-Gro's Foliage-Pro 9-3-6, because it provides all the essential nutrients in the approximate ratio the plant will use and in favorable ratios to each other. Because I use fast soils, I can fertilize at very low doses, every time I water. How YOU can/should fertilize is something we should discuss. It can change by season, and also varies based on soil choice and watering habits. There is no question that in addition to offering greater potential for growth and vitality within the limits of other cultural factors, fast draining, well-aerated soils also get the nod for greatly increasing the grower's margin for error in the areas of watering and fertilizing.

Defoliating
Leaf loss in Ficus is probably the cause of more conjecture than any other aspect of its culture, so even though I have mentioned it above, I will reiterate. Even though it is widely held that Ficus b. defoliates at virtually any cultural change, with changes in light and temperature most often cited, it is not so. The plant tends to defoliate when there is a fairly abrupt change in light levels - from bright to dim, or after exposure to sudden chill, but the plant does not tend to defoliate when the cultural conditions of light and temperature move from unfavorable to favorable, i.e. from dim to bright or from cool to warm/appropriate - unless the change is radical.

Repotting
First, I draw a major distinction between potting-up and repotting. Potting up can be undertaken at any time. It involves moving the plant to a slightly larger pot and back-filling with fresh soil, with a minimal amount of root disturbance. Much to be preferred to potting-up, is repotting. Repotting, which has a substantial rejuvenating effect, includes removing all or almost all of the old (spent) soil and selective root-pruning. It is by far the preferred method and probably the most important step in insuring your trees always grow at as close to their potential genetic vigor as possible. Repotting as opposed to potting-up is the primary reason bonsai trees are able to live in small containers for hundreds of years while the vast majority of trees grown as houseplants are lucky to survive more than 5 years without root work.

It is pretty much universally accepted among nurserymen, that you should pot up at or before the time where the condition of the roots/soil mass is such that the roots and soil can be lifted from the container intact. Much testing has been done to show that trees left to languish beyond this point will have growth and vitality permanently affected. Even when planted out, growth and longevity of trees allowed to progress beyond this point is shown to be reduced. The ideal time to repot a Ficus is when the plant has good vitality and in the month prior to its most robust growth. June and July are prime months for most of the US. HOW to properly repot is beyond the scope of the initial post, but I am sure the subject will be covered in detail as questions arise. Remember - potting up a root bound plant is a stopgap fix, and ensures the plant has no opportunity to grow to its genetic potential within the limits of other cultural factors; while fully repotting, which includes a change of soil and root pruning, ensures the plant WILL have the opportunity within the limits of other cultural factors. Strong words, but to repeat the illustration: the bonsai tree is capable of living in a tiny pot, perfectly happy for hundreds of years, while we struggle to squeeze 5 years of good vitality from a root bound plant - root work being the difference.

Pests
Ficus trees suffer from some pests. Most common are scale, followed closely by mites and mealies. I have always had good luck with neem oil as a preventative and fixative. We can discuss infestations and treatment as it arises, but so it gets included in the original post, I use only pure, cold-pressed neem oil, such as that packaged by Dyna-Gro in the black and white container. The beneficial active ingredient in neem is azadirachtin, the effectiveness of which is greatly reduced by steam and alcohol extraction methods, which brings us full circle to why I use the cold-pressed product.

Oedema can sometimes be an issue as well;. Suspect it if you see corky patches on the leaves, usually preceded by wet, bumpy patches that usually go unnoticed.

This is a long post, and took a long time to compose. I hope it answers most of your questions, but somehow, I cannot help but hope there are a few lingering that you would like to ask or points you would like to have clarified. It is great fun visiting and helping people who are devoted to improving their abilities to provide for their trees.

Best luck. Al

The plant is Ficus 'Alii'. It is not a low-light tolerant plant like 'Amstel King'. Please open your shades and give it as much light as possible in your location. Winter in the UK does not offer much, I know.
In the winter it will not need very much water. I would go to the point of total dryness in the pot now. At the height of summer it will need more, but then, remember to cut back the water by October. Over-watering is a very common problem in this species. Your plant looks fine at the moment.
Ficus sp. almost always fill their pots with roots immediately, so do not repot obsessively. There would be no end to it. Fertilize regularly, and you can maintain the plant in a relatively small pot for years. I would not feed at all in the winter in the UK, but from spring to fall, feed regularly.
Always use a pot with drainage holes. Stones at the bottom of a pot do not help with drainage where there is no hole. Use a fast-draining mix if you are concerned about drying out the soil. Also, a deeper pot will help with root health where drainage is an issue.
I hope this helps, and your fig continues to thrive.

Carlo - There is no good reason to allow your plant to go dry. Dry = drought stress, and no stress is good for the plant. It should be watered before drought stress becomes a limiting factor, otherwise you risk this plants response to drought stress, that being defoliation. Ideally, you would be using a soil that places over-watering solidly in the 'nonissue column'.

Growth and vitality begin to be notably limited as the plant progresses to about the point where the soil/root mass can be lifted from the pot intact. As root congestion progresses, so does the degree to which these factors are limiting. The idea that root management is a never ending part of tending trees in containers over the long term is something we need to accept, not ignore because it's an effort. Of course, that's an individual decision, but the fact you might not want to repot (repotting includes root work and soil replacement, as opposed to potting up, which is little more than bumping the plant up a pot size) isn't enough to trump the negative impact of NOT repotting.

Whether or not you should fertilize in winter depends on what soil you're using and your watering habits. If you're using a soil you can (and are) flushing on a regular basis, you SHOULD make sure there is enough of every nutrient to satisfy the plants nutritional needs, always, even though those needs are reduced while the plant is taking a winter break. That means fertilizing. If you're using a soil that DOESN'T allow you to flush accumulating salts at will, you have larger problems. Keep in mind that Mother Nature doesn't remove nutrients from the soil every autumn and replace them each spring. They remain in the soil throughout the entire growth cycle.

In general, the advice to withhold fertilizer in the winter is based on the premise you don't know how to manage your plants' nutrition AND you're using an inappropriate soil. If you can't flush the soiI at will, dissolved solids will build up in the soil, causing antagonistic deficiencies and a high level of EC/TDS. The advice is given as a way of keeping this from occurring. It can't prevent it, of course, but it can help to minimize how fast it happens. So, the advice is given as a way to protect you from yourself. The reasoning is, it's better to keep salt levels in the soil solution lower and risk deficiencies than it is to risk adding too much salt and dealing with toxicities and the plant's reduced ability to remain hydrated. Neither choice is a good one, so you're faced with the lesser of two evils, but evils nonetheless. BETTER, is to use a soil you can flush every time you water to rid it of accumulating salts. This is like hitting the fertilizer 'reset button' (resetting to '0') and allows you the opportunity to maintain nutrients in the soil at levels that approach perfect. I grow at least 20 species of Ficus, and I fertilize (at low rates) every time I water - all winter long. They love it and they show it.

Al

Clearly Tapla has not grown plants in a far-northern climate.

I live in mid-MI, where all Ficus other than F carica are relegated to indoor conditions from sometime in Sep through May, so I'm quite familiar with the needs/wants of the genus, regardless of where it's grown.

Al

Carlo, it's a lovely plant. It may need more light than a corner.

I don't think I've ever "overwatered" a plant during summer. It's during winter when days are short, temps are cool, that the risk exists when plants are in a mix that can facilitate the rotting of roots. Simply changing to something more porous/chunky/airy, that doesn't have to dry out to avoid rotting roots has helped me a lot. But if I hadn't tried something different, like the old saying goes, I wouldn't knock it. Or have any basis for comparison.

A drink of water when thirsty is the one thing that must happen so plants don't die. It shouldn't also be the thing that kills them, or require walking a tightrope of margin for error, to decide when the precise right moment for adding the water should be.

Those having trouble with rotting roots might also have positive results by switching to unglazed clay pots.

How to Care for Indoor Plants
House plants beautify your environment, purify air indoors, and create a naturalistic element to often sterile-looking office spaces. Because they grow and change, some people even view plants as companionable. They can be very easy to care for with a few tips to keep them healthy.
1 Be sure that your plants get light. Plants need light! Identify how much natural light is available (and needed) for plants, or whether it is possible to have an indoor grow light placed next to the plant. A window is an ideal place but make sure you have a saucer or tray underneath the plants to catch the drips from watering and condensation which often occurs at night on the leaves.

2 Water them as needed. Plants need water, but not too much nor too little. When you water, water it until you can see it come out of the bottom of the pot. Never put plants in pots that don't have at least one hole in the bottom! Be realistic about how much attention you have to give to your house plants, and plan accordingly.

3 Watch out for plant pests. Sometimes plants attract pests - insects that eat the plant and cause it to lose vigor.
You can find indoor plants on: http://www.canarius.com/ and look for more tips in our blog.