Ficus Melanie is a representative of a large group of rubber rubber figs, the most popular group of potted plants. Caring for him is no different from caring for all ficuses, that is, it will take a minimum of your attention and efforts to make the green tree feel great. Undemanding content and bright appearance explain the popularity of the ficus Melanie among novice growers and plant lovers.
Description and photo
This type of ficus was bred by Dutch breeders from the Decor variety. 
The plant has a compact size, it does not grow up, but to the side with the whole bush, which makes it possible to form a beautiful crown and give the plant even greater decorative value.
Due to its small size, most often the ficus Melanie is chosen for placement on window sills or other small platforms.
We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the specifics of caring for rubber ficus, how to form a crown of rubber ficus, and also read what types and diseases of this ficus are.
Plant appearance
In nature, rubber-fig rubber plants grow to impressive sizes (30-40 m), however Melanie's variety grows to a height of only 30-60 cm, it is excellent bush.
At the beginning, the tree consists of a single stiff trunk, after some time the usual root system begins to take off aerial roots, due to which the plant has acquired the nickname "tree of a snake."
This plant is great for lovers of greenery, not flowers, because at home ficus Melanie does not bloomthat you should definitely consider when buying. 
However, subject to simple rules of care, the ficus is able to quickly release new leaves — one per week, while all the lower foliage is preserved.
The leaves are very dense, leathery, oblong in shape with pointed tips, slightly curved downwards, do not exceed 15 cm in length, and are 6–8 cm wide.
The upper part of the leaves is dark green glossy, with a light streak, the back side is painted in a light olive color, matte and rough to the touch, beautifully dissected by red veins.
The leaves are very densely arranged on the stem, the internodes are only 1-2 cm, on average 10 cm of the stem are located up to 6-8 leaves.
Did you know? In some parts of India, aerial roots of rubber-ficus are used to create live suspension bridges. Some very durable structures are able to withstand the weight of fifty people. For growing the bridge it may take 10-15 years, but the structures are capable of self-renewal, therefore their service life reaches 500-600 years. This kind of art is called arbosculpture and has been practiced for many centuries.
Origin and distribution
In nature, it grows in countries with a warm and humid climate - in the north-east of India, the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java.
In Buddhism, it is believed that the ficus is a sacred tree that brings love, prosperity and happiness into the house.
How to choose a ficus when buying
When choosing a pet in a flower shop, follow these tips.:
- Give preference to a young plant, because over time the adaptive properties of the ficus are reduced, and it can be problematic to take root in the new microclimate.
- The best season for buying is spring-summer, since at this time it is easier for the plant to adapt to the conditions of the new dwelling.
- Be sure to inspect the leaves of ficus from the outer and back sides: they should not be any brown or white spots, growths - these signs indicate the disease.
- Shake the plant a little or run your hand against the growth of the leaves - in a healthy specimen all the foliage should remain in place, otherwise refuse to buy this plant.
Important! For a new green tenant, be sure to arrange a quarantine for 2-3 weeks. Keep track of the presence of pests or diseases on the plant (this will save other vegetation in the house from infection).
Conditions for growing ficus
There are the most optimal growing conditions for ficus. However, you remember that the main feature of this plant is unpretentiousness, so even small errors and inaccuracies in the care will not affect the beauty and condition of your pet.
Lighting and location
For the cultivation of ficus Melanie is to find a well-lit place in the apartment, where direct sunlight does not fall, which are able to burn the leaves. Also the place should be without drafts. 
Light day should be about 12-14 hours, so when the winter deficit of ultraviolet light, you must resort to additional lighting. Gradually, the ficus will pull all the leaves toward the source of light, so for a beautiful and symmetrical crown formation, the pot will need to be rotated periodically.
The plant is optimally placed at the south side of the apartment, but if there is no such possibility, it will feel good even on the north window. If the light is critically low, the plant slows down in growth and can even throw off foliage.
Familiarize yourself with the most popular types of ficus, in particular with lyre, myocarp and Benjamin ficus, and also learn how to reproduce ficus at home.
Temperature and humidity
Ficus Melanie is able to withstand temperatures in the range of + 16-30 ° C. However, the average indicators are optimal - 20-25 ° C. If the thermometer rises higher in the summertime, provide additional spraying and wiping the foliage with a damp sponge.
In winter, the bush should be kept at + 16-18 ° С. Lowering the temperature below + 12 ° C can lead to freezing of the root system, loss of foliage and death of the plant.
There are no special requirements for air humidity - the ficus feels quite well with an average humidity of 40-60%. However, on particularly hot summer days or during the heating season, leaves should be wiped with a damp sponge, a shower or sprayed with a spray gun. 
Soil composition
Prefers a nutrient soil with good drainage and breathability, the Ph level should be neutral or slightly acidic.
It is necessary to take into account that the soil for young and adult plants differs in composition - young rubber plants prefer a more loose soil, but after 2-3 years it is necessary to add sod or humus to the soil.
It will be useful for you to learn how to pick up the soil for ficus.
You can save time and effort and buy ready-made mixture for ficus. It is also not difficult to prepare the correct composition of these components:
- For a young plant: 1 part of humus, peat and sand.
- For an adult plant: 1 part of peat, sand, turf and leaf land.
- For an adult plant (option 2): 2 parts of humus and sod land, 1 part of sand.
Be sure to make a good drainage of expanded clay, wood sand, coarse sand or rubble. It is preferable to choose expanded clay - this clay material is able to absorb excess fluid and fertilizer, and if necessary - give them back to the soil.Important! HIt should not be clayey - this component retains moisture, impairs drainage, which has a very negative effect on the root system and the plant as a whole.
Ficus Melanie: home care
Care for the ficus Melanie is watering as needed, regular feeding, annual pruning and transplanting. Next, we consider in more detail each procedure.
Watering
There is no strict watering schedule for ficus - the need for soil moisture will depend on the humidity in the room, air temperature, soil composition and properties, plant age and room lighting.
It is necessary to follow the basic rule: the ground in a pot should dry completely or remain slightly damp.
To make sure of the need for moistening, you can deepen a finger into the earthen mixture by 3 cm - if the earth remains on your fingers, then moisture is enough, but if it crumbles or hardened too much, it is time to moisten your pet.
During the summer period, watering should be plentiful - water should be poured into the pot several times so that it starts to appear on the tray. After half an hour, remove water from the pan. In winter, watering should be very moderate, since an excess of moisture is extremely harmful for the plant, especially if it is kept at low temperatures. 
Spraying should be carried out with insufficient air humidification, that is, during heating and very high temperatures in summer. For irrigation and spraying, it is necessary to use separated water at room temperature.
Read more about the rules of watering ficus.
Top dressing
Feed the ficus Melanie need 2 times a month in the warm season, and 1 time per month in the autumn-winter period. Fertilizer can be applied on the day of watering or the next (it is very important that the soil was wet).
It is better to give preference to liquid mineral mixtures. Within 1 month after transplantation fertilized indoor pet can not. The application of top dressing can burn the roots, besides, in a fresh soil mixture, the amount of nutrients is sufficient.
Cropping and crown formation
Pruning is recommended in late winter or early spring. It is enough to cut up to 5 internodes from the top of the stems. Thanks to this procedure, the plant will begin to branch beautifully and bush, it will become more lush. 
This effect can be achieved, if for some time the ficus is fixed in the tilt position - then not the upper bud, but the lateral, will grow, so the plant will increase in breadth.
Important! Pruning is desirable to carry out gloves - plant juice contains toxic components that can cause severe skin irritation.
Transfer
It is necessary to replant a house pet annually, at the end of winter. It is important to choose a pot only slightly larger than the previous one (2-3 cm). If you immediately plant a young plant in a large capacity, it will grow the root system, but the ground part will be far behind in growth.
For an adult plant (after 4 years), transplantation is necessary once every 3 years, but at the same time 3-5 cm of the upper ball of the earth can be changed annually. To understand that the plant needs a more spacious pot can be on the following grounds:
- the soil dries very quickly after wetting;
- the roots filled the pot completely and began to sprout through the drainage holes or the top.
Ficus Melanie should not be transplanted, namely, transshipment, that is, do not separate the earthen clod from the roots in the process of changing the pot. To do this, select a new container, lay a layer of drainage and pour a little soil mixture (ready or made according to the above proportions).
Video: ficus transplant Melanie Next, using the scapula, the plant must be carefully removed from the old container without disturbing the roots. Then put in a new container, fill the rest of the space with soil and pour.
Read more about how to pick up the pot, and transplant ficus at home.
Breeding features
Ficus Melanie can be propagated in several ways:
- Apical or lateral shoots. They are cut so that there are 2-3 leaves on the shoots, there is no need to process the cut. The shoot is placed in water to drain the milky juice. Then the liquid is replaced with a new one, covered with a package to create a small greenhouse and wait for the roots to appear. To speed up the process, you can add a growth stimulator according to the instructions. When the roots are formed, the escape can be transplanted into a container with the ground.
- Air layoutsThis method is more complicated and gives less chances for a successful outcome, especially for inexperienced florists. In any place, the stalk should be incised at 1/3 of the thickness, insert a toothpick or match inside (so that it does not grow back together), wrap with peat on top and wrap with a plastic bag. When the roots appear, the stalk should be cut just below the incision site and planted in a permanent pot.
Flower pests and diseases
Despite the unpretentiousness of this plant, in the process of growing it can be faced with certain problems, pests and diseases. The most common complaints when growing plants:
- Falling foliage. The reason may be excessive moisture or lack of moisture in the soil, a strong lack of light, a sharp temperature drop, the presence of a draft in the room. To fix the problem, you need to revise the conditions of the plant.
- Yellowing foliage. In this case, the rules of care and maintenance are also violated. Usually foliage acquires a yellow tint before falling off, but among other reasons one can single out such: an excess of fertilizer (it is necessary to pour a large amount of water over the ficus and not to feed for 2 months), too large a pot (transplanting will help) soil), rotting roots (need to remove damaged areas).
- Lack of growth. Can occur with a lack of lighting, a cramped pot, or an insufficient amount of fertilizer.
- Dark brown spots on the leaves. Indicate a sunburn or excess fertilizer.
Did you know? Among the thousands of species of ficus, there are ficus-stranglers. They use the main plant as a support, take air roots to the ground, gradually strengthen the grip and squeeze the plant-support until it dries. Moreover, such varieties of ficuses are not parasites, since they do not take any nutrients from the plant-support.
Due to improper care, the plant can also be attacked by pests or infections.
- Shchitovka. The appearance of these insects is very detrimental to the condition of the plant - small pests attack the leaves and stalks and feed on the juices, until the plant dies. Look like small (up to 4 mm) balls of brown or solid color. In the case of attack of scythes, foliage and stems should be wiped with a sponge dipped in soapy water. Heavily damaged parts of the plant can be cut off, the rest can be treated with the Actellic preparation according to the instructions.
- Spider mite From the name it becomes clear that you can notice the presence of a pest by the presence of a white web. The reason most often is too dry warm air in the room. To eliminate the tick, it is necessary to spray and wipe the foliage more often with a damp sponge.
- Thrips. When attacking these insects, sick specimens need to quarantine, rinse the leaves thoroughly under the shower, replace the soil and wash the pot. Then the plants can be treated with the preparations "Actellic" or "Fitoverm" (for greater effectiveness after treatment, the flowers are covered with a plastic bag for a day).
Read more about diseases of ficus, how to deal with spider mites and shields on indoor plants, as well as what fungicides are used in indoor plant growing.
Ficus Melanie is an excellent choice for gardening office or apartment. It does not take up much space, is very easy to clean, looks beautiful in any interior and effectively cleans the air.
If you do not have experience in growing indoor plants, such an instance will be a suitable option for a beginner in floriculture. 
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