Ficus Emerald

Ficus Emerald Care

Ficus Emerald Standard

What is the plant

The Ficus family includes a large number of species including the rubber plant (Ficus elastica), weeping fig (Ficus benjamina) and fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata). Ficus grown as houseplants are much smaller than their outdoor counterparts, which grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 12. Most ficus grown indoors are woody tree-like plants with single or multi-stemmed trunks. When caring for indoor ficus tree plants, the proper light, soil, pruning and fertilization are essential for a healthy plant.

If you’ve recognized any mistakes feel free to notify us about it. This would help us to provide only the best-quality information.

Humidity

Normal

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

16°C - 21°C

Difficulty

Medium

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Water weekly during the summer with room-temperature water. Add water until it drains from the bottom of the pot. Discard the excess water if it flows into a container. Adjust the watering for your particular plant. Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings. If the leaves turn yellow and begin to drop, you may need to increase or decrease the amount of water. Check the root ball. If the roots are soggy water the plant less often. If they are dry, increase watering. Humidity and light levels affect the amount of water needed.
Pruning
Using sterilized tools, prune the ficus to keep its small size and to shape the canopy. Prune in late winter or early spring before new growth appears, using small pruning shears. Make cuts on branches just above a leaf node or a branching stem. New growth will appear from below the cut. Prune out dead branches any time throughout the year. Make cuts just outside the branch collar to avoid damaging the trunk. Yearly pruning can help build a fuller canopy.
Fertilizer
Fertilize during the active growth period in summer. You will see new leaves appear and branches grow during this time. Use a general-purpose fertilizer diluted to half strength and fertilize every three or four weeks until the active growth period ends. There is no need for fertilizer during the winter.

Disease diagnosis

Check your plant’s health

Ease your plant care routine with PlantIn's personalized system.

Sunlight
Place the ficus near a window in a room that gets bright light in the summer with more moderate light in the winter. Turn the plant occasionally so all the growth does not occur on one side.
Soil
Plant the ficus in a well-draining potting mix. Purchase a loamy soil with added vermiculite or perlite for drainage, or mix your own. Use 3 parts loam 1 part peat and 1 part sand for a well-draining mixture. Plant in a deep pot with drainage holes so the water can run out.
Temperature
Ficus trees also cannot tolerate low temperatures or drafts. They need to be kept in temperatures above 60 F. (16 C.) and actually prefer temperatures above 70 F. (21 C.). Cold drafts from windows or doors will harm them, so make sure to place them somewhere where drafts will not be an issue.