- The ficus tree belongs to the mulberry family of Moraceae. Although it grows in many forms, the most commonly known type of ficus is the benjamina (sometimes called the weeping ficus or weeping fig). This type grows outdoors in bush form in southern Florida, but is grown indoors throughout North America and Europe.
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Ficus trees grow well in just about any well-drained soil. Most ficus tree growers mix peat moss, bark, and sand to use as soil.
These plants can adjust to a range of moisture levels, as long as the level is consistent. Many people overwater the tree, making the soil too soggy. The soil should be moist but not soggy, and growers shouldn't allow it to dry out between each watering. The ficus tree, when grown indoors, usually doesn't need to be fertilized, but occasionally a balanced 20-20-20 fertilizer will do well. - Ficus trees like warm conditions between approximately 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity at a 25 percent minimum. They prefer bright light but will accept low light. If it gets too cold and drafty (with temperatures in the 40s and 50s), growth slows down substantially.
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Ficus trees most often become infested with scale bugs. These small, oval-shaped pests can be found underneath the leaves and on the stems. They're hard to find, because they don't seem to look or move like insects and are the same color as the plant in their early stages of development.
Other ficus tree pests include mealybugs, which look like white cotton blobs and like to lurk in the roots or the axils of plants, and spider mites, which leave their mark as dead, bronze-colored stems and leaves and web-like material under the leaves. Although rarer, ficus trees can also suffer an infestation of aphids, which like to settle on newly grown plant parts and underneath leaves while sucking sap from the plant and leaving it covered in honeydew. -
When your ficus tree gets infested, you can use a solution of 1 tbsp. of dish soap to 2 cups warm water, or a nontoxic spray specifically designed for killing plant pests. Removing scale bugs by scrubbing them off with fingernails every time they infest the plant also works.
You can prevent, or at least minimize, bug problems by cleaning the tree with warm water in a bathtub on a regular basis, cleaning any cutting devices used on the plant with alcohol after each use, and checking for insects before bring an outdoor ficus tree inside your home during the summer.
