How to Water Ficus Trees

The timing and amount of water for your ficus tree will help it remain healthy.

Ficus trees are a popular indoor plant, and need little care when they are established. Maintaining an appropriate watering strategy will help keep them healthy. Watch for changes in the ficus leaves to know when you may need to adjust the amount of water your tree gets, and monitor the moisture in the soil to determine when to water. A ficus tree in an appropriate container, one with drainage holes that has plenty of room for the roots of the ficus, will provide a healthy environment for the tree and more reliable indicators of whether the tree needs more or less water.

Instructions

1. Choose room temperature water to water your ficus so you do not shock the tree's roots. Use tap water, but avoid water that has been softened with a water softening unit as this removes minerals from the water that help the ficus.

2. Water the ficus when the soil begins to feel dry. Avoid letting the soil get so dry that it cracks, which means that the entire root ball has also probably dried out. Avoid over-watering as well; a root ball that remains soaked may rot.

3. Water the tree at the base of its trunk. Avoid watering from overhead, as the water sitting on the leaves can cause disease.

4. Water the ficus until water drains from the base. The soil ball should be soaked during each watering.

5. Adjust the amount of water you use if your ficus begins to lose its leaves. Over-watering and under-watering can both cause leaves to fall off. Since the tree uses less water when it has fewer leaves, decrease water amount if you notice leaf loss.

6. Increase water amount if you see yellow leaves on your ficus tree and decrease water if you notice that the leaves are not maturing properly.

References

• University of Minnesota Extension: Rubber Trees, Weeping Figs, and Other Friendly Ficus
• University of Florida: MId-Florida Research and Education Center: Ficus Production Guide
• New Mexico State University Extension/Outreach: Southwest Yard and Garden
• University of Nebraska (Lincoln) Extension: Weeping Fig, Ficus benjamina