Sacred ficus is an evergreen tree from the mulberry family, the Latin name is ficus religiosa, also called pipal and bo. In the wild, the trunk grows to enormous size and grows for decades. Adult ficus can reach 30 meters in height.
Legends of the name of the ficus
The name ficus sacred (from the Latin ficus religiosa) the plant received for a reason: according to the Buddhist belief Siddhartha Guatauma, the prince from North India, went in search of enlightenment. Wandering around the mountains for a long time, he decided to relax and chose a beautiful platform under the leaves of the Bo tree. Meditating under him, the prince received his sight and became the first Buddha. When European states came to India, they saw thickets of Bo trees around ancient Buddhist temples, so this species has the word “sacred” in the name.
Home Care
At home, the trees grow small: from a few centimeters to 5-6 meters.
Location, lighting, temperature, humidity and watering
Pipil is one of the most popular bonsai plants. The most important factor in growing a Bo tree is excess light.
In the summer, it is recommended to put the pot with the plant in an open place, and in winter in a well-lit room.
Optimum temperature: at least + 22 ° C in summer and + 15 ° C in winter.
Watering the ficus is necessary only when the soil is dry. In winter, it is advisable to reduce the frequency of watering and spray the leaves.
Choice of capacity, soil, transplant, pruning
The plant will grow correctly in both plastic and clay pots. Transplantation from one container to another is carried out regularly, especially at a young age (1-2 times a year). Ficus sacred eden from seeds grows in a month and a half.
The plant is unpretentious to the soil, but for proper growth to the purchased soil should be added land with turf and sand.
Top dressing
The tree is not demanding on top dressing. For proper growth, it is advisable to add fertilizers containing nitrogen and potassium to the soil. This is best done in the autumn and spring.
Breeding
Reproduction is carried out in two ways:
- Seed - is more popular as they almost always take root. The price of sacred ficus seeds depends on the manufacturer.
- Cuttings - not always effective. Many seedlings do not take root in the soil.
Pruning is carried out regularly in the dry season to form a neat crown.
Pests and diseases
Symptoms of unhealthy growth is abundant loss of leaves. A possible cause is improper care of the flower. Upon reaching the age of three, a natural process of renewal of foliage occurs.
Various pests can appear on the bark. The only possible way out is to buy chemical poisons to remove insects such as moths, scale insects, aphids and mealybugs.
