She will be away for about a month. How often do I water? Should I repot it? (She doesn't know!)
2006-09-13 14:08:14 · 8 answers · asked by MFJinxie 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Water it once a week or as the soil gets crumbly dry in the pot...DO NOT RE-POT IT....DO NOT CHANGE THE WINDOW IT LIVES IN!!! If you move a Ficus even to a different window on the same side of the house, so same Sun exposure...The ficus is a fickle plant and will shed ALL its leaves! In General they are a pain in the horses backside! So don't touch , just water!
2006-09-13 15:21:20 · answer #1 · answered by bugsie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Invest in a water metre for house plants and test the soil, in several parts of the pot, before watering each time you visit the house. You will want the metre to be in the middle - all the time.
The humidity in the house will not be the same with the people away and thus her schedule for watering may be quite different from what you will need to do.
Ficus need to be evenly moist ALL THE TIME but NOT WET.
Remember this rule of thumb: The thinner the leaves the more water the plant will need because there is none stored in the leaves. Plump leaves like those of a succulent plant, store water and thus they do not need to be watered bery often.
Contrary to popular belief, Ficus are not tempermental and most often the reason they drop some of their leaves is the changeing hours of light and dark as the seasons change. In the wild, they DO shed their leaves as well, tho never completely.
I would NEVER repot someone's plant with out their permission. If you want to buy them a new pot - fine - but let them do it.
BTW ficus do enjoy lots of room for their roots and are much easier to maintain if the pot is big enough that the soil does not dry out between waterings.
2006-09-14 02:22:12 · answer #2 · answered by Barbados Chick 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Repotting it might set it in shock and it could lose its leaves. Don't think your friend would want to come back to that. Would be best to keep doing whatever it is used to if you can find that out from your friend. Misting might be a good idea so it gets enough moisture. Depending on how large or small the tree is you may want to add a little food to each watering, which could be every week or ten days. Good luck!
2006-09-16 18:50:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't repot it, Ficus like to be semi root bound, let her do it. If its still warm where it is located fill up that pot 2-times per week if the soil looks dry when you go to water you might do 3 times, but that should do it.
2006-09-16 00:50:54 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ask her how often she waters it and w/ how much water. Do not repot it, as it could get shocky and loose lots of leaves. Ficus can be tempramental.
2006-09-13 14:12:10 · answer #5 · answered by Michelle G 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Have her write down instructions for you so there will be no misunderstanding as to tha care of it. Please check this out
http://www.joellesteele.com/article-39.htm
2006-09-13 14:19:07 · answer #6 · answered by Papa 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buy her an exact duplicate and pray... if it lives, she'll have a coming home gift and if it dies, oh well, problem solved!
2006-09-13 14:15:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
just water it.
2006-09-16 04:17:46 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋