Repotting Ficus benjamini - How To Do It Right

Repotting Ficus benjamini - How To Do It Right

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Since a Ficus benjamina is repotted at intervals of 3 to 4 years, this maintenance measure means a high level of stress for the exotic green plant. By choosing a date between the end of wintering and the start of the new growing season, you can effectively prevent a transplant shock.

also read

  • Which location would a Ficus Benjamini want?
  • Pulling Ficus Benjamini from an offshoot - this is how it works
  • Ficus benjamini is losing green leaves - what to do?

Step-by-step instructions - repotting a weeping fig made easy

Do not choose the new bucket too big. Between the root ball and the edge of the pot there should be no more than 2 fingers' breadth of space so that the weeping fig continues to develop bushy and compact. As a substrate we recommend a potted plant soil with coconut fibers as a peat substitute. Inorganic additives such as perlite (€ 32.90 at Amazon *) or lava granules (€ 10.95 at Amazon *) optimize permeability. How to skillfully repot the plant:

  • Run a flat knife between the substrate and the edge of the pot to loosen the root ball
  • Grasp the weeping fig by the root neck and pull it out of the bucket
  • Shake off or rinse off the old substrate
  • In the new bucket on the floor, lay a 2-3 cm layer of expanded clay (€ 17.50 on Amazon *) as drainage
  • Cover the drainage with an air and water-permeable fleece to protect it from clogging

Fill in a first layer of the substrate over the fleece. Measure the height so that the weeping fig is about 2 cm below the edge of the pot at the end. Water the plant thoroughly. Let the room-warm, lime-free water run onto the fresh soil until the coaster fills. Pour this out after 10 minutes so that no waterlogging can form. After 6 weeks at the earliest, fertilize the repotted Ficus benjamina for the first time.

Tips

If your Ficus benjamina loses its green leaves, waterlogging is one of the most common causes. This emergency overrides the usual appointment recommendation. Repot the suffering weeping fig immediately according to these instructions, because every day in waterlogged earth is one day too many.