How to care for a Weeping Fig (Ficus Benjamina)
New to houseplants? This guide provides beginners with tips on how to care for a Weeping Fig (Ficus Benjamina) and keep it healthy, including information on pruning, propagating, and pest control. Start taking better care of your weeping fig today!
The Ficus Benjamina, which you might also know as the weeping fig, is an incredible and low-maintenance houseplant. This tree-like houseplant can reach up to 2.5m (8 ft) in height and has two varieties: variegated leaves and (regular) green leaves. The weeping fig's leaves are slender with a glossy finish, and its small white flowers bloom year-long, but they don't smell like anything.
So how do you take care of this amazing-looking plant? That's what we're going to explore in this plant care guide! Disclaimer: I absolutely love this indoor tree, so you won't find me saying a single negative thing about this fantastic houseplant.
These are the topics we're going to cover in this plant care guide:
Let's start learning how to take care of a Ficus Benjamina and keep it healthy in your house throughout the year!
How do you water a Ficus Benjamina?
Watering a houseplant is the most important part of taking care of plants. It can help your plant thrive when you do it perfectly, but it can also kill your plant if you keep it dry for too long or water it too often. Luckily, it's quite easy to water your Ficus Benjamina. Here's how you do it!
The Ficus Benjamina is native to Southeast Asia, where it lives in a tropical environment, so it loves moisture! This lets us know how we can keep your weeping fig happy: it's important to make sure the soil is always moist, but not soggy!
You can do this by planting your Ficus Benjamina in a pot with drainage holes. When you water your Weeping fig, water it until you see water coming out of the pot's drainage holes. When you see the water come out of the drainage holes, let it drain for about 5 minutes. Any excess moisture should have drained from the pot now and you've watered your plant perfectly.
How often do you water a Ficus Benjamina?
Take a break between each watering session and let the top 2-5 cm (1-2 inches) of soil dry out. You can check if the soil is dry by sticking your finger a little into the soil. You'll know the topsoil is dry when it doesn't stick to your finger very easily. When you regularly check the soil and only water it when the top soil is dry, you'll keep your plant happy, because this will help avoid root rot and overwatering.
So you should water your Ficus Benjamina when the soil is dry, but how often is this? On average, you should water your plant once every 7 days in the spring and summer and once every 14 days in the fall and winter. Be sure to always check if the plant should be watered before you water it, otherwise, you risk overwatering it, which will kill the plant.
Can you use tap water for a Ficus Benjamina?
Not sure if tap water is good for your weeping fig? It depends! If you can safely drink your tab water, you can use this water for your Ficus as well. If you can't use tab water, you can still use filtered or distilled water.
Filtering and distilling the water removes harmful elements, like low levels chlorine from the water. This type of water has a neutral pH level which helps promote growth.
If you're concerned about the cost of filtered or distilled water for your plants, I understand! Luckily, there are plenty of affordable ways to filter or cleanse the water without breaking the bank: try a Brita filter or a countertop distiller designed for plants. If those don't work for you: collect rainwater and use that for your plant. It's completely free! Well, besides the rain collection bin of course.
Are you all done with watering your weeping fig? Excellent, let's look at sunlight!
What is the best type of sunlight for a Ficus Benjamina?
The second most important part of keeping your Ficus Benjamina happy and healthy is giving it the right type of sunlight. A weeping fig needs bright, indirect light to thrive. Place your weeping fig near a window that gets some sun but not too much full sun. This will ensure your weeping fig gets the perfect amount of light and won't get scorched by direct sunlight.
If you don't have access to natural light, you can also use artificial lighting like LED grow lights or fluorescent bulbs to give your plant the right type of light it needs.
Does a weeping fig do well in direct sunlight?
Weeping figs are plants that love to live in warm, tropical environments with indirect light, so they don't like to be exposed to direct sunlight. You'll know if your plant is getting too much direct sunlight because its leaves may start to turn yellow or brown and they will become dried out.
However, a weeping fig does need to get some sunlight so that it can do photosynthesis and stay healthy. To keep your weeping fig flourishing, try finding a spot with bright but indirect light - like near a window that has thin curtains or blinds.
How much sunlight does a weeping fig need per day?
Your Ficus Benjamina needs 4-6 hours of bright, indirect sunlight per day to thrive. Placing your weeping fig near a south-facing window (if you live in the northern hemisphere) or a north-facing window (if you live in the southern hemisphere) will give it the perfect amount of light.
To keep your weeping fig looking its best and growing healthy, you should rotate it every 3-4 weeks. That way, all sides will get an even amount of sunlight. This will help ensure that the plant doesn't grow lopsided or in an uneven pattern. Doing this regularly will also encourage strong growth for your weeping fig!
By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your weeping fig is getting just the right amount of sunlight each day!
What is the ideal temperature range for a Weeping Fig?
Since the Ficus Benjamina comes from Southeast Asia, it loves a tropical environment. This means high humidity and warm temperatures. These plants thrive in a consistent temperature range, without too many shifts from cold to warm. The ideal daytime temperatures should be between 18 to 24 degrees Celsius (65 to 75 F). At night, they don't mind slightly cooler temperatures, but you should try to avoid anything below 15 Celsius (60 F) as this can stress the plant.
Humidity levels for a Ficus Benjamina
We've already learned that the Ficus comes from Southeast asia where it thrives in tropical envirnonments, so it shouldn't be a big surprise to learn that this plant like medium to high humidity levels, between 40% and 60%.
These levels are quite normal for most houses, but in case your home is particularly dry, try any of these methods to raise the humidity around your plants:
- Use a humidifier: It's one of the best ways to raise the humidity around your plants, as it works quite quickly.
- Misting: This is a quick, but also cheap way to raise the humidity. Mist your plants every 2-3 days for the best result. You don't want to mist every days, as it could make the air too humid and cause fungi to grow.
- Pebble tray: A pebbel tray is a great method if you want to use a cheap, but low-effort way to increase the humidity. It's a deep tray, filled with pebbles or rocks for your plant to stand on. Add water to the tray and let it slowly evaporate around your plant.
- Grouping plants together: You're probably already placing a few plants close together, but creates a micro-climate around your plants as each plant is slowly releasing moisture into the air while they're photosynthesizing. These plants give each other a more humid environment.
One last thing is to avoid putting your ficus near heating vents, radiators, or air conditioners. The colr or dry air flow dries out the air around your plant, so it'll dry out very quickly. This is even the case if your use any of the methods above, so keep it out of this air flow at all times.
What type of potting soil is best for a weeping fig?
In the section about watering your Ficus Benjamina, we've discovered that the plant loves to be in moist, not wet soil. When you're repotting your Ficus Benjamina, it's important to use soil that helps create the perfect growing environment for your Weeping fig.
You should use a light, well-draining soil mix to help the plant's roots get enough oxygen and prevent them from standing in water for too long. A great mix includes general potting soil, peat moss, and perlite or vermiculite. Make sure the pH levels of your soil are between 6-7 so that the plant can absorb all nutrients!
If you're unsure about how to make sure thje pH levels of your soil are in that ideal range, have a look at How do I measure the pH levels of my houseplant's soil?.
Should I fertilize my Ficus Benjamina?
Your Ficus Benjamina loves plenty of indirect sunlight and warmth, but they don't actually need a lot of fertilizer or extra nutrients to grow. Sometimes fertilizing your ficus is a good idea. Especially if your plant is growing slowly or the leaves look dull, yellowish, or wilted, you might need to fertilize your Ficus.
The easiest fertilizer to use for your houseplant is a liquid fertilizer, as you can control how concentrated the fertilizer is by adding more or less to the water you use to water your plant.
How often should I fertilize a Ficus Benjamina?
When you fertilize your Ficus, it's important not to over-fertilize as this can cause harm to the plant. On average, you should fertilize once per month during spring and summer when the plant is actively growing. During autumn and winter, you shouldn't fertilize your Ficus at all, as it won't grow as quickly and won't use the fertilizer.
When you fertilize your Ficus Benjamina, use a fertilizer made just for houseplants. This will make sure that the plant gets all the nutrients it needs and won't have too much salt in the soil, which can hurt or kill its roots. It's always a good idea to check the specific instructions of your fertilizer, to help you to keep your plant well-fed.
When you fertilize your Weeping fig throughout the growing season, you'll probably see a lot of growth. So much so that you might be wondering if you should or have to prune your plant. Let's find out!
Can I prune my weeping fig?
There are many benefits of pruning a weeping fig (or any houseplant). By pruning your plant, you help to encourage healthy growth by removing dead or diseased branches and leaves. Pruning also has an aesthetic benefit: it keeps your plants in shape, making them look good.
When your Ficus starts to grow more quickly during the growing season, you might want to prune your houseplant to help it not only look great but also stay healthy. When you prune your plant, you should use clean, sharp scissors. The best time to prune your weeping fig is in the late spring or early summer when the weeping fig is actively growing.
After you've pruned a few stems with leaves, you could throw the cuttings away, or you could propagate them and grow new plants! Let's find out how you can propagate the cuttings!
How do I propagate a Ficus Benjamina?
If you want to make your home even more green, try propagating your Ficus Benjamina. This just means cutting off some stems from the existing plant and helping them to grow roots. The best time of the year to propagate your Ficus is during the summer when the plant is actively growing.
To get your cuttings, look for stems with at least two sets of leaves. When you found a few, use sharp scissors or pruning shears to make a clean cut below the bottom set of leaves. Place your cuttings in a pot of moist soil and wait for them to root and get used to their new home before planting them in a bigger pot.
After you've planted the cutting in the moist soil, you should make the environment perfect for the cutting to grow more quickly. You should keep your newly planted stem cuttings under bright indirect light and water only when the soil feels dry to the touch but not dried out completely.
Temperature is also very important during this time. You should keep a consistent temperature between 18-24℃ (65-75℉) while waiting for your new plants to root. The higher temperature and humidity help your plants to grow roots more quickly.
How often should I repot a weeping fig?
The Ficus Benjamina is quite a fast-growing houseplant, so it'll need to be repotted regularly to have enough space to grow and spread its roots. Ideally, Weeping figs should be repotted once every two years.
It's best to check the root ball once per year to make sure it still has space to grow in its current pot. That is the best way to find out if you should repot your plant. However, there are a few other great signs your Ficus Benjamina gives you to show that it should be moved to a larger pot!
A clear sign that your Ficus is rootbound is when the soil starts to dry out quickly. If you find yourself watering your weeping fig more often than usual but not seeing any signs of growth, then the roots of your Ficus have likely taken over the entire pot and they absorb the moisture from the soil more quickly.
By keeping an eye on your weeping fig and making sure it has enough space to grow, you'll ensure that it stays happy and healthy!
How do I repot a weeping fig?
Repotting a weeping fig (Ficus benjamina) is an easy process, so let's have a look at how to do it.
Start by choosing a new pot that is just slightly larger than the current one, ideally 2.5-5cm (1-2 inches) wider in diameter. Make sure the new pot has drainage holes to prevent overwatering. Fill the bottom of the new pot with a light, well-draining potting mix, creating a solid base for the roots.
Remove the plant from the old pot
Next, gently tip the old pot on its side and carefully pull the weeping fig out. If the plant is root-bound, which means the roots are tightly packed and circling the pot, use your fingers or a small trowel to loosen them up gently. Inspect the roots and trim any that appear dead or diseased using clean pruning shears.
Place the plant in the new pot
Position the weeping fig in the center of the new pot. Adjust the height by adding or removing soil from the bottom so that the top of the root ball sits about an inch below the rim of the pot. Fill in around the root ball with more fresh potting mix, pressing it down gently to remove air pockets without compacting it too tightly.
Water the plant thorouhghly
Once the plant is positioned and the pot is filled with soil, water it thoroughly until water drains out of the bottom. This initial watering helps settle the soil around the roots. After repotting, keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. The plant may drop a few leaves, as repotting can stress the plant out, but this is normal and it should recover soon.
Avoid fertilizing the plant for a few weeks after repotting to give the roots time to establish themselves in the new soil.
Does a Ficus Benjamina need any support as it grows?
A Ficus Benjamina generally does not need support as it grows since it's a tree. However, you can use bonsai techniques to shape its stems and guide its growth to make it look like you want.
To train your weeping fig to grow in a specific direction, use bonsai wiring and pruning methods. Select flexible, young branches that can be shaped without snapping in half.
- Wiring: Use a bonsai wire to wrap around the branch you want to train. Start at the base of the branch and wrap the wire at a 45-degree angle. Bend the branch gently into the position you want. Be extra careful: stems snap easily!
- Pruning: Prune back any unwanted growth to encourage the plant to focus its energy on growing the other branches. If you want denser growth, you can pinch back new shoots. This will make the plant grow new branches with more leaves.
You can use these bonsai techniques to make your Ficus look exactly as you want. I'm by no means an expert on bonsai, but it's really fun to experiment with growing your tree-like plants in ways they might naturally grow.
How do I keep the leaves of my Weeping Fig clean?
If you want your Ficus to stay healthy long-term, you'll need to keep its leaves clean. It might sound a little silly, but if dust stays on your plant's leaves for too long, it could cause problems during photosynthesis. To keep your Ficus happy, wipe down its leaves every couple of weeks with a damp cloth or gently rinse them using a shower head. Regular misting also helps to keep the leaves clean for a while.
Help, the leaves are turning yellow or are dropping!
Yellowing or dropping leaves is never a fun experience. You've done a lot of hard work to keep your plant healthy, but something is still wrong. Most often, your plant is stressed in some way, so let's see what could be the cause of these problems!
Yellowing Leaves
Overwatering is the biggest cause of yellowing leaves. You know you're watering too much if the soil is consistently wet, not just moist. If this is the case, reduce how often you water your plant and ensure the pot has good drainage. If the soil isn't wet, but bone dry, it could be that the plant is just very thirsty. A simple fix for this is to bottom-water your plant to help it absorb some extra moisture.
If you're certain that you've been watering your plant correctly, your plant could be stressed because it hasn't gotten enough fertilizer. Your plant is simply hungry. Add some water-soluable fertilizer to the water next time you water your plant and you notice that your plant won't get any more yellow leaves.
Dropping leaves
If your Ficus is dropping leaves, it could be because your Ficus is stressed due to changes in their growing environment. They're very sensitive plants, so sudden changes in light, temperature, or humidity can cause stress.
If you haven't changed anything about its growing environment, perhaps your Ficus is suffering from a pest infestation. Have a close look at your plant to spot any pets and treat them as quickly as possible.
If even pests aren't the problem, perhaps your Ficus is just rootbound! Perhaps you've taken such good care of your plant that it has simply outgrown its current pot. In this case, you can repot your plant and the leaf drop should stop.
Seasonal care for a Ficus Benjamina
Each season is different, so you'll need to adjust your plant care routine depending on the time of year. Let's have a look at the biggest differences in taking care of your Ficus throughout the year.
Spring
When the growing season begins, you should slowly water your ficus a bit more often and also start fertilizing it with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every 4-6 weeks. Prune any dead or weak branches to encourage new growth. Make sure your plant gets plenty of bright, indirect light, and if your Ficus is rootbound, this is the perfect time to repot it.
Summer
In the summer, you should continue to regularly water your ficus to keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Also, feed the plant monthly with a balanced fertilizer. Watch out for pests like spider mites and aphids, and treat them as soon as you spot them. Keep your plant in a well-lit area but away from direct sunlight as that's too harsh during the summer. If your house is quite dry, mist your plant occasionally to increase the humidity levels.
Fall
When summer is over and it's becoming fall, you should slowly reduce watering as the plant's growth slows down. When it gets closer to winter, stop fertilizing the plant to help it get ready for its dormant period.
Since the sun slowly goes away in the fall, move your plant closer to the window to provide bright, indirect light. Also, keep misting or using a humidifier, as central heating and heat vents will dry out the air in your home during this time of year. Most importantly, make sure to keep the plant away from drafts and sudden temperature changes.
Winter
In the winter, you can water your plant even less: around once every 14 days. Allow the top inch of soil to dry out between waterings. Don't fertilize during this time of year as your plant is dormant in the winter. To give your plant some extra light, keep it close the a window or get some grow lights if necessary. Maintain humidity around the plant by misting or using a humidifier, and keep it away from cold drafts and heating vents.
What are common pests that affect Ficus Benjamina?
Like many other houseplants, a Ficus Benjamina also suffers from a few common pests every once in a while. Pests like spider mites, mealybugs, scale insects, and aphids can damage the leaves of a Ficus Benjamina and even stop it from growing properly.
There are a few things you can do to prevent these pests from getting to your plant, like spraying it with an insecticidal soap solution or neem oil. If the pest is already on your plant, you can use insecticidal soap or neem oil to fight the pest. Another great way to fight pests is to get some friendly bugs like ladybugs. These ladybugs love to snack on the pests on your plant and leave your plant itself alone. Check out my guide on pests for more info about how to treat and prevent infestations.
Is the Ficus Benjamina toxic for pets or children?
Unfortunately, Ficus Benjamina is toxic to pets and small children. The plant contains a milky sap that can cause skin irritation when the touch it. If your pets eat any part of the plant, it can cause stomach problems, including vomiting, diarrhea, and drooling. In children, it might cause mild stomach discomfort or irritation.
If you have pets or small children, it's best to place the plant out of their reach to prevent accidental ingestion or contact. If exposure or ingestion occurs, seek medical or veterinary advice promptly.
Conclusion
Taking care of a weeping fig is easy, but there are some important things to keep in mind. Water the weeping fig when the top 2-5 cm (1-2 inches) is dry and place your Ficus in a bright spot, without any direct sunlight.
To help your weeping fig stay healthy and grow strong, make sure to fertilize it during the growing season, prune it when necessary using clean scissors or shears, and propagate new plants by taking stem cuttings from an existing plant. If you notice any pests on your weeping fig, you can use insecticidal soap solution or neem oil to fight them off.
With these simple tips for beginners in mind, anyone can take great care of their weeping fig! Share this plant care guide with your friends and family to help them take care of their houseplants as well!
Thank you for reading this post! I hope it helps you to keep your plants healthy and beautiful! If you're looking for more guides on specific plants, you can always request a plant guide to get a guide for the plant you have trouble with.
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