Every home gardener knows the struggle of growing plants of different species inside their homes. To be successful at this, one should know about each of the individual species of plants that they’ve decided to grow.
They should be aware of things like the appearance of the plant and its leaves, the color of its flowers, whether or not it is a house-friendly plant and what region of the world It originates from. This last question is of special importance.
This is because a plant’s specific needs will largely depend on what region of the world it is naturally found in.
Plants are adapted to the environments that they belong to, and therefore, If they are made to grow in environments that they’re not accustomed to, they risk having their growth stunted or dying away. Luckily for you, we’re here to save you the trouble of conducting this extensive research.
This article is for you if you own a Ficus Shivereana (or are considering buying one) and want to learn how to care for this plant.
Here we will outline the steps you need to follow to ensure optimal growth and learn how you can successfully propagate this plant in your home garden.
Ficus Shivereana And Its Important Characteristics
A good way to start the discussion of an individual plant’s care is to first get acquainted with the plant itself and to learn about its most distinct characteristics. In the lines that follow, we will briefly introduce the ficus shivereana plant.
This “rubber” plant grows into a small attractive little tree that can easily fit indoors and take your garden’s aesthetics to the next level.
The plant has broad, glossy leaves that are oval in shape and have sharp tips. The younger leaves are pinkish brown in color, whereas the older leaves mature into a darker shade of green.
The ficus shivereana is also commonly known as the Indian rubber plant, Indian rubber fig or the Indian rubber tree. It is named such because of the fact that its barrel comprises 15% rubber.
The plant is naturally found in the Himalayas all the way to Malaysia. In nature, these plants grow to a height of up to 30- 40 meters. Also, these plants are known to be mildly toxic but don’t fret.
You have nothing to worry about. The ficus shivereana plants are considered generally safe to be planted inside homes.
Ficus Shivereana Top Caring Tips
Now that we’ve acquainted ourselves with the ficus shivereana lets us consider the different things you need to be mindful of while caring for this plant.
Water
Proper watering is one of the most important aspects of taking care of a plant. It can make the difference between a plant growing up to health or slowly dying away.
For optimal growth, we recommend that you water your ficus shivereana about once (or maybe even twice) a week. These plants thrive when kept steadily moist (not soaked).
You must water your ficus shivereana each time it starts drying because these plants suffer from dryness. Another way to find out whether your plant needs water is to check the moisture level of the soil a couple of inches deep that surrounds the plant.
If you detect moisture, you may hold off on watering your plant for a couple of days. If not, water your plant immediately.
Soil
The optimal soil conditions for this plant are as follows:
The ficus shivereana grows best when kept in well-drained/ aerated soil. To make a suitable mix of soil, we recommend you take 1 portion peat, 1 portion of pine bark and 1 portion of perlite.
It is also recommended that you repot your plant during the summer season (around May to June) once the roots have been established.
Temperature
Temperature is yet another key aspect of a plant’s care/ growth. For your ficus shivereana, the recommended temperature range for optimal growth is 15 – 20 degrees Celsius.
Make sure you avoid temperatures below 12 degrees Celsius at all costs, or your plant might die. If, during winters, the temperature in your region falls below this level, you are strongly advised to invest in fluorescent lights, which can help artificially increase the temperature.
Cleaning
You should make it a practice to clean your plant’s leaves every two weeks (or as required). The ficus shivereana will thank you for it. Simply take a soft cloth and gently wipe your plant’s leaves with a little bit of water. Your plant’s glossy dust-free look will surely be worth the effort.
Sunlight
It is important for your ficus shivereana to receive ample amounts of bright sunlight. However, you should be careful not to place it directly under a blazing sun.
Doing so can burn out your plant’s leaves and cause its death. For safe measures, keep it under a shade where it can receive bright indirect sunlight or somewhere it can get filtered sunlight.
Pruning
Once your Ficus Shivereana has properly established itself, you may prune it from time to time. Trim its top or any unwanted branches off to keep its shape and size tamed according to your requirements.
It is recommended that you prune your plant during spring or summer. Make sure, though, that you don’t prune it too much, too often, as this can harm your plant’s growth.
The Correct Way To Propagate Your Ficus Shivereana
Generally, the propagation for this plant is very tricky and might take a few attempts before you’re successfully able to propagate a Ficus Shivereana plant inside your home. Still, getting it right in your first attempt is not a distant possibility. Just carefully follow the steps we’ve outlined below.
Take a 6-7-inch-long stem cutting of an existing ficus shivereana plant and allow it to dry for about 70 minutes. Next, pot your cutting soil and make use of a rooting hormone to stimulate the growth of roots.
During this time, you provide your pot with some heat (ideally 21-24 degrees Celsius). Your ficus shivereana should grow out in no time.
Key pointers
The ficus shivereana is an excellent houseplant known for having a lot of rubber in its barrel. The plant is fairly easy to care for and will thrive at moderately warm temperatures where it receives sufficient watering, indirect sunlight and well-draining, nutritious soil.
Propagating the ficus shivereana can be tricky at first, but through the stem cutting method outlined above, you should be able to manage a successful propagation in no time.