Ficus care?

[chap]

I want to purchase a small ficus and golden pothos for my female veiled soon. I saw a couple ficus's at home depot and I made sure they were the 'ficus bejamina' I did see some pothos too. What I am seeking help for is if there is any extra care that I need to do for these plants. I know that I have to replant them, I mean that is the number one thing, but do I have to get a special light for the plants and do I have to individually wash the leaves? Any extra info would really help. Thanks!

 

[JlaPinska]

besides repotting you can use a 50/50 white vinegar and water spray. put it in your tub and spray the crap out of it. let it drip dry and stick it right in. if you have more time to prepare the plants before you have to put them in, i would do an extra rinse with 50/50 dish detergent and water, it will run any bugs off if there are any.

good luck with a ficus. they like to die :/

as for the pothos they are so easy to take care of i now have the equivalent of 10 of them in my cage along with some umbrellas

 

[Carlton]

What I am seeking help for is if there is any extra care that I need to do for these plants. I know that I have to replant them, I mean that is the number one thing, but do I have to get a special light for the plants? Any extra info would really help. Thanks!

Ficus can be fussy. They often drop their leaves after being moved to a new location, but then re-grow them. Ficus will want bright light, a well drained pot (make sure the soil doesn't sit saturated from all the cage misting you will be doing), not close enough to the basking bulb so it gets burned. Feed the plants a liquid plant food periodically just as you would other houseplants. Your full spectrum UVB lighting should be fine for the plants. The Arcadia lights are better for plants, but the classic ReptiSun 5.0 will work OK too. Ficus tend to drop the leaves that don't get enough light...such as in the lower areas of the cage. Adding an ordinary lightbulb along the side of the cage to keep the light level up will help keep it bushier.

 

[Tyzoone]

I don't know for sure if it's true but a lady at the nursery told me that ficus doesn't like to be directly near any other plants and will drop it's leaves in that area if so. So if you see this happening maybe test the theory? I'd go with Carltons advice before my own however ha!

 

[mvad]

I have pothos and ficus in my enclosure. I'm fortunate to have the cage in front of a sunny window and both get plenty of light. I also have 2 dual tropic blaze fixtures with two 6500k bulbs and a plant pro bulb. My plants are doing well. After adding my ficus to the enclosure it dropped 50% of its leaves. After a few months it's almost back to full glory. Good luck

 

[ridgebax1]

Ficus are notoriously finicky. They do NOT like being moved. They will drop their leaves until they are dead. The best care for a ficus IMO is to leave it in the store and get a schefflera. They are much hardier plants. I will never get another ficus.