Ficus are one of the most popular plants used for the arrangement of premises. Now one of the representatives of this genus, the ficus is lyrotic due to its foliage (its peculiar shape makes the flower very interesting) enjoys great attention and popularity in indoor floriculture.
Description
Ficus lyre is so named because of the shape of the leaves, which resemble a lyre or a violin, so the people call it - ficus treble. This feature of the plant made it popular for growing at home, in offices and public spaces.
It belongs to the mulberry family and grows in tropical Africa. At home, it reaches a height of 30 meters. 
Characteristics of ficus lyre:
- an evergreen plant growing indoors no more than 2.5 meters;
- trunk straight, rough, light gray, weakly branched;
- leaves are large, reaching a length of up to 45 centimeters, leathery saturated green color with shine, the edge is slightly wavy. In the middle, the leaf is pulled together and has light streaks, which resembles a musical instrument with strings;
- leaves grow on small petioles and spirally on the stem;
- in the wild, on plants grow round fruits, small in size, green;
- The plant loves a lot of light and moisture, reacts to temperature fluctuations.
Common varieties of ficus lyre:
- "Columnaris" - tall columnar flower, used in public areas and winter gardens;
Did you know? Ficus is a very ancient plant. The sarcophagi found in the tombs of ancient Egypt were made of ficus.
- "Little Fiddle" - a plant of medium height, popular in offices;
Learn more about growing ficus mikrokarpa, Benjamin and rubber-nosing ficus.
- "Bambino" - A low flower with a small crown and small leaves, used for home cultivation.
Growing conditions
Lyric ficus is in demand for home gardening thanks to its unusual leaves. But he is capricious: from factors unfavorable to it, the ficus sheds leaves and because of this its decorative effect is lost.
Therefore, the flower needs a comfortable, close to natural, conditions for growth, which depend on:
- correct temperature for its content;
- room humidity;
- lighting;
- soil.
Did you know? In the literature, you can find facts feeding plants with milk. Ficus height of 20 centimeters in the spring during the active growth during the month was poured twice with raw milk. Its consumption was 100 grams at a time and by the fall they received a flower of a meter height.Consider each factor separately.
Temperature
Since the flower is a tropical resident, the temperature for its cultivation should vary:
- in the summer - from 20 to 25 degrees;
- in winter - from 15 to 20 degrees.
The ficus doesn’t relate to rapid temperature changes - a red-brown spotting appears on the foliage. The soil in the pot also should not be supercool.
In winter, if the flower is on the window sill, you need to put a stand under the pot, and wrap the pot with something. When airing the room you need to make sure that the ficus was not in a draft.
We share the secrets of successful home cultivation of plants such as ruellium, strawberry tree, achimenez, aspidistra, calla, crocuses, lithops and kohleria.
Important! Winter temperature should not be below + 12 degrees. If the room is cold, watering should be kept to a minimum. In the dry state, the flower can withstand a temperature drop of up to +10 degrees, but only for a short time.
Air humidity
Violin Ficus requires increased humidity in the room, and you can create it using:
- humidifier;
- wiping with a damp sponge leaves;
- regular spraying of the plant;
- periodic showers, especially in the summer;
- installation near the pot of the tank with water.
Pots with plants must be placed further from the central heating radiators.
Lighting
The flower from the tropics is very light-requiring, therefore the room where the ficus grows should have good natural lighting without direct sunlight falling on the plant. Well suited room with windows facing west or east. 
On the north side, the plant will suffer from a lack of lighting, and in the south, sunlight burns the leaves. In winter, the daylight can be extended by using the plant lighting.
The soil
Ficus loves fertile land with a neutral environment. Ready soil for a plant can be bought or prepared by yourself.
The soil should consist of:
- sod land - 1 part;
- leafy ground - 1 part;
- River sand or perlite - 0.5 parts with the addition of charcoal.
Before use, the prepared soil must be ignited to destroy the pathogenic bacteria.
Important! Milky juice (milk), which is released on the cut of the stems, on contact with the skin causes its irritation.
Care
Ficus lyre comfortably feels at home, if all care activities are observed and properly performed. These include:
- watering;
- top dressing;
- transfer;
- pruning.
Consider these steps in stages.
Watering
Flowers die from improper watering. The number of waterings depends on the state of the soil in the flowerpot, the ambient temperature and humidity of the room where the flower grows.
The earth must have time to dry before a new irrigation. In the heat, this procedure should be carried out several times a week, giving the water a good soak earthy. In winter, the frequency of irrigation is reduced to once every 7 days.
Water should be at room temperature and must be separated. Excess water from the pan must be removed and wiped the bottom of the pot and pan with a rag.
Top dressing
The plant develops quickly, therefore, for a good appearance, it needs nutritional supplements in which microelements are present:
- nitrogen - for good growth and rich color of foliage. The most popular fertilizer is urea, used once a season in spring;
- phosphorus - for the development of plant roots. Superphosphate is widely used;
- Potassium is necessary for maintaining water balance and immunity in pest control. The most common fertilizer is wood ash. Diluted in hot water and infused for 7 days. 0.5 liters of boiling water requires a tablespoon of ash.
Recipe fertilizer that can be prepared at home:
- ammonium nitrate - 5 grams;
- superphosphate - 0.5 grams;
- potassium salt - 0.1 grams.
All components dissolve in a liter of liquid. Top dressing is carried out during watering in the period of active growth 2 times a month.It is convenient to use complex mineral fertilizers, which can be purchased in specialized stores, both liquid and granulated (long-acting), such as "Rainbow", "Bona Forte", biohumus.
Pruning
Because of its rapid growth, ficus must be cut to form a lush and beautiful bush. Shoots are cut to 1 centimeter above the leaves, which contributes to the germination of new shoots and, consequently, the formation of a beautiful plant crown.
Transfer
The ficus, due to its strong growth, needs to be periodically transplanted into more spacious containers. The first few years, this procedure should be carried out annually in spring. 
After 4 years, you can replant after a few years, and you can determine the need for this by the roots that begin to crawl through the holes in the bottom of the pot, which serve to drain excess moisture. A new pot should be larger than the old one by several fingers in width and height.
Transplantation is performed carefully without damaging the earthen coma, for this the plant must be watered. Hollows fill with new soil.
At the bottom of the pot when planting, it is necessary to put a drainage layer on 1/3 of the volume, and fill the soil on top with a layer of river sand.
Did you know? To the leaves shine well and have a rich color, they need to be wiped with water with the addition of ordinary mayonnaise. Half a glass of liquid - a teaspoon of the product.
Breeding
Ficus lyre can be propagated in several ways:
- seeds. It is used very rarely, since it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature of + 25 degrees, and seedlings appear after 2-3 months;
- cuttings. In the spring from a healthy flower, cuttings are cut to a length of no more than 15 centimeters with two pairs of leaves. The juice released from the stem, well washed and dried for a couple of hours.
Then the cuttings immersed in a container of water. To accelerate the emergence of roots in the water add root, and the sheets on the handle is cut in half. A plant jar is covered with a plastic bag to create a greenhouse and after 30 days the first roots appear.
Also cuttings can be planted in the prepared substrate. The soil should be light, loose and well absorb moisture. You can buy ready-made primer in the store, and you can prepare the mixture itself consisting of sand and perlite in equal parts (coconut chips will do for perlite). It creates a greenhouse with a temperature of + 25 degrees. It is necessary to monitor the humidity of the earthy coma, not to allow it to dry out, but also not to overflow, and also to remove the film for airing;
- air layouts. Choose a young shoot without bark, always with a top for growth and two sheets. Below the leaves are removed in length, approximately equal to 10 centimeters. In the middle of this area with a sterile knife an incision is made on the stem so that milk appears.
It is thoroughly washed with boiled water, and the incision is spread with any root growth stimulant. Then this place is wrapped in pre-moistened moss and on top of it with plastic wrap. When the roots grow enough to feed the future plant, the shoot is freed from polyethylene and moss, cut just below the roots and planted in a prepared pot.
Important! In order to germinate the cuttings, it is necessary to add activated charcoal to the water, which will disinfect it and will not allow the cutting to rot.
Diseases and pests
Diseases of ficus arise from improper care:
- leaves turn yellow and fall down - low humidity in the room. Spray the leaves or wipe with a damp cloth, put a wet towel on the radiator;
- leaves become small and fall off - lack of nutrition. Feed fertilizer under the root and on the sheet, as well as check the size of the pot - the roots may not have enough space.
Ficus pests are:
- spider mite To combat it, you can use a decoction of cyclamen roots. To wipe the affected areas several times every 5 days, you can apply ready-made preparations, such as "Vertimek", "Mavrik" and others;
- orange aphid Dies well from decoction of tobacco with the addition of soap. The procedure is carried out every week until the aphids die;
- mealybug. The leaves, where this pest is seen, must be wiped with cotton pads soaked in alcohol, and then make a flower a shower and wipe the leaves well;
- schitovka. Adult insects are removed only by hand, and the larvae can be destroyed by spraying fungicides.
Plants affected by pests need to be isolated so that the infection does not go to other flowers.If you decide to start this tropical miracle at home, adhering to all the rules for his care can be grown elegant handsome. It is only necessary to remember that the ficus is lyroid - a flower is a loner, the neighborhood with other flowers gives him discomfort.
