The right fertilizer offers your birch fig a rich nutrient buffet. As an evergreen houseplant, your exotic Benjamini cannot do without it at any time of the year if you do not want it to starve and lose its leaves. If you want to do it professionally, pay particular attention to the fluctuating nutrient requirements when caring for it. This guide explains the details.
How should you fertilize a Ficus Benjamini?
To properly fertilize a Ficus Benjamini, add liquid fertilizer for green plants to the irrigation water every 2 weeks from March to September and every 6 weeks from October to February. Special fertilizer is recommended for hydroponics.
Fertilize in a balanced way in summer and winter
If the wintering went smoothly, your birch fig will start the new growing season in March/April. After slow growth over the winter, it is now taking off. By fertilizing your Benjamini at the following intervals, you can skilfully accommodate this vegetation cycle:
- Fertilize every 6 weeks from October to February
- Fertilize every 2 weeks from March to September
- Add a liquid fertilizer (€8.00 on Amazon) for green plants to the irrigation water
- Alternatively, add fertilizer sticks to the substrate in March, June, September and December
- Wate with clear water before and after each fertilizer application
The optimal dosage of a liquid fertilizer is delicate. There are numerous green plant fertilizers on the market in different concentrations. For the sake of caution, we recommend starting with half the dose. If deficiency symptoms occur, you can easily re-fertilize. However, an overdose can rarely be reversed.
It is better to use special fertilizer in hydroponics
The extent to which classic green plant fertilizer is suitable for hydroplants is controversially discussed among hobby gardeners. If you care for your birch fig in water culture, we recommend using a special fertilizer. These preparations guarantee the best water solubility, so that the nutrients of your Benjamini are available exactly when needed.
Fertilizing Benjamin as a bonsai – this is what you need to pay attention to
Have you fallen under the magic of a birch fig as a bonsai? Then please keep in mind that the nutrients are used up more quickly in the limited substrate volume. Therefore, administer liquid bonsai fertilizer every week from March to September. To ensure that the valuable nutrients are processed perfectly, water with soft water before and after.
Tip
If you grow a new birch fig from cuttings, no fertilizer is used during cultivation. In poor soil, the cuttings will put a lot more effort into growing their roots. Only when a strong root system has developed does the nutrient supply begin according to these instructions.
