Here’s all you need about Creeping Fig Indoor Care to grow and maintain this beautiful houseplant with heart-shaped leaves in your rooms!
The most popular pick out of the entire Ficus genus is climbing fig. Its thickly leafed vines look great in hanging baskets and it is also a relatively easy plant to maintain. Let’s have a look at Creeping Fig Indoor Care in detail.
Common Name: Climbing fig
Botanical Name: Ficus pumila, Creeping Ficus
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Propagating Creeping Fig
The plant is quite easy to grow from cuttings. Simply snip off 5-8 inches cutting in spring and plant in a quality potting mix after dipping the ends in a rooting hormone. Place the pot where it can get plenty of bright indirect light.
Best Creeping Fig Varieties to Grow Indoors
If you like green leaves then you can go for the regular variety. For variegated and ivy-like leaves, grow ‘Snowflake.’ ‘Curly’ offers slightly ruffled foliage and looks awesome too! ‘Minima’ is a compact variety and looks great in hanging baskets. ‘Quercifolia’ has lobed foliage that resembles oak’s.
Requirements for Growing Creeping Fig
Location
Creeping Fig prefers bright-lit areas where the sunlight does not hit directly. Avoid keeping the plant in a complete shade. A spot where it gets morning sun exposure while getting safe from the harsh afternoon light would be ideal.
Soil
The best part about growing a Creeping Fig is that it can adapt to any soil. All it needs is well-draining soil and it will thrive happily. Just make sure that the pot has drainage holes at the bottom.
Watering
Water the plant in a more frequent manner when it is at the growing stage. Once established, you don’t have to worry too much. Just keep an eye on the topsoil and water when it feels dry to touch. Cut down the watering frequency in winters.
Temperature and Humidity
Hailing straight from the tropics, this plant needs a higher temperature and humidity so that it can thrive indoors. It does best in the temperature range of 55-75 F (12-24 C). As the plant also loves the humidity, getting a humidifier for it will be a great idea!
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Creeping Fig Plant Care
When you care for Creeping Fig indoors, you have to be careful when it comes to a few factors. Even though it’s low maintenance, having a secure list will keep your plant flourishing through all seasons.
Fertilizer
The Creeping Fig does not need a regular dosage of fertilizer. However, you can use an all-purpose, liquid fertilizer, once in 8-10 weeks to boost the growth. Refer to the label for dosage and instructions.
Pests and Diseases
While growing creeping fig indoors, be careful of mealybugs, aphids, and whiteflies. A strong spray of water, along with the use of insecticidal soap, will be enough to take care of them. Thankfully, the plant is not suspectable to diseases.
Pruning
The plant is quite an aggressive grower and may grow up to 10-15 in length! You have to prune it regularly if you are growing it in a hanging basket to keep it looking neat and bushy. Do make sure that you are wearing gloves as the plant produces milky sap that can cause irritation to the skin.
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Is Creeping Fig Toxic to Cats and Dogs?
The plant’s sap can cause drooling, pawing at their face, and diarrhea to cats and dogs if ingested. The best method is to keep it in hanging pots, so it is out of reach from your pets.
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Cool Creeping Fig Topiaries
As it is a climbing/creeping variety, you can make interesting shapes and train the plant to form amazing topiaries! It will look great on tabletops!
