General Care

• Ficus trees can be planted indoors in a container or outdoors as a hedge in USDA zones 9b, 10a, 10b or 11. When planting indoors, plant it in a pot that is large enough for the roots with several additional inches to allow for growth. Place a layer of pebbles or gravel in the bottom of the pot before adding soil.
  
  You can place the ficus tree in different lighting levels but watch it carefully. Initial leaf loss is normal when the tree is acclimating to new surroundings, but if it continues or if leaves turn yellow, change the lighting environment. If it is in a very dark area, you should move it to a brighter area. If it is in full sun, move it to a spot with less light.
  
  Ficus trees do not require a large amount of water but check it for moisture periodically. If the soil is dry to the touch, water the plant enough to make the soil damp several inches down. Fertilize the tree once a month using a slow-release fertilizer or a general liquid fertilizer that is reduced with water to half strength.
  
  

Propagation

• Ficus trees can be easily propagated from cuttings. Take cuttings from a larger growth of the plant and remove all but the top few leaves. Cut a small slit in to the bottom tip of the cutting, and pack the slit with rooting hormone. Insert the cutting into soil or coarse sand that has been well watered and given time to thoroughly drain. To ensure proper humidity, tent the cutting by covering the container with plastic wrap or any type of clear plastic container. Cuttings can also be placed in the same pots as the parent plant, but use caution to ensure it is removed before the roots of both plants become entangled with each other.
  Roots generally appear in 6 to 8 weeks, and you can then cut off any dead or fading sections of the original cutting to allow the root system to concentrate on growing new healthy sprouts.