Creeping fig or Ficus pumila is a fairly known plant around the world. It grows in abundance in nature and can climb in any given area. Trees, houses, rocks, you name it.
One of the great things about creeping figs is it gives a rustic and vivid look to any wall. It doesn’t damage the wall in any way but hangs on to them with its glue-like substance.
This is why people like them to decorate their outer buildings, sometimes inside the home with creeping figs.
Although it climbs the walls by itself, there are some things you need to consider before letting it grow on your wall. As they stick themselves with glue-like substances, they are bound to fall off if they grow at a certain height on a vertical wall.
That is why you need to know how to get creeping fig to attach to the wall before you do anything.
How to Get Creeping Fig to Attach to Wall Using Eye Hooks and Wire (Step By Step)
Here are the steps you should go through if you are planning on decorating a wall inside or outside your home. It might seem easy, but to let the plant thrive you need to do some things for it.
Step 1: Choose the Wall
Creeping figs are very self-content. They can climb and thrive on anything. Be it concrete, rock, metal, or wood. But they bring damage to metal or wood by not letting air pass through them. So if you are thinking of painting it over any wooden cabin or metal container home, it’s a huge no. But a concrete or rock wall will be perfect. Remember to seal any holes or cracks on the walls before you plant them. As they can go through any small cracks, they will cause the wall to fall apart in time.
Step 2: Sunlight with Intervals
Creeping fig is a tropical plant. They thrive in intervals of sunlight under the tree shades. Direct sunlight will burn their leaves and they will turn yellow. So choose a wall that has open-air and sunlight intervals throughout the day.
Step 3: Planting the Creeping Fig
Any nursery will have a creeping fig plant. Depending on the structure you want it to climb, plant it on a bigger pot. Otherwise, it won’t be able to grow to its potential. So before letting it climb your wall, plant it on a bigger pot and then go with the wall growing part.
Step 4: Attaching Wires and Eye Hooks to the Wall
Although the plant has a glue-like substance that helps it stick to the wall, you need to help it keep its strength over the wall and not fall off. As they tend to be heavy when they are bigger in size and cover a good amount of surface, a little wire structure will help them a lot. Drill some holes in the wall. Depending on how big the wall is, placing a wire after a 2 to 3 feet interval would be nice. Then place an eye hook on the holes and attach the wires to them.
This way the plant will not only stick to the walls but also build a strong structure with the wires and they won’t fall off accidentally.
Step 5: Occasional Trimming and Care
Creeping fig is a very fast-growing and creepy crawler. Hence the name. You should always pay attention to its vine’s directions and placement. Without notice, it might take over a window frame and destroy it. Also, it might go in the pipelines and cause a blockage. Inside growing plants also might to inside the electrical lines and cause a house fire. To prevent all of these from happening, occasional trimming is necessary.
And it doesn’t require much in terms of special fertilizer or soil mix. A regular mix of fertilizer soil will do fine. Watering it occasionally, especially in the summer season is suggested.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long does it take a creeping fig to cover a wall?
It takes about 2 to 3 years for a creeping fig plant to cover a wall.
How much does a creeping fig grow in a year?
A creeping fig grows up to a foot long and 2 inches high in a year.
How often should I water my creeping fig plant?
You should water every week in the summer and spring. In the winter it will depend on the soil’s moisture. Because too much water will kill the plant.
Will my creeping fig have flowers?
Although it belongs to the fig family, it rarely blooms. And also no fruit.
Will creeping fig grow in winter?
Yes. They keep on growing no matter what the season is.
Conclusion
It is not a hard job growing a creeping fig plant. The hard part is maintaining it. Checking its leaves and vinyl occasionally is suggested. Because they tend to go through any tiny cracks and start to infest them. Also, they can go inside the water pipes and clog them.
So make sure you trim them from time to time and don’t let them near your window frame. If you are growing a creeping fig inside your home, make sure the vinyl doesn’t go inside an electric socket. It might start a fire. Or worse, go inside your walls and start cracking them.
