Ficus lyrata problem
keltic_pickle
15 years ago
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keltic_pickle
15 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
15 years agoRelated Discussions
ficus lyrata brown spots, root problem
Comments (14)Pure, cold-pressed neem oil is best because it contains the most azadirachtin, the ingredient from which the most value comes. Dyna-Gro is what I use. To 1 pint of very hot water in a 1 qt hand spritzer, add a teaspoon of neem oil and several drops of Murphy's or Castille soap. Shake well and add a pint of 70% rubbing alcohol. Spritz the entire plant thoroughly until dripping. Make sure you cover all surfaces, nooks, crannies. Apply out of sun & keep out of sun for 24 hrs. Repeat at 2 week intervals until the infestation is resolved. Al...See MoreFicus Lyrata problem
Comments (2)Someone might be able to help you if you post on the house plant forum...See MoreFicus Lyrata Re-Repot into Al’s gritty mix???
Comments (13)Hi Al, I’ve finally had the opportunity to reply with an update and wanted to thank you again for taking the time to share your knowledge and help explain the process and reasoning behind choosing a particular growing medium. I am always fascinated by the science of things and am looking forward to my ficus lyrata breathing easier. July 31 was repot day. I gathered all of my 1.1.1 gritty mix supplies, screened & rinsed the turface mvp & manna-pro poultry grit, & proceeded to make a huge mess trying to coax the zoo med repti-bark into smaller pieces using a 3-cup ninja food processor - - neither a quick nor easy endeavor. Some pieces did get smaller but not enough to justify the amount of dust that landed all over my kitchen, so the size of my bark is what it is. I want to stress that a dust mask is imperative for anyone attempting this, especially indoors, and also to note that I did not see any discernible difference in bark size between the larger (24 qt) & smaller (4 qt) bags (see picts below) Next I bare rooted what I thought was 1 plant and discovered that I have 2 separate plants - - and I did wind up doing some minimal root pruning after rinsing off all the existing soil. After drilling additional drainage holes all the way through the bottom of the attached saucer, I repotted both plants back into the same original glazed pot as I did not have the opportunity to get an all clay pot, nor did I have a 2nd pot available to repot separately so they will continue to be bosom buddies, at least until next year. In the hopes of lessening the weight of the pot and more importantly, the perched water table, I placed 4 small empty plastic water bottles at the bottom of the pot and added a cotton string wick through the main center drainage hole to help keep a check on moisture levels. One other thing to note is when I originally posted on July 25, there was no visible growth activity - the brown pod (for lack of a better word) felt dry, crispy & empty, but to my surprise, right after the repot, I noticed that there was in deed some growth activity taking place. I only hope I did not jeopardize the emergence of new baby leaves with this root running & repot! As luck would have it, I have to go out of town for 2 weeks and need to leave explicit instructions for my boyfriend who will be caring for my plants while I am away so I do have a few questions: ~ How long should I keep the plant in the shade or is it ok to keep it in bright light but with NO direct sun? Right now it is behind a UV solar blind and sheer linen curtain which creates a shady environment. ~ When can I introduce it back into some direct sunlight? ~ Should I water everyday until the roots acclimate & re-establish themselves in the gritty mix? What is the best watering schedule for now? ~ When would I start adding foliage pro 9-3-6 to the mix & should it be the production or maintenance amount? Many thanks to Al and all the other forum members for all the advice. I will update once I am back from my trip with any changes - - hopefully they are all positive ones. **having trouble positing picts so will try to add in separate post...See MoreFicus Lyrata problem
Comments (4)People are fond of saying that ficus are finicky about changes in their environment, but my experience is that they respond negatively to cultural conditions that are moving more toward the disadvantageous much more than conditions that are improving. According to you, should I drill a hole in the pot to perform your technique to flush the accumulation of salt? It's very difficult to keep a plant happy if there isn't a drain hole in the pot. You can do it if you use R/O or distilled water and are very stingy with the fertilizer, but it's generally a situation that leads to steady decline. I check with the stick, and it came out slightly damp but not brown. Wait until the day it first comes out clean and dry to water. Secondly, I live in Quebec and winter temperatures are often below -15, so heating the room probably affects the humidity of the plant. Heating a given volume of air decreases relative humidity of air surrounding the plant. Is it possible that this is one of the causes of his condition? Yes, a contributing cause. A humidifier could help? Yes Also, how much water should I add to the plant when the soil is dry? I added 750ml but is that enough? Ideally, you would add enough to saturate the soil and have at least 15-20% of the total volume of water applied exiting the soil through the drain. If your soil won't allow you to do this w/o need to worry about prolonged periods of saturation, you'll need to develop a different strategy that involves watering in smaller volumes and flushing the soil at regular intervals - maybe every 4th or 5th time you water. .... should I wait until spring as I read in several places before using fertilizer for my plant? How you should fertilize is so closely linked with how you water that no one can offer meaningful advice w/o knowing something about your watering habits. I fertilize outdoor plants weekly when temps allow. Indoor plants are fertilized every time I water at low concentrations during the winter. If I had to start watering in small sips, I'd be forced to radically change my preferences. IOW - tell me how you're going to water and I'll tell you why it's good to follow plan X for your application. Sorry for tardy reply. Lots going on at work that has been demanding a lot of my spare time. Al...See Morekeltic_pickle
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15 years agojeannie7
15 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
15 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)