Use a loupe if you have one, or magnifying glass to ck the plant carefully for mites. If no evidence of mites is found, I think it's almost certainly the results of oedema.

Al

Thank you I will get onto it.

Appreciate your help :)

so when I saw a 2 foot tall one (in the pot) I grabbed it.

==>>>

how long ago was the transport???

how many leaves are affected ...

did you significantly change its sunlight... e.g bought from a shade house.. and put it in full sun???

how about a pic of the whole... you say its only an a few leaves... perhaps just removing those leaves is good enough???

ken

It's not a light change issue (the picture doesn't suggest the plant is in the process of shedding the leaf) or excessive photo exposure (no evidence of sunscald), and removing affected leaves would likely be counter-productive in terms of the plant's current ability to manufacture its food.

Al

Hi Al, Ken,

Ok so here is the plant in all its glory. The top leaf is the leaf in question, I think that due to the way the plant was so hidden away at the nursery (shoved under other plants really) I think oedema is probably what's caused the spots there... maybe a combination of too much water- they do water it by sprinkler system everyday at the nursery where it was- and also no air flow cause it was packed very close to the others and that maybe contributed?

No change in sunlight etc. and when you say transport do you mean driving it from the nursery home? I treated it very nice.

Thanks for the feedback!

Do you think looking at this shot it is ok?

Also maybe milk/water as a nice way to clean leaves?

Best regards Sarah

Sarah

Is that a plastic bag? Is it planted in it? Sorry, from the photo I can't tell. Rina

Hi Rina, no sorry it's just in a standard plastic pot but it's been wrapped in brown paper around the sides of the pot.

Thanks :) Sarah

It actually looks pretty darn nice, other than the pesky spots. So no mites, I take it?

If it doesn't toss anything else your way that you feel you need to do something about, I'd switch myself over to 'patient' mode & concentrate on getting out of its way so it can do its thing. Get it outdoors in open or dappled shade if temps allow. You could repot it into a soil you're SURE you can water enough to flush the soil whenever you want to and not worry that a prolonged period of soggy soil will kill roots or unnecessarily hamper their function, and fertilize often while its growing robustly.

Of the things you mentioned, milk/water would be the combo I'd worry about least.

Best luck!

Al

Hi Al!

I know this is an old thread but I hope you see it. I got a ficus lyrata about 5 days ago for my birthday. The new growth on it is splotchy! At first I thought it was edema but when I went to visit the nursery that I bought it from again, the leaves on their ficus lyatas looked the same! I'll attach close ups of the new leaves. Sorry the lighting is horrible. It's morning and they're drinking up the sun haha.

I'm afraid that they're mites because I know that mites tend to feed on newer leaves because they're thinner.

Also, can I remove these? They seem to be from where the leaves have grown.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Christine

Leaves that develop and emerge under conditions of low humidity often stick to themselves while they are still tightly furled. This causes them to tear when they unfurl. That type of mechanical injury can't be repaired by grower or plant. The little brown spots are also common in young foliage and usually go away as the leaf matures.

The dried up 'thing' you're pointing to is a remnant of the leaf sheath common to all species of ficus. You can remove it if you wish, w/o any need to worry about harming the plant. Don't tear it off, though. use a small pr of scissors to trim it off tight to the trunk/branch.

Sorry for the tardy reply - been super busy these past months ..... can't get here as often as I'd like to.

Al

Thank you SO much Al! Everytime I get a new plant, I research hoe to care for it with your responses haha. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your expertise and passion. Do you recommend me mist the plant to increase humidity? I have two dogs who have thick coats so I don't want to subject them to high humidity. I know that people say that misting doesn't do much but the main reason I'm hesitant to mist my ficus is because it's large leaves tend to accumulate large water droplets which creates large indents in the leaves.

Christine

Thanks again, Christine. It's always nice to hear someone finds value in your offerings.

Misting is actually more likely to be harmful than helpful, except in cases where it's being used to combat the proliferation of mite populations. As a way to increase RH in air surrounding the plant, it's useless, practically speaking. The effects of misting last on average about 10 minutes, and that's being very generous. If it's only effectual for 10 minutes, that means it's ineffectual for the remaining 1,430 minutes in each day. Also, leaves of the Ficus genus are rich in the cuticular waxes that are very efficient at reducing water loss.

If you need to raise humidity, humidity trays and misting are both ineffective. I placed a hygrometer in the foliage of a small ficus bonsai and set the planting on a humidity tray filled with water and pebbles (peastone). An hour later, RH as measured by the hygrometer was only .4% (4/10 of %) higher than the air in the rest of the room. By no stretch can that be said to be effective. To raise relative humidity, group plants together (still only marginally effective), or best - invest in a humidifier appropriate for the room size. If you are misting to keep mites in check, mist Ficus with 1 part of 70% rubbing alcohol mixed with 1-2 parts of water, and deionized water won't mark leaves, Sources of deionized water include distilled water, water from reverse osmosis filtration systems, and condensate from air conditioners or dehumidifiers. For the most part, rain and snowmelt will be very low in dissolved solids and are also good choices.

Al

My ficus has these same little spots that I am pretty positive are from over watering. I inherited it 3 years ago from a house it was in for 17 years. I'm not sure the lifespan of a fiddle leaf, but this one has been through hell and back and I finally have it sprouting new leaves again. It was in a house that was smoked in heavily and I had to clean tar residue off of its leaves. My problem is that it was neglected for a while and is super leggy. It dropped nearly all its leaves when I moved it to my house (I knew nothing about how to care for it) and then lost more when I repotted it a couple months ago. It has several tall thin stems and few leaves on top. It isn't the prettiest thing, but it has sentimental value. Is there anyway to get it to grow leaves farther down the stem, or do they only grow from the top?

Do check out the 'fiddle leaf fog training/pruning' thread that's right above this one, because there's a TON of pruning advice in there that specifically deals with pruning FLFs to do exactly what you want!

Spots from over-watering aren't usually tiny in size. They show up on plants as necrotic areas on leaf tips or margins, or as wet areas inside of leaf margins that soon turn brown/corky.

Leggy trees with sparse foliage are almost always caused by low light or a decrease in light, and/or low fertility (in the case of sparse foliage) - particularly deficiencies of any of the mobile nutrients, and/or root congestion (sparse foliage, again).

Is there anyway to get it to grow leaves farther down the stem, or do they only grow from the top? Your tree is genetically programmed to be apically dominant. That means its tendency is toward additive instead of multiplicative growth, that is to say branches and the central stem/trunk tends to continue to extend and grow longer, rather than to produce a lot of lateral growth along the branches. In order to stimulate the tree to produce lateral growth, you need to prune or elevate the tree's level of vitality to something close to what it would be where the tree naturally occurs. For potted plants, a combination of judicious pruning and high vitality to increase fullness is always the best path, short of chemical stimulation..

Al

Al,

what's your recommendation for soil mix on a fiddle leaf? Your gritty mix or the other? I think I have some water issues in my potted fiddle leafs and was thinking about switching to your gritty mix. Its just very different than what Ive been using (MG mixes).

robert

Hi!

I am so glad to have found this place and the comments above have been very useful.

I bought this ficus and a bunch of other plants two months ago after moving to a new place. As I remember, there were no spots on it then. Then, after a few weeks there were only a few spots on the newest leave on the top (picture 1), but now there are some spots on practically every leave and also on the ones on the bottom of the plant.

Could they be spots from over watering? Or maybe not enough sunlight? I have to say it hurts to see it like this. It used to be beautiful and in full shape and I would like to get it to be happy again. Any tips?

Thanks in advance!

Hi, Robert. Sorry for tardy reply. My business has been demanding almost all of what would have been my leisure time in years past. I hardly get an opportunity to get to the forums any more. I have around 200 trees in pots, 30 or more of which are various species of Ficus and all of which are in the gritty mix. The 5:1:1 mix, when made with pine bark well suited to being a part of the mix, works far better than >95% of the commercially prepared mixes you'll find available, and the gritty mix, made/adjusted to suit your growing conditions works much better than the 5:1:1 mix. How you go about deciding what course you'd like to take depends on how you arrange priorities. I CAN say that as a bonsai practitioner, I literally NEED a soil like the gritty mix because of the shallow pots many of my trees are in. A soil that holds 2 or more inches of perched water in a pot that's 2" deep just won't do; and after tending/refining a plant for 20 years or more, only to lose it to root rot or a root health related problem is something of a heartache I'd prefer to avoid if I can.

Lea - really sorry about the spoiled foliage. It's definitely not from too little sun, though though there's no way to tell from the image whether or not it's getting all the sun it needs. Have you sprayed it with anything since acquiring it?

If you've been watering while you can still see or detect moisture in the soil with a finger, you very likely have been over-watering; and, the likelihood of over-watering being at blame rises in direct relationship with how water-retentive the soil you're using is. There are other potentialities that could cause spoiled foliage that looks like that, but the odds highly favor over-watering. It doesn't look like oedema, BTW.

For the most part, you'll gain the most traction during the uphill phase of the learning curve by making sure your plant is in a soil which minimally manifests the fact that you can water to beyond the saturation point w/o the plant being punished for the act of watering correctly. Most plant failures that can't be classified as a sudden collapse involve substrate issues that cause poor root health/inhibited root function. Once you have a plant in a soil you don't have to battle perpetually for control of your plant's health, growing suddenly and very conspicuously becomes much easier and more rewarding.

You might find this overview helpful.

Al

Hi Al, I have similar issues with my FLF leaves. You helped me last year with saving my plant (my nickname was Planning Department), and I thought since then I had it under control - the issue was related to watering methods. But after a year, recently I noticed my plant has a lot of brown dots and black specks on its top leaves. I read most of Houzz discussions, especially your comments, about FLF brown spots to diagnose the issue myself. I think it's related to fungus but not sure. Could you please review the photos I attached here and help me with this? I moved to a new apt 4 months ago so now my plant gets more light (mostly indirect). I water it every 3-4 weeks - I poke my fingers about 1-2 inches to ensure the soil is dry. I mist it with water spray maybe once a week or less. I am now thinking the water left on the leaves from misting caused this brown spot problem. As shown in the photos, the bottom leaves look okay. The top leaves have brown spots near the stems. The stems have some white stuff (might have been residual from tap water?). Initially I thought brown spots were due to the shock from the recent move. The plant didn't lose many leaves though. I just hope the brown spots do not spread anymore. I am wondering if I need to cut out these infected leaves or spray with insecticidal soap. I am also thinking I will need to prune it and prune its roots around November. Do you think I am underwatering it? Any advice? I am so glad you are still active on Houzz. I know you are busy with your business so any quick reply would be super appreciated. Thank you so much in advance.

Hi Tapla / Everyone,

What a great and resourceful forum this is - it's a treasure trove of botanical information! I should have paid more attention in botany class years ago. argh...

So...I recently purchased my second ficus lyrata (don't ask what happened with the first one) and it arrived with very small black dots under some of the leaves. They don't appear to be pests/bugs, more like small paint splotches that are easy to pick off without damaging the leave (see attached). I spent a good 15 mins inspecting the tree and removing all the dots and will keep my eyes peeled in case any new ones crop up.

The plant appears very healthy with a thick trunk and several fairly dominant branches. Compared to my previous tree, the leaves are much more green, veiny and thicker. Any idea what those dots are? I was advised to spray the crotches weekly with 100% rubbing alcohol to prevent disease since the fig will be indoors all winter (in Chicago but will be in NE sun with 10" windows) but have saved Tapla's alcohol pest control solutions down just in case - and noted that you recommend a 50% solution, not 100%.

Also, as you can see the tree is almost becoming a bit gangly and although I like the look of it I'm considering to prune or pare back in a month or two after ensuring it acclimates to its new environs as I don't want to introduce more stress on it (see pics below). I would like it to become fuller while also maintaining the current height give or take a couple inches as otherwise would be too difficult to move around to maintain/give it a bath. I have also noticed that the leaves appear to be reaching upward rather than outward (you can see more of the underside of the leaves than the face)...is that just due to the light coming from above in a greenhouse and the plant reaching up to it whereas in my place the light will come from an angle and less from above so perhaps the leaves will drop a bit?

I've read on other threads that best time to repot is mid summer (July 1ish) after energy reserves are built back up and that pruning back or notching (are these the same?) should be done in the winter when it's in a dormant state? So should I wait until Dec which gives me a few mos to research pruning methods in the meantime?

Looking forward to being enlightened by your expertise :)

SYH0000 , I am no ficus or plant expert for that matter but it could be that the added vapor on the leaves coupled with the plant being indoors with HVAC unit could have resulted in some sort of fungal issue? I was advised by the vendor who sold me a couple ficus to periodically spray the leaves with an alcohol solution to prevent cottony build up which tends to crop up in couped up houses where there is little airflow.

3-4 weeks watering doesn't sound like enough based on the plant & pot size but not sure what kind of mix/soil medium you have in there...the leaves are crusty and droopy and look malnourished?

The light situation (I wouldn't think an increase in indirect light would scorch the leaves) sounds like it would be favorable in your new place (again, based on my novice opinion)...just a thought. Also, how as your tree been faring since mid-July?

wannerce, I think you have scale, which is a little insect that forms a hard shell and sucks on the leaves. Insects that feed like this trend to prefer young leaves. As you probably noticed from photos of sick lyratas, overwatering usually affects the oldest leaves first and causes larger areas of brown dead tissue, mostly along the margins of the leaf, but your easily removable spots don't match that at all.

I recommend picking off all the scale you can find on the stem and all leaf surfaces, and then spraying it thoroughly. The alcohol won't damage the leaves and evaporates before it gets into the soil, so it's a great way to get rid of this sort of bug without using anything nasty. If they come back you may have to resort to a systemic insecticide, but hopefully that won't happen.

July is the best time to prune ficuses (in the northern hemisphere), because that's when the increased light will give provide energy to respond with new growth, but between that and the weakened state of your plant, pruning now is unlikely to cause much, if any, branching or new growth, and might weaken the plant further. Basically, the plant needs to keep every viable leaf that's a net producer of energy to repair the damage and store energy to get through the winter, so this isn't the right time to add more stress.

I don't have any lyratas (I'm a benjamina girl), but my understanding is that upright leaves indicate that the plant has grown with plenty of light. Any ficus will do best with as much light falling on its leaves as you can provide. Put it right in front of a south or southwest facing window with nothing but glass between it and the sun, and move it outside in direct sunlight in summer (after acclimating it to direct light) if you really want it to look it's best.

Litterbuggy, Thanks for your suggestions. I removed all visible scale and am inspecting the tree every few days. I also sprayed the leaves/crotches with 70% isopropyl alcohol last week and plan to do weekly (...or is that overkill and should i saturate or lightly coat?)

As for watering, assuming i have a fast draining mix and water only when the bottom portion of the soil comes up dry should i saturate the soil / do a thorough watering (not small sips) until i see drainage from the bottom of the pot? Any idea if that will lead to overwatering (from one session) or is that something that occurs more when repeated watering before the bottom of the soil is dry?

Thanks again for your feedback!

Wannerce,

I'm so glad you posted this. i have the exact same scale-like things on mine. My tree seeks healthy otherwise. Did you spray the alcohol straight? Or mix with water? Also did you rinse after ? Or left the alcohol spray on ?

The standard advice is to make a 50/50 mix of 70% alcohol and water; I'm sorry if I said otherwise, but one round of full strength alcohol shouldn't damage the leaves. Don't let the mixture soak the soil, because alcohol is probably bad for roots.

No need to rinse. I use filtered water, and the alcohol makes it dry quickly and leaves no residue.

I forget--what mix are you using? It doesn't matter, really, because except in some particularly awful situations, you should always water until 10-15% of the pot's volume exits the bottom of the pot. My 5:1:1 holds very little water and the bark absorbs water very slowly, so I actually repeat the watering a few times to get as much moisture in there as I can. I've got some plants that are still in water-retentive soils that get hydrophobic if I let them get really dry, so I so the same thing with them, repeating the watering until I'm sure the whole pot gets wet.

My lazy exception is when I realize the plants need water just before I have to go somewhere for a while on a hot day, in which case I give the more sensitive or pot bound ones (I'm looking at you, ficuses!) a few sips to tide them over until I get back.

Wannerce, you're right, your tree must have been grown in good overhead light to have all those upright leaves. Now with your light coming in more from the side your leaves will want a different angle, to present as much flat surface of the leaf to the sun as possible, like a solar panel.

Your new leaves will grow in with an optimal angle, and some of the youngish leaves may move a bit to be like that, but I've found older more mature leaves a bit too set to change their orientation. Best thing to prevent a lopsided look developing is to rotate the pot a quarter turn every 1-2 weeks or so.

Otherwise you can end up with the back leaves bolt upright and the front leaves (ie. closest to the light) flat down, bit like a dog one ear up one down. Or bad bed head ;)

Summertime is best for pruning too. For now concentrate on getting rid of those pests and getting its care down pat so you can get through winter healthy, grow strongly in spring and be in the best possible state to respond to repotting and pruning in summer. Beautiful tree, BTW.

Hello Everyone. After looking around on the internet, I thought I would try and post my problems with my fig tree here. I just noticed these dark spots on new leaf growth on my tree. It has been growing strong all summer, without any problems. I did find some mites a few months back on another plant (in my living room, so I am wondering if they have transferred). I could only find a small area of webbing with light spots on the underside of one leaf on my fig tree (please see picture below). I could not find this on any other leaves. Can anyone please help identify the problem and possible solutions? Thank you very much for the help!

HELP!! I purchased my fiddle leaf 2 months ago and it was doing great until this month. I don't know what is happening to it and would like some answers and how I can help it recover!

Plants don't "heal" in the same manner that animals do, so you're stuck with the spoiled foliage that is very probably the result of a hand too heavy on the watering can. These plants aren't difficult to keep healthy if you adhere to some very basic care instructions that pivot on maintaining the root system in good health + appropriate light, temps, and nutrition.

In chronological order, I would:

1) Get control of your watering. Buy a 5/16" x 48" wood dowel rod (hardware), cut it in half, sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener, and used that as a 'tell' by inserting it deep into the soil, then removing it. If the tip is wet, don't water until the first day it comes out almost completely dry.

2) The next time your plant actually needs water, first saturate the soil, then flush the soil thoroughly by pouring a volume of room temp water equal to at least 10x the volume of the pot the plant is in slowly through the soil. Immediately fertilize with an appropriate fertilizer at the recommended (full) dosage.

3) Get the plant outdoors next spring as soon as temps allow and fertilize at luxury levels once it's outdoors.

4) Around the summer solstice, repot into a soil that allows you to water to beyond the point of total saturation w/o your having to worry about the soil remaining soggy for so long it impacts root health/function.

This is a just a basic and very broad outline to see how much interest you have in making the effort to significantly increase the rewards you get for your efforts at growing. It's purposely broad in the hope you'll be moved to ask questions about anything you don't understand or would like to know more about.

Al

I’ve done a lot of reading on several forums here and have a few questions. I recently acquired a fiddle leaf and it seems to be unhealthy. From what I’ve read I need to repot in the gritty mix come summer. I do not know what soil it is currently in but it stays rather saturated and I’m afriad of it rotting before I am able to transplant. Is there anything I can do to help with this issue to get it to a healthy state to repot down the road? What is the best way to water given the soil I have to work with that doesn’t drain well? I’m not sure what’s causing the spotting on the underside of the leaves either? I am very new to houseplants but am eager to learn and am hopeful to attain more plants in the future. Help is appreciated!

"Eager to learn", to regular contributors, is like the bell to Pavlov's dogs.

It looks like the majority of the spoiled foliage is due to mechanical injury (sort of like bruises that resulted from rough handling in transport to point of sale or at POS, wind, cat, kids, .....). From the image, I can't tell if what's manifest on the underside of the leaf is insect-related or the result of oedema. Oedema is a common physiological disorder that occurs when the plant's internal water pressure (turgidity) becomes so high it ruptures cells - just like blowing up a balloon until it bursts. The area where oedema occurs first becomes wet, and eventually takes on a corky appearance as the plant forms callus tissue at the site of the injury. Any of a number of conditions that limit transpiration can act individually or in concert to cause the disorder. In most cases, changing watering habits so you're watering when the plant ACTUALLY needs it is all it takes to remedy the issue. Try using the wooden dowel method of checking moisture levels, and withhold water until the dowel comes out dry, or nearly so, after having been inserted deep into the soil, as in all the way to the bottom of the pot.

I use the gritty mix, and in my estimation, it produces healthier plants than anything I've grown in ...... and I've been tinkering with soils; but, that doesn't mean you can't use other soils to produce healthy plants. There are good, bad, very good, and very bad soils, with additional grades on both ends of the scale that might be called virtually unusable or excellent. I suggest that what delineates between good and bad soils is whether or not you can water them to beyond the saturation point w/o need for concern that the soil will remain soggy for so long it negatively affects root function/ health. You don't want to be in a constant battle with your soil for control of your plant's vitality (health).

Let's say you have a grab-and-go soil you bought off of a big box store shelf and a panel of experienced growers voted it 'poor', because of excess water retention. There 'tricks' you can use that employ some very simple science to eliminate the reason the soil was voted poor. IOW, you can take a soil that many experienced growers would consider to be too water-retentive to use, and fix the water retention issue - even w/o modifying the soil. While the excess water retention would almost certainly be the soil's most serious flaw, lower aeration and compaction are usually partners with excess water retention, and those issues are pretty hard to fix after the planting is established. In view of the above, it's easy to see why simply choosing a soil that has little or no excess water retention and is well aerated and resistant to compaction is the best path. Making sure you are using a soil that meets the 'good' standard I outlined makes other aspects of care much simpler and more effective as well, especially fertilizing. If you can't water correctly, there is almost no way to whether or not your fertilizing regimen is effective, and more than likely, it's not.

Since you're concerned about the soil you're now using and suspect it retains too much water, you can read this, about Dealing with Water-Retentive Soils. You'll see that you can reduce excess water in a pot by simply tilting it, by using a wick, by using ballast, or by holding those pots small enough over the sink and moving them up and down to drain excess water. Ask questions. Information about growing is like a jigsaw puzzle. You first assemble the framework by gaining an understanding of WHY good basic practices are just that, and how to implement those practices most effectively. Once you have the framework in place, it's MUCH easier to complete the rest of the puzzle. I think any growers greatest assets are wanting to learn, and enthusiasm.

My turn to talk has ended. Your turn now.

Al

I've read through the advice above and it doesn't look like the same challenge I'm facing with my plant.

I've had this plant for years and it's been so healthy and happy that I cut it back and rooted two other plants from it. Now the plat has these small brown dots on its new growth. There are also some small white dots on the stem of the leaf. Any ideas about what it may be and how to treat it? It's only affecting the top of the plant.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Eleanor

How do the roots look on that one?

The roots look fine...

You can't see the roots through the pot.

Hi, I’m wondering if anybody might know what is the cause of little brown dots on a new leaf?

Expression of the purple pigment (anthocyanin) in juvenile F lyrata leaves is common, and symptoms include areas of purple, brown, or red in various patterns and densities. Since this doesn't happen in ALL F lyrata plants, and it seems random and unaffected by seasonal timing, we need to look to a cultural influence as causal. Compacted or saturated soils, and root congestion limit uptake of both P and Mg. P speaks to how efficient the chlorophyll molecules (chlorophyll is a green pigment) CAN be, and Mg is central (literally) to the chlorophyll molecule's existence. To shorten things, when Mg or P are in short supply, sunlight interacting with chlorophyll and other light-harvesting molecules can produce free radicals of oxygen (the same O-negative radical that causes H2O2 [hydrogen peroxide] to attack organic molecules and bleach your hair) and other damaging oxidants. In their own defense, plants respond by producing anthocyanins (purple pigment) as a form of sunscreen to protect against photo-oxidation (sunburn). Non-green pigments like anthocyanin block absorption of light, so they also act as a curb on photosynthetic capacity. As the leaf matures and the mesophyll layer immediately under the top leaf skin thickens, the purple pigment becomes masked by chlorophyll and the spots "go away".

Al

Hello Everyone,

I have to say this post was the most helpful resource I found online for Fiddle Leaf plants.

I have 2 problems with my plant one is small brown dots on random leaves (some old and some new). Is this related to infection or bugs? I’m really worried!

the other odd problem is white spots that looks like powder. I wipe the leaves every week to protect it from dust but these white spots keep coming back. does anyone know what they are?

I appreciate the help!

I’m so glad I found this thread! im a science nerd but have to work really hard at gardening- I don’t think I was born with a green thumb. Anyhow, I’ve had my fiddle leaf for about 3 years, and it had a great growing year last year but this year something is off. It got “stumped” over the summer when it usually grows and didn’t push a single leaf out for about two months. I moved it to a brighter spot, kept watering it once a week and eventually a pair of leafs came out. But they were uniquely “double wrapped”. I know my FLF, and it never does that. Each of the two leaves was wrapped in two protective layers, instead of the one. The leaves have grown large in the last couple of weeks, but they have a lot of small brown spots, particularly noticeable on the underside all around the veins, and the spots have been there since the baby leaf came out. I’ve also noticed that the new growth of stem is different too. Almost “blistery” looking. I’m afraid it’s got a fungal or bacterial infection And that it will spread from top down. Ive included pictures and any help would be appreciated. Thanks guys!

Look at post above by Al (tapla) on anthocyanin in juvenile leaves and P and Mg. Your plant looks very thirsty to me. When mine are first watered the leaves stand right up, and even when I think they were not droopy I notice a difference. I am learning to “read” them. use the sharpened dowel or cheap wooden chopstick method to test soil moisture. It’s summer here now so I’ll probably shower them once a fortnight and let them drain right through and use a liquid fertiliser. I think 3-1-2 was recommended. I sprinkle epsom salts on the soil and I think this helps the new growth issue. We switch between rain and tap water. Recently on tap water because of a drought and no rain in tanks Maybe that is an issue. The one at left is the poorer one. I have aquired 7 clearance ones and injured orphans from a florist that chops them for arrangments. D: the one at right was a pruned clearance rescue and left was my first purchase from Bunnings. It seems a dwarf leaf?

I’m thinking of notching the right one!

Help please! What could these brown spots be due to? This plant has been a labor of love and I need to know the cause to treat. Any advice is so greatly appreciated!!

Lasweet - you should avoid using elemental nutrient supplements or compounds (like Epsom salts) because you read somewhere that they can stimulate a plant to do ____ (fill in the blank). In any case where you're providing a plant something it doesn't need, or an excess of something it does need, the potential is much greater for it to be limiting than a benefit to the plant. I realize that's a broad statement, but I note your post is a couple of months old. If you're still around and want to qualify what I said so you can understand my reasoning, I'd be happy to do that.

Al

Tapla, I was concerned the plant had spider mites because I saw a couple of tiny spider like insects crawling on it. I read about using neem oil to control infestation and sprayed the plant thoroughly with the oil. The majority of the black sporting developed shortly after I used the neem oil. The soil was definitely oversaturated when I checked it so I moved it to a sunnier location and held back on watering. The soil has dried out somewhat but the foliage is still heavily spotted. Could the neem oil have contributed to the dark spots?? I appreciate any help with this as I love this plant and have really tried to provide it with proper care but feel like I have perhaps done irreparable damage. FAIL!! if anyone has had a similiar experience with using neem oil I appreciate any advice you could offer!! Thank you!

I don't think neem oil itself would cause those symptoms, but if the product has other insecticides in it, or it's a product with neem oil dissolved in a vehicle, and your plant is sensitive to the vehicle or the insecticide, that would be high on the suspect list. A vehicle is something that is used to deliver something else. Linseed oil might be a vehicle for some types of paints or stains, and water is the vehicle for water colors. Neem oil often gets blamed for damage that would rightly be blamed on the vehicle it's in.

Did you mix your own neem oil? what kind did you use and did you use any detergents or household cleaners?

I hesitated to say it was oedema because it doesn't usually appear that speckled over large areas.

I can guide you to lots of basic help if that's what you're looking for. As long as you think you're getting value from the time you spend reading and your enthusiasm holds, I can keep pitching links your way. A good place to start.

Al

Would anyone be so kind as to help me??? - what are these little brown ”speckles” on my FLF tree?

I admit, I was anxious to love it and care for it, so I watered it when it probably didn’t need it... I checked the soil one week later and it still felt very moist. I have piled tinfoil under the planter (that has drainage holes) so it’s not a drainage problem. I poked holes to airrate the soil to help it breathe... hoping that helps dry it out. I just want to make sure I stay on top of it incase I’m missing something. So I can do what needs to be done (if this is something to worry about - I’m worried) before it’s too late to help the little guy.

The larger holes/damage in the small leaf you're holding look like mechanical injury - what would be akin to a bruise to a human. The spots on the underside of the leaf are oedema. I've written about that & I'll leave something about it at the end of my post. Usually the driving cause behind its occurrence is over-watering, but there are several cultural contributes that can also cause or exacerbate the malady. Using a "tell" to tell you when it's time to water will help you determine what moisture conditions are deeper in the pot. I'll also leave something about that, below. If you have interest, there are some other things that can help alleviate the impact of excess water, which causes a dearth of air in the soil, which causes limited root function and poor root health. Just ask if you have interest. FWIW, I'd guess that over-watering is directly or indirectly responsible for the overwhelming % of requests for help on all fora with strong connections to container growing.

Oedema

Oedema is a physiological disorder that can affect
all plants. It occurs when the plant takes up more water than it can
rid itself of via the process of transpiration. The word itself means
'swelling', which is usually the first symptom, and comes in the form
of pale blisters or water-filled bumps on foliage. Under a variety of
circumstances/cultural conditions, a plant's internal water pressure
(turgidity) can become so high that some leaf cells rupture and leak
their contents into inter-cellular spaces in leaf tissue, creating
wet or weepy areas. Symptoms vary by plant, but as the malady
progresses, areas of the leaf turn yellow, brown, brown with reddish
overtones or even black, with older damage appearing as corky/ scaly/
ridged patches, or wart/gall-like bumpy growth. Symptoms are seen
more frequently in plants that are fleshy, are usually more
pronounced on the underside of leaves, and older/lower leaves are
more likely to be affected than younger/upper leaves.

Oedema is most common in houseplants during the
winter/early spring months, is driven primarily by excessive water
retention in the soil, and can be intensified via several additional
cultural influences. Cool temperatures, high humidity levels, low
light conditions, or partial defoliation can individually or
collectively act to intensify the problem, as can anything else that
slows transpiration. Nutritional deficiencies of Ca and Mg are also
known contributors to the malady.

Some things that can help you prevent oedema:

* Increase light levels and temperature

* Monitor water needs carefully – avoid
over-watering. I'd heartily recommend a soil with drainage so sharp
(fast) that when you to water to beyond the saturation point you
needn't worry about prolonged periods of soil saturation wrecking
root health/function. Your soil choice should be a key that unlocks
the solutions to many potential problems.

* Avoid misting or getting water on foliage. It
slows transpiration and increases turgidity.

* Water as soon as you get up in the AM. When
stomata close in preparation for the dark cycle, turgidity builds. If
you water early in the day, it gives the plant an opportunity to
remove (for its own needs) some of the excess water in the soil.

* Put a fan in the room or otherwise increase air flow/circulation.
Avoid over-crowding your plants.

Using a 'tell'

Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most
common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small
effort. Plants make and store their own energy source –
photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to
drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use
oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that
terrestrial plants need air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root
function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough
air to support good root health, which is a prerequisite to a healthy
plant. Watering in small sips leads to a build-up of dissolved solids
(salts) in the soil, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water –
so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma.
It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be
to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to
beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of
accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant
being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to
prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a
course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we
water a very important factor.

In many cases, we can judge whether or not a
planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true
if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't
work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay,
or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one
hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water.

Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok
for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or
more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several
inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen
in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and
cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential.
Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they
measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a
cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'.

One of the most reliable methods of checking a
planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo
skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm)
would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can
usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a
pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the
diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep
into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the
plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until
you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom.
Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for
moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out
dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval
between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue.

Al

Al,

Thank you, these are the family since last photo. Its been very warm here near Toowoomba. The foremost pot has several stems and I hope just braiding or bunching the trunks will provide a bushy tree ? The taller is nearing or is ready for notching, what do you think.

I’m using osmocote granules for pot plants. I’d prefer a liquid i think, but they seem to be fine. I’m doing top up watering with a full water through fortnightly. Unless its really hot.

the epsom salts happens when the new leaves get twisted and fall off, which means I’ve already done something wrong. They have done well since last post.

Hi there,
I’m new to gardening and so glad to find this forum. I’ve had a 1.5m Ficus Lyrata for 3 weeks and it’s been fine until two days ago when I noticed some white fungus at the soil with an unpleasant smell. After some research I scrapped the fungus away and moved the plant to next to my balcony when it could have better ventilation.
I made a huge mistake that I forgot to close my glass door and day curtain to filter the West sun from the balcony before leaving to work. It was a sunny day yesterday and I would expect sunburn to my leaves. But it wasn’t a big problem when I only saw one leaf dropped when I got home. The worst part was, numerous leaves have edema in a very serious condition, mostly at the underside of the leaves. The dots are widespread. I couldn’t believe the leaves would be able to develop this symptom within just 8 hours. And what’s strange to me was that some of the unaffected leaves are quite wet on the top surface. I’m so sad to see those leaves in this condition. And the new location didn’t resolve the white fungus so I moved it back to the original location of 5m away from the balcony. I live in Singapore so there’s plenty of sunlight and I have a full 3m wide glass door at balcony.
I thought of overwatering but the fact is I’ve only watered twice. First time was when I just bought it from a nursery after it was repotted 3 weeks ago and the second time was 1 week ago. I killed a pachira by overwatering before so I’ve learnt that lesson. By the way I spray neem oil once a week to prevent the insects and bugs and I did it last week.
Any advice what I should do to stop the edema? I’m afraid it’s continuing to spread. What does the direct sun have to do with the edema? Did the sun heat up the plant and the leaves would overreact by sucking too much water and ended up bursting the cells?
And the cotton fungus, what can I do about it? Some photos are below. Forgive me for the orientation. i have no idea why it gets rotated and distorted after uploading.
I’m quite stressed now looking at the plant.
Thanks a ton.
Hiep

I think I found out the culprit.. It’s the neem oil left over on the leaves that caused the edema. I made another mistake of doing heavy spray without drying the leaves with a cloth after spraying and now the situation is worse. Many other leaves have also started having these spots. And the spots are located where the oil seems to have run at the underside of the leaves like water streaking mark, especially at the lowest part of the leaves where the oil is accumulated and drips. You can tell from the photos. I also upload the type of neem oil mix I used. Now I need to open all doors to create airflow hoping to dry the leaves and the soil as much as possible.
Reading too much and not the right info could be harmful. Learnt my lesson.