FWIW: Ficus triangularis - aka natalensis (natal fig)

This is really a difficult question to answer w/o knowing what the soil the plant arrives in is like. The first consideration is what presents the least risk to the plant. Now is a poor time to repot Ficus - especially in more northern climes; but, if there is a chance you'll lose the plant because of the soil, you definitely should repot. If the soil is acceptable, you should wait for better light conditions & the part of the growth cycle immediately (a month or so) before the most robust growth. It would be helpful to know where you live (to judge light conditions).

It sounds like perhaps you've been following the soil discussion thread, by your familiarity with some of the ingredients I use regularly? I grow all Ficus in an equal mix of Turface, granite grit, and pine or fir bark, with a little lime thrown in the mix. They LOVE this soil and I have no trouble keeping all my plants content - even in winter. I prolly have 35+ Ficus of 7+ species. I think you can safely omit the peat and other 'organic matter' and end up with a better soil for it.

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Brick hard soil is either due to calcification of old organic matter in root balls of plants that have not been root-pruned and properly repotted, or compaction of fine ingredients in an inappropriate soil. Mixes high in sand/peat or those that contain significant volumes of garden/top soil often compact horribly and cause multiple problems for various reasons.

As far as siting the plant. Full sun is best, but if the draft is chilly - if the (draft) temperature there registers below 50*, it will present problems for the plant. Varying degrees of defoliation would be likely, and extended compromise of the plant's ability to carry on efficient photosynthesis should be expected. The temperature of the drafts should be the decision maker for you. Drafts aren't bad unless they're sudden & cold.

If you wish, contact me off forum - I have a suggestion I'd like to make.

Al

I JUST posted this on another thread, but it really applies here as well, & is along the same lines as what Karen was saying about soils allowed to go very dry being difficult to rewet (hydrophobic). There isn't necessarily a correlation between soils that are high in peat content (actually, high in organic content is prolly more accurate) and this rock-hard condition being discussed, though.

First, I'll talk a little about wettability. Generally, soils with high organic content exhibit hydrophobic tendencies (they get difficult to rewet and repel water) when their moisture content drops below about 30%. This is the result of (primarily) iron and magnesium-containing molecules bonding to soil particulate surfaces after exposure to O2 and H2O, making it more difficult for the water molecules to be adsorbed to particle surfaces and to be absorbed into the organic particle (peat and bark) proper. (it won't soak in or stick to the peat and bark) Once sufficient wetting has occurred to allow the metal molecules to go back into solution, the particles become more easily wettable again.

To see how to help compensate for this physical condition - from another thread:

There IS a way to water that is is most effective - that allows you to maintain a favorable level of nutrients, while still allowing you to flush accumulating salts from fertilizers and irrigation water from the soil. Not all of us can adopt this method because it is time consuming, but if you have only a few plants (or don't mind doting on the ones you have), ;o) you might consider:
Slowly & evenly apply water to the soil surface until the soil is almost saturated, but no water appears yet at the drain hole (after a time or two, you'll learn approximately how much water you should use to achieve this initial level of saturation). Wait 5-10 minutes for accumulated salts to dissolve into the water you just applied. Water again, so that approximately 10-15% of the total amount of water applied in both waterings exits the drain hole. This flushes a large % of accumulated salts from the container." This allows the offending molecules to go into suspension & makes the soil easily wettable, so the soil is thoroughly wetted on the second watering and offending accumulating metal salts are flushed from soils.

I should also mention that there are certain microorganisms that also can affect wettability, but they usually show up on the very top surface as a noticeable crust.

So, this addresses only the tendency of primarily the organic component of soils to become reluctant to absorb water after reaching a certain level of dryness. Compaction is an entirely different thing, though it can, and often does join hands with hydrophobic soils to make our lives miserable.

Compaction is caused by a breakdown in soil particle size, or by using inappropriate ingredients in soil. Sand, peat, garden soil, compost, will all eventually compact in containers and rob soils of aeration. As the organic particles become smaller, watering from above has the same effect as if you were to take a fluffy box of popped corn and vibrate it. Eventually, it will compact to about half it's original volume. When it compacts and reduces its volume by half, it must push half the air it once held from the box. Soils are the same.

As the water flows around the smaller & smaller particles, it causes them to nest tightly against one another & become tightly interwoven (compacted), which causes the hardness being discussed. Fresh soil particles are larger & they resist this compaction.

This is a good illustration of why soils comprised of a mix of larger particles of mineral and organic materials that resist breakdown will hold up longer & resist the problems of compaction and difficulty in rewetting that are so common in bagged soils.

Al

A lot of good advise above, but the question arises, is the first plant sitll alive? If so, I'd soak the soil for about half an hour in warm not too hot water. Peat seems to absorb warm water better than cold or room temp water, then take the hose and spray off all the peat from the roots. Then repot in one of the soil mixes above or any other peat-less soil. Water lightly, just enough to settle the soil, and put it in a warm bright spot and leave it alone for about a week, then water as usual. New growth should happen soon if the plant survived. Do not let the plant dry out completey any more.

This is not guaranteed to work, but the plant has a better chance of survival if you do.

Thank you all for great advice. The other plant is in fact dead. All the the small branches and buds dried up. Should I do this to clean the roots for the new one? I am afraid it is going to be a challenge to get all the peat (I think) off of it, otherwise.

It might be a good idea to go ahead and remove the peat upon arival, plant it back into the same size pot as before and not transplant it until spring, even if it is root bound. It may loose some leaves from shock, but it will have a better chance of survival without the brick.

I'm not sure how you're thinking of cleaning the roots, but my technique is to soak the brick mix plant's rootball in a basin of water & as it gradually wets I remove the mix w/ my fingers. It can take a long time to re-wet.

I once had this w/ an Xmas cactus given me as gift, I didn't check the mix & a month later I had solid brick, plant couldn't drink. I ended up slicing off all the mix w/ a serrated bread knife, an inch at a time until I could get close enough to the still living roots & re-wet them & then change to new mix.

I wouldn't attempt anything w/ the brick dry, only well soaked.

I bare-root and repot 150-200 plants each year. Excellent tools for removing stubborn soil, are the 'Dramm Fogg-it' hose nozzles. They shoot a high pressure, but low volume stream of water that's easy to direct into root nooks & crannies, blasting stubborn soil loose w/o damaging roots. The 1/2 or 1 gallon per minute models both work great & the finer spray is also very handy for watering seeds or other applications where a very fine mist is required.

Does anyone know the difference between a nook & a cranny w/o looking it up? ;o)

Al

Al, Thanks so much for the link, I really need something like this to de-root those peat filled C&S from Altmans.

PS. A nook is an alcove, a cranny is a crack or crevice.

Alright, so it has been quite a few months since I got my second Ficus Triangularis Variegata. I took all the wonderful advice, and the new plant is doing very well. Well...almost. She did not drop all of her leaves like the first plant did, and she has produced about 6 new leaves. However, she has COMPLETELY (old leaves included) reverted to green. There is NO variegation left. Which, sadly, is why I was dying to have this plant. I still have strong hopes that I can turn this crazy plant around. I love her so much, but she has caused me endless frustration!

I have been doing a lot of research, but am finding contradicting information. I have seen many suggestions for more light, and many suggestions for less light. Which do I do? Is there anyhting I can do to encourage the white? Or, do I just resolve myself to the fact that she shall be green from now on?

It's not at all unusual for variegation in plants to be unstable and for plants to revert to their green phase after a time. Stability of variegated plants has a lot to do with where the variegation itself originated in the plant. Mutations that originated in a specific layer of meristematic cells have the greatest chance of remaining stable for years to come, but if the mutation originated outside of this layer, the chances of that mutation remaining stable are far slimmer.

Variegated plants begin to lose their contrast and turn fully green under low light conditions. Increasing light (to a point) can reverse the trend. Variegated plants need more light than their green counterparts to ward of stress/strain due to low light levels, but they are also unable to tolerate light conditions as bright as their green cousins. This makes them often rather fussy (about light levels), and less vigorous as a result of their reduced levels of chlorophyll (the green pigment so crucial to photosynthesis/food-making).

If you move the plant to a sunny location and the variegation doesn't return, the plant has likely reverted. If it does begin to return, watch carefully for the silverish/whitish symptoms of photo-oxidation (sunburn) and move the plant to dappled shade as soon as symptoms appear.

When you have a variegated plant, and you want it to remain that way, it's important that you remove branches supporting foliage that is obviously all green as soon as they appear. If you don't, it's very likely the more vigorous green foliage will take over the entire plant.

Al

The F. triangularis with which I'm familiar is not the same species I've seen as F. natalensis. It's a more weakstemmed plant, (usually needing staking) and though its leaves may vary when the plant is immature, foliage of a mature plant is reliably shaped similarly to that of F. deltoidea, (though thinner than that of F. deltoidea). Is there an online resource where I can reliably correct my ID of these two Ficus species? Thanks!

USDA GRIN lists them as synonymous. Reminds me of F. salicifolia and nerifolia (willow-leaf/narrow leaf fig, etc.)

Al

Here is a link that might be useful: GRIN taxonomy

Thank you for this link!
-perL

I have used this plant with interior plantscapes in the past. I have been discouraged from using it in the present because of the messy figs that appear on this plant at a certain time of the year. They appear in profuse numbers, attract mealy bugs at times, and stain carpets. I see that many people seem to swear by them - and I agree that they are attractive. However, I cannot find any mention of the fruit problem on Google.
What gives ?
Any information is greatly appreciated as I would like to begin using it again.
Thanks
R.Benn

Just passing through, but it is absolutely the peat that causes your soil to brick and become hydrophobic. It's a common organic filler that works great until you let it dry out. I make different soil blends for desert roses, succulents, bonsai, tropicals, and Coco coir is a much better alternative than peat. Look into it! Cheers!