What kind of soil is it in? Virtually all containerized houseplants need regular nutritional supplementation; so YES, you should have a good fertilizer on hand and have a strategy in place that includes regular fertilizing that is adjusted in relation to the changes in growth habit as the plant makes it's way through the growth cycle. No one can tell you how to fertilize w/o knowing something about your soil and your watering habits, because those factors determine how much you use and how often you use it. If I guessed you were just getting interested in learning how to best provide for your plants' cultural needs, would I be right? In most cases, the manner in which a person addresses the issues for which you seek guidance will depend on your level of experience. I use, as do many others, and highly recommend Dyna-Gro's Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 fertilizer. There are a number of reasons for this, and I can direct you to a thread that lays out those reasons if you have interest. Your plant probably shouldn't be fertilized until you see signs of new growth. My guess is, the soil has been kept overly wet, which accounts for a very high % of the problems for which folks eventually arrive here in search of resolution. Once all the leaves fall, the amount of water your plant uses will be minuscule, so make sure you do not over-water. If you don't know how to use a wooden dowel/skewer as a tell, and want to, just ask. Many folks here use or have used that method with good results. It doesn't lie and will tell you when your plant does/doesn't need water. Al

I see you just posted your question to another thread addressing the same issue. Did you read through it? When did you last fertilize? with what? what strength? is leaf loss manifest in oldest leaves only? There are many possibilities. The most common cause of defoliation in benjamina is a reduction in the amount of light the (individual) leaves receive. Leaf loss can even occur when the tree is not really resited, but only turned so the side of the tree that was exposed to the brightest light is shaded by its own foliage. The likelihood is, it's related to your watering habits and is likely a drought response. A drought response can be precipitated by an increasing accumulations of soluble salts in the soil from fertilizer and/or irrigation water, under-watering, or over-watering. BTW - your watering habits should change/adjust, as the plant uses varying amounts of water with changes in cultural conditions and as it moves through its annual growth cycle. You should not water on a schedule, but on an "as needed" basis. Water when the soil feels dry at the drain holes. Each time you water, you should water thoroughly so the soil is well-moistened. Return a few minutes later and apply more water so that 10-15% of the total volume of water applied flows out of the drain holes. The first watering allows some time for the accumulated salts to go back into suspension and the second watering flushes the soil of the dissolved salts. High levels of soluble salts in the soil inhibits the plants ability to take up moisture, causing both water (the drought response) and nutritional deficiencies. If you cannot water in the manner I described because you fear there will be subsequent root rot issues, your soil is inappropriate. If you describe your watering habits & answer the fertilizing questions at the top of my post, we should be able to get pointed in the right direction. Al

If the shop owner holds tight to the idea that his instructions were on target, I have to seriously question his expertise/judgment, regardless of his credentials or how long he has been selling plants. This is stuff that every hobby grower learns in Ficus 101, and he should know better. Scoot on over to the Houseplant Forum and ask about a watering regimen if you have reservations about accepting one person's (that would be me) ;o) assessment of your plight. I won't be offended. "Is root rot reversible?" I want to remain technically correct, so I have to say NO. Dead, rotted tissue is just that - DEAD. You cannot bring it back to life. Trees are not like people, in that they do not form new cells in old places - they are not regenerative. Trees are generative, which means that as they grow, they form new cells in new places. In order to correct the root rot, you'll need to depot the tree, remove the soil, and prune rotted tissues back to beyond the point where they are viable. Alternately, if you're not up to the root work, you can try depotting the plant & leaving it set on newspapers over night. This should dry the soil out & you can then return the plant to its container and begin watering appropriately as required, and hope. "Is it necessary to mist the plant daily?" NO There is plenty of scientific evidence to support the idea that misting is more apt to be harmful than beneficial (see my post) and refute the idea that it is necessary or even marginally effective. "The owner of the shop keeps all of his Ficus trees outside in full sun during the day. So, when I received my ficus, the lighting conditions drastically changed. The owner of the shop stated that my leaf loss was due to the fact that my ficus was adjusting to my new environment and lighting conditions. It can take at least 4 to 6 weeks (or longer) for it to acclimate and I should not worry. Is this true?" While it's true, as noted above, that a reduction in light levels between the outdoor conditions at the plant store and your home can cause the leaf abscission, it's NOT true that it's no cause for concern. Your plant should have more stored energy now than at any other point in the growth cycle. Instead, the tree's food-making ability has vanished with the leaves (so the tree is operating on stored energy), PLUS, the tree will have to expend nearly ALL of its energy reserves to push a new flush of growth. Your tree is much closer to needing intensive care than it is to a worry-free winter vacation. I'm not going to go into the insect/disease thing, other than to say that the leaf 'disease' is likely a product of oedema due to over-watering. Of course he's "surprised" your plant has an insect infestation. Based on his reluctance to step up to the plate so far, I wouldn't expect any other reaction, unless it was to blame the bugs on you. ;o) Forget the water meter. They don't measure moisture - they measure EC (electrical conductivity). To test this idea - stick the probe in a cup of distilled water and notice that it reads 'DRY'. Dissolve a tsp of salt in the water and it becomes 'WET'. It is better at measuring fertility levels (the level of dissolved solids [salts] in the soil solution) than moisture levels. Al

Hi y'all, I hope your plants are doing well this winter! I wanted to check in to make sure I'm taking care of my ficus properly now that I've moved it indoors. I used to water it 2-3 times a week outdoors with a full gallon of water + DynaGro FoliagePro 9-3-6 liquid fertilizer. It responded very well to this treatment and new leaves grew to replace the initial shed it underwent when I repotted. San Antonio started getting into the 30s and 40s so I brought it inside during November. Now that it's indoors in front of this second-story west facing window, I've started watering it once every week and a half (or once I watered it after two weeks). I also use about a half gallon of water. I am still fertilizing it. I have it raised in a clay tray on top of some marbles so it doesn't stand in water. Plus I have a plastic tray underneath the clay one to hold excess water. It's probably been getting more sunshine than it used to when it was outdoors, because it used to be on a shaded patio and now it gets lots of sunshine from this window. Now for my questions! Many leaves have been yellowing and dropping in the past couple of weeks. Do you all think this is just a normal response to a somewhat finicky plant like a ficus benjamina being moved to a new environment? Or am I perhaps watering it too much? Or did I not water it enough (like that time I accidentally didn't water it for two weeks)? Pics!