Fiddle Leaf Fig / Ficus Lyrata Bush vs Tree
W L
8 years ago
Hi,
I just ordered a FLF Bush bc a tree was not available (and super overpriced). I was wondering if there's a difference or it's all about pruning the bush to look like a tree? I'm a bit confused. Tried to Google it but didn't really come up with a definitive answer. I'm hoping it's what I think a bush can be pruned to become a single stem tree.
Just got really into plants last month so definitely a newbie. Thanks in advance.First photo is a FLF Bush. Second is something like how I want my FLF to look.
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Pruning Ficus Lyrata (fiddle leaf fig)
Comments (646)Hello everyone! I think from everything I've read in this thread that my plant has been suffering from overwatering and/or soggy soil. I got it in late January and after my second watering it developed a few very small brown marks on the edges of the leaves. Suspecting over watering as the cause, I let it dry out (until it no longer felt damp and spongey through the drainage hole) before watering again. This process meant it was about 2.5-3 weeks between watering and sadly the brown and blackish spots on the leaves have continued to get worse after every watering. With what I've read I now believe the soil is just staying soggy too long. (FYI when I water I give it about 3 cups, allowing one cup at a time to soak in. At least half a cup flows out the drainage holes on the third cup of water.) My plan now is to repot with a soil amendment and a wick. I'd like to do some root pruning as well since I can barely get the moisture meter in the soil through the roots, but I think I read in a previous post from Al that I should wait until it starts growing again and the weather is warmer. In the mean time, will mixing my regular potting soil with perlite as well as adding a wick offer a noticeable improvement for drainage for now? Then in the summer I can source better soil mix components and address any potential root issues? Alternatively, I can just water with more frequency and use less water until summer? Here are some photos of the FLF in the late afternoon on a cloudy day. This plant lives about 3 feet away from a S/SW window and doesn't receive any direct sunlight. Here is evidence that the plant has dropped a few leaves. The six leaves that fell off were the worst looking, and the leaves with the spots (shown above) are headed in that direction. And here is the beautiful new growth since I got it in late January (though now it has stopped and the tiny bud here doesn't seem to have changed in about a month): I look forward to learning even more, so thanks in advance for your advice and expertise :)...See MoreFiddle Leaf Fig/Ficus Lyrata newbie
Comments (16)Hi, Sarah. The cultural issues most likely to cause wilting are over-watering, under-watering, high temps, and a high level of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil solution. The later is usually accompanied by necrosis of leaf margins on lyrata, unless the high level of salts was due to a very recent fertilizing. If it wilted while the soil was still damp, your issue would probably be related to the effects of over-watering and/or the heat. Water and nutrient uptake is an energy driven process. It takes oxygen to burn (convert) the food (carbohydrates - from photosynthesis) into the energy that drives root metabolism. Too much water in the rhizosphere (root zone) means too little air means not enough O2 means the work of water uptake is compromised. The heat increases the rate of respiration increases water demand and exacerbates the issue. I would: Shade the pot to help keep roots cool if the plant has direct sun hitting it Use a wood dowel or bamboo skewer to test the soil, waiting to water until the soil is nearly but not quite dry. When soil is at first dry to the touch, there is still 10-15% additional water left that the plant can access - so a built-in margin for error. Flush the soil thoroughly the next time the plant needs watering by pouring a volume of water equal to the pot capacity up to 10 times, using room temp water; this, to rid the soil of accumulating salts. Then, fertilize the plant with a soluble fertilizer with a 3:1:2 NPK ratio. RATIO is different than NPK %s - ask if you'd like me to explain the difference. After flushing the soil, water on an as needed basis. Don't let the soil remain saturated for extended periods. I can also help you learn how to deal with soils that hold too much water, if you think that's an issue. I'll wait on your comments before I offer anything else. Al...See MoreFiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus Lyrata) leaf issues
Comments (11)You're using the dowel correctly. Water when it first comes out dry. I will begin fertilizing per your recommendations--additional info to ensure I am using a good fertilizing regimen would be helpful. I'm not sure how often I should fertilize, and how that will change when the plants go dormant, and when that may be...I would expect that in October they would be at the end of their growing season, but they have both put out two new leaves in the last few weeks. They won't go completely dormant, but they will become largely quiescent or at rest but growing slowly. How fast they grow depends primarily on light levels, temperatures, and nutrition. If you invest in a container of Foliage-Pro 9-3-6, you won't need anything else. Did you read the link I left above about how to deal with water-retentive soils? My plan would be to flush the soil thoroughly asap, then fertilize with a full recommended solution of the FP 9-3-6. It makes more sense by far to tie your fertilizing frequency to your watering frequency. If you continue to water in sips for the winter, flush the soil every 6th time you water and fertilize right after with a full recommended dose. Using a full dose when the soil is still saturated means there won't be a full strength concentration in the soil solution because of all the water already in the soil. People that simply recite the advice that you shouldn't fertilize in winter usually tell you that the plant doesn't need fertilizer because it's not growing, but nutrients are used by the plant to keep its systems orderly and do more than grow, so your plant needs a full compliment of nutrients in the soil all year long. The plan I just laid out will help you maintain the proper ratio of nutrients at an appropriate concentration and prevent the ratio of nutrients (each to the others) from becoming out of balance, which can very quickly become a serious issue if you're watering in sips. More on flushing the soil if you actually plan on following that advice. You'll also find plenty of good info that will help turn your plant around if you follow the link. Speaking of, the plant that put out the deformed leaf is now producing leaves with holes...at first I feared it was pests, but it looks like they are just developing with holes in them. Would this be caused by the same water/fertilizing issues we've discussed? Very commonly, dry air causes a leaf of F lyrata to stick to itself before it unfurls. As the leaf opens, the 'stuck together' part often tears, leaving split leaves, or if the entire piece of tissue that's stuck to another part of the leaf's surface pulls free - a hole. This is very common in leaves that unfurl in winter when humidity is VERY low or in leaves that are in a cool, air-conditioned environment - especially if the cooled air blows over the plant. There are some nutritional issues that can cause weak or dead spots in the tissues of young leaves, but getting on a sound fertilizing schedule should put a stop to that. Al...See MoreFicus Lyrata (Fiddle Leaf Fig) Notching Question
Comments (1)What it looks like is that your knife wasn't sharp enough. Also I'd never use a knife to prune. It is hard to get a clean cut (if it's not a clean cut it can take longer for the plant to heal) and can easily introduce disease and infection if the tools are not sterilized beforehand. For such thick stems use a pruner, you can buy them at home depot or lowes. To sterilize your tools, get a blow torch and heat up the blade until it gets red and then let it cool off. It goes without saying that you should choose a pruner with a blade that is pure metal, not the kind of hybrid plastic ones they have nowadays. I wouldn't necessarily prune any more off. The problem is that your ficus began branching too late and now whatever you do the tree is still going to look top heavy indoors since it can't get any taller than that....See MoreW L
8 years agoThanks guys! I think I'm going to separate the two trunks and have two plants. I hope they are not stuck together too bad that I need to cut the roots.
I won't prune at the moment like you said, but hope they will be healthy. I just received my FLF and am in love!
Im on the East Coast, so do you think the East side window would be good or the West side? I don't have much high buildings around me and have huge windows. Thanks for all your help!
havent received my planter yet.
W L
8 years ago
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
8 years agoW L
8 years agoW L
8 years agoJust examined my FLF and I think there are bugs? Is it scales or am i overthinking this?
W L
8 years agoW L
8 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
8 years agoW L -
You might not want to chance another plant from that particular store. I hope you find an even nicer plant than the one you are returning, and it's pest free.
Al
W L
8 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
8 years agoW L
8 years ago
username551234
8 years agoW L
8 years ago
Jasmin Beltran
7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)