Fiddle leaf fig problems... like 8 of them...

6 years ago

Hello,

By now I've read quite a bit about how bad of a choice I made buying those plants, but they look oh so good in magazine pictures propped behind the sofa, and stretching their green leaves over side tables.

So when Home Depot (and I know the opinions on HD plants, too) had a clearance on majestic palms, I took my chance and asked if they were discounting the figs - "well, yes, they are 5.99, there are two left" the lady said, which prompted my mad dash to get a cart before anyone else noticed them. One short trip home in a Jetta looking like jungle explosion (2 figs, 2 palms, and assorted other plants), and I had my dream plants! They made it to the screened porch to enjoy the rest of the summer and early fall, and then things turned bad, when moved in for the winter...

I tried to ease off watering, and I think their pots are too small (but I
am not re-potting until they gain some strength), I sprayed them with
insecticidal soap, dusted the dirt with diatomaceous earth, and moved
the one that was sitting in a dark hallway to a bright, tho northern
window. Still, one of the three trunks of one of the trees wilted,
loosing most it's leaves, and the other you can see in pics - it's
turning spotty brown fast.

I have noticed tiny sivery-white bugs running on the dirt when I'm watering, but those are not supposed to be harmful.

I noticed the little fungus gnats that killed one of my plants last year - and I'm worried this is what's causing the plant distress. But there are just a few of them so far...

There is white, dry, residue on the trunks (you can see a bit of it in the pics), that comes of when rubbed, and does not feel waxy.

There is a few (new) leaves that have rusty brown spots, that are not raised.

There are leaves with lots of tiny, elongated marks on the underside (pics), and little growths (pic) that are hard, and I was not able to pierce them with my fingernail, or scrape off, like I would scale bugs.

I did not see any bugs on the plants, tho. And some of the leaves looked like they were chewed up by a caterpillar... I cut those off a few days ago, before I took the pictures.

I would be grateful for some advice on how to help the poor guys!

Also, is it a bad idea to go ahead and re-pot them? Can I divide them (they are grouped in 3s) into separate pots? Or trim them, so they don't go through the ceiling, like my umbrella plant is trying to?

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Comments (4)

Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)
6 years ago
Please put a location and or zone next to your name so we can help better, as some advise depends upon your location.

A North facing window is not enough light for a tree, they need a South facing window to get through the winter. A West window will keep them alive but it's still not enough light. You may have to add lighting to give the plant enough. The white on the stems could be latex sap or mealy bugs, it's hard to tell. The spots look like oedema ( when the plant has too much water in it's stems and leaves and it gets too cold causing cells to burst) Some of the leaves look way too dry also. It could also be accumulated salts causing the brown leaf tips. The next time you water do a full flush. You will probably need help to get it to the shower but give it a really good soak. Do not let the water get too cold. When it's done draining, tilt the pot a few times then move it back. (hopefully to better lighting)
Marty (West GA, Zone 7b) thanked Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)
Dave
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I agree. Probably too much water and not enough light.

How exactly do you water? In small sips or until it flows out of the drain hole? How often do you water? Never let the pot sit in the water that drains out.

As mentioned, a southern facing window would be much better. I have all of my ficus in southern facing Windows with the addition of grow lights.

Low relitive humidity inside also isn't the best for them. That'll also attract spider mites.
Marty (West GA, Zone 7b) thanked Dave
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Just keep eye on the healthy leaves. If other leaves stay healthy in 2 or 3 days, then nothing to worry. If the symptoms spread further, maybe soil nutrients deficiency is the cause. No need to cut off any leaves since they still able to do photosynthesis, but if you think remove unhealthy leaves will make you feel better, then go ahead. Seems that you have enough healthy leaves to support plant growth.
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Leaves are the plant's power source, and they're not diseased, so removing them just weakens the plant's ability to replace roots that have died due to overwatering. Roots need air for oxygen, so monitor the soil moisture at the bottom of the pot with the dowel test and only water when it comes out dry to the touch. Here's a post by Al from this thread. I guarantee that following this advice will take care of your watering issues and stop any more brown areas. Read the whole thread to really understand what's going on. "The calendar isn't what determines an appropriate watering interval; and you, not the guys at the store where you bought the plant, are in the best position to determine when your plant does or doesn't need watering. When the skewer first comes out dry or almost dry is the appropriate time to water. There ARE some things you can do that will shorten the intervals between necessary waterings, which would mean the plant has a greater fraction of unsaturated soil for a higher % of time, which is decidedly a plus. Follow this link to info on how to deal with water-retentive soils."
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Couple things: dont mist. That’s a myth and doesn’t raise the reletive humidity long enough to do anything. Dont water one a week. Water as the tree needs it. Using a sharpened wooden dowel as your tell will help. Stick it in all the way to the bottom (don’t worry about roots). If it comes out dark, damp with soil stuck to it, don’t water. Only water when it comes out clean and dry. It won’t do well in that location. These plants need high light as in front up in front of your brightest window. Lastly, this is the edible fig section. Ficus Lyrata doesn’t fit that category.
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Browning is due to overwatering and/or a build up from fertilizers and tap water. The build ups are from you watering a cup per week and not flushing out the soil. When you water, you need to water thoroughly until it comes out the drain holes and discard the collected water. But for this plant, you need to put it in The tub and water 10x the amount it takes to start draining. Don’t do this until it’s time to water. Letting water sit doesn’t do much of anything. Flouride doesnt evaporate anyway. You we also likely overwateringif you were watering on a set schedule without knowing what’s going on with the soil deep in the pot. Use a sharpened wooden dowel and stick it in the pot all the way to the bottom and pull it out and inspect. Dark, damp with soil clung to it, don’t water. Clean and dry, water. Check with the dowel every couple days.
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Marty (West GA, Zone 7b)
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Mentha - done. I'm 7b, on GA/AL west of Atlanta.

My windows are all S or N facing, and the ones facing S are covered by porch roof, or not accessible. Other plants are doing surprisingly well in the N facing ones, including the umbrella plant that sits in my husbands "dungeon" (half his shutters are closed, and his N window is extra shaded), my room is much brighter, with some direct sun in the afternoon. It will have to be enough for now... I will look into grow lights.

Pretty sure we don't have mealy bugs.

Dave -

I gave the guy in worse shape a nice, lukewarm shower yesterday. Flushed the pot, as well. He looks happier. Until now, I was watering twice a week, in "small sips". I guess that's a no-no? I did my best to not let them sit in water.

What about re-potting/splitting them? Should I wait?
Dave
6 years ago
Only watering in small sips will likely cause salt build ups from tap water and fertilizer. If you must water in small sips, you should use distilled water.

It's best to flush out the soil every so often.

If you can't make sure you empty the collected water in the tray, use bricks or something similar to prop the pot up and space it off the tray. Just make sure the drain hole isn't covered.

Id wait until later in June to do any repotting or separate them.

Repotting means you'd be removing the plant from the pot, removing ALL of the soil, possibly root pruning and then placing into a new pot with fresh soil.

Potting up, on the other hand means you'd remove the root mass and soil leaving it all intact, placing in a larger pot and filling the bottom and sides with fresh soil. However, this method is no where near as good as potting up.
Marty (West GA, Zone 7b) thanked Dave

Fiddle leaf fig problems... like 8 of them...

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Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)

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Fiddle leaf fig problems... like 8 of them...

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Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)

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