Fiddle leaf fig - brown/crispy leaves, yellowing

8 years ago

HELP! please. I bought this tree from Craigslist in November and it was doing so well, until recently. I would love my tree to become more full, and honestly I just want it to live. Any help is appreciated!

I have already lost about 5 leaves within two months. About a dozen leaves have brown on the outer edges, which is very dry and crispy. The leaves that have fallen turned brown and then they began to yellow and then fall. I am not sure what I am doing wrong. I just bought a moisture monitor, and used it today and it said the soil was dry but I just watered my tree on Friday.

I do have a few issues - I can't just lift the tree up on re-pot it because it weighs a ton. I turn it every three weeks so it gets life evenly. I also gave it miracle gro, which I am embarrassed to admit. I clearly lack a green thumb and would love this tree to thrive because it was pricey and looks so beautiful in my living room.

I still have a lot of new babies given the fact that I'm a terrible mother, but the leaves that grow are kind of wrinkly/veiny NOT smooth and waxy.

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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

8 years ago

What are the NPK %s of the Miracle-Gro?

I recently posted a thread that goes into quite a bit of detail about decline (in plants), what causes it, and how to reverse it. I think you would get a great deal of benefit if you set aside a quiet half hour or so to read and think about what I outlined. It's pretty thorough, and will probably answer questions that you probably aren't yet considering to be important. Follow Me! I'll take you there.

I'd bet a lot that the previous owner only potted up. Very few people even KNOW the difference between repotting and potting potting up, let alone put repotting into practice. Mostly bonsai practitioners and those that have been influenced by someone in a garden forum setting know the difference.

See what you think about the link I left.

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Comments (8)

dcreig02
Original Author
8 years ago
I forgot to mention that all of the leaves are drooping. Not sure if that is normal? The top leaves look fine.
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
8 years ago
Hi! Does the pot have drain holes? Are you willing to buy a wooden dowel rod (from a hardware or big box store - a couple of dollars) to carefully monitor the plant's water needs? The spoiled foliage is resultant of a root problem. Too wet, too dry, or a high level of salts in the soil (solution). Root congestion might also be in play, but it's not the cause of the spoiled foliage - neither is a change in light levels, which is often a cause of foliage shedding in ficus. What did you use for fertilizer?

You should make plans to flush the soil asap. Also, you should know that the further root congestion is allowed to progress, the more reluctant the plant will be to back-bud. Root congestion causes shedding of foliage on branches beginning with the oldest and most shaded leaves. As it progresses, you'll eventually have tufts of foliage only at branch ends immediately proximal to the apices (growing branch tips).

Questions or more input?

Al
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I love this tree, it's gorgeous! Super jealous. In regards to the wooden dowel method, take a chopstick and insert straight into the soil and push it in until reaches the bottom of the plant. Since this pot looks deep, you can also buy wooden dowels on Amazon for super cheap. I bought a pack of 50 3/8" by 12" for $6. Leave it there for a few seconds and pull it out to see the moisture level. If it feels wet and a lot of soil is clinging to it, DON'T water it. However if it's dry and clean, it's time to water. This may sound crazy, but pressing the stick against my cheek gives me the best sense of how moist it is. I just bought my second FLF in 6 months because I accidentally drowned my first one. This forum has taught me literally everything I need to know about these finicky trees!
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Was it in full direct sun in its former life or in the shade? Light coming through glass is filtered even if the glass is clear, so if got significant outdoor sunlight befdore you got it, overwatering seems more likely than sunburn. So, how do you water? Does the pot have a drain hole? The brown patches look just like the photos in the other FLF threads on the first page of this forum (and dozens more on the pages after that), almost every one of which is due do overwatering, so don't feel like you're the first person to have the issue. I almost feel like starting a thread aimed at new FLF owners! Anyhow, the goal is to control soil moisture so the roots don't die from drought or suffocate from lack of oxygen in saturated soils. I'll bet the soil in that pot is very fine, peaty, water retentive potting soil that stays saturated in the bottom half of the pot long after the top inch or two is bone dry. The good news is that there's an easy, quick and reliable way to check soil moisture and prevent any more drowned roots. Here's a thread about caring for sick plants that will explain what's going on, and here's an excerpt from a post by tapla (Al) specifically about when and how to water. Try his method and your plant will love it. And don't hesitate to ask more questions! "You can tell you've watered too much (or too little - the response is the same - a drought response) when leaves start to turn yellow or you begin to see nutritional deficiencies created by poor root metabolism (usually N and Ca are first evident). You can prevent overwatering by A) testing the soil deep in the container with a wood dowel ... wet & cool - do not water, dry - water. B) feeling the wick & only watering when it's dry C) feel the soil at the drain hole & only water when it feels dry there. Soils feel dry to our touch when they still have 40-45% moisture content. Plants, however, can still extract water from soils until they dry down to about 25-30%, so there is still around a 15% cush in that plants can still absorb considerable moisture after soils first feel dry to us. Water slowly until the soil is saturated but no water (or very little water) has exited the pot drain. Wait 10-15 minutes and water again so at least 15-20% of the volume of water used ion both applications flushes out the accumulating salts. After the pot stops draining, you can return it to its normal spot and arrangmt. Wait until time to water again & repeat the routine."
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That's a physiological issue that occurs when your plant takes up water from the soil with dissolved minerals (salts) in it. Some of that water, with salt dissolved in it, makes it to the surface of the leaf. When the water evaporates, it leaves behind the salt it contains as a little white powdery dot. This is also harmless, but could be a signal that the level of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil is creeping upward. If you witness it, you might try flushing the soil thoroughly - especially if you've been watering in small sips so the plant doesn't have to deal with soil saturation. That particular way of watering ensures that all salts from your tapwater and fertilizer solutions remain in the soil where they can create quite a bit of mischief. The salt deposits on the leaves will rub right off with a damp cloth or paper towel. If the dots don't wipe off, suspect another physiological issue called oedema. 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. Al
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Looks a lot like photo-oxidation (sunburn). Is all the damage facing the same direction, as though it might have been caused by excessive light? The necrotic areas of the leaves can't be fixed. It will gradually dry until crispy and be a part of the leaf until it's shed. It definitely wants a full repot, which is much more involved than potting up. BTW - that plants will pout until they have 'adjusted to their new surroundings' is a horticultural myth, and I JUST finished talking about that topic on this thread. Al
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dcreig02
Original Author
8 years ago
I used miracle gro. :-(

The pot does have drain holes. Yes, I will buy a wooden dowel rod. I used a moisture meter and it did read that it was dry around the base, but moist around the perimeter of the pot.

How do I flush the soil? How do I know if it is root congestion, or are you saying it definitely is the cause? The lady I bought the tree from re-potted in right before I purchased it. I would imagine she trimmed the roots beforehand?

Thank you!
dcreig02
Original Author
8 years ago
The link is extremely helpful! I just flushed her last night. Will plan to repot her in May and trim back the roots, but may need some guidance when I do that.

As for fertilizer, here is a pic of the ingredients. I just bought some new gerilizer from Terrain and Amazon. Should I give her some food since I flushed her, if so, which of these would you recommend? Thank you SO much!
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
8 years ago
I'd stick with the Miracle-Gro 24-8-16. I'm sure I'll be around to offer guidance when you do the work later this spring.

Al
dcreig02
Original Author
7 years ago
I bought the dowel rod and forced it all the way to the bottom of the pot. The rod was moist and had dirt on it when I pulled it out. I'm guessing the pot is so large that I've been overwatering the tree and also not flushing it when I water. Is this he reason the leaves are turning brown? If so, what should the dowel rod look like when it needs to be watered? Should it be completely dry at the bottom of the rod and not pick up any of the dirt? Thank you!
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
7 years ago
"I'm guessing the pot is so large that I've been overwatering the tree
and also not flushing it when I water. Is this he reason the leaves are
turning brown?" It sounds like the foliage that's in the process of being shed is part of the plant's drought response due to too much water in the soil. Too much water = not enough oxygen to drive the O2 dependent process of water uptake = not enough water getting to distal parts of the plant (leaves - particularly tips and margins) = shedding in response. The yellowing is a result of the lack of chlorophyll that is being salvaged (along with mobile nutrients and other bio compounds) by the plant from leaves being shed. "..... what should the dowel rod look like when it needs to be watered? Should
it be completely dry at the bottom of the rod and not pick up any of the
dirt?" When the dowel first comes out clean and dry, it's time to water.

I'd work toward getting watering under control, then follow the instructions in the thread I left a link to above to turn the plant around. There are some things you can do to help avoid limitations associated with saturated media.

You're sure to have other questions, so don't be shy about voicing them. We all want you to have the best growing experience you possibly can.

Al

Fiddle leaf fig - brown/crispy leaves, yellowing

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

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Fiddle leaf fig - brown/crispy leaves, yellowing

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

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