Please, help me care for my Fiddle Leaf Fig!
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
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- 8 years ago
- 8 years ago
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Please help re my poorly fiddle leaf fig
Comments (3)Hi & welcome to Gardenweb. I agree it sounds like your plant may not be getting enough light. That orangish leaf kind of looks like the turkey fig trees here when they get rust but I don't know if this kind of Ficus can get rust like that. Other thing to look at would be the roots. If they're staying soggy, especially in the colder temps of winter, the plant won't like that. Is there still some room in the pot for them to grow? A hole for excess water to escape?...See MorePlease help me do the right things for my new Fiddle Leaf Fig.
Comments (21)Hello Everyone!!! Just wanted to come over and say hi to to all and make a few comments.. I did as you said mbntn74 and came back to read as if I was a " newbie"... Here is my take on the matter... We welcome all type of new people and we love the enthusiasm that they bring to the forums as well. Most of us come here to relax and post when we can and offer help when it's possible ( I work a lot of long crazy hours) so when I do read or post it's a way to relax. You initial post was a kind post with a lot of questions that asked things like " exactly". Sometimes it takes time to figure out what, when , where and how a new plant will react to your house . It depends on where its located, is it near heat? Ac vents? A southern Window? So many things to think about before you start to ask about how do I take this beautiful tree and give it a major overhaul before I know why I need too! Al was just trying to help you with links to guide you in a direction so it would be more helpful so that you can make the decisions for your own tree. He is very knowledgeable in most house plants issues and can point you to the information that you are inquiring about. Sometimes it might seem like others want one person to make up their own minds for them on soil, water, container, and mix before they really understand what's available and why you should pick the right one for you.. He really is a very patient person who helps so many people. Al has taught me so many different ways on growing, repotting and the overall care that I have learned to make my trees healthier. It took time to learn and it doesn't come on the tree ( tag instructions) for us... I hope you will go back and you reread this thread and see where Al was trying to send you so you could sit back and understand things before you take your beautiful tree that you have and start in on it without knowing why or what you are trying to gain. We really enjoy having all of our friends make offerings to help us when we have questions.. So I hope that you understand what I'm trying to explain to you. Good luck to you and your new trees! They are beautiful and I'm sure you will find what you are looking for once you spend a few minutes reading some great informative post that will help you and most importantly, help the overall health of your new trees!!! Perched water does exist and I have seen it in containers from long ago up until now with my mixes. Using a good fast draining mix makes it much less, but you will always have a little.. Just tilt your pot!!! Great points ronalawn!!! Great thread.. Hope I helped in some small way!! Thank you Al for all you do!!! I have learned so much from you and I will say that I'll always be learning ... It just doesn't end!!! Happy Gardening to you all... Laura...See Moreplease help me make my fiddle leaf fig tree happy
Comments (1)The spoiled foliage is likely attributable to a combination of a poor soil and over-watering. The leaf loss might also be attributed to a drought response from over-watering, or a decrease in light levels. Your plant prefers a soil you can water to beyond saturation w/o concern that an extended period of soggy soil will damage roots or impair their function. Peat-based soils simplt don't drain well, and hold much more water than your plant appreciates. I'd urge you to think about building your own pine bark based soils, or something based on coarse gritty material. I can help there. PLEASE - no dishsoap on your plants. The detergents dissolve cuticular waxes that serve as protection against water loss, and diseases. It also is very bad for roots because it dissolves root cell membranes. There is a very long thread that goes into a LOT of detail about FLF care: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1458685/pruning-ficus-lyrata-fiddle-leaf-fig?n=247 Al...See MorePLEASE HELP my fiddle leaf fig is dying quickly!!!!
Comments (11)There is only one degree of dead, and it's a permanent thing. That the decline began after the repot (did you actually repot, or did you pot up?) might be a hint. If the plant was getting too much water before the work, the added soil that is not colonized by roots would exacerbate the problem. When you can't identify the problem, you should consider making sure you have the basics covered. That your plant IS in decline is indicative the plant is being asked to tolerate conditions it's not programmed to tolerate - that's a given. You need to make sure you're watering effectively and in a timely manner. IOW, you should be sure the entire soil mass is being moistened when you water, that you're flushing the soil when you water, and you're not watering until the plant needs it. Are you monitoring soil moisture levels or guessing when it's time to water? You should also flush the soil thoroughly the next time it needs water. Do this by slowly pouring a volume of room temp water through the soil = to at least 10x the volume of the pot. This is like hitting the fertilizer 'reset' button. After flushing the soil, you can fertilize with an appropriate fertilizer. My goal would be to help the plant increase it's vitality to the point it will tolerate a full repot; then, I would repot it into a soil that allows you to water appropriately. In more than 90% of the cases we see here, poor root health is the underlying cause, so that's where I'd look for the solution. Too, there's nothing stopping you from lifting the plant from the pot so you can evaluate the condition/health of the root system. Al...See MoreRelated Professionals
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)