Rootbound Ficus Lyrata
Hi everyone, hoping I can get some advice here about what to do with what I suspect is a rootbound FLF.
Some background - I've had it for over a month now, and it's 2 plants in one pot (2 gallon nursery pot). It sits in a southwest facing window with the curtains open during the day and to date I have not had any major issues with it besides a couple of dropped leaves when it first came home. It's still in it's original potting mix, which looks to be pretty bark-heavy, though I'm the first to admit that I don't have a good frame of reference to say for sure. Given the time of year, I was hoping to let it settle in and see how it was coming along before deciding if it needed to be repotted or if it could wait til next summer.
A few weeks ago, I've noticed that the top leaves of one tree (Tree A) were wilting, which I attributed to the plant needing water. Ever since then, there's been a repeated pattern of seeing Tree A start to wilt, giving it water, it perking up, then 5ish days later, it will wilt again. Meanwhile, Tree B seems perfectly fine this whole time.
I'm starting to suspect that the potting mix is drying out a lot faster than it should. The dowel test confirmed that it's not bone dry, but a lot drier than I would expect from a plant this size that was watered earlier this week. I've also noticed roots circling the top of the pot, which has led me to believe the plant is rootbound. Unfortunately I cannot check for sure until a later this week, when I'll have someone around to help wrangle the trees out of the pot.
That said, I'm hoping someone can tell me if they see any signs of something else that may be at play. I'm reasoning that the wilting doesn't have to do with light and temperature, as Tree B seems to be taking to those conditions just fine. The only thing that I can think of is that Tree A's roots are more congested and aren't getting as much water as Tree B, but I'm totally open to someone offering another explanation.
Assuming the plant is rootbound, does anyone have any advice for how to deal with this? Could I continue to water more often to compensate for how quickly the potting mix is drying out and ride it out until summer? If I should repot now, what course of action would you recommend? Would root pruning be too traumatic for this time of year? Should I pot up in new potting mix and then root prune/pot back down in the summer? Should I separate Tree A and Tree B altogether and care for them as separate plants going forward?
Sorry for writing a novel. If you've stuck around til the end and have any suggestions to offer, I'd very much appreciate it!
Some pictures of the trees (left is Tree B, right is wilty Tree A), and the potting mix:
Comments (8)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
7 years agoRelated Discussions
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 MoreFicus lyrata problems since move.
Comments (7)Dori is right that the roots need attention asap, and now is a really good time to bite the bullet and get after them. I'm not speaking critically, rather from the perspective of someone who has been where you are many hundreds of times and has learned that the primary keys to success for your indoor trees are the condition of the roots, and the choice of soil. Light levels are extremely important as well, but I tend to emphasize the issues you have to get right the first time, not something that is easily changed - like light. Once a plant has become root-bound to the degree that you can lift the root and soil mass from the pot intact, growth and vitality begin to be affected. Usual symptoms are reduced branch extension an d loss of older and interior foliage, until your plant has that 'poodle cut' look, with foliage in tufts of growth at the ends of branches. From my perspective, it makes no sense to allow a tree you wish to keep[ ...... forever, to languish in a state of subdued vitality because of a poor soil or because it's extremely root bound. These trees take to root-work well, so if you're interested in learning how to tend to the roots (set aside several hours for the first time), let me know and I'll walk you through it. I bare root and root-prune all my old Ficus every 2-3 years. I'm of the philosophy that if I keep the tree at maximum vitality and let it grow like mad - I can EASILY keep the size in check by pruning. That the tree is healthy means it will back-bud willingly and grow lots of branches - especially if I pinch regularly (which I can also help you with). All these extra branches provide myriad pruning opportunities which I can take advantage of to keep the tree looking great. Experienced bonsai practitioners are able to keep trees alive and perfectly healthy and compact in very small containers for hundreds of years - the same trees many of us grow as houseplants. The reason these trees thrive while many of (the collective) yours languish is primarily the soils and attention to roots. Finally, some of your leaf loss might be due to the reduction in light intensity, and you're probably also dealing with a very high level of soluble salts in the soil ..... ball's in your court. ;o) Al...See MorePot up or repot root-bound Ficus lyrata (fiddle leaf fig)?
Comments (4)Agree. Too, just because you have roots growing out of the drain hole isn't proof that the plant is root bound. Roots are opportunistic and only grow where conditions are favorable. That hollow space under the pot probably supplies much more air/oxygen than the lower reaches of the soil in the pot. Since the conditions are favorable there, that's where they grow. Your plant isn't rootbound unless you can lift the entire root/soil mass out of the pot intact. There is no rush to repot your plant. It would fare much better if you wait until the summer solstice if you're more than 25* N or S latitude. If you're closer to the equator than that, it doesn't much matter when you repot. Al...See MoreIs My Ficus Lyrata Dying?
Comments (6)"fresh new growth at the tips is a sign of a happy plant" "Fresh new growth at the tips" may not even represent true growth, let alone serving as a reliable indicator of a happy plant. True "growth" is measured by the increase (in weight) of the plant's dry mass. Plants are organisms that shed parts in response to stress. If the dry weight of the shed parts is greater than the dry weight of newly added parts and thickening, the plant is losing weight and going backwards in terms of growth; so, new growth at branch/stem tips means no more than the fact the plant is managing to find a supply of nutrients sufficient to allow branch extension. The plant might be securing these nutrients by cannibalizing its own organs, because that's what plants do. "a plant will wilt when it really needs water .... and its a great tell as to when to water" And, a plant will wilt when it's over-watered, which means wilting is not a reliable indicator signaling the plant needs watering. Wilting while the grower can still detect moisture in the grow medium should raise a red flag, and it's a good bet it would over-watering causing the wilting. Hi, Monica. This doesn't look at all like a disease pathogen, but it does look like a physiological disorder linked to adverse cultural conditions. IOW, I believe you're over-watering; and, it's likely the only change you need to make to correct the issue is alter your watering intervals based on moisture levels deep in the pot. To do that, I suggest you make/use a wooden "tell" to "tell" you when it's time to water. See "Using a Tell" below. A couple of "tricks" that will limit how much excess water the grow medium can hold; 1) After watering, tip the pot at a 45* angle. It has a notable impact on how much water can remain in the pot. Use the line drawing to compare B to A for an accurate representation of how much difference it can make. Figure D illustrates how valuable using an overturned pot as ballast can be, and E illustrates how much difference using a wick can make. Using a 'tell' Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need plenty of air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support the kind of root health most growers would like to see; and, a healthy root system is a prerequisite to a healthy plant. Watering in small sips leads to avoid over-watering leads to a residual build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil from tapwater and fertilizer solutions, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor. In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water. Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'. One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue. Questions? Al...See More- 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
Just wanted to pop back and give a quick update. Shortly after my last post I set a plan for watering and fertilizing my FLF. I've been diligently checking water levels and fertilizing every other watering (worrying the whole time I was going to kill it by accident) but it seems my efforts have paid off. One of the trunks is showing new growth! I know it's ridiculous to be this excited about a silly little leaf, but I can't help it. I'm quite proud of it. I'm looking forward to next June even more now, when I can give it the repotting it deserves.
- 7 years ago
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)