Sorry for the tardy reply, I've been off on a plant adventure since last Thu. So should I hold off on watering it for another week? Generally speaking, watering on a schedule doesn't do the plant justice unless you're using a soil that allows you to water on a schedule w/o having to endure the limitations (of your plants) that accompany over-watering. It's best to check your plant for moisture levels and water on an 'as needed' basis. Copy/pasted from a offering I left on another thread: Many years ago, in a bonsai workshop led by a Japanese master (Ben Oki), one of the participants asked a question: "How often should I water my juniper?" His (Mr. Oki's) expression never changed at all as he answered in Japanese accented English, "Wait until plant become completely dry - then water day before." To this day, I'm not sure if he was serious or it was his brand of humor, but the advice is sound for most plant material. Water your trees on an 'as needed' basis. When the soil is dry, water until a tiny bit of water runs from the drain holes, allow them to rest for a few minutes, then water again, applying less water than the first time - just enough to flush accumulating salts from the soil. This will be about 10-15% of the original volume of water applied. At first, use a chopstick stuck into the soil to tell you how damp the soil is. If the stick is dark or wet, don't water. If it's damp or dry - water. Heft your pots often if your plants are small. Soon, you'll be able to tell by their weight what plants need water. Over-watering carries different but just as serious consequences as under-watering, so try your best to avoid both. Given a choice, it's better to under-water by a little than over-water. If you think your soil is too water-retentive to allow you to flush the soil every time you water, your soil is inappropriate. Using a wick, and tilting your pots at a 45* angle after watering are BOTH very helpful ways to drain excess water from too-heavy soils. Let me know if you need/want this explained. I bought the FLL last Tuesday and haven't watered it at all. If I should water it, should I flush out the soil to make sure there aren't high levels of salts in the soil? If you're using an appropriate soil, you can make flushing the soil a part of your regular watering routine. If you're not, things become more difficult; but you should either use a soil that allows you water to beyond the saturation point at will (much preferred) or have a plan in place that allows you to either maintain an appropriate level and ratio of nutrients in the soil or to flush the soil regularly, which is sort of like pushing the fertilizer 'Reset" button. If you need help with that part, I can guide you in the right direction. Al

I have had a lyrata for about seven months. Every time a new leaf grows, there are small brown spots on it from the very start of its growth. What could be the cause of this? The lyrata is in a room that receives bright, indirect light. I water when I stick my finger in the soil and it's dried out a bit. About a month ago, two new leaves were starting to come in, and they shriveled and fell off. There are two more new leaves that came in after that that seem to be doing better. I haven't fertilized it since I brought it home and was postponing that until I figured out what the spots were.

I was given this FLF in January by a friend who had rooted it from a cutting. When she gave it to me there were no notable brown spots on the leaves, but now the outer portions of some of the lower leaves are turning brown and dry. About 2 weeks ago one lower leaf fell off. 3 weeks ago I repotted the plant in a slightly bigger pot, trimmed and loosened the roots, with all new soil and a layer of river rocks at the bottom. The new pot has drainage holes at the bottom, and I place it in a decorative basket. However the leaf edges had already begun to turn brown before I repotted it. When I first got the plant I watered it once a week with one or two cups of water. During the last month I have watered it more thoroughly in the bathtub about once every two weeks, letting the water drain out the bottom well before placing it back in its basket. Almost all of the leaves have tiny brownish-red spots distributed on top of them only, not on the bottom, to varying extents, but I have thoroughly checked over the plant and have never seen any pests. A couple of weeks ago I did notice some very tiny webbing in the spaces where the stems meet the main trunk, and carefully wiped every leaf surface top and bottom and the stems with a mild dawn and water solution. Since then I've seen no new webs. The plant doesn't look too terribly sick yet but it doesn't seem to be thriving and I'd like to prevent it from declining as I really like it!

I'm no expert, just got my FLF a couple months ago but check for mites. They can be hard to see but they will be on the new growth. If you have them mix 50/50 water and 70% isopropyl alcohol. Spray the tree every 4 days until they're gone. Make sure you spray every leaf. Top and bottom, branches, stems, leaf axils, everything. Mine had mites when I first got it. I sprayed with to 50/50 mixture and it got rid of them. This also could be a watering issue. You can find lots of good information on here about proper watering, proper soil, and such. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1493078/ficus-trees-in-containers My new growth looked like yours when I first got my plant. I'm not sure if it was the mites or a watering issue. I just ignored them. My newer growth, since changing my water habits and getting rid of the mites, has been spot free. Hope that helps.