I hope my concern is for naught and the roots weren't as dry as they look in the picture. It's important to keep the roots moist at all times while working on them. I usually work quickly to remove as much soil as I can in a minute or so, then complete the work over a tub of water so I can keep dipping the roots in water as I work. If the roots DID get too dry and you lost most of the fine roots, which are the most important, I don't think your tree will die, but it's likely to defoliate. If you DID keep the roots moist during the repot, disregard what I said or let it serve as reinforcement for when you embark on your next adventure. ;-) The first time is always the hardest. Best luck - keep us posted! Al

Hi, Viv. I'm ok. I owe you email replies, I know. ;o) Probably not fertilizer related, unless maybe you're a little light on the dosage or long on the interval; or, if you didn't add lime to the soil, you're probably lacking Ca and Mg in your plant's diet, because they aren't found in the MG. This: "... bagged garden soil which has some topsoil and soil conditioners, which leaves it open and well-drained." right away, throws up warning flags. Bagged garden soil is usually sand with a little compost mixed in (the conditioner?). I've fielded dozens of questions like yours over the years that involved using bagged garden soils or topsoil of one type or another in containers, and chlorosis. My guess is it's a compaction/water retention issue. Sun shouldn't cause wilting when the soil is moist/damp, unless root function is compromised. It might if your plant was a recent transplant/repot, but if you started the cutting in that soil, the root system should be able to keep the canopy hydrated. Roots always come first, and the plant won't grow a canopy it cannot support. WE can DO THINGS that make the plant unable to support the canopy, but left to its natural devices, the roots grow, then the canopy. High (actual) root temperatures (90*+) can cause wilting, but it sounds like your plant is barely able to keep the plant hydrated when the soil is cool AND the plant is in shade. If it wilts quickly after moving it to sun, especially if you know the roots are still in the 'safe temp zone', you can be almost certain there are root issues - probably soil related. If you can't repot, I would still use a wick. If you allow a wick to dangle below a drain hole after watering, it will 'fool' the water into thinking the pot is deeper. The water will move down the wick, 'looking' for the bottom of the pot, and be pushed off the bottom of the wick by the water column moving down behind it. Also helpful would be to partially fill a larger container (4-5" deep) with the same soil you're using. Set your pot in that container on the soil & fill in around it. If your soil supports 4" of perched water, and you set your pot on 4" of soil & fill around it, ALL the perched water in your soil will move into the bottom of the larger pot. This will still leave you to deal with the compaction issue (lack of air) but at least the soil won't be soggy. Finally, anaerobic conditions at the pot bottom set up an environment where noxious gasses are produced. Sulfurous gasses, excess CO2, and methane (think sewer gas) all cause problems, one of the symptoms of which is, again, chlorosis. Al

Plants have their own sense of time that isn't measured by the hour hand on a clock, rather, day length (technically it's the length of the dark period) is what the plant pays attention too. When the day length signals the plant to grow, and other cultural conditions allow it to grow normally, your plant should from that point forward start producing healthy growth. It can't 'repair' the damaged growth, though that will eventually be shed and forgotten as the plant grows. What you're seeing is probably the result of an ongoing shedding process that may well have been instigated by conditions that affected the plant even before you acquired it. Your very best coursed of action is to make a good plan that A) ensures good root health B) takes advantages the plants more robust periods and makes allowances for when the plant would be better off without extra human generated stress C) has you ensuring cultural conditions in the area of light, temperature, and nutrition that subject the plant to the lowest level of stress you can comfortably manage. Fortunately, these things are much easier than they sound, but it's not realistic to expect to see the results of your efforts in a month or two. Choose a course, stick by it, be patient. If the course is a good one, your plant will cooperate. If it's not, it will let you know. Al

Hello! I just got a Fiddle Leaf couple of weeks ago from a nearby nursery.. and I guess its my mistake for not checking when I bought it.. but I had it repotted in a pot and when I got home, noticed that it was planted in the new pot crooked.. I think the plant is doing just fine, but I'm worried that in the long run, it will not grow straight. If anyone has any advice on what I should do - reposition it straight? leave it alone? please let me know! anything will help! In the photo, the tree trunk is all the way at the edge of the pot and kind of looks like it was planted in the pot slanted.. Behind it there is a supporting stick that came with the plant when I bought it. Thank you :)