Thank you! I did think leaves only grow at the top but couldn't confirm it anywhere. I was looking for a book on ficus but can't find any one of those bumps grew just above a leaf I had to remove so I was wondering but wanted to be sure thank you again!

My pleasure. Best luck.

Al

Hi Tapla, need your advice on my ficus lyrata.

I bare rooted it, trimmed the J root and excess, trim the top branches, and potted in 5:1:1. The plant actually seems to be doing well, new shoots came out at the joint where i chopped as well as 2 back buds.

However, all these new shoots dried up within few days of appearing. The biggest and most mature one just dropped off 2 days back. I'm really puzzled. I didn't change the location.

It receives indirect sun from morning to 3, direct sun from 4 to 630pm. It's "summer" now here, and I only water when the top 3 inches of soil is dry.

I tried flushing twice already, and used diluted fertiliser in the range of 10:3:3 with secondary and micronutrients. No visible pests or infection.

What could be wrong? Thanks in advance!

So you repotted it and the 2 buds you mentioned dried up how long after the repot? I notice you live in Singapore. What ingredients did you use to make the 5:1:1 mix? Were CHCs or coir a primary soil ingredient?

While I wait for your reply, let me mention that leaf axils and the area immediately above (leaf) bundle scars (scar left where a leaf was shed) is capable of producing more than a single bud. This is a good way for the tree to be programmed in the event that a bud fails, but it's not unusual for more than one bud to pop in leaf axils of healthy Ficus.

Al

I actually repot in around October last year. It was the rainy season from Oct to Jan, and the plant didnt grow at all. However I was very pleased that no leaves dropped off.

No CHC.

Pine bark around 1cm, sphagnum peat and perlite. I flushed them once thoroughly and withhold my watering since there wasn't any visible growth and the pot took some time to dry up. It was Feb this year when I saw bud forming i was excited. Making sure the soil is dry before watering very weakly with fertilizer, of course until water seeps out from bottom.

Next few days, the bud dried up.

2nd time, same thing happened.SSO I flushed the medium thoroughly, then fertilised very weakly.

3rd time, I just observed and didnt do anything at all. 4 buds came out, 3 buds dried up within 3 days. The largest one was sprouting leaves and then it dropped as well.

This is the 4th time. Should I flush the potting medium and start all over again?

First, what's occurring is called 'bud blast', which can be broadly described as the aborting of buds before or so on after opening. Deficiencies of the immobile nutrients are a common cause. Major changes in the amount of light and water the plant is acclimated to, but over or under-watering can also be causal. Radical temperature, cold air from air conditioners or warm air from heat sources can either cause buds to be aborted, and night to day temperature changes can cause condensation within the bud sheath, which can cause the bud to rot. Chemicals/fumes from gas/diesel engines or ethylene gas from any source can cause bud blast. Aphids and thrips can feed on buds or cause infections that cause them to abort. Humidity too low or plants too close to supplemental lighting are often issues, as is chemical damage related to EC/TDS (salt levels). And sometimes, often infuriatingly, the issue is often idiopathic or remains obscure.

I think directing your prophylactic efforts toward maintaining those cultural practices the plant approves of, particularly soil moisture levels, temperature, and fertility. Make sure the fertilizer you're using includes all nutrients essential to normal growth. If you have any suspicions that water/condensation in buds might be an issue, first, don't mist or spray the foliage with water. After the bud erupts, you can try carefully peeling back the bud sheath, which will help prevent water or condensation from causing rot issues. If you find aphids/thrips, treat appropriately.

I can't be more specific w/o seeing the plant. Often, though, in cases like this and given a list of potentialities, the grower is able to eliminate a goodly number of possibilities and concentrate on the more likely of the causes.

This question comes up quite frequently, so I think I'll save this reply as a word document and use it in threads that might benefit from the info.

Good luck! ~ Al

Yes sir! I will roll up my sleeves and try to eliminate the possibilities one by one. There are 2 pots of Lyrata next to this repotted, can use them as baseline reference...

Will provide update soon, thanks Al

..... most welcome.

Al