Fiddle leaf fig brown spots - Am I over or underwatering?
greenhome192
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years agogreenhome192
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Ficus Lyrata (Fiddle Leaf fig) mysterious brown spots!!
Comments (4)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...See MoreFiddle Leaf Fig Tree help! Brown spots and soil turning white
Comments (0)I have a small Fiddle Leaf Fig tree that I treasure. I live in Australia and it's the beginning of winter however I have two new leaves sprouting on my plant. I noticed some very small brown dots running along the veins of the new leaves. Should I worry?? I've done a bit of research but found nothing concrete on what the problem could be or how to treat it. I've also noticed that the soil has started to turn white on the surface, around the edges. It does not appear to be crystalized or furry. Are these two issues related? The plant sits by a large window in my kitchen. I water it once a week and the soil is always Damp. Could I be over watering? Could the plant be too cold? I love my tree so any advise is much appreciated! I've uploaded some pictures for reference....See MoreFiddle Leaf Fig Brown Spots
Comments (6)Ugh!! MG moisture control is an evil root-suffocating substance! Don't feel bad; you were just trying to do right by your plants. Dave is exactly correct in every respect. You'll want to wait until June to repot because that's when the plant will have the greatest energy reserves to help it recover quickly--unless you're in the S. Hemisphere, in which case you'll probably repot in December (correct me if I'm wrong, Dave). Most of my plants are in the same moisture-retaining soil you use, so in order to get my babies in good shape for repotting I'm following these suggestions, which came from excellent sources: 1. First I flushed my plants ar (to wash out salts that had accumulated over several years) until the water coming out the bottom was clear. I let the pots drain until water stopped coming out, then reduced the PWT (perched water table, which is explained in Dave's second link) by propping the pots up at 45 degrees with blocks of wood until no more water came out. 2. I wait until the soil feels almost completely dry before watering again. To do that I push a sharpened dowel all the way to the bottom of each pot, and I don't water again until the dowel comes out so dry that it's not even cool against my wrist. 3. From now until June I'll water 'in sips' instead of soaking the pot until water runs out the bottom. Every month or so I'll flush the pot with a diluted fertilizer solution to remove the salts that build up from evaporation. I'm also giving them extra light because there's not enough here to keep them happy. Your ficus still looks good, so I think it will come back like gangbusters!...See MoreMature Fiddle Leaf Fig issues - Yellow veins, brown spots
Comments (8)I only have edible figs, but I see you have advised people with houseplant figs over and over that this forum is for edible figs. I started looking for where it says that, and don't see anything unless it's the word ficus. Up at the top where it says "This forum is for the discussion of figs, those plants of the genus Ficus." You might add edible in front of the word figs....See MoreUser
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agogreenhome192
5 years agoLantana zone 5b/6a
5 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
5 years agoREE Nova
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
5 years ago
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