Just got a new fiddle leaf fig a few days back, noticing red spots

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

I got a new fiddle leaf fig plant a few days ago. It has these spots, which are maybe inconsistent watering, or some infection? I've only watered it once when I brought it home (and soil was pretty dry), and have misted the area around a couple of times. It sits here in front of a south-facing window in SF. Any ideas, is this normal for a new plant as it adjusts to a new spot?

Comments (3)

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Weaver Home Photography
3 years ago
I've had good luck with neem oil as a treatment for brown spots on plants. Better yet, take a leaf into your local nursery so that they can diagnose the problem and suggest the appropriate treatment. Good luck!
Sara Malone Zone 9b
3 years ago
This plant is native to tropical rainforest (in western Africa). It is adaptive, but not comatose. It looks fine, and in dry, indoor air you will have to expect some crisping. It should be just fine.
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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
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Hi Dave, I actually tried the moisture meter with tap water, and it gave me a 10. I read somewhere that the metal probe must be cleaned thoroughly (e.g., using steel wool) if the meter gives drastically incorrect readings. But in any case, I did try the finger test, and the top inch felt dry, but the inch below felt damp -- when I took out my finger, some dirt was stuck on my finger. I checked for pests, but didn't see any. But I will probably give it another look later.
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Hi Dave, where can I buy the 5-1-1 mix? My fiddle leaf is in this same state, and like Al always says- I could continue to try to water with improper soil and fight that battle, or I could use soil I know will let me water/drain properly and rest easier knowing my roots are healthy and in good soil. I potted up a month ago but am thinking I'll just repot in fresh, good soil I know will be good for my roots, and then make sure to be on a good watering cycle from there. I just hate to think my poor fiddle is sitting in wet soil it can't handle while the top half is bone dry. I'd like to do it ASAP seeing as it's getting past the recommended time/season for reporting and potting up. Idk, what do you think?
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Darn, I thought the pot was just the right size. My plan today was to do a full repot with the new mix. I'm very nervous but at this rate, don't want to risk waiting until next season to do anything and watch all these beautiful leaves turn black and fall off. I've never done anything like this before, so please let me know based on my plan if I should change anything- my plan was to go get materials today. Use black gold potting soil I showed you yesterday Use this perlite soil to add in Use this reptibark for the bark portion. Buy this sieve to separate any fine dust or particles that could get into the mix and cause it to be too compacted. My plan was to get ingredients today and then this evening work on combining them. Once I know my mixture is good, do the repot tomorrow morning/afternoon as I don't want to do anything late into the day since I figure that could cause more stress. I planned on having my husband help me take him out of the pot and to flush out all the current soil outside with a garden hose (my one reserve to this is the water could be too cold?) once everythjng is cleared, bring him inside and place him into a bathtub with lukewarm water (id prep it first to avoid dry roots) and then inspect to see if I need to snip any rotting roots away meanwhile I will have my husband wash out his plot completely so the root rot is not in there anymore. (But if you think I need a new pot will just do that) fill pot up with some of the mixture, place root ball in, fill remaining with mixture. Perhaps give the pot a little toss/shake to ensure that roots are not crushed and that the mixture makes its way evenly through the system. move him to a more sunny area, at least for the time being... There really aren't more places in our house that get more light than this one, it does get a lot brighter after about 12 o clock in here and in the evening the sun comes in a lot stronger (but not directly on his leaves which is nice) so I might move him back here to see if it works okay with a better soil/root system. Thoughts? Are the ingredients for my mix okay? Anything I should know when repotting? I don't want to hurt him further
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
3 years ago
The brown spots are symptoms of a physiological disorder called oedema/edema, which is almost always primarily driven by over-watering. BTW - It would have occurred before the plant came to be under your care. I'll leave something I wrote about oedema below.

Oedema

Oedema is a physiological
disorder that can affect all plants. It occurs when the plant takes
up more water than it can rid itself of via the process of
transpiration. The word itself means 'swelling', which is usually the
first symptom, and comes in the form of pale blisters or water-filled
bumps on foliage. Under a variety of circumstances/cultural
conditions, a plant's internal water pressure (turgidity) can become
so high that some leaf cells rupture and leak their contents into
inter-cellular spaces in leaf tissue, creating wet or weepy areas.
Symptoms vary by plant, but as the malady progresses, areas of the
leaf turn yellow, brown, brown with reddish overtones or even black,
with older damage appearing as corky/ scaly/ ridged patches, or
wart/gall-like bumpy growth. Symptoms are seen more frequently in
plants that are fleshy, are usually more pronounced on the underside
of leaves, and older/lower leaves are more likely to be affected than
younger/upper leaves.

Oedema is most common in
houseplants during the winter/early spring months, is driven
primarily by excessive water retention in the soil, and can be
intensified via several additional cultural influences. Cool
temperatures, high humidity levels, low light conditions, or partial
defoliation can individually or collectively act to intensify the
problem, as can anything else that slows transpiration. Nutritional
deficiencies of Ca and Mg are also known contributors to the malady.

Some things that can help you
prevent oedema:

* Increase light levels and
temperature

* Monitor water needs
carefully – avoid over-watering. I'd heartily recommend a soil with
drainage so sharp (fast) that when you to water to beyond the
saturation point you needn't worry about prolonged periods of soil
saturation wrecking root health/function. Your soil choice should be
a key that unlocks the solutions to many potential problems.

* Avoid misting or getting
water on foliage. It slows transpiration and increases turgidity.

* Water as soon as you get up
in the AM. When stomata close in preparation for the dark cycle,
turgidity builds. If you water early in the day, it gives the plant
an opportunity to remove (for its own needs) some of the excess water
in the soil.

* Put a fan in the room or otherwise increase air
flow/circulation. Avoid over-crowding your plants. Al

Just got a new fiddle leaf fig a few days back, noticing red spots

Comments (3)

Weaver Home Photography

Sara Malone Zone 9b

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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

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