@tapla/Dave: Ficus Lyrata rehab w/asymmetric growth
TL:DR Fiddle fig only produces new growth on one side. Need helping encouraging growth from the inactive branches.
[pictures below]
This one hopefully catches the eyes of some of the pro (i.e. tapla, Dave) cause I’ve seen some great insight that’s guided my rehab efforts so far.
Started this growing season hoping to stoke some growth out of my fiddle leaf fig that hasn’t put out new leaves since 2018 (only a few leaves). I diagnosed the problem as the plant being root-bound (also dropped about half the leaves in 2019 due to root rot), so I repotted with the 5:1:1 mix I’ve seen recommended and gradually transitioned it outside (mid-TN, zone 7a, approx. 6 hours of sun) in June. Immediately saw results (and a couple sunburns), but only on one side. I’ve tried loping back the inactive branches to about a half-inch above the first healthy leaf (a couple of times). Even tried a few rounds of notching in the direction that I desperately need new growth, but all to no avail. At this point, it’s in danger of teetering over because it’s leaning so far to one side (even stashed a heavy flat stone at the bottom of the new pot).
Any suggestions, insight or help would be gladly welcomed. Thanks.
Will
Taken in April before attempted rehab:
Taken two weeks ago:
Taken before posting:
Taken before posting (above):
Comments (11)
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
3 years agoWill Kingsley
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Funky Ficus
Comments (4)I know what you're seeing, even though I've never personally seen it myself in my own plants. At the end of vascular bundles on Ficus leaf margins and many other plants are stoma complex organs called 'hydathodes'. The guard cells of these hydathodes appear normal, but they are often unable to close under certain conditions. The process of plant sap that exits the hydathodes is called guttation. Any number of organic compounds that are dissolved in the water that exits these leaf openings leave various deposits on leaf surfaces - salt (in halophytes), sugars, carbonates/lime, latex ....... As unattractive as it appears, it's nothing to worry about unless you get mold or other kinds of fungaluglies growing on the secretion, which could reduce photosynthesizing ability. Water movement up the plant is energy driven, and reducing the canopy w/o reducing the roots can increase internal turgidity (water pressure). With nowhere for the excess water to go, it often leaks from the hydathodes and sometimes lenticels or other openings in the plant (stomata). Low light conditions, like successive cloudy days, and high humidity can exacerbate the occurrence. AL...See MoreFicus lyrata problem
Comments (55)Hey everyone ! So I need some help . I got this ficus lyrata bush about 2-3 weeks ago and it was perfectly green when I got it from homedepot . After a week I noticed some leafs turning brown on the edges and a bunch of tiny brown spots starting showing on the leafs . It gets a good amount of sunlight without being directly on it . I watered it maybe 1s a week when I top is dry but I don't think that's working too well . Only the bottoms leaves are turning brown . And one leaf towards the top starting curling . If I'm over watering it should I let the soul completely dry out before watering it again ? Should I remove the leaves on the bottom that are turning brown ? How can I tell if I'm over watering or under watering ?...See MoreFiddle Leaf Fig resuce
Comments (65)Well, while Al's away I'll just say that you've got a real Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde situation going on. It looks strange to see one side of your ficus have completely healthy leaves while a good portion of the other side is dying. It's almost like some of the branches are physically damaged or have a heavy bug infestation that hadn't spread to the rest of the tree. There's got to be a reason! Carefully examine all the branches for physical damage or bugs. It's hard to tell from photos, but are all the dying leaves on the same branch or branches, while all the healthy ones are on other branches? Do any of the branches have both healthy and damaged leaves on them? Also, have you confirmed what kind of bugs you have? You could just Google mealie bugs and scale to find pictures, or brace yourself against the wall or a chair to get a not-too fuzzy photo. Are the bugs all over the tree, or are they concentrated on the damaged part of it? I'm also concerned about water running right through a pot of water-retentive soil without soaking in. Does any water soak in? There are at least two reasons water might run through the pot without seeing the soil: your soil could be so peaty that it becomes hydrophobic when it's dry and won't accept water unless it's forced to, and/or the water is flowing through the gap that I think I see between the side of the pot and the soil. Which one sounds right to you? Before doing anything about any of this, check the soil moisture by pushing a disposable chopstick, wooden skewer, or sharpened dowel all the way through the soil to the bottom of the pot and waiting maybe 10 seconds. Then use the dry end to check another part of the pot. Is it moist or stained with soil when it comes out? Is one part of the pot dry while another is wet? If parts of the pot are dry while some is moist, immerse it in water up to the rim and keep it there long enough that no more air bubbles up, which might take quite a while. At that point the pot the pot should feel very heavy. Then drain the pot using the techniques you've been using. If the whole pot is at least a little moist, forget what I just said, check the soil daily, and wait to water until the first time the skewer/chopstick/dowel comes out completely clean and dry (don't worry, at that point there's enough moisture inside the soil particles that's accessible to the roots). This is important, because ficuses love drying out between watering. Sorry this is so long. I seem to be constitutionally incapable of writing a short post....See MoreAnother Ficus Lyrata 911
Comments (2)Can you give us a picture of the soil? It's really a matter of whether you'd rather try to save it or just let it sit there and die. Frankly it looks pretty bad (tapla/Al calls this 'circling the drain"), and it will take a while to recover even if you fix all the problems today, but I can say from personal experience that bringing a sick plant back to vibrant life is pretty satisfying. Here's a thread about sick plants that you should read to learn what's going on and what you can do to about it. The discussion is almost as good as the OP. As Dave said, suddenly exposing an indoor plant to intense sunshine could have caused this, in which case the solution is TLC, including protecting it from strong light until it recovers, along with getting soil moisture under control, putting it into a pot with a drainage hole in a soil that's well-aerated and fast-draining, and getting used to watering fully when the plant needs it instead of on a schedule. My guess is that the plant suffers from overwatering (roots suffocating, dying, and rotting in saturated soil due to lack of drainage or watering while the bottom of the pot is still wet) and underwatering (roots dying during periods when you forgot to water it for too long), and possibly some harmful mineral deposits that impair root function. At this point there aren't enough healthy roots to support the leaves, so the plant is shedding them in a desperate last-ditch effort to survive. Dave has more experience caring for plants than I do, so he'll be able to help you figure out what's going on; I'm not much more than an enthusiastic newbie who loves following success stories so much that she tries to persuade everyone to save their struggling plants!...See MoreWill Kingsley
3 years agoAl,
Here are some snaps I took this morning. Hopefully, this gives you a better idea of what exactly I need to do to get my FLF back in line.
A clearer shot of the actively growing branches:
Closer view of the inactive branches:
Close-up of the base of the tree (part flaring out to the right was an exposed root):
WillWill Kingsley
3 years agoWill Kingsley
3 years agoAl,
Was able to execute the first two changes, but I not sure how deep I should go digging for the root flare. Will the flare be pretty apparent or difficult to discern. Lots of the tiny, hair-like roots are tangled in the soil I was digging through, so I was unsure if it would be devastating to rip those out. Picture below to show you how far I got.
As for the other long branch, posting an isolated picture of that. And for the other small inactive branches, are those considered dead or are they set in their current condition?
Finally, will I be able to propagate either of the long branches I pruned off?
Will
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoWill Kingsley
3 years agoAwesome! Thank you so much for the guidance. Posting a few more pics to make sure I got it right.
In one, you can see the two long branches in the background. Have them sitting in a water bucket. Would it be possible/worth it to propagate them? I have some rooting hormone if that is the best route to go.
Will
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoWill Kingsley
3 years ago
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)