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Got a new fiddle-leaf fig, something going on with it, unsure of cause

3 years ago

Hi Everyone, I recently got a fiddle-leaf fig for my apartment which is warm, bright and I keep a humidifier in the room , try to control the environment as much as possible with the heating vents and lack of fresh air (during Canadian Winter).

The plant is showing signs of distress, perhaps its more than that and its infected from root to top but I'm unsure about the possible cause. See the pictures for possible reaction the tree has.

Appreciate any advice or tips. Thanks!

Could these be bugs or insect eggs like spider mites?

This is the one concerning me most, it's turning to ash, spreading inwards.

Is the root rotten? or does it need to be re-potted? watered it only once so far, I've had the plant for 7 days now.

It gathered little dark brown spots few days back and are proliferating now. The leaf itself is curling, like cringing inwards.

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Comments (8)

Trem Wills
3 years ago
Following to see if you get any answers. I’m having a similar issue :/
I repotted as mine looked exactly like yours with the roots at the top exposed and I wanted to check for root rot (none) but the two top leaves still seem to be drying up.
JoJo (Nevada 9A)
3 years ago
I'm not an expert on this particular plant, but your container looks too small for the height of the tree and full of roots. I can see that the roots are circling on top, which means they are "girdled." Girdled roots cut off the flow of water and nutrients between the roots and the top of the plant. It means the pot is too small -- the roots can't spread in this small pot, so they need to be pruned and the plant needs to be moved to a larger container with fresh potting mix. After it recovers a bit, you need to start fertilizing it on a regular basis.
Related Discussions
New Fiddle Leaf Fig, should I repot/root prune???
Q
Comments (5)
NO plant likes root congestion. There are times when root congestion might serve the grower because it has an effect on the plant the grower likes, but that isn't a clear indicator the plant will like it. Tight roots cause stress and all sorts of physiological problems for all plants. It reduces growth, branch extension, and leaf size. It limits vitality and caused the shedding of older leaves proximal (closer to the trunk) to growing branch tips (apices). If anyone tells you that a particular plant prefers to be root bound w/o explaining what they really mean is some growers like to maintain a particular plant in root bound conditions, they're wrong. If "some plants" really did prefer root bound conditions, Mother Nature would surely have arranged the plant's genetics so it grew tight little masses of roots right under the stem ..... but we know there are no plants that naturally occur that way. That said, your plant probably isn't in any immediate danger that pertains to root congestion. You're better to suffer the limitations the plant is now growing under for a while in exchange for a more opportune time to repot, which for you would be next June. Plants have natural rhythms, during which their energy levels wax and wane. For major work, like repotting (which includes root pruning), it's best to ask the plant to endure the added stress of repotting or rejuvenation pruning when its energy levels are at peak - not now when they are at or approaching their lowest levels of the entire growth cycle. If you haven't read it, the link below should be very helpful. If you are wondering about repotting and how to maintain trees in containers for the long haul, this link offers lots of guidance. Al Here is a link that might be useful: Lots more info
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New Fiddle Leaf Fig - brown spotting & yellowing leaves
Q
Comments (0)
Hello! I'm new to the forums, but I got such excellent help regarding one of my orchids that I'm returning. I just found this 5'9 fiddle leaf fig for sale at the local second hand shop for 29$, and I couldn't resist. I've just discovered this forum, and I've read about the importance of soil composition and the difference of a true repot vs just moving to a larger pot, and a lot of other things. So a bit of a lightbulb moment. Now I'm asking if you think my plan for this fig will work. The situation: The leaves are looking a bit dry and some are also a little yellow. The pot looks like someone bought it and never changed pot or soil at all. It looks very root bound. I can't discern any bugs or other kind of disease, as far as I can tell anyway. I have not taken it out of the pot yet, so I don't know the exact root situation. My home at the moment unfortunately has rather small windows, and I'm not sure the light will be enough, but perhaps if I can make everything else close to perfect, it will work? We will change windows in a couple of months though, so perhaps that will make a difference. My plan: I'm going out to buy some ingredient for Al's 5-1-1 mix as I'm not sure I, or the plant, is ready for a gritty mix. I've found a larger ceramic pot (with draining holes, of course) for it, and will repot. But, should I trim the roots? And if I do, should I prune the plant in order for the root system to be able to care for the remaining leaves? My dream vision is a healthy plant with a thick trunk and several branches, so I'll need to trim at some point. Were/How high should I trim? Or should I wait with the trimming? And how do I encourage the top to root? Lots of questions, now here's some pictures
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Please help my Fiddle leaf Fig. Don't want to loose it.
Q
Comments (4)
Hi, **Definitely get it away from the AC vent ASAP! The cold/dry air is not good for the plant. I've read stories of FLF losing all leaves due to proximity to vents.** 1. Don't water it again until the soil looks very dry. The timing of watering varies for each individual plant/situation. For reference, I water thoroughly once every three weeks or so. But for you, don't water until you can feel into the soil maybe an inch deep and it feels bone dry. 2. Unless you see signs of infestation, don't worry about it. The leaves with brown spots may be just shocked or unhappy, not infested. I had old leaves with brown, dry portions too, and they never affected the new leaves once the plant got happy again. 3. Keep away from the vent! FLF don't like being moved much, but moving to the north-facing window with less light is, to me, the lesser of two evils. 4. Don't worry about that too much, the older leaves fold and get crunchy sometimes. FLF like humidity, so maybe the older leaves were responding to dry air. Your newer leaves look good though. 5. Yes, misting the plant can help if the air is dry. I've got mine in a humid climate, so I've never used a mister. Maybe do a search to see how often people recommend. Or, look into a humidifier. 6. I would think a south-facing window is the best, and I have mine in a SE facing window and it's doing fantastic. But if you can't keep it in that spot without being next to the vent, I'd definitely move it away from that vent even if you have to give it less sun. Hope that helps!
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something is going wrong with my fiddle leaf fig
Q
Comments (2)
Leaves shed due to any of several potential causes. Older leaves shedding is often from a decrease in light levels that occurred in the not too distant past, nutritional deficiencies of the mobile nutrients in particular (N, P, K, Mg mainly), root congestion, a high level of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil solution, or root congestion are the most common causes. Chill, and especially sudden chill is also causal when we get into the colder months. Though it might initially seem strange, a drought response from over-watering or under-watering is also a major cause of shedding. Over-watering inhibits the plant's ability to take up water; this, due to an insufficient supply of oxygen needed to drive the uptake process. When we over-water, the plant's chemical messengers tell plant central that it better initiate the survival mechanism of acting to limit respirational water loss by shedding leaves. Make sure you're monitoring moisture levels carefully with something other than your finger. It's much more important to have an idea of what moisture conditions are deep in the pot than an inch or two below the surface, and to withhold water until the soil is nearly dry. Using a wooden dowel as a 'tell' is very effective. If you want me to post something I wrote a while back about using a 'tell', tell me and I'll hop to it. Al
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Travis in PHX (9b)
3 years ago
Agreed, those roots are way too big for that pot. Either root prune or up pot. You said it's a new tree? Whoever sold that was not taking good care of it.
Fatima Shoaib
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Would you recommend repotting it in winter time & when its showing serious signs of trauma? if yes, could you also guide a little bit on repotting, I dont want to get it wrong.
JoJo (Nevada 9A)
3 years ago
I went to youtube.com, typed "repotting fiddle leaf fig" and got tons of videos to watch. I think it's easier than describing it here. Your tree is really struggling and girdled roots are pretty much a death sentence for a tree, so I would do it as soon as possible.
Travis in PHX (9b)
3 years ago
Yes, may not be an ideal time to repot, but your tree is showing serious signs of stress and will likely be worse off if you don't repot.
Fatima Shoaib
Original Author
3 years ago
Do you also suggest I prune the leaves turning ash and brown? or just repot it for now?
Travis in PHX (9b)
3 years ago
I would leave them for now. The green parts are still photosynthesizing, and the tree will discard them when they are no longer helping. You could remove them if they bother you, but that may cause additional stress on the tree.

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