The Garden Helper

Helping Gardeners Grow Their Dreams since 1997.

No-dash-here, you've found The Real Garden Helper! Gardening on the Web since 1997

Indoor ficus lost all it's leaves!

Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2006
by Pat G on June 01, 2006 06:41 AM
Help! We've got a ficus (don't know the botanical name, sorry!)that is an indoor plant. It has always been an indoor plant due to our climate. It's about 4 ft tall and was very happy until about 6 months ago.

One by one all the leaves fell off! The branches were still pliable, we didn't change the watering and misting regimen and there are no bugs, so we thought it needed some fresh soil and a larger pot. We repotted it with fresh potting soil (careful not to damage the root ball that had formed), added a little plant food to the initial watering and continued to water and mist the bare branches.

I "get" that some plants get "shocked" by repotting.

New "sprouts" have appeared on other areas on the branches, but it is still looking very sad. Lots of twigs with not a whole lotta green. LOL!

Is the tree recovering? Should I prune anything? Some of the sprouts are popping out low on the tree. Should I pinch them off? Should I live and let live?

This plant was a gift to my fiance 8 years ago and we'd hate to lose it.

I'm MUCH better with a veggie garden than with indoor house plants.

Any suggestions?

Thanks so much!
by Jiffymouse on June 01, 2006 11:53 AM
if you are getting new sprouts, don't do anything else to it, it is starting to recover. it sounds like transplant shock which some varieties of ficus trees are prone to.
by Tonya on June 01, 2006 01:45 PM
I would offer my two cents worth, but I just killed my last ficus. I may try another someday, but for now...I'm focusing on outside! Good luck with yours!

* * * *
 -
 -
 - Bote and Babe's World
by preciousgreenfingers on June 01, 2006 08:46 PM
I killed one of mine as well by overwatering it. The other one is still there though!
by gardeningmomma on June 02, 2006 04:03 PM
Mine did that a few weeks ago- I had just re-potted it. I have new growth and it looks happier now. Hopefully yours will do the same.
by Amany on June 04, 2006 05:43 AM
I'm in awe of you folks that grow ficus plants and rubber trees. I think they're in the same family...??

I'm so discouraged by them that I think it will be a looooonnngg time before I ever attempt to keep one again. If ever. I've never lived with one that didn't drop its leaves.
by Jiffymouse on June 04, 2006 09:34 AM
they are the same family even though they look nothing alike. the proper names are ficus benjamina, (weeping fig is the most common name or just "ficus"), ficus elastica (rubber tree), and then there are the fiddle leaf figs (don't produce fruit, they are usually an ornamental house plant) and true "fig" trees that produce the figs you eat in fig newtons! and you wouldn't believe the number of varieties of those!!

Active Garden Forum



Search The Garden Helper: