Help! Black leaves...

21 years ago

Hi -

I think I already know the answer to this - but, sadly, despite my efforts my ficus trees are not doing well at all. One looks dreadful - weak, spindly branches, the leaves are thin and yellow....? I thought that was a sign of over-watering, but I followed the directions from the nursery...

The others are now turning black. They look awful. I have managed to salvage one of them - and I think that is because it is somewhat is the shade, between the house and the neighbors, so not in direct sunlight. The other 3 I have 2 by the walls in the rear yard, and one at the side (somewhat shaded). Their leaves are just awful - black and basically look rotten.

SO - help! What is happening here, and what can I do to save them. I am new to AZ gardening, and so far I have been a miserable failure. My desert landscaping is covered in that small spreading weed-like stuff. I pick it up - it's kinda sticky, but within weeks it is back again. The other neighbors don;t seem to have the this problem.....

Help!!

BooBoo

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Comments (4)

Garden_trolip
21 years ago
Well, I can tell ya when my Ficus start turning yellow it's because I have been remiss in my watering duties. I up the water and they slowly recover ;) The black leaves? No
idea :(
aztreelvr
21 years ago
Does the spreading sticky weed have milky sap if you break a piece? If so you are dealing with Prostrate Spurge. It produces billions of seeds that sprout periodically during the warm months creating a booming population. Even if you pick the weeds, the seeds left behind will sprout.

To manage them, pick what you can and then spray a pre-emergent. These products prevent seeds from sprouting but don't affect anything that is already growing. You'll need to do this twice a year, in September and March.

As for your ficus, you didn't mention how you have been watering so far. These trees are not grown locally (as some nurseries would have you believe), but are shipped in from California, etc. The growing mix they use isn't compatible with our soils and climate so they require extra care here. If you end up replacing these trees, you may want to choose a variety that is better adapted.

Ask your local city water conservation office for the free guide called Landscape Watering by the Numbers. It explains drip irrigation and how to water trees, shrubs, groundcovers and turf. It also has a schedule for newly installed plants to get them off to a great start.

Here is a link to a list of cities (and other suppliers) where you can find this booklet.

Here is a link that might be useful: City water conservation offices
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booboomoomoo
Original Author
21 years ago
HI - thanks for the ideas.

Yes - the weed is sticky, and yes - it is everywhere . UGH. I will need to get some pre-emergant for sure!

I always thought yellow leaves was a sign of over-watering??? The black leave s- I just don;t know. We have no drip on them, I do it by hand. So - honestly - I probably haven't been as regular as I should have been.

Boo
Pagancat
21 years ago
Yellow leaves *can* be a sign of overwatering, but it can also be a sign of sunburn, disease, herbicide overspray or natural leaf death. All sorts of stressors will appear as yellowing leaves.

The suggestion to get "water by the numbers" is good; until you get it, you might want to check our FAQs, some of the same info is contained there.
HTH!