You shouldn't have separated them if you suspected cold damage. Doing so will just stress then out even more because I'm sure some roots were damaged.

After more research over the past couple of days I've realized that it wasn't the best idea to separate and repot them at that time. But as that is already done, any actual advice would be appreciated.

Give them light, warmth and make sure you don't over water. Only water when the soil feels dry at the drain hole. Don't let them sit with water in the saucer and don't fertailze for the time being.

First, the entity you bought them from should have known better than to ship them if chill injury was a potential issue, so there is a good chance you could be refunded part or all of your purchase price, though you also bear a part of the responsibility for ordering at this time of year. Most sellers would rather have happy customers and would gladly reimburse you so you might buy from them again and not have a reason to let everyone within earshot know about your situation.

There isn't much you can do but wait to see how the plant handles the setback. "Give them light, warmth and make sure you don't over water" is good advice - particularly the "don't over-water" part, as the plant will be particularly susceptible to excess water in the root zone at this point. I'd just allow the plant to do its thing. I wouldn't remove leaves or add any "tonics" or fertilizer. If leaves become net users of energy rather than net producers, chemical messengers will tell the plant to shed those leaves. If the leaves aren't so badly damaged that the plant cannot "harvest" mobile/useable biocompounds from the leaves, leave the leaves on the tree until they dry up. If you remove any leaves, you should use a pair of scissors to cut through the petiole (leaf stem) somewhere between where the attachment points to the leaf and the trunk or branch. The stub will fall off on its own.

Maintaining trees in a container for the long term requires something of a plan and some effort along that long term path. I think the following two links will provide a good basic understanding of how to keep your plant in fine fettle for as long as you are tending to its needs.

About the cultural wants of Ficus in containers. The cultural wants of F lyrata are essentially the same as benjamina.

Maintain trees in pots for the long haul.

A basic overview might also be of interest, since you're an admitted beginner. It can help you avoid the most common 'issues' all container gardeners face at some point in their journey toward a green thumb.

Al

Al, I hope the universe rewards you with all the good karma you've built up. :)

Hi Al,

Thank you for your reply. This is a new a growing interest for me. I've been doing as much research as I can; I hope to improve on my non existent knowledge and be able to care for these (and other) plants for the long haul. I've read much of what you've written on other threads and although much of it was over my head, I was actually hoping to hear from you specifically. I appreciate you taking the time to help such a beginner.

As you said, I really should have waited until the warmer months to order them. There were numerous reviews by others who had also placed orders in the cold months and received gorgeous and thriving plants, so I was naively hopeful. I did contact the seller and received a refund. But I still would like revive these plants!

I read through the links your provided and feel so much more enlightened!

When I went to buy new soil before fully repotting the plants I was advised by the sales associate to use a mix of half miracle gro African violet soil (I don't know why) and half standard miracle gro potting mix. After reading about the importance of the aeration of the soil to the overall health of the plant in the link that you provided, I'm now worried that this was most probably an ill advised mix! One soil seems to retain more water than the other. Since the plants aren't doing well as it is, repotting once again with a more suitable soil probably won't be advisable again until June/July as suggested in the link. So in the mean time, I should be careful, and water them in two doses (?) only when the soil is dry through to the bottom, and just try to keep them in the most sunlight during the day as possible until they start to perk up?

Stars - what a nice thing to say! Thank you for taking the time to share the kind wish.

S - helping others get more from there growing experience seems to me to be a natural extension of my own growing experience. It's always rewarding to learn that something I wrote or suggested has made a difference. If ever you find you don't understand something, ask for an explanation. If we have a feel for your level of experience, we can adjust how we present advice so you can follow what we're saying and so you'll understand why the advice is given in a particular situation. It's always better to depend more on knowledge than experience. When you approach growing in that way, you are able to use your experience to validate what you've already learned, and it takes knowledge to appropriately interpret your observations. Forum pages often overflow with misinterpretations someone made up as explanations for their observations, resultant of a lack of understanding what they were seeing.

I think "Since the plants aren't doing well as it is, repotting once again with a more suitable soil probably won't be advisable again until June/July as suggested in the link. So in the mean time, I should be careful, and water them in two doses (?) only when the soil is dry through to the bottom, and just try to keep them in the most sunlight during the day as possible until they start to perk up?" is probably the best plan. If you can water with rain water, snow melt, water from a R/O filtration system, you can water in sips to avoid salt build-up and excess water retention. There really isn't anything else you can do to ensure the plants have a better chance at recovery than what you outlined, other than maybe keeping humidity up around the 50-60% mark if you have a warm spot where that is possible.

Good luck. It's always rewarding to pull a plant back from the brink, I would like to see you fare well in that effort.

Al

Al is great.

I feel like I can actually help people (to a small degree), just by what I've learned from him. I've also learned how to take care of my own plants better than I ever thought possible.

He goes far and beyond most.

Thank you so much Al! Such wonderful insight. I love the way you advocate for keeping plants healthy by understanding and meeting their cultural needs first in order to give the plant the best chance of defense against issues arising in the first place vs trying to address individual issues as they arise. Thinking about the whole health of the plant from the ground up makes so much sense. So simple and not something some people give much thought to. I'm excited to research which plants I'd like to grow, learn about their needs, and then start my own container garden come spring. So fascinating. I definitely see a new hobby in my future! It's addicting.

I was worried that as the plants hadn't received any water (aside from the single cup of water I gave them after repotting) in the five days they were in my care, and at least the three they spent shipping to me, that on top of the cold damage they could probably use some water. I watered them in two doses as I had read in your link, but hadn't seen the rain water or snow melt suggestion, so just used tap water. I'll use snow melt brought to room temp moving forward.

I've been keeping them in as much sunlight during the day as I can. I removed the two wilted spinach looking leaves from the top of the unhealthiest looking plant the way you described, and the next two down have really brightened up and relaxed, which is an improvement... Although - many of the other leaves that are dark, but flat, have started drying out and curling into themselves. Would you think this is from the cold damage?

Also, on the subject of soil - I know you said not to repot until June, but just to be informed and prepared... do these items look right? And if so, how much should I buy for the two plants in ten inch pots and a third in an 8/10 inch pot? I had added a layer of river stones to the bottom of the pots I have now to help with drainage, but I see now that is extraneous when you have the right ratio of well aerated soil.

Did you feel the soil at the drain hole or feel a couple inches down into the soil? As it was said, they're not going to be using or needing too much water right now. Just be very careful about not over watering.

As far as pine bark, check locally first. I love the agway pine mulch. It's 3 cubic feet for $6.

Gritty mix, have you ever used it? I think you should find a plant you don't care so much about and test with the gritty mix so you can completely get a feel for it before you just go and repot these in June. I'm sure it'll be great for them, but even when I switched from a store bought MG mix to the 5:1:1, it took a lot of getting used to and I had to re learn how to water plants. I personally feel the 5:1:1 is a great balance for me and my plants. There are times that I'm away for a couple weeks and have to rely on someone to come water, i just don't know Id trust them with gritty and they may not be able to come over that often.

Just some things to think about. I try to always do what's best for my plants, and I know they'd love gritty, but honestly, I'm not sure it would work for me. Plus, 5:1:1 is easy to find and insanely cheap. I really like it and plan on sticking with it.

Andy,

I did feel a couple of inches down, and I was concerned because the mix of soil that I used isn't balanced well. Part of it was bone dry and part of it was sort of moist in uneven areas. The top leaves on one plant look better than any have since I've gotten it, so I'm hopeful that it helped a little. But the bottom leaves seem to be drying out further. At this point there are multiple problems that could be causing that, and the whole thing is sort of a debacle, haha.

I'll look for the agway pine mulch, that sounds great.
I've never used gritty mix before, I appreciate the perspective you gave on it! As I'm starting out fresh without any pre established habits here I think I'll be able to adapt to it. I'm also a stay at home parent with another baby coming in early April, so I won't be taking any long trips anytime soon. And if we do, both of my neighbors on both sides are enthusiastic gardeners and would gladly water the way I would ask them to! I've done so for them in the past also. : )

I meant Dave! Not Andy! I'm SO sorry. Pregnancy brain!!

Sounds like you're on the right path. And I do hope the trees recover!

both gritty and 5:1:1 are great mixes. One, or both will definitely suit you! But as I said, play around with them a little beforehand so you can get accustomed to how much water they hold.

Can you explain 5:1:1 mix to me? And what kind of plant would you recommend testing with the gritty on? I gladly will.

Is it 5 parts pine bark mulch, one part turface, one part grit?

5:1:1 is 5 parts pine bark, 1 part peat, one part perlite and a little lime. You can fine tune it for plants that may like more of a moist or dry soil.

For instance, I have a Schefflera in a terra cotta pot. Since the pot itself wicks away moisture, I did a 5:2:1 mix (5 parts pine bark, 2 parts peat, 1 part perlite).

Even with 2 parts peat, that plant, in. 12" pot, needs a full flush of water about every 3 days. The mix dries pretty fast.

And id test something I didn't care much about. Maybe something small that's only a few $$ from lowes.

Also, when you change mixes, you need to remove all of the old soil. Not just pull the soil mass out of the pot and fill the bottom and sides with a different mix.

When doing so, you either need to be fast, or keep misting the roots. They will dry out and die if exposed for too long.

My all means, the gritty mix is great and many love it. I am by no means trying to steer you away from it. I'm just sharing my personal experience with the 5:1:1.

Hmmmm....5:1:1 mix? Maybe not what I meant. Not sure if that's the same as Al's Gritty Mix but I used Al's Gritty Mix recipe: 1 part screened pine bark (1/8-1/4"), 1 part poultry grit and 1 part Turface. I got a 50lb bag of Turface at a local lawn supply company for $13. The pine bark I had to order online from a Bonsai supply store and it was pricey. I imagine I will be able to find some at Walmart in the spring though and will stock up then. The poultry grit was pricey too but I'm on the lookout for a more economical source. Hope that helps!

5:1:1 and the gritty mix are in fact two different mixes.

Dave - I went to Agway yesterday to scope out materials for the 5:1:1 mix. They had all that I would need at a great price - but the pine bark mulch was being stored out back and I didn't want to ask the sales person to lug out a 40/50 lb bag yet, as I don't need it until spring. So I wasn't able to look at the size of the mulch. Does it require any extra filtering before mixing? I asked him if there were different sizes and he seemed to think that the mulch came in one size.

The two bags I recently picked up, I didn't filter. As I was mixing the soil, I would just pick out the few larger pieces or the few prices of sapwood I found. There really wasn't much of either.

these photos are of the unfiltered mix. You can see there are not many larger pieces or sapwood. It was almost good to go from the bag.

Perfect! Thank you Dave! I picked up another fiddle leaf plant from a nursery, and my is she pretty! I'll be going back on Monday to get this little beauty as well. The nursery had a whole section for ficus, and when asked, the sales woman said they make their own mix there. She recommended that I buy a 12" pot for the tree, and said that they will repot it for me right then before I take it home. How often do they need a total soil refresh? Should I choose a clay pot, as I've read they wick the moisture from the soil, or will a more decorative one be fine with adequate drain holes?

I'm also going to buy a jade plant and buy a clay pot for it there before I take it home.

Great looking tree! Do you know what type of soil they'll be using to repot it?

with the 5:1:1 or gritty, terra cotta pots will probably dry the mix out too fast. I find they work best for something like a 3:1:1 production mix.

I do have a Schefflera in a terra cotta pot, so used more peat for that mix to balance out the wicking.

Which ever pot you choose, I'd avoid any that have a built in saucer. Those are so annoying to water.

ps, that's a nice looking ficus benjamina directly behind the ficus lyrata.

When I asked she just said its "their own mix" and that it's well aerated. I didn't want to press her further and annoy her, haha. Or maybe she didn't know the exact mix so she couldn't be more specific. Anyway, I'll just get a porcelain/ceramic pot with a detached draining tray (thanks for the heads up), and plan on repotting the three flf bushes I have come spring in the 5:1:1 and leaving the tree for the season.

And I was actually looking for a ficus benjamina when I found that little lyrata behind it, and it stole my heart! She said its a variety with smaller leaves than a normal lyrata. I'll be interested to see how it grows up! I might buy a benjamina come spring. This nursery is amazing. They had four ficus lyrata that were so healthy, 12' and taller. Very impressive.

I know you don't want to be a bother, but I'd ask to see what there mix looks like. If it's really heavy on peat, it'll just be a waste of their time to repot, well, they'll probably just pot up, because you'll end up having to do it again anyway.

I may get a FLF one day, but right now, the different variations of the benjamina (escpeially the Monique) and the Alii are my all time favorite ficus to grow.

See if they'd let you take a cutting from a benjamina. They're easy to root and you could grow a tree yourself!

not to get too off topic, but here's a pic of a cutting from my 6 foot ficus. The next pic is less then a year after! I cut it back heavily though. It probably had 60 leaves on it before the pruning. It'll fill out this summer when it's outside.

Alright, I'll ask and just be more direct with my first question. And yes, they're repotting and potting up because I'd have to do it anyway. The tree is in a 10" pot right now that it's just about outgrown, or will in the near future. I think this tree is so perfect, I'd rather have them do it than risk hurting it by doing it myself. I don't trust myself yet! I'll keep experimenting in my two little sickly guys (poor things!) and build my confidence that way before taking on a full repot of a perfect tree!

Taking a cutting of a ficus benjamina is a GREAT idea! I will certainly do that. Propagating is going to throw me into a whole new realm here. Looks like I'll be spending my weekend doing more research!

Ficus cuttings are EASY to root. I think you'll have fun with that.

to be clear, are they repotting or potting up? Repotting involes removing all of the old soil around the roots, sometimes root pruning and adding fresh soil. Potting up just means to remove from its old pot, place the root mass and all of the old soil in a new pot and just fill the bottom and sides with fresh soil.

If the tree is rootbound, repotting would be best. I'd ask which they're going to be doing.

I don't always put a lot of trust into the people who work at nurseries. I've heard many of them give terrible advice. That's not to lump all of them into that category though.

I feel the same way about mechanics, too. So I do all my own work on my vehicles. Maybe I'm just that way with everything. Haha.

I believe they are totally repotting in fresh medium. When I was asking the woman I spoke with about the soil they use there, she told me that the tree is in the soil it arrived in, and that their own soil (the nursery's) for ficus is well aerated and appropriate for the tree. She then said that if I were to buy a pot there she would recommend going up a size to a 12" and that they would do the repot for me. Which I assumed meant that they would completely change out the medium. I was aware of the difference between the terms, but I'm glad that you brought it to my attention again so that I can make sure they're doing a full repot. I would have assumed they would know not to mix the two soils, but it would be better to play it safe and make sure they're doing the whole shebang.

I see what you mean about the advice potentially being bad at times though. I think it depends on who you're talking to, just like at a mechanic. The woman seemed to be the owner or at least in charge of the ficus area. Although, when I was looking at the variegated jade plants (I've been researching and preparing to bring one of those home as well) a young man approached me and started talking about their care and pruning. He then told me to prune any all white leaves, and to leave the fully green ones. Which I know to be backwards advice, as the fully green ones don't revert back to being variegated!