Need help for a ficus lyrata :(

8 years ago

Hello everyone!

Really need some help for a new ficus lyrata that doesn't seem to be doing too well. Have had it for about 2 months. I'm from Singapore (tropical climate), but this plant is kept indoors in an air-conditioned environment, next to full length glass windows.

Air-conditioning is on for most of the day. We have had some issues with high humidity (approx. 80-85%) with the air-conditioning, but that has been resolved and it's closer to 60-70% humidity.

We were first advised by the nursery to water with half a glass of water every 4 days. But we soon felt that we were over-watering, as leaves started to fall. In particular, the tallest trunk (on the right hand side in the pic below) has lost almost all its leaves at the bottom. Many of the lower leaves of the other trunks have also started to droop slightly.

We're also seeing brown spots on the leaves, and that the green colour is not as dark as before. Also haven't seen any new growth.

It may not seem all that bad now, but we're hoping to stop any further damage/mistakes and prevent further leaf loss. Any help would be really appreciated!!

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Comments (5)

Dave
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Should always water as the plant needs it and never on a set schedule.

What type of soil are you using? Does the pot have drain holes?

while lengthy, the two posts below will help you a get a better understanding. The first being primarily about Ficus Benjamina. However, your Ficus Lyrata has the same exact cultural needs.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1476078/ficus-trees-in-containers-iv?n=223

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/2842847/container-soils-water-movement-and-retention?n=8

Lastly, you may not get much help in this section. This is for edible figs.
Julianne Tan thanked Dave
Julianne Tan
Original Author
8 years ago
Hi Dave,

Thank you so much for the advice. I'm not sure what type of soil has been used (bought it potted from the nursery), but the pot does not have drain holes. We've held off watering it on schedule, but as first-time plant owners, not watering it regularly is also giving us some anxiety.

will repost in the right section. Thank you!
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Dave
8 years ago
You need to get it in a pot with drain holes.

Or drill holes in the current pot.

I wouldn trust a single thing from that nursery as they told you to water it ever 4 days and put it in a pot without drain holes. That’s just silly.

The houseplant section would be best.
Samuel Ng
8 years ago
Hi Dave, I'm Julianne's partner.

You are right --I had my suspicions about that nursery all along. Never trust a nursery that does not know the difference between a strelitzia and a heliconia!

The strange thing is, I see many FLFs in corporate offices that sit in pots that look like they have no drainage holes at the bottom. Not sure how that works!
Dave
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Those that you see in office settings are most likely in catch pots. There would be another smaller pot inside with drainage holes. The outer pot you see is just for decoration.

Without holes, you can never water properly and also you can never flush out the soil. You’ll end up with build ups from water and fertilizer.

if you don’t mind, let’s continue this on the other thread your partner posted in the houseplants section. That way it’ll be less confusing.