new ficus alii,. losing leaves

8 years ago

I bought a large ficus alii about a month ago. It was in Florida and I had it shipped (through a local greenhouse) to Virginia.

It is about 12 feet tall, potted in a 19 inch pot. I have left it in the pot from the greenhouse.

It is currently losing leaves at a fast rate, and I want to make sure I am doing anything I can to save it. I spoke with my local salesman at the greenhouse and did not get a great answer. I was told that I should only water it about once a month. The threads here suggest a much more frequent need for watering.

I have been watering every 4-6 days. The top of the soil feels very dry (as deep as I can get my finger). I placed a chopstick in the soil and this feels slightly moist when I have been watering. I say slightly, because I am not sure if it is moist. It is very slightly cool to the touch.

When I water I fill with tepid water with a couple of pours until water comes out of the bottom.

The tree gets a lot of indirect light and a bit of direct light as the sun gets lower during the day. There is a overhang outside the window behind it.

I am hoping this is just leaf loss from the move, but??? Am I doing anything wrong?

thanks

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Comments (3)

Dave
8 years ago
If it came from a shadehouse in Florida and is now indoors, it’s going to lose a lot of leaves. That’s a huge decrease in light levels.

Use a sharpened wooden dowel stuck all the way to the bottom. If it comes out dark, damp and stained with soil, don’t water. Water when it comes out clean and dry.

You need to throughly water each time, so water comes out the drain hole. Discard any collected water. It would be easier to prop the tree a couple inches off the saucer.

The tree is going through a transition and isn’t using anywhere near as much water than if it was activity growing.
Laurie (8A)
8 years ago
I and many others find that to really feel the moisture on a dowel, place it on your cheek or the soft part of your arm above your palm. It really improves your ability to decipher between whether your feeling cool temps or moisture. Also, for me, I feel the moisture much more readily with actual dowels from hardware stores. Some chopsticks are good, just don't use those that feel like bamboo. Ficus are notorious to objecting to change, and complaining profusely. It could take a bit of time, but it will adjust.
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VIA Artisan
6 years ago
I was wondering if your focus adjusted. We just bought one that’s about 7 feet tall and is losing leaves as well. Ours was in a greenhouse at the nursery and in our house it’s in a room with a large skylight. It gets direct sunlight for a couple of hours and indirect light 6-8 hours now. We were told to water it every 2 weeks as someone stated until the water goes into the saucer and promptly removing the excess water. Thank in advance for any insight!