I’m not sure what you’re looking for from others.

A lot of Ficus Lyrata growers around here are new comers looking for advice and to learn.

most seem to have the same problems. Always watering issues, soil issues, light issues, etc.

im also not sure we need another Ficus Lyrata post especially when it doesn’t seem to have any direstion. There are plenty of FLF posts on here.

Oh, let him have his enthusiasm. He had a bumpy experience in the orchids forum & I’d hate for him to be discouraged from participating at all. Do we really “need” any threads here? And who decides?

Mike, keep us updated on how it goes. I don’t have a FLF but I like them.

Nothing wrong with enthusiasm. This part of the forum is just so flooded with the same FLF posts.

the goal of this thread is to unite everyone! anyway, so here’s the story. my local supermarket were selling FLF the last few days and I hoarded! good thing I did. Now I have 3! One almost died for no reason but i managed to save it. I cut the stem and now it is growing new leaves. it does look ugly because the new leaf is only on one side. I wanted it on both so it forms a Y shape.

Here’s the picture

this one completely went dormant!

Mike, they don’t go dormant. They simply won’t grow if they’re not provided the right, or at least close to right cultural conditions.

hey dave you know what? the one that almost died and now having new leaves, i repotted it to a smaller container. i wonder if I do the same to this dormant one

i heard somewhere they want to be rootbounded

No, they definitely dont want to be routbound.

No plant does.

so why does the one i transferred to the smaller container is the one growing more leaves now? coincidence? or science?

Because you probably had it in too large of a pot originally with a soil that holds too much moisture.

The smaller pot has less soil to hold less moisture so it’s probbaly not rotting anymore.

If you use a fast draining soil to begin with, pot size doesn’t matter.

oh ok! i have to repot it anyway because the container is white and I want it black. there’s another 1 in the supermarket left for sale!! i want to buy but I think it’s dead already, leaves so damaged

Mike, make sure whatever pot you use has drainage holes

Mike,

Leave the plants alone and let them grow. Don’t repot just because you don’t like the pot color. Wait until it needs it or place the current pot inside another of your liking.

I must be missing something here..... You said "the local supermarket was selling theses plants the last few days"??? So the've already been topped and grown new leaves, and nearly died and been saved, all within a few days?? Talk about a resilient plant! LOL!

yes a month ago! it nearly died the day after i bought it

Mike,

If you want to care for these plants in the best way, please take the time to read the following links. The Ficus link applies to all types of Ficus as they have the same cultural needs.

[https://www.houzz.com/discussions/ficus-trees-in-containers-iv-dsvw-vd~1476078[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/ficus-trees-in-containers-iv-dsvw-vd~1476078)

[https://www.houzz.com/discussions/container-soils-water-movement-and-retention-xxii-dsvw-vd~2842847[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/container-soils-water-movement-and-retention-xxii-dsvw-vd~2842847)

The best thing you can can do is soak up all the info possble and not keep buying more before you properly learn exactly what they need and want.

Also,

A plant can’t nearly die one day after getting it. It’s a slower process than that.

It was either already dying to begin with, had roots exposed to air without being kept moist, or extreme cold or heat.

I repotted it to a decorative pot without holes the day I got it and so it died

That wasn’t a good idea.

Again, learn all you can now before doing anything else to your plants or buying more.

I still can’t decide whether you’re a really good troll or you‘re serious.

yeah i had my eye on this pot from h&m before buying the plant so I know I had to transfer it when I bought it. it died. then i placed it in a smaller container so it would fit the pot and now it is alive. i havent done the same to the other one

Plants dont die one day and come alive the next.

I cant continue on with this. A+ trolling.

Dave, you make me laugh!! I really don't think Mike is a troll.....just very new to any sort of gardening and woefully uninformed about it :-) I can think of a couple of other current posters off the top of my head going through a similar, very steep learning curve.

If his posts bother, don't respond. But hopefully he IS learnng something from these responses and the advice given.

well dave they die! put them in a pot and water it and the following day, they are dead! leaves so soft and so as the stem. so what you do is to remove from soil and take a towel and dry it. put it back in a container with holes and it will be back

Holy cow....

i took a risk!!! i’ve been thinking about it... i repotted my fiddle to the decorative pot! looks so nice!

Anthony is back as Mike.

dave, i understand that you dont like FLF and you’re obviously irritated by numerous people asking about it in here and that you like ficus b compared to it. but pls do not discourage people who wants to grow them. we like them and they are beautiful decorative plants. i read every advice carefully before I apply them so pls stop saying dont do this and that and making us feel like we are doing it all wrong all the time

I never said not to grow them.

i don’t dislike Ficus lyrata.. I dislike the same thread over and over. I wish people would search.

Mike, you keep doing things that will end up killing your plants. It doesn’t seem you read up before you do anything.

Slow down. Read Stuff. Learn.

Im not telling everyone who grows these they are doing it wrong. I was speaking only to you because you keep repotting and doing drastic things when you need to stop bothing the plant and messing with it. I’m trying to help yku not kill it.

The simple fact is, Mike, that you are doing it all wrong!! Dave is only offering very reasonable and practical advice based on his many years of experience.

Between this and your orchid thread, it is apparent that you are very new to this business of growing houseplants (or any plants for that matter) so I do encourage you to consider very carefully the advice offered here - most have been doing this for a long time and know their stuff!!

FWIW, there are some very basic steps of houseplant care that apply to just about any kind of houseplant but it always helps to research the requirements of your specific plant. Just be careful of where you get your information - many online sources are not very good. Avoid YouTube videos and focus on sites that have an .edu suffix or that specialize in houseplants and their care. And read everything very thoroughly before you start messing around with them. And if you have questions, ask here.

I'd also suggest you study up on potting mixes/soil media, either here or on the Container Gardening forum. Perhaps the best thing you can do for any houseplant is pot in a properly textural, durable and fast draining potting mix. Which you are unlikely to find at your local box store or garden center.