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anna_merkoulovitch

Just got a new fiddle leaf fig a few days back, noticing red spots

6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago

I got a new fiddle leaf fig plant a few days ago. It has these spots, which are maybe inconsistent watering, or some infection? I've only watered it once when I brought it home (and soil was pretty dry), and have misted the area around a couple of times. It sits here in front of a south-facing window in SF. Any ideas, is this normal for a new plant as it adjusts to a new spot?



Comments (3)

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    I've had good luck with neem oil as a treatment for brown spots on plants. Better yet, take a leaf into your local nursery so that they can diagnose the problem and suggest the appropriate treatment. Good luck!

  • 6 years ago

    This plant is native to tropical rainforest (in western Africa). It is adaptive, but not comatose. It looks fine, and in dry, indoor air you will have to expect some crisping. It should be just fine.

  • 6 years ago

    The brown spots are symptoms of a physiological disorder called oedema/edema, which is almost always primarily driven by over-watering. BTW - It would have occurred before the plant came to be under your care. I'll leave something I wrote about oedema below.

    Oedema

    Oedema is a physiological
    disorder that can affect all plants. It occurs when the plant takes
    up more water than it can rid itself of via the process of
    transpiration. The word itself means 'swelling', which is usually the
    first symptom, and comes in the form of pale blisters or water-filled
    bumps on foliage. Under a variety of circumstances/cultural
    conditions, a plant's internal water pressure (turgidity) can become
    so high that some leaf cells rupture and leak their contents into
    inter-cellular spaces in leaf tissue, creating wet or weepy areas.
    Symptoms vary by plant, but as the malady progresses, areas of the
    leaf turn yellow, brown, brown with reddish overtones or even black,
    with older damage appearing as corky/ scaly/ ridged patches, or
    wart/gall-like bumpy growth. Symptoms are seen more frequently in
    plants that are fleshy, are usually more pronounced on the underside
    of leaves, and older/lower leaves are more likely to be affected than
    younger/upper leaves.

    Oedema is most common in
    houseplants during the winter/early spring months, is driven
    primarily by excessive water retention in the soil, and can be
    intensified via several additional cultural influences. Cool
    temperatures, high humidity levels, low light conditions, or partial
    defoliation can individually or collectively act to intensify the
    problem, as can anything else that slows transpiration. Nutritional
    deficiencies of Ca and Mg are also known contributors to the malady.

    Some things that can help you
    prevent oedema:

    * Increase light levels and
    temperature

    * Monitor water needs
    carefully – avoid over-watering. I'd heartily recommend a soil with
    drainage so sharp (fast) that when you to water to beyond the
    saturation point you needn't worry about prolonged periods of soil
    saturation wrecking root health/function. Your soil choice should be
    a key that unlocks the solutions to many potential problems.

    * Avoid misting or getting
    water on foliage. It slows transpiration and increases turgidity.

    * Water as soon as you get up
    in the AM. When stomata close in preparation for the dark cycle,
    turgidity builds. If you water early in the day, it gives the plant
    an opportunity to remove (for its own needs) some of the excess water
    in the soil.

    * Put a fan in the room or otherwise increase air
    flow/circulation. Avoid over-crowding your plants. Al