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For the most part, plants decline and die in situations where the amount of food/energy they're able to create (with the help of the sun) is less than they are expending to drive their metabolic processes. It doesn't LOOK like your tree is in any immediate danger of expiring, but symptoms made manifest by ongoing limitations commonly lag the cause by weeks to months. Necrotic leaf tips and margins are far more often than not a symptom of over-watering and/or a high level of dissolved solids (salt) in the soil solution. Occasionally it can be traced entirely to growers watering with their own version of enhanced frequency; more often, it's the result of a poor soil that simply does not allow the grower to water correctly w/o the plant paying a tax in the form of diminished root health because the soil remains saturated long enough to have attained the age of majority. Curing the effects of too much water in the soil starts by using a soil that doesn't hold too much water, and by default, not enough air. Then, using a 'tell' as an indicator of when it's appropriate to water to put a polish on what you practice. I use soils that hold no (or nearly no) excess (perched) water. That means I'd have to work very hard at over-watering. That scenario makes things easy for the grower and easy on the plant. If you've been forever in battle with your chosen soil for control of your plants' vitality, the change that occurs when you switch to a good soil (one that allows you to water correctly [so you're flushing accumulating salts from the soil whenever you water w/o your plant paying 'the tax'], will make it seem like you have somehow done something magic. Too, where a poor soil makes fertilizing something of a helter skelter proposition, good soils make it monkey easy. Your job, as chief grower, is figuring out what is most limiting to your plant and fixing it. This represents the difference between a plant surviving at the outer limits of what it's programmed (genetically) to tolerate and one that's growing in its 'sweet spot'. understanding how soils work, followed by understanding how plants work, are representative of the largest steps forward you'll likely make as a container gardener. There are several links I can suggest if you have interest? Low light and cool temps can cause plants to stall in sort of a consequential dormancy, but nutritional issues and root congestion can do the same; as can the cyclic death and subsequent regeneration of roots as the root mass wobbles back and forth between just right and too wet. Soggy soils kill roots. Before the top can/will grow, the root system has to be able to support new growth, so dead roots have to be replaced. The energy it takes to regenerate roots might have been put toward an increase in the plant's mass. The difference between what a plant is and what it could be is described as lost potential. Even plants that LOOK good can be losing out on an extreme measure of potential; and in plants, lost potential can never be regained under ANY circumstances. If your plant has a droopy or hang-dog look, it's likely from a lack of turgidity (internal water pressure), brought about by too little water, too much water, and/or a high level of dissolved solids in the soil. Unfortunately, after wilting the leaves of F lyrata often don't recover to occupy their former spatial positions. IOW, once they wilt, their attitude usually changes at least partially so that droopy appearance becomes a permanent thing. Try reading this. Al

I just noticed these little black dogs all around the trunk/stem of my ficus lyrata. Can anyone tell what this might be? I hope it isn't some type of fungi.

Try this: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5185228/pruning-basics-q-and-a-format#n=70 Branches are numbered by order. The trunk/stem is a first order branch, a branch growing from the trunk is a second order branch, and a third order grows from the second order branch, etc. Auxin is the suppressor of lateral (side) branching. Generally, if you cut a branch in half, you get branching in the leaf axils (see last image in my post above yours) of only the leaves on that branch. The reason: you removed the (primary) source of auxin for that branch only. ALL the other branches, unless you pinch or prune them, are still intact, with an apical meristem to produce auxin that suppresses lateral growth. I just want to know how to eliminate the leafless branch parts of my weeping fig. Let's say you have a long branch or trunk with foliage concentrated near the branch/trunk end(s). If you prune a branch back so there is 1 healthy leaf left on it, then cut that leaf in half & wait, you'll get back-budding proximal to (toward the trunk from) the half leaf. Once those leaves start to mature, you can pinch/prune back to the most proximal (closest to the trunk) leaf, and the same back-budding will occur proximal to the leaf you left at the second pruning. Keep in mind that how enthusiastic the response is depends on how healthy the tree is and WHEN you do the work. The best time to prune hard is about 2 weeks before the summer solstice, for a number of reasons, the most important of which are A) The plant will be as healthy as it can be, within the confines of other culturally limiting factors (low light, poor soil, lack of fertility, over-watering, ....) B) it will be approaching the peak of it's ability to turn the sun's energy to food (the summer solstice on the northern hemisphere is June 21) C) You should always prune the lanky winter's growth from your trees every June, then regularly pinch until Sep or Oct, depending on geography, followed by letting the tree grow unimpeded by pruning for the winter. If your tree suffers from root congestion, it's habit is to lose interior leaves (those close to the trunk) and resist back-budding. While pinching and pruning will work whether the tree is root-bound or not, you won't get much of a bang unless there is room for roots to run in the pot. Proper nutrition is also important. Plants need an ample amount of N to facilitate enthusiastic back-budding. Al