welcome...

next time add the houseplant forum ...

can we see the whole plant .. explain the sun/light it gets..

any recent changes in any cultural variables??

why do you think it need repotting..

how and when do you water ...

ken

What have you been fertilizing with (include NPK ratio)? When did you last fertilize? If you haven't been fertilizing regularly, that would explain the o/a chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage.

If you're able to water correctly, so you're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids (salts) from fertilizer solutions and tapwater, without concern that the practice (of watering appropriately) will cause the grow medium to remain wet for too long (limiting root function or worse, root health), you should be watering about every 3rd or 4th time you water while the plant is growing actively, and maybe every 4th or 5th time you water in winter when the plant is sort of quiescent/ coasting through the winter>

It's consistent with leaves of plants in the mulberry family (Moraceae), of which Ficus is a member, to include in their leaf physiology specialized cells called lithocysts (or commonly, rock cells) which hold a tiny white aggregate/stone formed primarily from CaCO3 (calcium carbonate) and/or Si (silicon). The tiny aggregate is called a cystolith, or commonly (you got it) a cell rock.

Unfortunately, it looks more like the white detritus is ON the leaf surface of your plant instead of being embedded in tissues immediately below the leaf cuticle (skin) itself. If so, it's probable you have some sort of insect guests. Any chance you have a magnifying device with magnification of 10X or better? You'd be looking for living mites or the dead exoskeletons of any other insect with rasping/sucking mouth parts. ..... ever notice anything winged buzzing around your plant(s)?

If you have questions about the ins and outs of repotting vs simply potting up, just ask.

Also, I'll mention again that nutritional supplementation is/should be considered essential, and be a major focus of our care regimen for potted plants.

Al

I added the houseplants category to the post now. I water probably every 10 days, once the top soil is dry. It's in mostly potting soil and I added some wood chips, but it's been in this mix for about three years which is why I think it needs to be repotted. It has been in the same location since I got it, gets full morning sun. 

@tapla Hi Al! Per your recommendation, I am fertilizing with dyna grow foliage pro. I know (from you) how to prune the roots during a repot. This fiddle is in a really heavy pot and it is very hard to move or lift up, so I guess I'm not flushing out the salts properly. It has a plastic saucer underneath but I never water so much that it flows out the bottom. I do like that the potting soil absorbs the water enough that it doesn't come pouring out the bottom though. For being in the same soil for three years, it's actually not compacted as one would think it might be. The specks are on the leaf, but I was only able to zoom in with my phone- I don't have a magnifying glass. I can't see any actual bugs so I'm not sure what this could be, but the discoloration of the leaves is causing me to think a pest is at play here. I repotted a lot of my plants into your 5-1-1 mix but then unfortunately I got a really bad fungus gnat infestation. Like really bad. I was tipping the pots over so all the water drained out but it still seemed as though the mix at the bottom was having a hard time drying out. I'm not sure if maybe the pine bark I bought was already infested or what but it was really frustrating. I got mosquito bits to water with and it improved the situation but not by much. Some of the plants I repotted with a potting soil mixed with extra perlite until I can figure out what to do next.

Per your recommendation, I am fertilizing with dyna grow foliage pro. OK, but I'm trying to determine if you're fertilizing frequently enough to keep up with the plant's nutritional needs.Your watering practices ensure that all salts from fertilizer solutions and tap water stay in the soil where they build up to levels that affect the plant's abiloity to take up water and nutrients. Can you detach the saucer and set the plant up on blocks so you can water more effectively?

This fiddle is in a really heavy pot and it is very hard to move or lift up, so I guess I'm not flushing out the salts properly. It has a plastic saucer underneath but I never water so much that it flows out the bottom. I do like that the potting soil absorbs the water enough that it doesn't come pouring out the bottom though. Your watering practices ensure that all salts from fertilizer solutions and tap water stay in the soil where they build up to levels that affect the plant's ability to take up water and nutrients. Can you detach the saucer and set the plant up on blocks so you can water more effectively?

You could then allow the water that exits the drain hole to evaporate or suck it from the saucer with a bulb-type turkey baster. Fertilizing is monkey easy if you can water correctly, but it's a low odds guessing game w/o the ability to keep control over what's in the soil and available for uptake.

One of the issues that can cause shedding of older foliage is a high level of dissolved solids in the soil. Others include low fertility, under/over-watering, root congestion, soil compaction. decreasing light levels or significant increases in light, sudden drafts from air conditioners or cold doors/windows that allow cold drafts when weather is cold.

For being in the same soil for three years, it's actually not compacted as one would think it might be. The specks are on the leaf, but I was only able to zoom in with my phone- I don't have a magnifying glass. I can't see any actual bugs so I'm not sure what this could be, but the discoloration of the leaves is causing me to think a pest is at play here. If the roots haven't filled the pot after 3 years, you're likely over-watering. That causes fine roots to die, which stops top growth until enough new roots can generated to support additional top growth. Unfortunately, about the time the soil is returning to a productive balance of water:air, you're watering again ..... which causes the cycle to repeat over and over with little growth realized.

If I didn't provide information about using a "tell" to "tell" you when it's time to water, ask and I'll provide it.

I repotted a lot of my plants into your 5-1-1 mix but then unfortunately I got a really bad fungus gnat infestation. Like really bad. I was tipping the pots over so all the water drained out but it still seemed as though the mix at the bottom was having a hard time drying out. I'm not sure if maybe the pine bark I bought was already infested or what but it was really frustrating. I got mosquito bits to water with and it improved the situation but not by much. Some of the plants I repotted with a potting soil mixed with extra perlite until I can figure out what to do next. A well-made 5:1:1 mix isn't something you would likely 'accidentally over-water'. It's designed to hold a minimum amount of excess (perched) water between soil particles. If you're using a mix based on a very large fraction of pine bark of appropriate size along with some perlite, peat, and lime, there would have to be a very large fraction of fine material in order for it to even be a possibility you might over-water accidentally. The other possibility is you have a very heavy hand on the watering can and some restraint would likely prove helpful. The gnats, lack of a robust root system and the o/a lack of vitality in your plant could all be no more than symptoms of over-watering.

Keep in mind, it doesn't matter hardly at all if the top 2" of the soil are dry because in a 10" deep pot, the bottom 6" of soil could still be 100% saturated .... and when there is still that much water in a planting, it's better to hold off on watering until the tell comes out almost but not quite dry after being forced all the way to the bottom of the pot.

The best time to repot a <i>Ficus lyrata</i> is June if you live in the Northern Hemisphere more than about 25* N latitude. I'd respect the timing and start putting a plan together to keep the plant healthier between now and then, with a plan slot to repot sometime around Father's Day or the Summer Solstice (21 June). If you have any hard pruning you want to do, you can do it at repot time, but for now I'd be thinking about the next 10 months of care - and maybe even stepping down to a larger pot.

Something to think about - you can get far more growth from a tree in a small pot if you have been keeping up with the root work than you can by potting up or simply allowing the plant to languish under rootbound conditions; and, when I say "far more growth", I'm talking about 5-10 times the growth rate and vitality levels of trees the roots of which have been largely ignored or the plant only potted up.

Al

It looks to me like your plant has thrips.