how to save a dying ficus tree

Ficus tree (Ficus benjamina), also known as weeping fig, makes an attractive, undemanding houseplant. How to Revive a Ficus Step 1. Once the conditions that caused the leaf drop have been addressed and corrected, prune the branches back from one-quarter to one-third of their length. Continue adding the fertilizer mixture until it runs from the bottom of the container. Do keep it in very good light, but keep an eye out for too much condensation in the bag - a little is good, a lot will encourage big trouble (so intense direct sun should be avoided til the bag's off). Before I watered it for the first time after the flush, I stuck a wood dowel into the soil. This will keep the plant from using energy on an area that cannot be saved. Leave the leader -- the single central growing tip of the tree -- alone. This “renewal pruning” makes it easier for your Ficus to resume growth. Ficus are notorious for dropping leaves after a move, even it they are used as indoor plants.

Direct light will likely be too hot for it, especially during summer months, and will dry out the soil. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool → Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. This leaves many ficus owners asking, Why is my ficus losing leaves? Change in environme… What you need to do now is look through the possible illnesses and find out all the possible factors for the ficus tree fading and dying. However, they tend to be picky, dropping their leaves when conditions are not to their liking or if they are moved, even when growing in a container. Her six children and stepchildren served as subjects of editorials during her tenure as a local newspaper editor. Don’t discard that fickle Ficus until you give it a haircut to find out whether it’s just playing possum.Ficus benjamina is one of hundreds of species of figs, some of which grow into large, fruit-bearing trees in areas with a warm, Mediterranean climate.

Water thoroughly, wait 30 minutes, then add a one-half dose of water-soluble fertilizer for house plants. Give it indirect sunlight, water once a week, and warm temperatures (it will appreciate a room temperature that’s from 60 to 90 degrees).

How to Save a Ficus Tree. If you have paid attention to the illness on time the plant can be saved and things can be turned around. Take the ficus plant outside and remove from container.
Step 2.

Empty out the planter and clean the roots off with water if it is infested with bugs. By this time there should be a number of branches that have taken off and grown beyond the shrub’s outline. The causes for dropping ficus leaves are many, but when you know what they are, this can help you pin down the reason your ficus tree leaves are falling off. They should go back to normal after a while.Empty out the planter and clean the roots off with water if it is infested with bugs. Do consider getting another tree because yours may just have had too much stress. It will have less tissue to support and will focus on branching, to cover leafless interior branches.In late winter -- the period when a Ficus tree should normally get its annual pruning -- the tree can receive its final shaping. The tree is hardy growing in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10b and 11.

Any branches that have not sprouted new leaves should also be removed back to the point where their insides are nice and green; they might have died back unnoticed the previous year or during leaf drop. Test the limbs to see if they are truly dead.

The limbs may have dead leaves but the limb may be alive. Step 3. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map!
Ficus tree’s only drawback is that, given a sudden change in temperature, humidity or wind speed, your lovely weeping fig might play dead and drop all its leaves. A retired municipal judgem Reynolds holds a degree in communications from Northern Illinois University. If the tree was exposed to frost, you will need to wait for new growth to appear. Check the soil with your fingers to make sure the water is not just running out the bottom of the container. Place the bonsai in a clean glass container and fill it with tepid water so that it reaches just past the … All Rights Reserved. These can be cut back.

Water as normal and keep an eye on the tree if the leaves start to fall after moving it.