Yellowing Ficus

radsnell

Over the last few weeks, my 2 willow leaf ficuses have started to yellow and drop a few leaves. They have gone the whole summer in my HOT greenhouse and have done well. I have a few others that are not in the greenhouse that are not doing this. I water every other day, letting the soil sorta dry out in between. Is this a fertilizer issue? I water with Bonsai Pro in the water every week or so. Thanks.

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	Ficusgreen2.jpg (46.8 KB, 36 views)

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Cathie

I think it's best to water according to a tree's needs on any given day, not to a schedule. Your trees did well in spring and summer because they were growing strongly, but now that days are shorter (light-wise), they may not need water as often. Ficus can get pretty dry before suffering from the lack of water, so you should become very observant about daily needs and learn to 'read' them.

ALDEVAUX

There are many factors to consider when leaves turn yellowish and start falling off :
The most common of stresses are :
1- Sudden change in environment, as in your case, when the tree from a hot greenhouse is put in another environment. There may be too much difference in temperature , light and humidity before the plant can adapt itself.
2- Too much or too little water is one likely cause of serious leaf drop especially if drainage is not adequate.
3- Unsufficient light. Leaves that are shed due to lack of sufficient light usually yellow first, then drop from lower, older and interior branches. Plants that need full sun or bright filtered light such as Ficus sp. suffer most. They survive off stored energy and shed those leaves they can't support until they once again receive the optimal light needed.
4- Nitrogen deficiency causing the older leaves of a plant to turn yellow and fall.
In some cases, such as when leaves are uniformly yellow, there may be a range of factors to consider and careful information on the tree's previous growing conditions should be known. Possible explanations, as stated above, may vary from too much or too little water, too sunny a position or simply the shredding of older lower leaves which is normal at the end of a growing season.

radsnell

I really think the watering is not the problem. It is the same for the last 6 months. It is in a greenhouse, getting the same light and temps as it has all summer. That is why I thought it might be a fertilizer problem. Should I hit it with some Bonsai Pro, Miracle Gro, or other? Thanks.

OLIVIER

if you really have not removed those trees or change the watering rythm, then it looks like fertilzer burn, do you use rain water at the same hour each time ??

sauce

My first question would be why is it in a greenhouse? The others aren't and do not have this problem. Do you have fans for airflow in the greenhouse? My second question is why do you have it in a greenhouse? Ficus in Louisiana should not need a greenhouse in summer. A lack of air flow/ventilation is an open invitation to spidermites and other bugs and diseases. Have you checked for them? Looking at the pictures it does not look sick. Maybe some older leaves dying off? Or maybe it is being stifled by the growing conditions it is being kept in. Has your fertilizing schedule changed? Ferts or a lack of could be a problem too as Aldevaux said. There are lots of possibilities but since the others are doing OK and provided they are given the same water and ferts I would bet on the greenhouse environment being the problem.

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