diagnosis required for ficus leaves

randyburtis

I haven't had a lot of time to care for the trees, they got watered, but when i went to do some pruning saw around 10 or so leaves with this brown discoloration, any ideas?

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Bump. Not much to go on, check for mites I'd say. Sun/Fertilizer burn seems remotely possible... Any other ideas?

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randyburtis

in the chat room we figured it might be a touch of overwatering, seems the drainage holes are blocked up, i will check for signs of bugs, it isn't in direct light or put outdoors so i think the sun burn is not possible, fertilizer could be, but i watered all of my trees fromt he same pot and they have't reacted,thanks for the tips...

sauce

I would disagree with the overwatering theory. When ficus are over or underwatered their leaves quickly turn completely yellow and start to drop like the needles of a Xmas tree in January. At least that has been my experience. I think since you are evidently growing indoors more info is necessary. Could it be hot temps from overhead lights? It certainly looks like it could be a fungus or insects as well. Indoor trees as I have read are more susceptible to bugs and fungi for several reasons. Sorry I can't offer an opinion on the symptoms but if it were me I would eliminate watering as the problem. Good luck! Maybe Aldevaux will see this and add his expertise.

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ALDEVAUX

Yes, I just came across this thread and I agree with you, sauce, that it is not the usual symptoms of overwatering.
The symptoms are not typical, either, of a fungus or bacterial infection.
Those irregular chlorotic and dark spots could be either that of cold water injury, direct sunlight burning leavess that require shade or are not yet accustomed to large doses of direct sunlight, by spray damage with chemicals and plant cleaning products or possibly also by scale, mite or thrips damage.
It is not easy to determine the exact cause but I have seen similar symptoms on old shefflera leaves that had previously been infected with scales.

randyburtis

i iwll check for thips, as it doesn't get direct sunlight to burn, and i haven['t sprayed anything on it... any particular give awway for thrips?

agraham

Randy,

Usually....with thrips the leaves are curled.

andy

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ALDEVAUX

Randy,
I would be more incline to look for stress problems rather than infestations from thrips or other insects or mites.
Because an indoor plant grows in conditions very different from its natural environment it can very easily be stressed by showing many different type of symptoms.
However, it is not always easy to diagnose the cause of a problem, or combination of problems, from the visible symptoms alone. Foliage discoloration, especially older leaves, may also be the result of nutritional imbalances, air pollution, low humidity etc.
It is only by a thorough investigation, when possible, that the real cause of a problem can be identified and a solution discovered. Sometimes, the problem is only temporarily and disapears with time.
Make sure your tree has a well drained soil with a proper pH, gets a balanced fertilisation and placed in an environment where light and humidity is adequate.

grnthum01

One thing that could cause leaf discoloration is water quality.
Water that is to hard or has a very acid PH can cause similar problems.
I would also consider lack of nutrients. During the growing season
ficus can use alot of fertilizer. Also very low humidity can cause
problems. Mist as often as possoble, especially during winter.