Gardening with Gary

Gardening Advice from an Expert

Ficus (Fig Trees)

Q. I bought a beautiful Ficus about 3 weeks ago . . . I got it home and all of the leaves are falling off. I can't put it outside yet for direct sunlight, because I live in an area where the temperature is still 20-30 degrees. Help!

A. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence that one sees when bringing a tropical plant from a certain locale into a warm, dry home. Culture shock to say the least!

Be sure to watch the watering, as this is the number one cause of death in these plants which have been moved. Water is not the answer when a plant starts to go into shock. Rather the reverse is needed, as the roots are taking up less water into the foliage and therefore the root soil ball is staying wet longer.

Place it in a window with as much light as you can find. Let the soil dry to a depth of one inch below the surface [use your finger to test it]. The plant is going to drop leaves, but will not die if you refrain from watering. Allow it to continue and then it will level off as it adjusts. Be prepared to lose a lot of leaves, but new ones will emerge later when the light increases and the plant gets used to its new environs!

Feed it with a dilute indoor foliage house plant food, once every two weeks.

Q. How about FIG trees? I have one that is at the Southwest side of our sun room, sitting in front of 8 ft. glass slider doors. The tree is planted in a 20"L x 20"W x 22"H container, with a 2"H drain pan. The tree is about 4 ft tall and not one leaf. They all fell off. I tried feeding it fish meal and other chems, but nothing works. The few branches are bendable without cracking, so I think it's not dead yet. Any info or ideas on how to care or inoculate some life into it, short of exporting it to some Far East country, would be greatly appreciated.

A. It is good to have a healthy sense of humor in the face of losing one of our house buddies! I do not know where you live, but can tell you right off the bat that southwest is probably the least desirable exposure you could provide a Ficus. They are from areas with high overhang and humid conditions. They require shade and lower temps than most house plants. Low humidity will leave to rapid foliage drop. Is it also near a heating or cooling vent or draft from that door opening?

Move it away and back. Place a layer of pebbles with water in the drain pan. Keep on the dry side, not soggy. If the plant is still alive, new shoots will appear, as long as the sun is not shining right on it or is not sitting in the heat.

I feel that it is overpotted. The measurements point to me that it has way too much soil for the amount of tree. Let it dry and knock off some of the soil. Place into a pot about 1/2 that size and use fresh potting soil lightened with perlite.

Give it dilute feedings of fertilizer high in the first number. Fish emulsion is very good. Treat with half strength for a month. I wish you luck, but it may be too far gone. Please let me know.

Q. I am getting ready to plant two Ficus trees I received for my birthday. Should I fertilize them when doing so or wait for a while?

A. It is up to you. If they are healthy and quite green, then there may be sufficient food in the soil right now. If they are on the edge, give them a solution of a foliage fertilizer as Miracle-Gro, Peters or Scotts, at one tablespoon per gallon water, once a month, in a good deep drench.

Another option to consider is to apply Osmocote, a slow release fertilizer in tiny pellets. Follow the label directions and sprinkle it around the root ball. The water in the soil will slowly break down the outer shell and release food over a period of three months.

Ficus are not deep feeders, but lack of food and good water will lead to bottom leaf yellowing and drop. Also, low humidity causes this, too.

They require shade, so give them only some morning sun and not have in direct hot PM sun rays, shining on their foliage. They are accustomed to a high canopy of foliage which shades them and keeps them cool.

Q. I have a large, braided Ficus that has been in my home for 11 years. This tree just keeps going and going, but my question is, can I place in outside during the summer? Can it take full sun?

You are doing quite well with your Ficus. It is refreshing to have someone write me that is doing great and not in a huge dilemma! LOL.

Fig trees can indeed enjoy their time outside, for that is where they are from naturally. I have seen huge ones growing 20 feet in the tropics and subtropics, quite impressive. But, do not place in full sun!

Find a good spot with a little AM sun, filtered through leaves and branches would be best, out of the breeze or wind, with a shaded PM, especially if where you live gets quite hot in the summer.

It would be best to place it outdoors every AM for a week, and bring back inside at noon. This is called acclimation. After a week, it will be able to stay outside all the time during the summer. Doing this will harden the soft foliage and prepare it slowly for a great environmental change.

Watch the watering during this period. Do not allow to dry out badly, as outside the leaves will transpire faster so the roots will need more water. Give it fertilizer once every 3-4 weeks.

Be sure to bring it inside before it gets too cold, or you my experience leaf drop. Let me know later how it worked!

Q. Very recently, I bought a Ficus robusta and would like to know how to take care of it. Here in the United Arab Emirates, it is summer now and the temperatures reach up to 45-50C and in the winter the temperatures are about 30-35C. So, after how many days should I water the plant? Also it said to keep the plants soil moist. Should I do this? Also should I keep the plant in direct sunlight in summer or not? Also is this plant also called a Rubber plant? Also I would like to know that what height will the plant reach?

A. You must be very concerned with your temperatures there as most plants do not like it hot and dry, unless you wish to grow some nice cacti or one of the many succulents. They would do splendidly.

Ficus robusta is the well-known rubber plant.

They are sensitive to overwatering. Don't put them in direct sun. The only time my rubber plants have dropped [bottom] leaves is when they were overwatered. It is better to err on the side of slightly dry soil than moist for these plants. I water mine no more than once every ten days to two weeks. You must have it in an organic, well-drained soil though, which will retain moisture.

Do not place in direct sunlight. If in a bright window, shelter it from the rays with other plants, blinds or sheer curtains. Do not grow in the shade though, as they will grow quite slowly. I have seen them get as tall as a ceiling, though most stay around 4-6 feet tall.

Fertilize the plant with a general house plant food as Miracle-Gro, Optimara, Schultz or Scotts. Follow the label directions. Usually once a month is sufficient.

Due to your heat and probable low humidity, place the pot in a pebble-filled saucer with water. Make sure that the bottom of the pot is above the water line or you will rot the roots!

Sarah writes~ I just bought an apartment which has nice gardens landscaped with standard ficus trees, both braided and non-braided. The Body Corporate wants to dig them out of the gardens and put them into pots as they think their roots will be problematic. Do these little guys have the invasive roots of the bigger trees and if so, can they be dug up and repotted successfully? They are so pretty and healthy I don't want them to die.

A. Ficus are like most other trees in that they grow long and deep roots, but are not like willows which actually enter pipes and cause blockage. I see no problem with their root systems unless there are easily penetrable underground pipes of which I am unaware. Many species of ficus grow quite well in large porous pots which have been aerated with perlite, pebbles or pot shards to avoid root rot. Place on saucers and allow to drip through, but empty saucers one hour after watering or rains. Keep on the dry side and maintain a good regular fertilizer program.