by new light 2 Replies latest jw experiences
Hi all.
I just bought a weeping fig tree and it's shedding leaves like crazy. It gets well watered, misted, and fed, and was just repotted. Today I read they don't like drafts, can't be near windows, but need lots of light too. The only sunlight here is through the windows. Any suggestions? This tree looks like a basket case.
Maybe get a grow light to hang over it? Also, those suckers shed ALOT even when they are being taken care of properly!
After all that attention, the poor thing is having a nervous breakdown. Ficuses are sensitive to change. Just let it relax and don't fuss any more.
http://www.plant-care.com/planttips/1999/090399.htm
The Ficus is a very versatile plant as far as light goes. In the full sun it will have a thick canopy of leaves. But, in the dense forest it will grow very open with fewer leaves and thin weeping branches. This explains some of the leaf loss going from a higher light level to a lower light level. This is why every time you move that ficus from one room to another or turn it around you lose leaves.
THERE'S MORE
Just as birds migrate south for the winter season, the benjamina comes from an area that has very distinct seasons. The exception is that the seasons are wet and dry.
How does a benjamina prepare for the dry season?
It sheds its leaves. It reduces the amount of leaves to survive because it will not have enough water to support them during the dry season. When the rains return, new growth comes out and the canopy returns.
This explains another reason for leave drop. Moving from a grower to nursery and nursery to home, the plant is experiencing both light change and moisture changes. Is it the wet or dry season?
The survival mechanism for benjamina is leaf drop. It doesn't like changes, it is a creature of habit. Once you have decided where you are going to place your ficus (the more light the better), give it the same lighting, same amount of water and stay on the same schedule.
In case I didn't mention it, if you throw on some fertilizer you can also expect some leave drop.
Highly chlorinated water can cause leaves to drop.
