Ficus Akadama Repot Leaf Drop

[BrianBay9]

By the way, leaving thick, circling roots during a Ficus repot is not helping you out. When repotting at an appropriate season, Ficus can take severe root pruning and handle it just fine. You need to start developing feeder roots close to the trunk.

 

[Ed_Inc]

By the way, leaving thick, circling roots during a Ficus repot is not helping you out. When repotting at an appropriate season, Ficus can take severe root pruning and handle it just fine. You need to start developing feeder roots close to the trunk.

That's good to know! Hypothetically would this one be okay to repot this summer, in about 4/5 months, and do the appropriate root pruning? Or is it more in the time frame of 16/7 months from now, next summer? Either way I'll do a good root prune during the next repot, but hopefully this new substrate will encourage some feeders in the mean time.

 

[Ed_Inc]

An update on the poor lad, he hasn't done well this week at all. Losing lots of leaves and many more are yellowing. The new growth that had just started has stopped, and it's losing both new and old leaves. Has anyone had experience of a ficus responding this badly?

Looking for some encouragement that it's okay and he'll bounce back

 

[Carol 83]

Is there water sitting in that tray beneath the pot? If so, dump it out. You don't want it sitting in water.

 

[Ed_Inc]

Is there water sitting in that tray beneath the pot? If so, dump it out. You don't want it sitting in water.

Just some amongst stones to create some humidity, its got a good centimetre of clearence between the stones and the bottom of the pot.

Edit: but I have dumped it for now!

 

[HorseloverFat]

Hmm... i know I’m always like, “light!”..

But...

Does the ambient, outdoor light it is experiencing traveling through multiple panes of glass? And what looks like NICE glass (Good for homes, bad for plants)?

Just trying to get this figured out for you.

 

[HorseloverFat]

If you can figure out what it NEEDS that it’s not getting.. or take out something it IS getting but doesn’t need.... it’ll bounce.

 

[Ed_Inc]

Hmm... i know I’m always like, “light!”..

But...

Does the ambient, outdoor light it is experiencing traveling through multiple panes of glass? And what looks like NICE glass (Good for homes, bad for plants)?

Just trying to get this figured out for you.

They are very good quality panes of glass to be fair, thank the Swiss builders and their excellent insulation! After advice here I moved the tree to the south facing side of my apartment, that does get sun. However, the problem with this side is that the window has an enclosed balcony in front of it, so even though it gets some sun in the afternoon, on average I suspect the light is less than my north facing window, as there's less sky visible, if that makes sense!

I had him at the north window since I moved here in December, and I was shocked at how much growth it was getting in December/January in a north window that gets no direct sun. It's a really big window and has full view of the sky. I've moved it back there for now..

I think you're right and it is light it needs, but without a grow light I am at the mercy of the time of year

 

[BrianBay9]

It may drop all its leaves. Not unusual when you change conditions on them. Don't give up on it, even if you have a bare tree. In most instances they'll bounce back just fine.

 

[Ed_Inc]

For reference.. south side (slightly west too). Gets a few hours of direct sun but on average less light I think.



And the north (and very slightly east) side. Gets very consistent light, but is north facing.

 

[Ed_Inc]

It may drop all its leaves. Not unusual when you change conditions on them. Don't give up on it, even if you have a bare tree. In most instances they'll bounce back just fine.

This is exactly the encouragement I need! If it drops all it's leaves - water a lot less until new growth in spring?

Edit:it will give me a chance to do some very precise wiring if it drops all its leaves!

 

[HorseloverFat]

They are very good quality panes of glass to be fair, thank the Swiss builders and their excellent insulation! After advice here I moved the tree to the south facing side of my apartment, that does get sun. However, the problem with this side is that the window has an enclosed balcony in front of it, so even though it gets some sun in the afternoon, on average I suspect the light is less than my north facing window, as there's less sky visible, if that makes sense!

I had him at the north window since I moved here in December, and I was shocked at how much growth it was getting in December/January in a north window that gets no direct sun. It's a really big window and has full view of the sky. I've moved it back there for now..

I think you're right and it is light it needs, but without a grow light I am at the mercy of the time of year

Oh yeah.. The combination of those multiple panes and the North-facing window definitely left it “hungry”



Keep us updated.

 

[Ed_Inc]

Oh yeah.. The combination of those multiple panes and the North-facing window definitely left it “hungry”



Keep us updated.

Ironically I think it was hungry from being on the south side! I underestimated how much light the balcony overhead blocks off.

But I will post some updates

 

[Jester217300]

Ficus are sensitive to environment changes. Your house is likely colder and has less light than the nursery that it came from. On top of that it was repotted. Any one of those could cause the tree to drop leaves. It will probably survive as long as you're watering it appropriately, but you may lose some branches in the process.

 

[hemmy]

Ironically I think it was hungry from being on the south side! I underestimated how much light the balcony overhead blocks off.

But I will post some updates

How about a low cost desktop grow light to supplement the daylight?

 

[Ed_Inc]

Ficus are sensitive to environment changes. Your house is likely colder and has less light than the nursery that it came from. On top of that it was repotted. Any one of those could cause the tree to drop leaves. It will probably survive as long as you're watering it appropriately, but you may lose some branches in the process.

I've had it for nearly a year, it was indoors for a few months when I got it last April, and then spent 100% time outside once the night-time temperatures were warm. It came back inside for winter, and as I mentioned above it was doing really well since December (I moved here in December). It had new growth over the whole tree until the repot, so the repot is definitely the cause. But I know more know with why my repot has hit it so hard now thanks to the other posts in here.

I really hope I don't lose any branches!

How about a low cost desktop grow light to supplement the daylight?

I'll look into that for sure.

 

[Carol 83]

so the repot is definitely the cause.

Probably so, done at a less than optimal time. Ficus are tough, I'm sure it will bounce back.

 

[Ed_Inc]

Trying to find somewhere I can get a grow lamp from tomorrow in Switzerland (that doesn't cost an absolute fortune) is proving a challenge! Do you guys have any recommendations whilst I'm looking for lamps to look out for?

 

[Ed_Inc]

Any advice on this lamp would be appreciated, I can pick it up tomorrow!

https://www.galaxus.ch/en/s4/product/venso-grow-light-winter-led-plant-lamps-7952411

 

[Carol 83]

Any advice on this lamp would be appreciated, I can pick it up tomorrow!

https://www.galaxus.ch/en/s4/product/venso-grow-light-winter-led-plant-lamps-7952411

If that's the only plant you're using it for, might be alright and better than nothing.