Ficus issue

[DonielDoom]

I somewhat recently let one of my shallow pot benjaminas get too dry and it ditched almost all leaves. Moody...

Mine is slow to bounce back. It's on the struggle-bus.

November 13th


December 6th

 

[Baron von Smoogle]

How's the neem oil treatment working for you?

I have lost some leaves this year after bringing it in but I haven't seen any webbing and I suspect the leaf loss this year was due to the change in conditions from outdoors to indoors. I began the Neem oil about a month before bringing it indoors.
The prior two years, I didn't begin treatment until after it was indoors and I lost all the leaves. This year, I have only lost about 15% of the leaves. So far, this is it's best winter it's ever had.

 

[DonielDoom]

So far, this is it's best winter it's ever had.

All without systemics and nasty chemicals! Hope the remainder of the winter shows good result.

 

[Baron von Smoogle]

All without systemics and nasty chemicals! Hope the remainder of the winter shows good result.

We can't get systemics here in Maryland, as far as I can tell. Amazon won't even ship them here.

 

[hemmy]

Nothing of the sort. Just looks like dandruff on the paper. Under magnification it looks like dried wax.

I took it in the shower and sprayed it down really well several days ago. I’ll get some insecticide because afaik it won’t hurt either way?

I’m betting on hard water film, if you aren’t seeing any insects from the microscope or movement/smears on the white paper. Insecticide soap is one of the easiest and safest things to spray indoors (but it’s messy in a living space).

In my experience the leaves stay green when they fold up with thrips. We had outdoor ficus thrips in SoCal that attacked F. benjamina and some old cultivars of F. microcarpa. But I’d be surprised if you have the kind that attack ficus in your colder climate.

About 12 inches from the light. I gave it a week at 50%, a week at 75, and now have it at full power. I was only needing to water once every four or five days but after giving it a lot of light and moving it somewhere warmer it’s needing to be watered every morning.

I’d set it around 16-24” from the top of the tree and set it around 50%. I ran my 300W LED on 100% for the 1st year of indoor growing and the F. microcarpas went light green to yellowish. Depending on your indoor temps, you can use Osmocote as a time release fert. But it does have an optimal temp. for release around 70F. Hotter and it releases faster, colder and it releases slower.

Cheers

 

[IdAu]

I’m betting on hard water film, if you aren’t seeing any insects from the microscope or movement/smears on the white paper. Insecticide soap is one of the easiest and safest things to spray indoors (but it’s messy in a living space).

In my experience the leaves stay green when they fold up with thrips. We had outdoor ficus thrips in SoCal that attacked F. benjamina and some old cultivars of F. microcarpa. But I’d be surprised if you have the kind that attack ficus in your colder climate.

I’d set it around 16-24” from the top of the tree and set it around 50%. I ran my 300W LED on 100% for the 1st year of indoor growing and the F. microcarpas went light green to yellowish. Depending on your indoor temps, you can use Osmocote as a time release fert. But it does have an optimal temp. for release around 70F. Hotter and it releases faster, colder and it releases slower.

Cheers

I actually scrubbed off 90% of the hard water stains after showering it, and haven’t sprayed the leaves since. So I don’t think it’s hard water.

I have Neem oil showing up today. Not too many leaves left to spray it on but I may as well I guess.


Thanks. I’ll lower the light. I read somewhere they can never get enough light so that’s why I worked it up to 100% in increments.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

I actually scrubbed off 90% of the hard water stains after showering it, and haven’t sprayed the leaves since. So I don’t think it’s hard water.

I have Neem oil showing up today. Not too many leaves left to spray it on but I may as well I guess.


Thanks. I’ll lower the light. I read somewhere they can never get enough light so that’s why I worked it up to 100% in increments.

When spraying for bugs, spray everything, trunk, branches, pot etc... That way you eliminate any eggs waiting to hatch.

 

[Kodama]

Could you share a picture of the whole tree so we can see what your working with?