I have an 8yr old Golden gate Ficus. It has become loaded with figs, the leaves are healthy but too few because the figs are dominating the tree. I pruned them and they come back a smaller version. If there is new growth it is another fig. Any ideas?
Golden Gate. I have an 8 yr old. I don’t know what to do or understand the figs. Mine is dominated with figs, mostly old. Leaves are not falling.
- Thread starter JPI
- Start date
MHBonsai
Chumono
Post up some pics and it will help get good advice…
How’s the roots? Where is it located? How’s long have you had it?
How’s the roots? Where is it located? How’s long have you had it?
It inside with about 15 trees. Roots seem good from outside. 1nice Ariel root. When I pruned them in late spring, they came back in force, only smaller and ugly. No falling leaves at all. Trunk like cement in the pot. However, without you saying it, it could be too much bright grow light and flower light. I’ll get some pics, thanks
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
I see not the photos of Figgy Stardust.
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
I was all, "yowtch!" Out loud... I HATE mites...
This looks a bit like mite damage to a ficus.
When you observe those tips closely, are "web-like" areas present?
Get your self a big, white piece of paper, hold this paper underneath the foliage. Then take your index and middle finger, and BIFF drum the ficus, "jiggly-bones"-style..
Observe the paper .... Are there TINY dots?
If so, look REEEEAL close.. are they moving?.
I reeeeally don't believe excess light is the issue here... I toast the HECK outta ficus.(tostando lo mucho).. The leaves are practically TOUCHING my panels...
I believe the culprit to be pest.
Let's touch on some other stuff, while we're here.
What are your room's parameters?.. like temps, RHumidity... Lights AND light CYCLE?
This looks a bit like mite damage to a ficus.
When you observe those tips closely, are "web-like" areas present?
Get your self a big, white piece of paper, hold this paper underneath the foliage. Then take your index and middle finger, and BIFF drum the ficus, "jiggly-bones"-style..
Observe the paper .... Are there TINY dots?
If so, look REEEEAL close.. are they moving?.
I reeeeally don't believe excess light is the issue here... I toast the HECK outta ficus.(tostando lo mucho).. The leaves are practically TOUCHING my panels...
I believe the culprit to be pest.
Let's touch on some other stuff, while we're here.
What are your room's parameters?.. like temps, RHumidity... Lights AND light CYCLE?
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
If this IS mite damage... It's a fairly mature infestation... I recommend going systemic RIGHT away, for the sake of your other plants, unless you're super experienced and successful with NEEM (OR insecticidal soap, I GUESS! 
).
).
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
It could also be another pest. I don't see such contorted leaves when I have seen mites on ficus,. It might be thrips or even aphids as the picture doesn't show enough close up.
Golden Gate is a great ficus and mine has never shown this contortion. Hope it will be ok but as our fine lover of fat horses says, systemic Now.
Golden Gate is a great ficus and mine has never shown this contortion. Hope it will be ok but as our fine lover of fat horses says, systemic Now.
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
I've only seen mites contort/disfigure growth on ficus during the throws of my VERY FIRST full-scale TAKE-OVER..
It was a very bad infestation...
But Penumbra IS right, could be a number of sap-sucking creepy-crawlies...
The one thing we agree on... Is that it's a pest infestation, and bad enough to go nuclear.
It was a very bad infestation...
But Penumbra IS right, could be a number of sap-sucking creepy-crawlies...
The one thing we agree on... Is that it's a pest infestation, and bad enough to go nuclear.
I will do that test however nothing like that is present. Tops are bright green. Sometimes I snap em off. Nothing indicates pest up close but I will investigate more. Room? Bedroom. I keep heat around 71. Use a humidifier. Try to keep humidity at 50 ish. Lotsa grow lights from all angles. All details on proper placement, distance, dimming etc are a weak spot. Typically lit in some way for 14 hrsI was all, "yowtch!" Out loud... I HATE mites...
This looks a bit like mite damage to a ficus.
When you observe those tips closely, are "web-like" areas present?
Get your self a big, white piece of paper, hold this paper underneath the foliage. Then take your index and middle finger, and BIFF drum the ficus, "jiggly-bones"-style..
Observe the paper .... Are there TINY dots?
If so, look REEEEAL close.. are they moving?.
I reeeeally don't believe excess light is the issue here... I toast the HECK outta ficus.(tostando lo mucho).. The leaves are practically TOUCHING my panels...
I believe the culprit to be pest.
Let's touch on some other stuff, while we're here.
What are your room's parameters?.. like temps, RHumidity... Lights AND light CYCLE?
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
Most of that sounds great!
As far as placement...
As long as you have adequate air movement... You can go real close (as long as HEAT isn't an issue) My lights average 2-6" from my plants...
I can't remember where, in distance from source, specific lamp photon curves begin STEEP drops... But I WANT to say between 10-14"...
For single-paned windows, (these MAY not be exact, and are "from memory") you have 12" (distance from "source") of "your best window light" followed by 8" of Low-light... With a steep drop afterwards to "no light".... Even if it is visibly "there".
As far as placement...
As long as you have adequate air movement... You can go real close (as long as HEAT isn't an issue) My lights average 2-6" from my plants...
I can't remember where, in distance from source, specific lamp photon curves begin STEEP drops... But I WANT to say between 10-14"...
For single-paned windows, (these MAY not be exact, and are "from memory") you have 12" (distance from "source") of "your best window light" followed by 8" of Low-light... With a steep drop afterwards to "no light".... Even if it is visibly "there".
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
Fungus will contort new growth.... You are operating 51 pRH which is good.
Was this tree living outdoors in the summer? (I may have missed it, but have no idea where, on this marble, you are located.)
Does the soil/substrate stay wet?
How does water FLOW through the pot?
That looks to be a high bark mixture..... I love bark-heavy-substrate for certain applications..
But organic-heavy soil mixes CAN be problematic indoors... Or in "everyday, watering without checking, as we roll into fall"- situations.
But it may be spring by you... I've no idea.
Was this tree living outdoors in the summer? (I may have missed it, but have no idea where, on this marble, you are located.)
Does the soil/substrate stay wet?
How does water FLOW through the pot?
That looks to be a high bark mixture..... I love bark-heavy-substrate for certain applications..
But organic-heavy soil mixes CAN be problematic indoors... Or in "everyday, watering without checking, as we roll into fall"- situations.
But it may be spring by you... I've no idea.
MHBonsai
Chumono
Gotta be bugs. Scale?
hemmy
Omono
My money is on thrips. But I've never had mites on a ficus. Pry open the leaves and look for eggs or little tiny "alligators". I usually don't like pruning stressed trees. But if these leaves are deformed from thrips the damage happened in the stipule before the leaf came out. They will likely operate on a deficit and not contribute to the tree. If it is thrips, then all those contorted leaves are possibly holding eggs. I would cut the leaves off at the petiole and dispose in a closed plastic bag. The tender green growth tips and stems might wither and die, but you have mature leaves on the tree making energy. Ficus are pretty tough and if this is the first set of malformed leaves then it likely has the energy reserves to slowly get back healthy. I would also spray with water or wipe all the healthy leaves to eliminate insect honeydew or eggs. But the immature thrips will already be in side the growth tips where sprays can't reach them. Removing all the bad leaves and tips might take care of it. If you can budget it, as stated a systemic can get at the insects insides the closed developing leaves. Dinotefuran was a good one for me for ficus thrips, but it's not readily available so imidacloprid might be the best available option.
SWfloirda
Chumono
i agree with thrips. I would remove all of the taco folded leaves and use a systemic as well.
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