What to do when a potted ficus (Ficus microcarpa) drops its leaves? Here's the correct way to fix it

When a newly purchased healthy ficus drops its leaves, it is mostly due to insufficient nutrition and a hidden decline in tree vigor, triggered by a sudden change in habitat (such as temperature, humidity, light, etc.). If it is a long-cultivated potted plant losing leaves, you should also consider factors such as soil nutrient deficiency, alkalization, or pests and diseases. So how do you prevent and treat leaf drop? You should start with the following points:

1. When buying, choose a healthy, long-established potted plant with spreading leaves, deep green and glossy, and no pests or diseases on the whole plant, and the growing medium should be loose, fertile and airy.

2. Place it in a relatively bright indoor spot, with the temperature between 10°C and 30°C and with little fluctuation, no lower than 5°C in winter and no higher than 35°C in midsummer, and pay attention to ventilation, frequently spraying water on the leaves, etc. After Grain Rain and before Cold Dew, it can also be placed outdoors for cultivation, with a little shading in midsummer. Note that in a dry indoor environment it should be kept away from heat sources, especially at low temperatures.

3. Apply light fertilizer frequently, mostly dilute cake fertilizer water or alum fertilizer water, and periodically spray with 0.3% urea water, 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution, etc. Avoid applying concentrated fertilizer or raw fertilizer.

4. Actively prevent and control pests and diseases. You can use 14.5% duoxiaoling water-soluble powder at 150 to 200 times dilution, or 20% tuba wettable powder at 500 times dilution, etc. to drench the roots, once every 20 days. Apply 3% carbofuran granules to the roots, 5 g to 10 g per plant, once every 20 days to control insect pests. Spray the leaves with 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder at 1200 times dilution, etc. to control leaf diseases.

5. Prevent leaf drop. You can spray with cytokinin at 50 mg/kg water, 0.01% fuzi at 300 to 400 times dilution, and other solutions, once every 15 to 20 days. During the vigorous growth periods in spring and autumn, you can also spray with 15% paclobutrazol wettable powder at 300 to 500 times dilution once or twice. When the air is dry or during drought, you can also spray with high-fat film concentrated emulsion at 200 times dilution, etc. Before changing the environment or to strengthen tree vigor, you can drench the roots with 5 ppm to 10 ppm ABT No. 3 rooting powder solution.

6. Control leaf drop. Once the ficus drops its leaves, you can spray with 95% fangluosu wettable powder at 50000 times dilution, plant cytokinin 0.4% wettable powder at 800 times dilution, etc. When fertilizer and water are sufficient, you can also spray with gibberellin at 20 mg/kg water to control it, and in severe cases once or twice a week. At the same time, you should also consider soil, fertilizer, water and management comprehensively and treat according to the cause.

What causes a potted ficus to drop its leaves? What should you do and how should you handle a potted ficus dropping its leaves?

A while ago I went to a friend's house to hang out and accidentally saw a potted ficus. Among its green leaves I noticed a few slightly yellow ones, and a few leaves had also fallen to the floor. I then asked this flower-growing expert, and he said his potted ficus was dropping leaves because it did not have good ventilation. After his “miraculous touch” of skill, within about a week the potted ficus had lush branches and leaves and had even grown new shoots. My friend has also been growing flowers for more than ten years, and his home is filled with all kinds of potted plants, such as pothos, broadleaf lady palm, Brazilian iron, spider plant and other indoor plants, almost like a small botanical garden. Based on his careful explanation, I roughly understood what causes a potted ficus to drop its leaves, so I quickly put together this article titled "What causes a potted ficus to drop its leaves? What should you do and how should you handle a potted ficus dropping its leaves," roughly grouped into several categories, and below I will list them one by one for fellow flower lovers to refer to.

What causes a potted ficus to drop its leaves?

One cause of a potted ficus dropping its leaves: improper watering

Ficus likes a humid environment, and if the potting soil is too dry, leaf drop will occur. When watering ficus, you must stick to the principle of not watering until dry, and watering thoroughly when you do. The dryness here refers to the surface of the potting soil being dry, not the potting soil being completely dry. Of course, even if it is completely dry, it will not cause great harm to the ficus in a short time, because the leaves of the ficus are thick and small and have a certain drought tolerance. Humidity should not be too high either. Improper moisture is also very harmful to the ficus. Watering too much, or high environmental humidity, can cause the root system of the ficus to rot and cause large-scale leaf drop. Ficus is more difficult to grow in the north, and humidity must be controlled well at home; if humidity is too low, it will also cause yellow leaves.

Second cause of a potted ficus dropping its leaves: improper fertilizing

Fertilizing ficus should be done by the method of light fertilizer applied frequently, avoiding high-concentration chemical fertilizers or unfermented, undecomposed organic fertilizers, otherwise fertilizer damage will occur, with mild cases causing leaf drop and severe cases causing death. Appropriately applying some nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium can make the bonsai ficus grow lush branches and leaves, and can prevent the plant from being stunted and the leaves from turning yellow. However, note that when fertilizing, bury the fertilizer into the soil along the edge of the flowerpot, and water after fertilizing, as this can promote plant absorption. Friendly reminder: fertilizing is not recommended in winter.

Third cause of a potted ficus dropping its leaves: insufficient light

Most plants need light, just as humans need oxygen. Ficus has lush leaves and needs more nutrients to support them, and an important source of these nutrients is sunlight. When light is insufficient, the leaves grow poorly and leaf drop occurs. Of course, in a stuffy, hot summer environment with excessive light, the leaves will also drop. If summer temperatures are high, appropriate shading is also necessary.

Fourth cause of a potted ficus dropping its leaves: pests and diseases

Pests and diseases are also one of the most important causes of a potted ficus dropping its leaves, and everyone should not ignore this. The main insect pests causing a potted ficus to drop its leaves are red spider mites and scale insects. Although there is also “thrips” damage, this insect only curls leaves and sucks sap, so its harmfulness is somewhat less than the above two, and thrips are also easier to control. Red spider mites are relatively small, and the usual damage site is the back of the leaves, caused by poor ventilation and dry air. Scale insects mainly damage sites such as stems and leaf stalks, and vary in size and color, with shapes including round and oval.

Fifth cause of a potted ficus dropping its leaves: improper pruning

Ficus is tolerant of pruning, and pruning can be carried out in March and April, but for a newly planted old stump, it is best not to prune in the first year. In the first year, first cultivate its root base and build its vitality, only removing buds in the wrong positions; only in the second year, after the branches have grown thick and become woody, can you use pruning shears. Pruning should be primary and tying secondary, and pruning once a year is suitable, cutting off only a small amount of messy branches each time, and doing it in multiple sessions. Once too much is cut, it will affect the growth of the roots and the entire tree stump.

What should you do and how should you handle a potted ficus dropping its leaves?

Pests and diseases: After rinsing the whole plant with plenty of water, spray with acaricides such as manjing and kemite that specifically kill mites. For scale insects, you can brush them off with a toothbrush or wipe them clean with a cloth, or spray with a 0.2% solution of laundry detergent or wind-oil essence for control, or spray with pesticides such as methidathion for control; all have good effects. For “thrips,” you can only remove and destroy the curled leaves.

Repotting: Every two years, the ficus bonsai should be repotted and the soil changed once. Repotting is best done during the dormant period of the ficus, and generally can be carried out together with pruning. When repotting, crush and decompose organic fertilizer, mix it into the pot in a certain proportion, and let it slowly provide nutrients.

Pruning: ① Pinching: This can inhibit the ficus from growing taller and promote flat spreading growth of side buds; you can cut off the tender tips of the branches. ② Bud removal: During growth, remove adventitious buds on the branches at any time to avoid excessive shoots sprouting and affecting growth vigor. ③ Leaf removal: Properly pruning old leaves helps new leaves sprout multiple times, keeps the leaf color bright and pleasing, and improves the ornamental effect. ④ Branch pruning: During growth, decide how to prune new branches according to the tree shape and your own aesthetic sense, cutting off excess branches and branches that hinder the overall form. ⑤ Root pruning: When repotting, prune overly long or dense roots, cut off old roots, keep new roots, and replant.

What to do when a potted ZZ plant's leaves curl, 8 causes

ZZ plants cannot be directly kept in a shaded indoor environment for a long time; they need appropriate light to grow normally. If kept in a shaded environment for a long time, the leaves will curl.

Place the ZZ plant on a windowsill with scattered light, letting it receive 4—5 hours of gentle light every day, and the leaves will slowly recover.

If the ZZ plant lacks water for a long time, the potting soil will become hard and impermeable, and even if you water it, the water cannot penetrate into the soil layer. This will cause most of the root system to be unable to absorb water and nutrients, which in turn causes the leaves to lack water and develop yellow, curled symptoms.

In the case of water shortage, generally water promptly and spray water and loosen the soil appropriately to keep the soil loose, so that the water applied can be fully absorbed by its root system.

If the ambient air is too dry, it will likewise cause ZZ plant leaves to curl. So you must give the potted flower a suitable environment.

a. If the indoor air is dry in winter, you can add a humidifier at home to increase indoor air humidity, which can not only relieve the curling of the plant's leaves.

b. Summer temperatures are relatively high, and indoor water evaporates quickly. Generally, you can spray water around the ZZ plant with a spray bottle regularly to increase air humidity.

Leaf curling and some leaf softening that appear in a newly bought ZZ plant or after repotting may be because the ZZ plant was previously cultivated in a greenhouse environment and was suddenly moved to a home for growing, or because the roots were damaged during repotting, so the ZZ plant's inability to adapt to the environment and potting soil causes the leaves to curl.

Do a good job in daily reasonable care of watering and light, and do not keep changing the ZZ plant's position. After the ZZ plant adapts to the new environment and potting soil, the leaf curling will disappear.

If the ZZ plant is watered too much and the potting soil remains waterlogged and too wet for a long time, it causes a lack of oxygen in the soil, makes some fibrous roots rot, hinders normal respiration and the absorption of water and nutrients, and causes leaves to curl and turn yellow. After being damaged, the young leaves first turn pale yellow, and then the old leaves gradually turn yellow as well.

Immediately control watering, stop fertilizing, and frequently loosen the soil with a small wooden stick or other small shovel to give the soil good aeration. After caring for it this way for a period of time, the curled and yellow leaves will slowly turn green again and regain their former vitality.

Leaf curling in ZZ plants is caused by improper fertilizing. For example, spraying a high-concentration chemical fertilizer solution on the leaves, or spraying a pesticide to which ficus young leaves are relatively sensitive (that is, causing phytotoxicity), can both cause young leaves to scorch and curl. In addition, if nitrogen fertilizer is lacking, leaf curling may also occur.

Pay attention to reasonable fertilizing, stop fertilizing with unsuitable fertilizers, and replace them with better fertilizers. Before applying concentrated fertilizer, dilute it with water before watering. If it is only a mild case of over-fertilizing, you can flush the soil with plenty of water for 1 hour, provide shade, then pot it up and care for it normally; note that after potting up it must not be placed in the sun immediately, and it needs one or two days to recover.

If you just bought a ZZ plant online and it develops leaf curling after only a few days of care, then it may be that some unscrupulous sellers sold you a ZZ plant whose roots were already damaged or that had no roots, which is why the leaves curl.

Handle it according to the actual situation: return it or keep the ZZ plant quiet and let it sprout new roots. It is recommended to ask the seller for a return, because beginners generally find it very difficult to keep a rootless ZZ plant alive.

Leaf curling caused by pests and diseases mainly includes the following four:

Leaf spot disease causes black spots to appear on the leaves, mostly occurring from June to September. You can cut off the diseased leaves and promptly use 50% amobam wettable powder at 1500 times dilution for control.

Their piercing and sucking causes leaves and tender shoots to grow deformed and leaves to curl, but the damaged parts are dark purplish red. It can occur year-round in southern regions, and can occur in greenhouses or under shade frames in northern regions. You can spray with 20% imidacloprid wettable powder at 2000 times dilution to kill them.

Mites can also cause leaves to scorch and curl under high-temperature and dry conditions. You can spray with 25% beilesha wettable powder at 2000 times dilution to kill them.

Also known as greasy insects and honey insects. They are small, soft, and green or black, and mostly gather on the young leaves, young stems, and flower buds of the ZZ plant to suck the sap of the flower, easily causing leaves to turn yellow, wrinkle, and curl. Spraying dichlorvos 1500 liquid or diluted fenitrothion for control is sufficient.