Question
I have a fiddle leaf plant, currently in my north window. It is in an 18" pot with good drainage, and repotted about eight months ago with moisture control potting soil. Brown spots along the leaf edges have developed and I have reduced watering after reading of the perils of overwatering. I'll have to wait & see if better watering discipline stops the browning.  I am also concerned about the stalks. The plant is about six feet tall and there are two supporting stalks, but they are very thin and spindly. I have had to use bamboo to hold up one of the stalks. Can I force growth in the stalks by pruning the top leaves of the plant?

Answer
Hi David,

Your Ficus lyrata is being overwatered because it is in a pot that is too large with soil that stays too moist. A large pot has excess soil that retains moisture for too long, thereby depriving the roots of needed oxygen. The "moisture control" refers to additives to the soil that retain water for even longer, thereby aggravating the problem. If you had recently repotted, I would suggest that you undo the repotting and move it back into a smaller pot. However, it is so long now that doing that is more complicated and it is likely the root rot is beyond recovery. I am sorry to have to tell you this.

Thin, spindly stems are due to inadequate light. A north light is barely adequate assuming the plant is right directly in front of the window, no more than 2 feet away and the window is completely uncovered through the day and not shaded by trees or other buildings.

I suggest that you prune your Lyrata back and try to root tip cuttings in their own small pots. I recommend this because you are likely to lose the larger tree to root rot, for which there is no cure once it is well-established.

In the interim, remove all loose soil from the surface that is not in immediate contact with the roots. This will allow the soil to dry more quickly. Then, Allow the top 3 inches of soil to dry before adding a small quantity of water such that the soil dries out again in a week or less.

For future reference, the number one cause of plant problems is unnecessary repotting.

I have written articles on repotting that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who emails a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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