Question
Hello Will,

Despite its being kept in moderate sun and moisture as instructed (& in a bathroom), my Long-feafed Fig (Ficus Binnendijkii Alii, about six feet tall) has dropped 2/3 of its leaves. It's looking pretty sad, with whole branches having died off. This is supposed to be one of the easiest indoor plants to keep and I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong. (Could I possibly be fertilizing it too much?)

I'm also wondering what I can do to thicken it out again, as it seems only to want to sprout new leaves off the tips of the surviving branches梬hich only makes it look more straggly.

Will pruning work?

regards,
Dan

Answer
Hi Dan,

The list of indoor potted plants that have been described as among the easiest or hardiest is so long as to be meaningless. Ficus alii is quite hardy IF it has enough light and after it is well-established in its new location.

Light is the most critical factor for all Ficus species. Yours must be located within a few feet of a window that is completely uncovered and unobstructed throughout the daylight hours. This is particularly important in the UK where days are relatively short in winter and sunny days seem to be scarce. If the window faces north, then the tree must be directly in front of the window. It it faces a south it can be off to the side a bit. In any case, the more sunlight you can provide the more leaves the tree will be able to support and the less straggly it will look. Most bathrooms have either quite small windows or frosted glass that block a good deal of light. The supposed benefits of higher bathroom humidity are fictitious so bathrooms are rarely good locations for most plants.

Fertilizer is not medicine and it should be limited to plants that are healthy and growing vigorously. Although it is not the cause of the leaf loss, it is not helping and it will cause excess build up of soil nutrients that will burn tender roots later on.

Because your Ficus has lost so many leaves and because new growth is always at the ends of stems and branches, pruning is the only way to return your tree to a fuller and more compact shape. Prune back the stems by about one-third or as much as you can stand. That means you will be removing most of the existing foliage, so the tree will look horrible when you are done pruning. However, as long as the roost are healthy and you are providing adequate light, new growth will soon emerge from the stems from just below where you make the pruning cuts. Within a few months you will have a much healthier, fuller and smaller tree. After that, annual pruning by about one-quarter will keep your tree looking good.

I have written an article on Ficus care that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who sends a request to me at [email protected].

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

If this information has been helpful, please click the Rate Volunteer bar below and enter a rating and nomination for me. I am a volunteer on this site so Ratings are the only compensation I receive for answering plant questions.

Need more information? Visit my website at www.HorticulturalHelp.com
or email me at [email protected] or call me at 917-887-8601 (EST)
 
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at  www.HorticulturalHelp.com