Question
I have a 12 year old Ficus that has done amazingly well until recently (7 moves in 3 years). I just noticed a little webbing at the top of the tree. I thought it might be spider mites but I have not found any bugs. I have noticed that a few of the leaves are partially brown, and a lot of them are falling off the tree. The last time the tree was re-potted was about 6 years ago, so I am not sure if I have one problem (pests) or two (pests and need to re-pot).
Please advise me.
Thank you
~Naida

Answer
Hi Naida,

Ficus tress don't often get spider mites, but it certainly can happen. Spray your tree lightly with a fine mist of plain water. The water droplets will cling to any webs and make them more visible.

Spider mite webs are very fine - much finer than house spider webs. The mites themselves are very tiny, several times smaller than a head of a pin. They look like little particles of dust. By the time they start making webs, they are already well established and difficult to eradicate.

Plain soap and water, insecticidal soap, and Hot Pepper Wax can all be used safely to treat spider mites. The key with all of these products is to get 100% coverage of all leaf and stem surfaces - top and bottom. If you miss a few of the mites, which is easy to do because they are small enough to reside between spray droplets, then they will start to reproduce and you will have another infestation again in a few weeks. Try to spray in a location where you can thoroughly drench all leaf surfaces without worrying about all the run-off. It is also advisable to re-spray again about 5-7 days later to get any mites that you may have missed the first time.

The best mite prevention is vigilance. They are much easier to eliminate in the early stages.

Spider mites often are introduced on newly acquired plants or by plants that have been outside. You may want to spray such plants before you bring them inside. Spider mites also prey on plants that are under stress. Thus, it is important to keep your plants healthy by providing good light and proper water.

If your tree is so rootbound that the top inch of soil dries out in less than five days following a thorough watering, then it should be moved to a pot one size larger. Otherwise, leave it in its existing pot.

I have written an article on Ficus tree care that I will email to anyone who send a request to me at my address below.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions. If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to provide some additional insights.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]