Question
i bought a beautiful fiddle leaf fig about a month ago.  it was so full of leaves that it was like a bush or a shrub (probably 3'-4' in diameter).  i had always seen the tall ones with maybe 3 stalks but i had never seen one like this, with this many leaves (almost too many, it seemed to be crowding itself).
when i got it home i left it in it's original, black, plastic container and sat it in a decorative pot. i gave it a drink of water and used wet paper towels to clean the white water marks, dirt, and grime off the leaves, careful not to injure them.  then i gave it a few misty shots of a mild, natural, non-oil plant shine (i think it was shultz). i didn't drench it in the stuff.
about two weeks later the plant started dropping yellowish leaves from the bottom so i figured it hadn't needed the water i gave it when i got it home and that it must be overwatered. then the leaves above those and then the ones all in the middle started getting huge dark brown spots on them (not just around the edges but in the center). the spots would reach each other and the leaf would fall. this plant had tons of little buds on it when i got it.  they were all black and crispy. now there are about 25 leaves left at the top of 15 stems coming from 6 stalks.  what happened and can i save this plant? or should i return it and get another one i can kill?(joke)
currently the soil is dry without being hard. it's in a west window and i live in los angeles (mild climate).
thanks for any help.
best- brandon  

Answer
Hi Brandon,

Your Ficus lyrata was not properly acclimated by the grower before it was sold to you. A Lyrata that has leaves as dense as you described is a plant that has been growing in a greenhouse with optimum light that cannot be duplicated in the home. The better growers will increase the shade over the last 3-6 months and allow some of the interior leaves to fall. These interior leaves do not get as much light as the outer leaves. In addition, the cell structure of the leaves is different when grown in reduced light.

Your Lyrata was forced to make an immediate adjustment from ideal light to much reduced light. Dropping older (lower) and interior leaves is its way to adjust so that it can continue to produce new growth at the ends of the stems.

Improper watering can also hasten the loss of leaves. I suspect you may have allowed the soil to get too dry. A Lyrata in the original pot and with lots of dense leaves will require a lot of water - a thorough drenching at least weekly. It should be watered as soon as the surface of the soil feels almost dry.

At this point, you are not going to get any new leaves on the lower portions of the stems unless you prune some of those stems back to the height where you would like to see more leaves. This is because new growth is always at the ends of stems. With lots of time and patience, you may be able to restore this plant to a nice healthy specimen. Otherwise, consider exchanging it for one that is less dense and has leaves that are a very deep dark green color.

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

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