Question
I have a large (about 7') indoor ficus benjamina that I have had for about a year.  It's in a 5-gallon pot, and hasn't been re-potted since I bought it. It is next to a large north facing window where it gets indirect sunlight. It seems to be doing fine - leaves are green, there is little leaf drop, and it's growing new leaves.  Yesterday I noticed a 3" tall, yellow, bottle shaped "mushroom" in the pot.  I looked closer and found the entire surface of the soil is covered with this yellow fungus and there are several other "mushroom" type growths coming up.  I've also noticed the tree has several bulbous type growths, "galls" I think.  Then a friend showed me another disease on the underside of the leaves - a small white spot/growth at the base of the leaf that can be picked off.  What can I do about any or all of these problems.  I really love my tree!

Answer
Hi Carolyn,

"It seems to be doing fine - leaves are green, there is little leaf drop, and it's growing new leaves." That is the most important thing that you wrote.

The mushrooms and yellow fungus growing in the soil are harmless to your Ficus tree. If you want to remove them, then scrape them out along with the surrounding loose soil. You may have to do this repeatedly before you get all of the spores. Allowing the top inch of soil dry out will also discourage fungus growth. Make sure that no one is adding any beverages or food substances to the soil. If all else fails, you can purchase a fungicide that is mixed with water and applied to the soil.

There is no cure for galls on Ficus trees. However, they are also almost always harmless to the tree. If they are aesthetically unpleasing to you, then you can prune off the branch with the gall just below the gall. Otherwise, just ignore it.

The little beads of sap at the base of the leaves is perfectly normal and commonly found on healthy Ficus trees. There is no need to remove them.

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

Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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

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