Ficus Tree Losing Leaves?

Few people who have ever bought a Ficus tree (weeping fig tree), especially Ficus Benjamina, have not needed to pull out a broom, get down on their knees or get out of the vacuum to clean up all the leaves that have dropped. Sorry, those items are not on our ficus plants tool list!

Ficus drop leaves usually for 3 possible reasons:

Ask most plant professionals as to “Why a weeping fig loses leaves” and you’ll get a short simple answer – it’s acclimating. That’s true, but a more complete answer will help you understand what is happening.

When the term “acclimating” is used, most people refer to plants moving to different light levels – high to lower or low to higher. However, with Ficus trees knowing a little about where they come from and gaining better insight into this “creature of habit” can help understanding ficus leaf drop.

The Ficus Dry Season – Environment

Just as birds migrate, Benjamina ficus comes from an area with very distinct seasons – wet and dry.

How To Care For A Ficus Tree in Dry Season?

Ficus standard growing as a standard spiral

To survive in the dry season, Ficus plants shed their leaves to reduce the amount of leaves, because the plant will not have enough water to support the leaf canopy during the dry season. When rains return, the canopy returns with new growth.

Ficus tree leaves falling is a survival mechanism… it is a creature of habit and does not like change unlike some other ficus species.

Winter Leaf Drop On Ficus

Lighting is very important in growing Ficus. Every year when winter hits and lighting is reduced indoor Ficus trees often lose some leaves. They turn yellow and drop.

A Ficus plant losing leaves is all part of a normal process in learning to care for them properly. It is not uncommon for a tree to lose 20% of its leaves during the acclimation transition.

If your plants have summered outdoors, dropping ficus leaves (greater than 20% is expected) as it acclimates to its new indoor environment. If your plants are inside all along, leaf drops can come from the reduction of light and drier conditions indoors from heat.

Place your Ficus in your brightest window, they love light and help with a multitude of Ficus problems.

Ficus Watering Adjustments

Generally, when watering Ficus, if the plants get a lot of light – water more, less water if less light is available. My best success with Ficus indoors is when the plants have been grown on sub-irrigation.

Ficus benjamina spirals growing in shade house

Why Less Water?

Less light means less growth and reduced water requirements. Ficus tree roots have aggressive systems and can quickly fill a pot with roots making watering difficult.

If your plants are dropping lots of leaves, check to make sure it is not rootbound, if so, consider repotting into a slightly larger pot or trimming the canopy to reduce the number of leaves. In general, keep the soil moist, but never soggy wet.

Ficus Pest & Insect Problems

A happy, well-grown Ficus has few insect or pest problems, but yellowing leaves can be caused by the common insects of scale, mealybug, and spider mites.

 

Once this Ficus genus is stable and actively growing care is minimal, usually, all that is needed will be a weekly check of the soil moisture and watering if needed.

Over time as the tree grows, your Ficus will need pruning and shaping, typically every spring, depending on its speed of growth.

Once you have decided where you are going to place your Ficus, give it the same lighting, the same amount of water and stay on the same schedule. In case I didn’t mention it, if you throw on some ficus tree fertilizer you can also expect some leave drop – again it is a change Ficus dislikes. Using a liquid food at 1/2 strength is probably a good recommendation.

In case I didn’t mention it, if you throw on some fertilizer you can also expect some leave drop – again it is a change Ficus dislikes. Using a liquid food at 1/2 strength is probably a good recommendation.

A well-maintained ficus tree can be a stunning addition to any home for years.

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