Willow Leaf Ficus in training with possible fungal problem

[KennedyMarx]

I was on vacation in Florida a couple of months ago and picked up this willow leaf ficus from Schley's Bonsai. I was told it was started from a root cutting. It was in a tiny mame sized bonsai pot and I repotted it into this larger terracotta pot to get some root growth going. I've been letting grow freely in hopes that the foliage will encourage the root system to expand.

For a while I had a primitive greenhouse set up in my room with several of my tropical prebonsai in it. They were doing really well, but it was really a breeding ground for fungus. I took them all out a few weeks ago and just sat them out under my lights. In the pictures you should be able to see some kind of dark green fungus growing still around the inside of the pot. The exterior of the pot feels a little slimy as well.

The plant seems to be doing fine, but the pot smells and honestly just seems gross. What can I use to take care of this? I have some neem oil that I used to take care of some fungus gnats, but it didn't seem to do much for the pot's fungal growth. Maybe some vinegar mixed with water would work?

 

[davetree]

You can use a fungicide and you may want to at least pull the plant out of the pot to see how the roots look, or repot with fresh soil. Also fresh moving air helps keep the fungus away.

 

[JudyB]

I think that you may have more than fungal problems. How wet is your soil staying? I would look to that to be part of the problem, especially with the added bonus of gnats...

 

[Nybonsai12]

My thought would also be that the soil is staying too wet. Couple that with poor air circulation and I think that is where the slime and the smell is coming from.

 

[KennedyMarx]

Thanks for the input, everyone.

I pulled it out of the pot. The roots seemed fine with plenty of growth. I sort of slip potted it into a bonsai pot I had and backfilled with a slightly coarser soil mix. I think the particle size was too fine and was staying really wet in the pot since there weren't any roots that deep to really get at it. It was probably a bad idea to put such a fine mix into such a deep pot. You live and you learn.

The terracotta was only showing signs of fungus on the inside edge right around the soil line. I put it in a big plastic container with some bleach water to soak for a bit. Not sure if I'll just toss out the old soil mix or try to salvage it.

 

[JudyB]

You do know about the chopstick method for watering? If not take a chopstick or wooden skewer and stick it into the soil. Leave it there all the time. Pull it out to check and see if it's still wet or not. Only when it's almost dry (at least for the willow leaf) do you water this plant. I think it's been kept a bit too wet.

 

[KennedyMarx]

I've heard of the chopstick method, but I thought that was mainly for measuring garden soil. My soil is almost completely inorganic, save some pine bark fines.

 

[edprocoat]

From the top shot it looks pretty healthy. Ficus tend to like it a little wet, they are tropical afterall. In a moist environment they will grow aerial roots. The green stuff on the inside of the pot looks like regular moss that grows in wet conditions. I get it growing up the trunks on my tropicals like my taiwan Ficus, my Microcarpa and also my Scheffelera. Its not harmful and when I get it on the trunk and want to remove it I just set it in the sun for a day or two ( letting the moss on the trunk dry out, not the soil) and it dries out and an old toothbrush will brush it away.

By the way I am in Ohio and from experience I can tell you that they will lose a few leaves this time of year but they will be replaced. Keep it inside with a good light source, tropicals do not need any dormant time. Kept inside they need to be moist as your inside environment is very dry.

ed

 

[JudyB]

I've heard of the chopstick method, but I thought that was mainly for measuring garden soil. My soil is almost completely inorganic, save some pine bark fines.

You should use this method until you really learn how to water. I still use it. Even in inorganic, which I have as well.

I have heard, that willow leaf like it just a bit dryer than most ficus. I myself have one, and let it dry a bit between.

They say that learning how to water your trees takes a minimum of a year. or two. And is the hardest thing to learn. Don't minimize the importance of learning the basics.

 

[KennedyMarx]

I'm not trying to be dismissive of the technique. None of my other trees have been overwatered. I check the soil about an inch under the surface for dryness. This plant was in a deep pot and didn't have the root system to get the water that was accumulating in the bottom half of the pot. Even if I would have used the chopstick I would have thought it needed watered. That being said, I'll try using a chopstick since I have some laying around.

 

[Poink88]

The tree looks fine. Having those fungus is not good though, especially for you.

From what I've read...
Ficus nerifolia/salicaria is actually thought to be a water loving ficus. Supposedly, the leaves evolved elongated due to water current as it is assumed to have originated/evolved in stream banks like willow. Whether this is accurate or not, I am not sure.

That said...here is my root cuttings that I was going to dispose but decided to stick back into the peaty soil the original tree came in on from Puerto Rico (see pic). It usually stays really wet but it never showed any problems. Come to think of it...this cutting actually grew faster than the mother plant in bonsai mix! Hmmm One main thing different compared to the OP...mine is outside and gets a lot of breeze.
View attachment 28207

 

[C.A. Young]

Personally, if you think it's a fungal infection, I'd hit it w/a good sulphur or copper fungicide. Sulphur's gentler but weaker. Fungus gnats suck, but are probably not going to hurt your tree.

 

[daytona1911]

How is the little guy these days? Just for the record, Ficus are almost a succulent , exp if it is winter or cool (under 80F) While they do like moisture, then they are not growing much, its better to keep them dryer than wetter. Keeping them too wet will invite rot and mold. You did the right thing by putting it in a coarser mix with that pot. Instead of nuking it with various fungicides, just cut back the watering to only once the soil starts to get pretty dry, and hitting it with worm tea as a foliar spray weekly weakly and a root drench once a month. Most fungicides are not labeled for greenhouse or indoor use and there is a reason for that. Worm tea actually has fungicidal properties if applied foliarly, and is organic gold for your bonsai.

 

[nathanbs]

I'm assuming the terracota pot had only one in the bottom as usual? I drill additional holes into my terracota pots for that particular reason

 

[KennedyMarx]

How is the little guy these days? Just for the record, Ficus are almost a succulent , exp if it is winter or cool (under 80F) While they do like moisture, then they are not growing much, its better to keep them dryer than wetter. Keeping them too wet will invite rot and mold. You did the right thing by putting it in a coarser mix with that pot. Instead of nuking it with various fungicides, just cut back the watering to only once the soil starts to get pretty dry, and hitting it with worm tea as a foliar spray weekly weakly and a root drench once a month. Most fungicides are not labeled for greenhouse or indoor use and there is a reason for that. Worm tea actually has fungicidal properties if applied foliarly, and is organic gold for your bonsai.

It's now potted into a bonsai pot so it's easier to maintain a relatively even amount of moisture throughout the pot. It's doing better now and putting out new leaves. The mix I used before was a little too fine I think; the new mix has slightly larger particle sizes.

I'm assuming the terracota pot had only one in the bottom as usual? I drill additional holes into my terracota pots for that particular reason

Yes, it was only the single small drainage hole. After I repotted it into a bonsai pot I found some azalea pots at a local nursery that have much larger drainage holes. Seems like it would be pretty easy to drill new holes in the regular terra cotta pots by getting them wet and using a ceramic drill bit. I might have to try it out sometime.

 

[GrimLore]

Yes, it was only the single small drainage hole. After I repotted it into a bonsai pot I found some azalea pots at a local nursery that have much larger drainage holes. Seems like it would be pretty easy to drill new holes in the regular terra cotta pots by getting them wet and using a ceramic drill bit. I might have to try it out sometime.

I hope I do not jinx myself but we have drilled a lot of terracotta not using water and a carbide tipped concrete drill. Put the terracotta upside down on a soft surface like a outdoor door mat or a carpet sample. I go SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOW and so far also managed to do several Ceramic pots that way.

If the moisture and what it produces is bothering you I would suggest a small fan on a timer a few hours a day to have some air movement.

 

[KennedyMarx]

GrimLore, that advice I received was to use a drill bit specifically for ceramics and to keep the pot wet as I drilled through. The only ceramic that I've drilled through was a black soup bowl and the advice worked pretty well for me. Better safe than sorry. The terra cotta would definitely be softer than the bowl I drilled through (it might be mica, but I'm not sure).

 

[jk_lewis]

Ficus tend to like it a little wet,

Where on EARTH did you hear that! Just because a plant is tropical doesn't mean it wants wet feet. Very Few Ficus are wetland plants. Many are happiest in almost arid lands.

My figs -- especially willow leaf -- are allowed to go totally dry before each watering.

 

[KennedyMarx]

From my personal experience (which admittedly isn't that extensive) they don't like to be wet just humid.