Willow Leaf Ficus

[nurvbonsai]

What should I do next with my willow leaf ficus that has completely defoliated? Some people suspected scale, but members of my local club didn’t find any. We did a scratch test and saw green underneath, so it still
seems alive and the bending test showed no broken branches. I also decided to repot it today at the club meeting, from its original red nursery pot. One member was particularly helpful in walking me through the root structure and pointing out the long lines of roots were likely dead and that I should be looking for shorter, compact root systems.

In furtherance of my learning, I am equally wondering as I developed a routine of a non-routine of watering, if that is a factor into this equation. I watered as needed, but maybe I still don’t have it down of when that is the case. I’ve also had people tell me in past year that it was my poor lighting conditions inside that could be a factor as well. I’m working with what I have at the moment in grow lights.

As a novice, I thought ficus would be easier to care for, so I’m not sure where I went wrong. Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[19Mateo83]

Mine do this as well when I bring them in for the winter. I just keep watering them and they eventually leaf back out. WLF can be fickle sometimes. I believe it is the lack of humidity indoors that does this. @Carol 83 , does yours does this too?

 

[nurvbonsai]

Mine do this as well when I bring them in for the winter. I just keep watering them and they eventually leaf back out. WLF can be fickle sometimes. I believe it is the lack of humidity indoors that does this. @Carol 83 , does yours does this too?

Glad to know I’m not alone.

 

[nurvbonsai]

I brought in my heat mat that I was using outside so maybe that would be good humidity?

 

[RaginCajun]

Just put it in its happy place and leave it alone. Dont let it dry out but just leave it be. It’ll come back

 

[Carol 83]

Mine do this as well when I bring them in for the winter. I just keep watering them and they eventually leaf back out. WLF can be fickle sometimes. I believe it is the lack of humidity indoors that does this. @Carol 83 , does yours does this too?

Yep, every year. Super aggravating but it drops it's leaves every winter.

 

[Gabler]

I find that my willow leaf ficus prefers to dry out a bit between waterings. I also wait until the temperature is close to 40°F to bring any of my ficus trees indoors. I have never seen a ficus drop its leaves.

 

[Melospiza]

Does your first photo show the typical level of light your ficus receives? If so, that is next to nothing. Whether LEDs or CFLs, the light should be strong enough that it dazzles you a bit. Ficuses are easy to take care of in winter -- if you grow them under strong light, in a warm spot, with deep watering followed by drying such that the soil doesn't remain soggy.

 

[Michael P]

Mine defoliate or partially defoliate every winter.

 

[nurvbonsai]

Does your first photo show the typical level of light your ficus receives? If so, that is next to nothing. Whether LEDs or CFLs, the light should be strong enough that it dazzles you a bit. Ficuses are easy to take care of in winter -- if you grow them under strong light, in a warm spot, with deep watering followed by drying such that the soil doesn't remain soggy.

 

[Melospiza]

Frankly this is incredibly weak light. No ficus would thrive under this.

 

[Paradox]

I have had mine freak out and lose all their leaves when moving them from outside in the fall or if they dried out too much.
I havent had it happen for a few years now though so I dont think its necessarily a guaranteed thing.
Mine do get scale on them in the winter because there are no natural predators in the house to take care of them as there are outside. I generally dont see scale on them when they are outside but it comes in with them in the fall

Here is a suggestion for watering
Get a wooden chopstick or piece of dowel and stick it in the pot and leave it there.
Take it out once a day and look at and feel it.
Water the tree when the stick is almost dry. Do not let it dry out completely, BRT really hate to get dry.
This will help teach you when it needs water.

I also agree with keeping them under bright lights.
My Ficus and BRT stay under lights in the winter and its pretty bright.

 

[nurvbonsai]

It’s unfortunate as I have limited access to lights in the kitchen.

 

[nurvbonsai]

It’s unfortunate as I have limited access to lights in the kitchen.

 

[nurvbonsai]

Trying to adjust brightness. It’s been on the top.

 

[nurvbonsai]

another push.

 

[Michael P]

There is no way to judge light intensity from a photograph. You need to use a PAR meter (photo-synthetically active radiation) or an app for smart phones called Photone. You can download it for free.

 

[nurvbonsai]

I’ve tried to use it before and it said I didn’t have a diffuser which prompted me to use a different app this morning.

 

[nurvbonsai]

 

[Paradox]

You can also look at the specifications of the lights you have or purchase to see if it will deliver enough light.
I never measured my light set up but I know that the amount of bulbs I have at the wattage and the K value they are will give enough light at the correct spectrum