Bonsai forum

  • Page:
  • 1
  • 2

TOPIC:

pale yellow and brownish looking leaves 12 years 5 months ago #2205

  • Michael
  • Michael's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • New Member
  • New Member
  • Posts: 7
  • Thanks received: 0
Hi everyone :)

Was hoping you guys could give me some pointers and advice.

About 2 months ago i received a ficus as a gift from a friend...lately, some of the leaves have started turning pale yellow, and also with some brownish looking spots. So i'm a bit worried i'm doing something wrong...

I water the tree whenever the soil gets slightly try, as recommended by all the forums i have read. I also mist it daily. I have it placed on a small table next to the window, so i gets moderate sunlight. The temperature is also good, and pretty much constant, never any major variations.

I have only given it fertiliser twice since i got it...could it be chlorosis?
And since it was a gift, i'm not sure when it's last repotting was, so bit concerned it might be root related problems. It was bought at a professional florist shop, so i cant imagine they would sell it, if it was in urgent need of a repotting....but then again i have no idea about these things..hehe:)

Took a couple of pictures for you guys to look at...

i91.photobucket.com/albums/k290/barsnbanners/IMAGE_052.jpg
i91.photobucket.com/albums/k290/barsnbanners/IMAGE_053.jpg

Please help me, so i dont send this beautiful looking tree to an early grave :)

cheers from norway

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Re: pale yellow and brownish looking leaves 12 years 5 months ago #2206

  • Artmyth
  • Artmyth's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Junior Member
  • Junior Member
  • Posts: 25
  • Thanks received: 2
Im going to chime in here with a guess, and hopefully more experienced users can confirm or disqualify my assessment ;)

I think this may be due to over-watering and lack of aeration in the roots ITs my understanding ficus requires very well aerated soil and a short dry period between watering, ie don't keep the soil moist at all times.

you might want to add more grit to the soil to improve air flow?

Thats a nice little tree it has lots of potential to be a looker.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Re: pale yellow and brownish looking leaves 12 years 5 months ago #2207

  • manofthetrees
  • manofthetrees's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 1070
  • Thanks received: 193
asessment confirmed, let it go a week or so without water...it is hard to tell how water retentive your soil is so if you want wait till the leaves start to droop this will give you a more exact time between waterings (it could take 2 weeks or more) it won't hurt the tree. ive done it many times when things get busy ...:blink: oh crap she needs water and within a day they perk up again.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Re: pale yellow and brownish looking leaves 12 years 5 months ago #2209

  • leatherback
  • leatherback's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 8620
  • Thanks received: 3653
Let me chip in a dime as well..

Although I agree that ficus (Fici?) may be picky when it comes to moist feet, I have yet to encounter a ficus myself which was bothered by wet toes. In fact, I have most of my normal house-plant ficus sitting in a tray which pretty much always has water standing there. The ficus love it. As long as temperatures are high enough to sustain growth, most ficusses will not readily cause you a lot of headaches from water. So.. What else might be bugging your plant?

Bugs. Have you checked whether your ficus has an infaction of Scale? Scale are bugs that live of the juices flowing in the ficus. In order to get to it, they hold on to a vein-carrying part of the plant, and chuck their madibles in the plant. They look like green or brown little specks; about 2-4mm diameter, 0.5mm thick on your plant. They may be hard to spot.

Also: A ficus does not like extensive turning which will make it drop their leaves, very string changes in temperature, light, position or watering scheme will cause the same.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Re: pale yellow and brownish looking leaves 12 years 5 months ago #2212

  • Michael
  • Michael's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • New Member
  • New Member
  • Posts: 7
  • Thanks received: 0
No bugs of any kind as far as i can see.

Will try and water it less for awhile, and see if that helps.

The pot itself is well drained, but now that you mention it...the soil looks like it consists of mostly compost, so it probably isnt very well aerated.

I guess a repotting has to be done, if i am to add more akadama / grit to the soil mix...

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Re: pale yellow and brownish looking leaves 12 years 5 months ago #2226

  • Artmyth
  • Artmyth's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Junior Member
  • Junior Member
  • Posts: 25
  • Thanks received: 2
The bug potential was another thing I was going to mention, I bought a bay laurel and it has become super infested with scale bugs and the leaves have that same look to them - but much more drastic. When checking for bugs I use a magnifying glass.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Re: pale yellow and brownish looking leaves 12 years 5 months ago #2241

  • Michael
  • Michael's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • New Member
  • New Member
  • Posts: 7
  • Thanks received: 0
Can the bugs be underneath the soil? or are they only on the branches and the tree itself?

don't want to take the tree out of the pot, and stress it even more...if it's not necessary

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Re: pale yellow and brownish looking leaves 12 years 5 months ago #2242

  • Michael
  • Michael's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • New Member
  • New Member
  • Posts: 7
  • Thanks received: 0
i'll be damned....used a magnifying glass like you...could see super tiny spider mites.

guess i'll be shopping for some pesticides tomorrow then...

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Re: pale yellow and brownish looking leaves 12 years 5 months ago #2244

  • leatherback
  • leatherback's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 8620
  • Thanks received: 3653
No need for pesticides. The plant is not all that big; You could just rins it twice a day in a luke-warm shower, which normally works. Or mist it with a mixture of dish-washing soap, water and rubbing alcohol. Do that a few times over a 2 week period and they should be gone too.

Key: Spider mites do not like moisture, soap or alcohol.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Re: pale yellow and brownish looking leaves 12 years 5 months ago #2246

  • Michael
  • Michael's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • New Member
  • New Member
  • Posts: 7
  • Thanks received: 0
wow, now that i have been reading up on pests and diseases...i think my poor little bonsai has some more problems....mildew.

White gooie stuff on the foliage....noticed this when i first got it, but didnt think much of...thought it might be some dirt and whatnot from the florist shop. Its only on the smaller leaves..small portions of white spots / goo.

So, spider mites and mildew...oh boy...will it survive?

Took another picture...not the best quality, but you can clearly see some white stuff on the leaf.

i91.photobucket.com/albums/k290/barsnbanners/IMAGE_054.jpg

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Last edit: Post by Michael.
  • Page:
  • 1
  • 2