Ficuses are natives of Australian and Asian territories. They went into the category of indoor because of the unusual glossy foliage and size. The culture does not have special requirements for care, but a violation of the standard rules given in the description leads to the development of diseases and attacks of parasitic insects. Inexperienced gardeners often ask themselves: why do ficus leaves fall and how to solve this problem?
When to sound the alarm if the leaves turn yellow
The loss of a small amount of foliage is the norm for the plant if the phenomenon is observed in the autumn-winter period. You need to be wary if the yellowing of the leaves and their loss does not pass with the change of season, with the advent of spring. Then the tree requires a change in the conditions of detention and symptomatic treatment.
Ficus leaf fall
Ficus drops leaves: root causes
Frightened by the non-standard behavior of the plant, flower growers are looking for an answer to the question of why the ficus discards the leaves of the cause and what to do with a large-scale shedding of foliage. The main difficulties in growing arise when the flower is kept in the room - it is used to the area in which there is a clear distinction between periods with increased humidity and dryness.
Seasonal changes include a mechanism for preparing for the time at which the tree will not receive enough water. It is because of this that they begin to get rid of excess leaves in order to reduce the area of liquid evaporation.
When stress factors appear, plants constantly living in the apartment may lose 30% of the foliage. In this case, it is trying to get used to new conditions or expresses its protest against excessive or insufficient watering, lack of mineral elements.
Important! Violations of the rules of irrigation, the level of light and temperature, the attack of insect parasites and the development of diseases can lead to yellow ficus.
Yellowing leaves
Temperature mode
Natural changes in environmental conditions can be a clue to the problem of why ficus leaves turn yellow. A decrease or increase in temperature and a decrease in daylight hours are a signal that drought is ahead. The flower automatically activates the survival mechanism.
Transitions from one to the second season activate partial dropping of foliage. At this moment, adaptation to new indicators of lighting, temperature and humidity occurs. In a closed space they change less, but a slight imbalance is enough for the plant to begin to acclimatize again.
Many cultures do not tolerate drafts, being near ventilation shafts or at windows set for ventilation. Sudden changes in temperature are an occasion to get rid of part of the deciduous cover.
Additional Information! To support the conditionally stable mode, it is important that the room temperature is within +25 ℃.
Air humidity
One of the common reasons why yellow sheet plates appear is the lack of fluid. Trees do not prefer to grow in high humidity, they need well-drained soil in pots and an optimal nutrient substrate.
Insufficient moisture leads to leaf rejection for evolutionary reasons. In nature, culture in this way solves the problem of drought, trying to survive under adverse conditions. Humidity less affects the mechanism of loss of leaf blades compared with insufficient irrigation.
Diseases
Ficus discards the leaves cause and what to do because the stressful condition provoked by the development of diseases becomes a source of pathology. The following ailments are included in the list of common diseases of indoor ficus.
Powdery mildew
Trees are rarely affected by bacterial microorganisms, but sometimes they have Xanthomonas, leading to leaf spotting. The bacterium penetrates into the leaf plates through microscopic lesions or natural pores and gradually spreads through the tissues.
The primary symptomatology of the disease is fluid-soaked spots that quickly increase in size. Over time, they merge, capturing vast territories with yellowish borders located at the edges of the plates. With a severe form of the disease, the tree begins to crumble even during the growing season, it is difficult to cure it.
Important! After finding out the reason why the ficus leaves fall, what should be done next? The plant is treated with fungicides.
Root rot
The pathological condition is formed under the influence of constantly moist soil, active growth and reproduction of fungal infection. It captures the root system, eventually affecting the entire plant. The roots become brownish, soften and rot. The tree does not receive the necessary nutrition and begins to fade.
Root rot
Most gardeners notice root rot at the stage of yellowness, wilting and falling leaves. If symptoms of the disease are detected, you need to extract the plant, examine the roots and remove the damaged ones. After replacing the old soil with a fresh substrate, the flower is planted in place. If the disease affects the entire root system, then the culture must be disposed of.
Anthracnose
Refers to a subgroup of fungal infections that occur with constantly moist soil. Initially, the disease appears with yellow greasy spots on the leaf plates, then brownish or reddish-brown ulcerations appear on the roots of the roots. The infected tissue dies, and the damaged foliage is curled and deformed.
Important! Massive shedding of leaves causes severe anthracnose damage. In light stages, it is necessary to transplant with a complete replacement of the substrate and treatment with fungicides, in difficult cases - the plant cannot be saved.
Separately, bacterial pathologies that cause the death of the tree are isolated. These include bacterial cancer, manifested by bloating of individual areas on leaf blades, stem or root system. Therapeutic measures against him are powerless, it will not be possible to save the plant. In order to avoid infection of the entire flower garden, a sick individual is destroyed.
Pests
The appearance of parasitic insects is a sure sign that the ficus will begin to hurt and get rid of foliage. In light attacks, it will have to be cut, in case of serious ones - it must be disposed of. Almost all indoor plants are attacked by the mealybug, scutellum and spider mite. The problem is often associated with excessive dryness of the air in the house, which is a favorable environment for parasites.
What to do if the ficus, due to insects, sheds leaves: the primary treatment is mechanical removal using a cotton pad and soap solution. Heavily damaged shoots are pruned and destroyed - this approach helps stop the spread of the infection. Some flower growers prefer to use a neem oil solution related to natural pesticides.
Shield
Prefers to attack fruit trees and ornamental shrubs with fine foliage. The pest punctures holes in leaf blades, on shoots and buds to freely feed on juice. A sign of defeat are yellowish spots on the top of the leaves. They become lethargic and stunted, begin to dry and may fall, the plant loses its decorative appearance.
Ficus shield
Mealybug
Insects have a soft body covered with a whitish, waxy material. It protects parasites from loss of moisture and heat. Colonies of parasites prefer to settle in protected areas of culture - in the axils of the lower foliage. The lesion is determined by slow growth or apparent deformation of leaf plates, whitish plaque. The parasite prefers the youngest shoots. During nutrition, they secrete a liquid on which dirt settles.
Spider mite
Infection occurs almost imperceptibly, the insect settles on the wrong side of the plates. The main problem is the rapid creation of a colony of spider mites and their distribution throughout the green part. Pathology is determined by a thin web, yellowish or colorless leaves.
Note! Mechanical cleaning helps control pests in an initial attack on a crop. Mass infection requires the use of insecticides with multiple processing. Even with their use, there is no guarantee of recovery.
Incorrect transplant
Transplant operations lead to the development of stress in the ficus: it does not tolerate extraction from the earth, changes in its usual conditions. To reduce the negative effect of transplantation, you must adhere to the following rules:
- after gently extracting the flower from the root system, do not shake off the sand - the earthen lump should remain intact;
- the roots of the plant are very delicate and careless handling can lead to their breaking off - the procedure is carried out with extreme caution;
- after transplant procedures, irrigation is mandatory;
- Before transplanting, the earth in the tank is moistened - dry roots break easier.
Additional Information! To reduce the consequences of the procedure, the tree is fed a weak sugar solution and cut to 1/3 of the length. Regularly check the humidity of the substrate - it should not be dry, but not wet. Waterlogging and dry land become sources of fungal diseases and the spread of parasitic insects.
Transplant without damage to the roots
Lack or excess of lighting
In the homeland of ficuses, sunlight prevails. They make a similar requirement when living in apartments. Reducing daylight hours leads to falling leaves: with a serious deviation, the problem can be solved with additional lighting.
Being on the south side requires protecting the culture from direct sunlight - they lead to burns on leaf plates. In this case, they have to shade a bit.
On a note! In summer, the pot can be taken out to the balcony or the veranda so that the small-leaved flower receives the maximum amount of fresh air. Do not forget that returning to a stuffy room can provoke leaf fall.
Low light
Watering errors
When buying a plant, you need to familiarize yourself with the requirements of its content and develop a clear plan for irrigation. Both an excess and a lack of moisture will become a source of loss of foliage, the development of fungal diseases and attacks of parasitic insects.
The plant needs uniform watering through:
- in the summer season, soil moisture is carried out more often, as the earthen coma dries out;
- in late autumn and winter, the amount of irrigation is reduced.
Important! Excessive drying of the soil negatively affects the health of the crop. In order to avoid deviations in its state, it is necessary to irrigate at the first sign of dryness of the substrate.
Prevention of decay and yellowing of leaves in ficuses
Having understood the reasons for the color change of sheet plates and their loss, they draw conclusions on how to prevent such phenomena in the future. Experienced flower growers are advised to adhere to the following rules:
- The correct schedule for irrigation - uniform volumes of fluid flow into the tank at regular intervals. The frequency directly depends on the level of humidity, temperature and season. In the summer heat, irrigation is carried out more often, in the winter - less often. The peculiarity is associated with a slowdown of processes in the plant and a conditional state of dormancy.
- Illumination - the light does not interfere with the ficus, when removed from the windowsill and rearranged on the table, it will stubbornly turn to the sun's rays. The priority is diffused lighting, which will not be able to provoke burns of leaf plates, but will fall on the tree throughout the day.
- Pruning - needed to limit growth. Under favorable conditions, culture actively starts growing and occupies all the free space. A forced measure helps to give the flower a more compact look.
Compliance with all the above recommendations will allow you to grow a healthy and beautiful ficus, with an active immune system. Immunity is important for all cultures - it protects them from various diseases and prevents attacks of parasitic insects.
It’s easy to take care of ficus, it will not turn yellow and will not drop foliage. To do this, follow the requirements for the supervision of decorative shrubs. Timely watering, top dressing and the land enriched with useful substances will allow it to grow and develop normally.
