Dying Ficus!!?

Question

I have a braided ficus tree (I believe its a ficus alii, but I'm not sure). Five months ago, I moved it from my home to my office. As expected, it lost a large number of leaves. New growth has started but most of the leaves now have brown patches ringed in very thing yellow "halos." The new growth is turning brown and shriveling. I can't see any bugs on it and have tried permethrin. I have had this tree for years and I love it. Please help!!!

Answer 1

Ficus trees are very sensitive to being moved. They seem to rebel against any change in their environment. Make sure you don't move it again, and that it has enough light but not direct sun (very important). Water it, feed it, sing to it, play soothing classical music. It should eventually adapt.

Answer 2

This happened to me and your other answers here are correct - Ficus trees hate shock.

My tree survived three moves in three years, even had some 'scale' thing which sucked sap out of it, it's survived extreme heat and windstorms, even fell over in a pot outside.

I've had the leaves die, shrivel up, turn yellow, brown and look completely bare.

Good news is - if the center core is still green in the trunk it is alive and well - thus, follow the nurturing advice given here already and go forward. Just don't move it anymore and take good care of it - IT WILL COME BACK.

I had my Ficus tree 15 years. It finally died (froze to death). But it did survive again and again to all the things I mentioned above. The trick was misting the new growth with water in a spray bottle when it came up, feeding it (I used Jobes tree sticks) regularly during the Spring and Summer months, not feeding it during the Fall and Winter, watching the watering (not too much, not too little - it will start to droop when it is dehydrated), keeping the soil fresh and nutrient rich.

Have faith and be patient. This tree will indeed test your patience, but will deliver all of its beauty and will loyally return, even after such a move. So don't feel guilty about moving it, just take measures necessary to get it back to health.

Good luck.

Answer 3

It is in shock, this type of tree doesn't like to be moved from one place to another. When moving it they should be covered with paper to help keep them stable. Sometimes they come out of the shock once they get use to the new location. I may take a while. Make sure they are not under direct heat. Keep in cool but not cold place. Lots of light but not direct sunlight.