Ficus Benjamin - leaves turn yellow and fall, what to do
Content:
A common problem when growing Ficus benjamina is leaf loss. If this is not massive, then there is no need to worry. Ficus leaves can live and function for up to 3 years. Then they turn yellow and die off. The loss of a few leaves a year by a tree is a natural process. However, massive leaf fall means plant health problems. There can be many reasons for this.
Diseases
If Benjamin's ficus is sick, the leaves turn yellow and fall off, what to do in this case, not everyone knows. It must be understood that a houseplant is susceptible to certain diseases that can destroy not only decorativeness, but also the entire ficus.
Ficus Benjamin in a pot
There are the following types of diseases of this plant:
- fungal diseases
- bacterial infections.
Fungal infections can spread to the plant through the soil. But with proper care, they do not appear in any way. The fungus develops with systematic and prolonged waterlogging of the soil. This can happen in spring or autumn when the room is cold and there is no heating.
There are different types of fungal infections. They affect the root system and the ground part. When the roots rot, the leaves of the plant gradually turn yellow and fall off. With lesions of the ground part, spots and ulcers appear on the leaves. The leaf blades lose color, dry out and die off.
For the treatment of plants from fungi, fungicidal preparations are used. They process the crown of a tree and shed the soil.
Bacterial infections are characterized by the appearance of bubbles or scales on the leaves of the plant. Over time, the leaves completely fall off. Eventually the tree dies. No treatment has been developed. A damaged tree cannot be saved, it is destroyed.
Bacterial infections affect only weakened specimens. This is a consequence of poor care. With proper care and optimal growing conditions, ficuses do not suffer from these diseases.
Fungal infection of leaves
Pests
The condition of the leaves of the plant can be affected by harmful insects. Therefore, figuring out why the leaves of Benjamin's ficus turn yellow and what to do in this case, you should carefully examine the indoor flower. Ficuses can live on:
- shield,
- mealybug,
- spider mite.
The scale insect feeds on plant sap. Young insects are very small and invisible. Adult insects have a protective shell. They sit motionless on leaves and shoots. They move very slowly. The leaves affected by the scale become sticky, turn yellow, dry and fall off.
Mealybug is a small white insect. The top of the insect is covered with a mealy bloom. Worms multiply rapidly on leaves and shoots. They feed on sap, causing foliage to curl and fall off. You can only fight them with systemic insecticides. The treatment is repeated after 7-10 days until the complete destruction of the pests.
Spider mite is a harmful arachnid that settles on young shoots and destroys them. Small mites are almost invisible. Their presence is betrayed by the cobweb on young shoots. Small-leaved varieties are especially affected by ticks - they lose their green mass very quickly.
Fighting ticks is difficult. Usually 2-3 times treatment with acaricide is required with an interval of 7-10 days.
Soil moisture
Ficus does not require abundant watering, it is afraid of stagnant moisture in the roots. This leads to root system disease and death of the tree.
Falling leaves
The soil in the plant pot should be slightly damp. Complete drying out of the earth clod is not desirable. This can cause the leaves to dry out and fall off.
Water the plant only when the top layer of soil in the pot dries up. If you do this more often, then water can stagnate in the ground. This will lead to the development of a fungal infection that attacks the root system. In this case, the leaves turn yellow and fall off, starting from the lowest.
Sometimes beginner growers have problems with the drainage layer or there are no holes in the pot. Ficus sheds leaves because the drainage holes should be wide enough. Otherwise, they become clogged and stop letting water through. Water collects at the bottom of the pot, causing waterlogging and root rot.
Air temperature
Ficus Benjamin is very thermophilic. The optimum temperature for its content is +25 ° C and above. But it also withstands significantly lower temperatures for a long time. It is not dangerous for him to drop the temperature to +15 ° С and even to +10 ° С.
It is not recommended to lower the air temperature below +10 ° С. The leaves of the plant can be damaged by the cold. They can partially turn yellow and fall off the very next day after the temperature drops. It is necessary to carefully monitor the temperature regime when keeping this species.
Does not like a tree, even a small, but sudden cold snap. A rapid decrease in temperature to +10 .. + 15 ° C can have the same effect as a slow decrease in temperature below the limit values for this type of value. A sharp drop in air temperature should not be allowed, since after that the leaves may turn yellow. Then their massive fall will begin.
Decay of roots
Ficus Benjamin does not need abundant watering. It needs to be watered regularly, but in moderation. For this plant, drying out a clod of earth for a short time is not fatal. But this should not be abused, since the ficus can shed foliage.
Abundant watering and stagnant water in the soil lead to root rot. When this part is damaged by rot, it no longer performs its function. The roots do not deliver nutrients to the shoots and leaves. The dying off of the ground part of the plant begins.
Root rot
The first signs of root rot are yellowing of the leaves of the plant. They turn yellow and fall off, but do not dry out. The intensity of the loss of leaf mass depends on the degree of damage to the roots of the tree. A small number of leaves are usually lost first. Over time, there is a massive fall of leaves.
In order to revive the tree, experts advise to dry the soil. Then they begin to water it moderately, keeping an eye on the moisture content of the earth. If this does not help, the ficus should be removed from the pot and the root system should be examined.
Other possible problems
There are other reasons as a result of which leaf fall may occur:
- drafts,
- nutritional deficiencies
- tightness in the pot
- air humidity.
Drafts
Usually ficus does not suffer from drafts. The exception is cold gusts of wind. The plant is more critical to the air temperature. It tolerates a sudden drop in temperature especially badly.
If in winter or even in November a tree stood in a cold draft, then the very next day it may begin to shed its foliage. Its yellow leaves are falling off. The ficus also reacts to being near a working air conditioner in the summer.
To preserve the tree, do not keep it near open windows and balcony doors. Also in the summer you need to remove it from the working air conditioner.
Irregular feeding
Inadequate nutrition is another reason why Benjamin's ficus leaves turn yellow and fall off. Potted soil is quickly depleted. The plant needs regular feeding. If feeding is carried out rarely or not at all, the plant can slow down growth and begin to lose leaves.
Fertilizers for feeding
To improve the conditions of detention, regular feeding of the ficus is necessary from spring to mid-autumn.
Irregular transplant
Ficus Benjamin should be regularly transplanted into a pot of slightly larger diameter. If this is not done, the roots of the tree will grow rapidly. They don't have enough space. They grow through the soil surface. The entire volume of the pot is occupied by the root system, and there is almost no land left.
Such tree maintenance should not be tolerated. Roots will not do their job well in cramped conditions. This will affect the crown of the tree - the leaves will turn yellow and fall off. To revive a tree, you need to regularly transplant.
Air humidity
The plant is not very critical to air humidity. It can grow in both humid tropics and semi-desert climates. It is not necessary to specially humidify the air.
But keeping a plant for a long time in very dry air can affect its crown and foliage. The leaves begin to dry out from the tips, turn yellow and fall off. This is true not only for Benjamin's ficus, but also for other species (rubber, lyre, broadleaf, Ali ficus).
Most trees tolerate a drop in moisture and do not shed their foliage. But some specimens can shed the bulk of the leaves and lose their decorative effect. To prevent this from happening, you should not overdry the air in rooms where there are Benjamin ficuses.
Ficus Benjamin can lose leaves for many reasons. It is important to determine in time why this is happening and adjust the care for it. This will help to avoid loss of green mass and plant death.
