Fiddle Leaf Fig - Ask Extension
My fiddle leaf fig has some brown spots on two of its leaves. You can see it’s also starting to turn yellow. I’m scared because I don’t know wha...
Knowledgebase
Fiddle Leaf Fig #668754
Asked July 25, 2020, 9:35 PM EDT
My fiddle leaf fig has some brown spots on two of its leaves. You can see it’s also starting to turn yellow. I’m scared because I don’t know what to diagnose it as. I’ve decided to go ahead and remove the leaves but not sure how to proceed going forward. Any recommendations? Also, as you can see, I have a bad case of edema with the red spots. Not sure how to correct this either. May you all shed some advice?
Anne Arundel County Maryland
Expert Response
Plant edema is caused by an imbalance of water in the soil and water moving out of the leaf - usually, the plants are being over-watered and evaporation and transpiration aren't keeping up with dispersing the excess moisture. Houseplant Figs (Fiddle-leaf as well as Weeping Fig and others) grow best when allowed to get fairly dry between soakings. They do not thrive if kept too wet. Make sure your container has drainage holes and is not sitting on a saucer that holds water (empty the saucer so it doesn't keep water in it). Feel the soil moisture about a finger's depth beneath the surface to make sure it's dry before watering well.
Since leaves do not heal, any afflicted with edema scarring will not repair themselves following a new care routine and may shed early (though we realize you already removed the current symptomatic leaves). Since we cannot see the symptoms clearly in the photo, we aren't certain edema is the cause of the spotting.
Was the plant sprayed with any products recently? Pesticide, leaf-shine, or home remedy? Leaf damage can be a result of phytotoxicity, when sprays are applied which damage the plant tissues themselves.
Gradual yellowing and shedding of older lower leaves is normal as plants mature - they do this mainly as new leaves are being grown. Plants that are under-fertilized may do this more drastically, but this is challenging to ascertain as the sole cause since other stresses can manifest in the same way. (Such as over-watering, even when it doesn't cause edema.) Dying leaves can be clipped off, but if possible, it's best to wait until they fall naturally so the plant can resorb what resources it can from the leaf. If the fig hasn't been fertilized in months, it could probably use a dose of general-purpose houseplant fertilizer (for leafy houseplants, or otherwise not a "bloom-booster" formula).
If over-watering is hard to avoid even with careful attention, this may be due to old potting soil. If you have had the plant in the same soil for more than a year or two, repotting would be beneficial. Old potting soil naturally compresses over time, reducing the pore space for oxygen in the soil (necessary for healthy roots) and draining excess water more slowly. Mineral buildup from past fertilizing will also damage roots if the soil isn't replaced periodically. Spring is a good time of year to do houseplant repotting, but if health problems are resulting, it can be done any time rather than waiting.
Miri
Since leaves do not heal, any afflicted with edema scarring will not repair themselves following a new care routine and may shed early (though we realize you already removed the current symptomatic leaves). Since we cannot see the symptoms clearly in the photo, we aren't certain edema is the cause of the spotting.
Was the plant sprayed with any products recently? Pesticide, leaf-shine, or home remedy? Leaf damage can be a result of phytotoxicity, when sprays are applied which damage the plant tissues themselves.
Gradual yellowing and shedding of older lower leaves is normal as plants mature - they do this mainly as new leaves are being grown. Plants that are under-fertilized may do this more drastically, but this is challenging to ascertain as the sole cause since other stresses can manifest in the same way. (Such as over-watering, even when it doesn't cause edema.) Dying leaves can be clipped off, but if possible, it's best to wait until they fall naturally so the plant can resorb what resources it can from the leaf. If the fig hasn't been fertilized in months, it could probably use a dose of general-purpose houseplant fertilizer (for leafy houseplants, or otherwise not a "bloom-booster" formula).
If over-watering is hard to avoid even with careful attention, this may be due to old potting soil. If you have had the plant in the same soil for more than a year or two, repotting would be beneficial. Old potting soil naturally compresses over time, reducing the pore space for oxygen in the soil (necessary for healthy roots) and draining excess water more slowly. Mineral buildup from past fertilizing will also damage roots if the soil isn't replaced periodically. Spring is a good time of year to do houseplant repotting, but if health problems are resulting, it can be done any time rather than waiting.
Miri
