Fiddler Plant (Outdoor)

[cpo999]

Hello All,

I am new to this site but started taking an interest in my outdoor fiddler plant. All of a sudden it has grown so large and I'm really enjoying it. But i have a couple questions. Upon the posted photos, its best to cut the leaves that have (what looks like) Caterpillar holes on them correct? Also, if you notice the bottom of the plant is not as green and vibrant as the top leaves, not sure why that is?

I water the plant once a week, and use NEEM oil once a week as well as SEVIN spray to help rid of the bugs/pests. So far after that caterpillar or whatever was eating the holes in those leaves weeks ago, i have not had any further issues.

My questions is what do you recommend i do, should i cut off the leaves with the holes on them? Also, i bought "Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Plant Food for Ficus Lyrata – Calcium Fortified, Urea-Free and with NPK Ratio of 3-1-2 for Healthy Roots, Stems and Leaves" from Amazon. I read that once a week when i water I should mix that solution with 2 cups of water and pour into the pot while i do regular watering?

I just don't want this guy to die lol, so i want to take care of it the best I can.

Please look at the photos and let me know how you think it is doing, the gauge i bought says there is a little to much water in it (so i wont water until end of week to level that out) .

I am just more curious about what I should do with the leaves with the bug holes on them, as well as the leaves that look off color towards the bottom. Also, is it ok that the leaves are facing/drooping downward toward the bottom of the plant, as the top of the plant looks more vibrant?

Thanks a lot and look forward to hearing back from the community.

 

[Marck]

Give your Fiddle-leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata) bright light, good drainage, and fertilize regularly. Some of the yellowing of the leaves may be due to nutrient deficiency, but it is also likely that those leaves are being shaded out by the larger, younger leaves above them. Ficus lyrata is a tree, and like most trees, it will eventually develop a bare trunk, unless it is somehow receives enough horizontal light to justify keeping branches to the ground.

If you find the hole-spotted leaves very unsightly, you can remove them, but I would only remove a few of the worst leaves. Removing still-functional leaves should be done sparingly, as the plant is likely still producing photosynthate from them. If the leaf damage is ongoing, you will want to try to prevent it. First diagone the insect or other pest. If you can't find the pest, go out at night an hour after dark with a flashlight. That may reveal the culprit.

If possible, consider planting your Fiddle-leaf Fig in the ground. It will eventually become root-bound in the container, though of course you will be able to enjoy it for x number of years before then. This is the ultimate fate of all container-grown trees and shrubs, unless they are annually root-pruned, like a bonsai.

 

[cpo999]

Thanks Marck,

So with this plant food i bougth on amazon (take a peak at this) https://www.amazon.com/Fiddle-Leaf-Plant-Ficus-Lyrata/dp/B07BG98GQD .. I just add a tablespoon to two cups of water and pour it in the planter, correct? So weekly? And that will provide the nutrients i need to keep that fiddle-leaf green and healthy?

Also, you notice it is on my porch, should i move it down so its DIRECTLY in the sun? I read everywhere it should have indirect light, so thats why it is on the porch?

The bottom leaves as you see are yellow/greenish - in the above pictures... just want to make sure those can turn back to that bright green with the care im doing?

In your eyes how does it look?? its absolutely grown over the year and the gauge is reading everyting is pretty good except the PH is around 3.5.. says it should be like 4-6 - but thats the soil i think , - which is why i bought that fiddle food on amazon.

My wife and I bought that large pot maybe 4-5 months ago with a miracle grow soil and layered the bottom of the plant with rocks then put the soil above it so it would drain correctly .

Lastly, ive posted a few other pictures, do you think i should let these two green leaves with the bug holes on them stay or should i trim those two off? And the other two, what are those burn marks? i dont think they are bug bites, they look like they were burned on the outline ... (Two photos on left im trying to figure out what caused those marks, the two photos on the right look like they were attacked BEFORE i bought the neem oil and SEVIN... but do you think i should "snip those leaves"?)))

sorry for all the questions, just building a bond with this Fiddler "Ralph" lol.

Thanks Again!

 

[Marck]

That fertilizer may be fine; it is an obscure brand. I have to say it is also quite expensive for 8 ounces, even if it is concentrated There is no need to buy special fertilizers for most plants. A single complete all-purpose will work for most container plants.

Ficus lyrata do grow in full sun, but bright, indirect light will be fine. If you do move it to more light do it gradually, or while the weather is cool.

There is a good chance that yellowing leaves will continue to decline. They are the oldest leaves on the plant and as it grows they will eventually shed.

Right now your plant looks healthy, but it also looks large for its container. At some point that will become an issue, perhaps not for several years. This is really just the built-in obsolescence of all commercial container plants. Ultimately, you must plant it, propagate it, or replace it.

Remove the leaves if you can't bear to look at them, but you could end up defoliating your plant in a quest for perfect leaves. Don't put any pesticide on the plant until you find and identify the pest, assuming it is still present.

 

[cpo999]

Thanks again Marck, i am totally new at gardening hence the questions.

So instead of using that fiddler fertilizer going forward - i can just use Miracle Grow Plant Food? (https://www.miraclegro.com/en-us/pr...acle-gro-water-soluble-all-purpose-plant-food)

Do you think due to the size of this plant - i need to take it out of the pot and put it in the ground? I don't want to cause any negative issues with it by doing that though - not sure how hard/easy it would be to plant in my backyard... if your saying it can grow in that container for a few years and look as good as it still does then i can go with that.

But let me ask you this also, do you think i should cut off those few leaves with the caterpillar/bug bites on the leaves, there are about 3 leaves? Also, if i do trim them off, wont a new leaf eventually grow in its spot over time? - I have not had any new insects eating my plant that i've seen in over a month, I have been spraying with SEVIN and NEEM OIL... you said i should not use SEVIN to just spray all over the plant, i will stop using it then if you suggest that... however, it is best and safe to use NEEM OIL on the plant correct? To keep spider mites and what not away?

Just looking to keep this plant healthy and green and i don't want it to die, like i said earlier, its a new hobby for me and I feel like i need to attend to it every day lol (even though im sure i don't)

But the PH level is low, its around 2 and i know it should be around 5-6 (will that obscure expensive fertilizer i bought be helpful in this case , or is the miracle grow plant food all i need?

I read i need to water it once a week which i do, but i should water it until the water leaks through the bottom of the plant... is that also correct?

So Basically,

Does Miracle Grow Plant Food work (after i get through the bottle i bought of that obscure/expensive brand)

Do you think it will be ok to leave in that pot (it is very very large actually) and it will be good for 2-3 years? Or should i take it out and plant it in the backyard? I have two big trees out there and the backyard isnt very big, so the tree may over shadow it.

Should i cut off the few leaves with the insect holes that you see above? If i do, will new leaves grow in those spots overtime,? I keep reading in articles, that trimming dead or wounded leaves will not hurt the plant? But then again, you see all the leaves at the bottom of the base too that are yellowish/green - not sure what to do about those... i read that people cut the bottom leaves to expose the base of the plant, but i dont think i want to do that unless it really is suggested.

What is the best way to increase PH?

Does the miracle grow soil i use in the pot, need to be resoiled every 6 months? It says on the bag 6 months, but then again i read that the fiddler plant doesnt need to be re-potted for 1-2 years? (Little confused on that)

Lastly, is NEEM oil good to use on a weekly basis?

Thanks and look forward to hearing back from you.

 

[Marck]

Hello again, here are my best answers to your questions.

Miaracle-gro wil owrl well as a fertilizer. Use as directed. You don't need to replace fertilized potting soil when the fertilizer runs out, just continue to add additional fertilizer in liquid or pellet form.

Yes, enjoying your plant in a container sound like the best way for what you want from the plant.

Ficus lyrata does like somewhat acidic soil, but pH of 2 is low. I'm not quite sure if that will be a problem or not. You might try adding a small amount of a soluble calcium fertilizer, but do this gradually and keep taking soil readings after each application.

With watering it is good to strive for letting the soil partially dry before watering again.

Neem oil should not be used constantly. Only use it when you find and identify a pest or disease that can be controlled with it. keep observing the leaves are you seeing new damage? As i said before you can remove unsightly leaves, but don't remove too much. This is important to remember. The sugars made during photosynthesis are the plant's true food Fertilizer is not 'plant food', only a necessary mineral supplement

 

[cpo999]

Hello again, here are my best answers to your questions.

Miaracle-gro wil owrl well as a fertilizer. Use as directed. You don't need to replace fertilized potting soil when the fertilizer runs out, just continue to add additional fertilizer in liquid or pellet form.

Yes, enjoying your plant in a container sound like the best way for what you want from the plant.

Ficus lyrata does like somewhat acidic soil, but pH of 2 is low. I'm not quite sure if that will be a problem or not. You might try adding a small amount of a soluble calcium fertilizer, but do this gradually and keep taking soil readings after each application.

With watering it is good to strive for letting the soil partially dry before watering again.

Neem oil should not be used constantly. Only use it when you find and identify a pest or disease that can be controlled with it. keep observing the leaves are you seeing new damage? As i said before you can remove unsightly leaves, but don't remove too much. This is important to remember. The sugars made during photosynthesis are the plant's true food Fertilizer is not 'plant food', only a necessary mineral supplement

Hey Marck, I just wanted to show you a follow up. I havent watered the Fiddler now in over a week . I started putting miracle gro in it for the the nutrients to try and riase the PH but the PH is still between 2-3 .. The Water level is not moving much either for some reason. I have been turning the plant every few days..

There is sections of the plant that are yellowing, and one leaf has brown on it (could be root rot not sure) but its just that one leaf... If you look at the top of the plant it still looks good and waxy.

Please look at these three pictures and let me know your thoughts.

Thank You!

 

[Marck]

Well, from what I can see...
• The newest growth at the top seems good. I'm not seeing any more of those holes in the leaves, so what ever did that has moved on. Still keep an eye out. It might come back next year.
• The oldest leaves low on the plant are turning yellow. They might drop, since they are being shaded out by newer growth.
• The blackish-brown patches on the leaves I'm not completely sure about. My first thought was sun burn, but I'm not sure about that.
• That pH reading sounds ominous but the plant doesn't look that bad. I'm not sure if this is a crisis or not. A regular fertilizer won't necessarily change the pH. To raise the pH you might want to get a soluble calcium chloride product. Use as directed to raise the pH in small increments and observe the effect on your plant.

Sigh, I just noticed a typo from my previous post. (wil owrl= will work). I must be more diligent about proof-reading.

 

[cpo999]

Thanks Marck!! Appreciate it.

I moved the plant back a bit to get it out of the Florida sun lol.