Hi Folks, I bought a Ficus Retusa last year and with the cold weather all of the leaves turned brown/black and so come March I pruned off all the dead leaves and I've not put it in a warmer room hoping the leaves will grow back but as of yet there is no sign of any new buds.
Is there something else I should be doing to encourage new growth??? I have been feeding it With a Bonsai plant food. I have attached photo to give you a better understand of it condition.
Any help would be greatly welcomed.
Many Thanks
Paul
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pauljoshbrennan
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pauljoshbrennan
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TomM
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[quote="pauljoshbrennan"]Hi Folks, I bought a Ficus Retusa last year and with the cold weather all of the leaves turned brown/black and so come March I pruned off all the dead leaves and I've not put it in a warmer room hoping the leaves will grow back but as of yet there is no sign of any new buds.
Paul, I'm puzzled and want more info. You bought the ficus last year and with the cold weather ........... Stop here.
Where were you keeping it during cold weather?
Ficus is a tropical plant and can not be subjected to cold weather. It would turn black/brown and lose its leaves - and die.
Ficus needs more 'tropical' conditions. Most people keep them indoors in colder months and (hopefully) give them plenty of light and humidity. They really like warm moist air.
Paul, I'm puzzled and want more info. You bought the ficus last year and with the cold weather ........... Stop here.
Where were you keeping it during cold weather?
Ficus is a tropical plant and can not be subjected to cold weather. It would turn black/brown and lose its leaves - and die.
Ficus needs more 'tropical' conditions. Most people keep them indoors in colder months and (hopefully) give them plenty of light and humidity. They really like warm moist air.
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pauljoshbrennan
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I have only had my Ficus Retusa just at my front door (inside the house) photo's attached it was never put outside during the winter, Was just Kept against the back wall there with a mat below the pot with plenty of sunlight coming in through the door. There is 1 green healthy shoot( photo attached) just at the base but that has been there before I pruned off all the dead leaves
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The first thing I noticed is that teh green shoot lookd anything but healthy. Have you scratched the bark higher up? What color is it underneath? The second thing I noticed is that it looks like it's grwoing in a Miracle-Gro type potting soil, Moisture Control or somthing like that. Is this the case?
Hi Paul,
That's a big ficus to be losing leaves, I sure hope u can revive it. My question is what's the avg temperature like where it's kept in the winter? It won't survive if kept <55 deg. F or 13 deg. Celcius. Cut a leafless branch up top and see if u get white latex and the cross section of the cut branch should be green from the cambien layer. If it's dark and brown, it's dead. How have u been watering it. Don't water it until soil is almost dry, a leafless tree will not use much water. Put it in a well lit place with warm temperature, protected from drafts and hope for the best.
That's a big ficus to be losing leaves, I sure hope u can revive it. My question is what's the avg temperature like where it's kept in the winter? It won't survive if kept <55 deg. F or 13 deg. Celcius. Cut a leafless branch up top and see if u get white latex and the cross section of the cut branch should be green from the cambien layer. If it's dark and brown, it's dead. How have u been watering it. Don't water it until soil is almost dry, a leafless tree will not use much water. Put it in a well lit place with warm temperature, protected from drafts and hope for the best.
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pauljoshbrennan
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I've scratched the branch and it appears brown, but I scratched at the stem and its green (Photo's attached). It was kept just at my front door (inside) were the temperature did not drop below 5c. The soil in the pot is B&Q Bonsai potting soill.
I'm really not sure what my next step should be to encourage new growth, or is it pass the point of no return and is it better to bin it now?? Seems a real waste after paying ...£100 for it.
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I'm really not sure what my next step should be to encourage new growth, or is it pass the point of no return and is it better to bin it now?? Seems a real waste after paying ...£100 for it.
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The brown is dead, the green is living. Unless you plan on jin or shari, advanced techniques, I would seriously consider finding the point at which low to high, it stops being green, and chop it down just below that point. The deadwood is not going to be doing the tree any great favors and will hinder you future development of the tree, if it lives.
you should've kept it at a location with temperatures > 12 C. 5 deg. C is almost freezing and retusa comes from the tropical regions so a few night of coldness can kill it. The green you show on the trunk looks pretty dry too. I would just keep it near a window with indirect sunlight for a few weeks and hope there's still stored energy from lower part of the tree for it to bounce back. Next time take some cuttings from the mother plant so if it dies, at least you still have babies. Ficus is a fast grower so given the right conditions and a few years time the cutting can turn into a real bonsai. Peace.
Why would you spend that much money, and then not bother finding out how to keep it alive?
The spot you had it in wasn't just too cold, it doesn't look nearly bright enough either. Have you watered it properly?
You might be able to save part of it, but if you don't want to put in the effort, donate it to someone who will, before it's well dead.
The spot you had it in wasn't just too cold, it doesn't look nearly bright enough either. Have you watered it properly?
You might be able to save part of it, but if you don't want to put in the effort, donate it to someone who will, before it's well dead.