Help dieing fiddle leaf fig

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by Tashanotsogreenthumb, Feb 2, 2020.

  1. Tashanotsogreenthumb

    Tashanotsogreenthumb New Member

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    I am new here. And new at caring for fiddle leaf fig trees. My plant us getting brown spots on alot of the leaves and im not sure why. I have been watering it properly as far as i know. When i water it i soak it , but i only water it when it feels damp about a finger length deep in the soil. It is in my living room with indirect sunlight all day. Someone please help give me suggestions at what this problem looks like to them
     

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  2. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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  3. Tashanotsogreenthumb

    Tashanotsogreenthumb New Member

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    Thanks i appreciate the link. The problem with that is theres way too many reasons and i dont know which it could be, so im looking for someone to see the pictures snd give me theire best idea of what they think it may be.
     
  4. Sulev

    Sulev Contributor

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    I suspect, that poor light conditions are the cause of these brown spots.
    Where are most of these spots, on the side, that has better lighting or the opposite?
     
  5. Tashanotsogreenthumb

    Tashanotsogreenthumb New Member

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    most of the spots are on the side facing the most light, but they are on a bunch of the lowest leaves all around . Like almost the whole way around at the bottom the leaves are affected with that. Some have more than others. It is winter and its been gloomy for id say weeks with only a few sunny days. But my living room is fairly bright even on gloomy days. Do you still think its poor light conditions if the brown spots are all around and not just on the side where it sees the least light?
     
  6. Sulev

    Sulev Contributor

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    Yes. Those leaves, that are used to have more light, are more sensitive to poor lighting.
     
  7. Tashanotsogreenthumb

    Tashanotsogreenthumb New Member

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    So what happens if i cant give it anymore light. Will they all just fall off and will all of the leaves start getting brown spots like that?
     
  8. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    Perhaps more information would help in diagnosing the problem.
    1. Was there any spotting at the time of purchase?
    2. When did you first notice the spotting?
    3. What proportion of the leaves have this spotting?
    4. Is there any spotting on the leaves in the upper portion of the tree?
    5. What type of soil is the tree planted in? Is it composed of a mix of materials? Does it drain quickly? Does it stay moist for a long time?
    6. Do you periodically rotate the container so that parts of the tree receive equal exposure to light?
    7. Do you have other plants growing in that location? If so, what are they and how are they doing?
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2020
  9. Sulev

    Sulev Contributor

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    It will be spring soon, and there will be much more light. So probably these symptoms will not worsen any more.
    If it's from poor winter lighting, then your plant will not die of it. But those brown spots will not heal. New leaves should grow without these spots. And new leaves will be custom built especially for your conditions, so they will be more resistant for brown spots next winter.
    The tree as a whole may suffer from poor light. It may develop asymmetrical crown and tendency to grow too tall and fragile branches, because of low light.
    The above is true, if the light conditions are not too poor. I don't know how long you have this fig, but some people think, that plants are decorative elements and forget about their physiological needs. Light is essential for any green plant, so better provide sufficient light. If you need to put your plant far away from the natural light, then provide at least artificial with grow lights or equivalent.
     
  10. Sulev

    Sulev Contributor

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    I must add, that plants usually don't like rapid changes in lighting conditions. So if you start to use a grow light, then use caution and start with shorter light showers and leave lights on for little longer next day.
     
  11. Tashanotsogreenthumb

    Tashanotsogreenthumb New Member

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    There was no spots at the time if purchase that i noticed. When they packaged the plant up they were kind of rough with it when packaging it up so some of the leafs did get some minor damage but that never effected it. At first i had the plant infront of my big living room window because i knew they were supposed to get lots of light. But the problem with that is that window is rite beside the fromt door. So everytime the door was opened it would get a cold breeze as its -20 to -30 and sometimes colder. So it started droppimg leaves there. So i did some research and learnt they dont like drafts. So i moved it to a different spot in my living room to get it away from the drafts. So now its not beside a window. My living room is bright thou in general . So i think it would of been getting enough light even being farther from the window, but like i mentioned its been gloomy and cloudy for weeks lately with very minimal days of sun. So im worried its not getting enough sun. I have no where else i can put it. When you guys mention the artificial light what would i use for that? Is there special bulbs or lights one would use to put beside the plant? Im not firmiliar with that sorry. And yes we only have a couple more months of winter than spring will be coming around april .

    I purchased the plant in november. So ive had it going on 4 months. I havent repotted it its still in the same container it came in with the same soil it came in. It has good drainage. When i water it i take it into the bathtub and i soak it for about 5 minutes and it drains out the bottom. Than i let it sit in there for a couple hours to finish draining before i put it back into its pot in the living room. I have turned the plants position a couple times since ive had it but ive read its not good to turn it too much as the plant doesnt like to be turned too much? Theres been one or teo spots for a long time now but i just thought that was natural. But ive noticed all these new spots in the past id say 3 weeks, and they are basically only on the bottom portion of the tree. Not the top leaves. Some of the leaves also are super dark like not a bright green like most of them. Yes i have other plants, i have 7 other plants but they are just pothos and snake plants. So they are very easy. The pothos always have new growth and do well. Im just learning with this fiddle leaf fig tree thou so im having a bit of a hard time figuring it out.
     

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  12. Tashanotsogreenthumb

    Tashanotsogreenthumb New Member

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    I forgot to add that when i water it i poke my finger into the soil to feel and make sure its dry an inch or two down before watering, so its about every 2 weeks that i water.and because its so dry in this climate ive read to start misting it for extra moisture so i started misting it this week every couple days. Is this ok?
     
  13. Sulev

    Sulev Contributor

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    There are LED grow lights available, but also luminophore tube grow lights. LEDs tend to be costlier to buy, but they are more economical and efficient when in use and there are various modern designs. Luminophore tubes are often not so elegant.
    Maybe this link can help you:
    The Best Grow Lights for Your Fiddle Leaf Fig

    See this video about fiddle leaf fig:
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2020
  14. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    Thanks for posting more photos. Your plant appears to be quite healthy. I would not worry too much about the spotting. It could simply be natural aging of the leaves since only the lowest and therefore oldest of the leaves are affected. The causes listed in the linked document can be discounted from the additional information you've given. You may want to move the plant back to the brighter location once outside temperatures have moderated and there's no possibility of it being exposed to cold drafts. I suggest you partially close your drapes in the beginning so as to acclimatize the plant to the brighter light. Of course it will have to be moved back when the weather turns cold again. I suggest you rotate the container a quarter turn periodically. Don't bother with misting since its effect is momentary at best.

    You might give artificial lighting a try next season in the current location if the plant does not perform to your expectation. I wouldn't bother with the trouble and expense if the plant can get by with its annual relocation.
     

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