HI.. My name is Mike and I need some help.. Recently my 12 foot ficus was overwatered by my three year old and I mean over watered.. By the time I noticed it may of been a couple days to a more.. It was winte4r here and I was used to my plant dropping leaves but the pot seemed to have alot more sitting in than normal and when I went to check I stuck my hand in water. It was immersed... I immediatley took the plant out to the garage dumped the water out of the plant and lifted it out of the pot.. I placed in a larger pot with fresh soil but did not remove any of the soil that was wrapped in the roots. I Put it under a heat lamp for a few days and it seemed to stop dropping leaves an d start to get new leaves again.. Then I moved here to a new place and I know that they do not like moving or new adjustments .. It still seemed to be doing well then I noticed all my leaves curling up still green not yellow as to over watering so I thought I let it go too long and now it was starving for water. So I watered it... and last night I pruned it back, I am isck to think I am losing this tree.. I have never pruned it till now as it was growing as I liked .. It doesn't even look like the same tree.. Its bare and wilting.. Could I have root rot.. I know when I took it out of the previous pot that it was over watered in it was root bound .... I just transplanted it two years ago.. It was obviously time to do it again, but I did not unbound any of the roots.. Just went bigger and added new soil... Any help would be appreciated... Sincerely, Mike
Give it a bit of time. As you mention, Ficus are grumpy whenever they're moved or repotted, and you've done both along with radical pruning. Since you've removed a number of the leaves, I'd cut back on watering and just wait for it. It will come back - even though they can be tempramental, Ficus are quite resilient given a bit of space and time.
Thank you so much for your reply... I will wait... I hope it does.. When I pulled out the tree for trranspant It was root bound... Should I have knocked it lose?
Probably, but at this point that's a moot observation. If you repot again while the tree is still sulking it will slow down even further.
Thanks Again Lorax... I appreciate your input!!! I love this tree and it has been a part of me for a very long time.. It just makes me sick to see it so ill !!
