#Finicky plants how to#

When they don’t receive enough water when indoors they think a dry season is coming and drop leaves in response.įicus are quick to react if you let the growing substrate in their container get too dry. It drops leaves to prepare for the dry seasons that occur in its native habitat, to reduce foliage that needs moisture to live. The reason your ficus drops leaves when underwatered is related to its evolution. However, there’s a fine line between letting them get dry enough between waterings and getting overly dry. These finicky plants do not like to hang out in wet conditions but instead, prefer to be planted in well-drained growing media when grown in containers. One of the most common reasons for a ficus to drop leaves is not receiving enough water. The best thing to do is to maintain a consistent, even watering schedule during the active growing season in the warmer months and a reduced, albeit still consistent, schedule in the cooler winter months. Too little water will cause leaves to drop. Inconsistent Wateringįiguring out a good watering schedule is a tricky task when growing a ficus indoors and the primary reason most owners see leaf drop. Variations in watering, light exposure, and temperature, as well as pest and disease problems are the most common stressors triggering leaves to drop from ficus. It’s not unusual for plants to drop upwards of 20% of their foliage when trying to adjust to changing conditions brought on by abiotic or biotic stressors. Now, when grown indoors and faced with fluctuations in care or climate, the plants drop leaves as a survival mechanism, brought on by their natural evolution and adaptation to outdoor growing conditions. They acclimatized to this impending water scarcity by dropping leaves to reduce the amount of foliage the plant would need to support.

Changes in their native climate signified the plants needed to prepare for an upcoming dry season when water would be scarce. Problems arise when growing ficus trees indoors since they originated in subtropical areas with very distinct wet and dry seasons. In temperate areas, it is been adapted and frequently grown as a houseplant because of its stately growth and glossy green foliage. The ficus tree, (Ficus benjamina) is native to Asia and Australia, typically grown as an outdoor tree reaching upwards of fifty to one-hundred feet tall depending on the locale.

See also my complete guide to ficus tree care.

#Finicky plants how to#

Read through the following common causes of leaf drop to get a better understanding of why your ficus may be dropping leaves, and how to minimize future occurrences. These conditions include underwatering, overwatering, too little light, change in season, fertilization, pests, and fungal problems. Why is my ficus dropping leaves? There are many reasons but they all occur as the ficus adjusts to maintain performance when conditions vary, through a process of acclimatization. The good news is that once you know the reasons for your ficus dropping leaves, there is a lot you can do to prevent and treat it. While it is an easy to care for, attractive plant, it’s known to drop its leaves for seemingly no reason at all. Ficus trees (Ficus benjamina) are one of the most common plants found adorning home interiors around the world, but this finicky species can cause many owners to wring their hands in frustration.