AusBonsai

Bought this fig about a month ago. Noticed some spots on the leaves when I bought it, but it didn't look serious.

I placed it in a nice sunny spot, gave it a little fert. Now it's pushing some new leaves. The problem is the old leaves are much worse. Some yellowing and dropping. Most look like the photo below. Not being a big fan of pesticides, I thought i'd wait for the new leaves and see if the the fig would resolve its problem. Looked at a new leaf today and it too had these brown spots.

Is it a fungus? If so, what should I treat it with? To be honest, I've never treated any of my trees with fungicide before so I'm a little lost.

If you're not keen on pesticides or fungicides, just feed the plant like mental. Sometimes a very healthy plant will be able to wars off disease on its own and figs can take some serious dynamic lifter.

Try giving it seasol once a week and place it in full sun along with a layer of DL.

-mo

MoGanic wrote:If you're not keen on pesticides or fungicides, just feed the plant like mental. Sometimes a very healthy plant will be able to wars off disease on its own and figs can take some serious dynamic lifter.

Try giving it seasol once a week and place it in full sun along with a layer of DL.

-mo

Thanks MoGanic. It's that I'm completely against them. Just that I'd like to try to exhaust natural solutions before the chem ones. I've used pesticides before but these days I find that having a healthy plant with lots of sun and growth means the thing fights off whatever it's got.

Thanks for tip. You're right I could find with the warmer weather and a bit more growth it recovers on its own - with the right food.

Would be keen to see if anyone knows what the disease might be though.

Thanks again.

If your against the use of chemicals is it worth defoliating to help speed up getting rid of whatever it is?

My figs get something like this at this time of year. I have put it down to being cold and damp in my climate but should be not so bad in Sydney. Mine have always come good when the weather warms up and they start growing again. i sometimes have a few twigs and occasionally a small branch die but they have always recovered without treatment.

your pic does not show the rest of the tree but maybe I can see bare branches in the background? Have you been feeding this fig and how much how often?

Shibui, thanks. Here is a photo of it a month ago. Some dieback on branches but not a lot.

I too have my figs drop leaves at this time of year. But spots on new leaves? This is what worried me.

Fed it a small handful of dynamic lifter, and about a weekly weak dose of max growth liquid fert. It's potted too shallow and needs better substrate but I'm waiting for recovery before this sort of thing.

Ignatius, I'm not against chemicals. If someone can give me a chemical to fix a disease that could kill one of my trees, I'd get spraying...

That is the impression I got from the closeup - very few leaves and overall unhealthy. Highly unusual for a fig. The only times I have seen such is very neglected trees. May be wrong (not an expert being from sub zero winter area) but I'd say starved or needs repotting or both???? Advice from Sydney area welcome but I would advise feed heavily now (and fortnightly) then repot as soon as posible (Nov/Dec in Sydney). With so few leaves you definitely have a problem. Question is what problem?????

Mine has the exact same problem ever since i brought it back from a reputable nursery a couple of months ago. its just slowly dropping its leaves.

what I would do----I would check the soil- make sure it is free draining and there is nothing chewing the roots--place in the warmest spot you can find(or make a small temporary hothouse with a large plastic bag)feed well to see if you can force some new shoots--as soon as it starts shooting remove all larger and old leaves -----

what I would do----I would check the soil- make sure it is free draining and there is nothing chewing the roots--place in the warmest spot you can find(or make a small temporary hothouse with a large plastic bag)feed well to see if you can force some new shoots--as soon as it starts shooting remove all larger and old leaves ----

-also could it be sun damage from last season

Thanks Shibui and Guy.

Yes when I bought this i knew from the look of it that it had been neglected. It wasn't out for sale but I liked the look of the trunk. Being a fig I figured it would recover ok with some TLC.

Had a look today and it has quite a number of new buds breaking. Only one new leaf has spots, the others are clean.

I normally work figs around the spring equinox here. Is quite warm by then. Ill keep feeding and watching then do a repot then. I'm hoping it will go fig style on me and recover fine.

Thanks for all the help. If anyone else knows what the disease is and if I should treat it or not, that may help too.

Hmmm actually. After guy's comment and seeing Kens thread about curl grubs in a plant from the same nursery as this one, I'd better check I haven't got any on this fig causing all the problems. Will comment back if I find any...

Some good signs today. I had a look at the roots and they were very healthy. No grubs, but a few slaters. Being 24C today I decided to do an early repot. Placed it in a deeper pot with substrate and removed all the affected leaves. Quite a few new buds bursting so hoping for an up for this boy.

Recovered with gusto!

Figs and other natives like pottosporum have a big leaf drop as new leaves start to appear. Usually early spring. Figs leaves tend to discolour as they age, particularly if they are unhealthy as this one seemed to be. Good to see it's appreciated the good treatment.