Houseplants - Ficus
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  (February) I inherited a Ficus tree from my sister-in-law and looked on several web sites for information on how to care for it. It seems like every site has different information on the subject. I would like to keep it alive if possible. It doesn't have very many leaves on it right now. Some of the leaves have some white spots on them and then they start drying up on the ends. I have it in front of a window but, it doesn't get much sun. It is starting to get some new growth around the top. I don't know how much or how often I should water it and how often should I feed it. Should I prune it and if so how much. Any information you could give me would be appreciated.

  That is the thing about gardening, everyone has an opinion on how it should be done. It is not an exact science. In general, weeping figs, or Ficus trees can be a somewhat finicky houseplant. They like bright light, and even moisture--not standing in water, but not bone dry either. They can drop leaves at the drop of a hat--any change in their environment. The white spots may be a normal part of the leaf, if they are all attached in the same spot on each leaf, or they could be a scale insect--if the spots are scattered on the leaves or stems. I would try to keep it surviving until spring, and move it outdoors. It thrives in the humid environment outside, and should recover nicely. The only downside to that theory, is you may start all over again next fall when it moves back inside. Fertilize it a few times during the growing season outdoors. Prune it back by one third or more when you move it outside, so that it fills in all over, not just at the top. If the pot is small for the size of the plant, you may also want to repot to a slightly larger container when you move it outdoors.

  The enclosed green-to-gold leaves are from two five year old ficus trees which we have in front of undraped windows in our living room. The plants are in the east window with full morning sun. Each summer, the plants go outside on our deck, also on the east side, where they thrive. One is almost ceiling height. Each year when they are inside, the leaves begin their yellowing and rain down when the plant is touched. We have been advised to spray with insecticidal soap, which we do frequently. No insects are visible, so I’m not sure of the ailment. The plants have new shoots on the ends of the branches, but otherwise are getting extremely thin. Help!

  Ficus trees are appropriately named weeping figs, since any shift in their environment can cause the dropping of leaves. I see no signs of insects or diseases on your leaves, so I would bet the problem is environment. Make sure that you keep the plants evenly moist and that no heating vent or drafts hit the plant inside. Bright light is important, but you give it that. Try to increase humidity by using a humidifier or putting a small tray of pebbles filled with water underneath the plant. In a couple of weeks you can move the plant outside and the recovery process can begin. Remember to bring the plant indoors by early October. If you keep the plant outside longer, and expose it to cool conditions, the transition to your dry, heated house will be tougher and you will see more leaf droppage.

  I have enclosed a clipping of a ficus tree I have in my home. As you can see, he leaves are very sticky. Also, the floor around the plant gets sticky. Could you tell me what the problem is and what I should do to remedy the problem?

  Your plant is infested with scale insects and spider mites. Both of these insects suck sap out of the plant and then in turn give off a sticky substance known as honeydew. That is what is making your leaves and surrounding floor sticky. There are numerous houseplant insecticides on the market. You can move the plant outside and treat it with Intercept, or Insecticidal soap. It may take more than one application to control the insects.

  I have a seven year old, six foot tall ficus tree that has two trunks. The plant receives afternoon light and has bee a healthy, thriving plant until the last month or so. One of the trunks has lost all of its leaves. I have pruned some dead branches and am enclosing a piece of a branch. I would like to save this tree, but I do not know what to do. Thanks for any help you can give me.

  The branch that you sent me has quite a few scale insects on it. I would surmise that if you have that many insects on such a woody part of the plant, your leaves would be even more under attack. Scale insects are hard to control. Hopefully, you have cut out the heavily infested parts, but you should use some type of systemic insecticide either as a spray or as a granular application to the soil to control the rest. Refined horticultural oils could be used in the spring if you can move the plant outside to spray it. Watch the plant closely for signs of new, clean growth. When scale insects die, they don’t fall off the plant, but you should see signs of new vigor when it is pest free.

  I have a large ficus tree that we have owned for over twenty years. It has grown so large that we barely have room for it in our house. I know that we have been lucky ovre the years, and have had few problems with it. Many of our friends can’t get one to live for more than a year. I would like to prune it severely, but am afraid I would lose the tree. Can I prune it back now, or do you think I will damage it?

  Now would not be the ideal time to prune it severely. Many plants go through stress when we turn on our heaters--making the house drier than ever. Light intensity also goes down in the winter, and very little new growth occurs. Pruning a ficus could result in some leaf droppage, but do your pruning in the spring, when recovery will be quicker. You obviously have good conditions for its growth, so pruning should have no adverse reactions for your plant.

  I am an avid plant person and enjoy many types of house plants. My brother sent us a ficus as a house warming gift last summer. It, of course, dropped a few leaves getting acclimated to my home. It seemed to be doing fine. This past weekend I was sponging the leaves off because of the dust and noticed when I held the leaves in my hand that a tiny white glob appeared quite often. I turned several of the leaves over and noticed the tiny globs on most of them. It was a pleasant day outside so I set the tree on my patio and sprayed it with a household spray that contained pyrethrins. I soaked the tree and let it set outside until it was dry. The globs seem to still be there and are mostly in the same place on every leaf. They are located on the underside of the leaf where the stem joins as the leaf widens. The globs are not sticky but seem to have the consistency of soft wax and do not disappear as you rub your fingers together. Any ideas???

  Ficus trees have a small gland at the base of the leaf blade near where it attaches to the petiole or small stem. During some times of the year you will notice more crystallization at this gland, (which is actually a waxy deposit–most likely being rubbery in texture, since they are related to rubber trees). It causes many homeowners to think of scale insects, but this is at the same spot on each leaf and is not a problem, whereas scale insects would be scattered around the leaf.

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