We will see problems such as yellow leaves, leaf drops, limp and wilted foliage, or diseases of various kinds.
Also, brown spots, sunburned leaves, and new leaves that do not grow and remain small.
In order to identify and address the seven common issues with Ficus elastica care, we will discuss them today.
I’ll do my best to explain everything in this post so you can figure out what’s wrong with your plant and how to fix it.
To read How to Care for Ficus Elastica, click read now.
What Are Ficus Elastica Issues, Diseases, Or Problems?
In the field of cultivation, plants must face issues or problems that we make the plant owner look for solutions to.
Here at Garden Craft Home, we provide you with every detail you need concerning your plant problems and solutions, including DIY tips, crafts, decorations, guidelines, and many more.
If you have been cultivating house plants and haven’t seen your house plan turn yellow or drop leaves, you are just starting.
Yellow leaf is one of the most common problems, but let me jump straight into the list and cut every flop out.
Yellow Leaves
We start with yellowing leaves because that seems to be one of the most common problems found in our plants today.
The main reason why Ficus elastica has yellow leaves is excess water. Due to frequent watering, water stagnates in the saucer, and he uses too-dense soil or a pot that is too large.
The water can remain in the vase for too long due to the lack of light or the cold, which limits the plant’s needs and evaporation directly from the substrate.
An excessive amount of water in the soil suffocates roots and promotes the ideal environment for spreading root rot.
In both cases, the leaves turn yellow or yellow and brown.
In addition to this, the problem can also be due to fungal diseases, parasites, or the excess or deficiency of some nutritional elements, such as:
Nitrogen, iron, or others, a lack of light, or a sudden temperature drop.
For more information on why Ficus elastica has yellow leaves, click here to learn more about the topic. [Link]
Fungal And Bacterial Diseases
Anthracnose is the most widespread fungal leaf disease in Ficus elastica.
This infection causes brown spots with yellow edges, which enlarge as the problem spreads.
Another common fungal infection is Cercospora, which causes numerous small, dark spots surrounded by a small yellowish border.
Over time, the entire leaf turns yellow, dries out, and then falls off.
In the initial stage, they are easily resolvable by removing the most affected leaves and treating the rest of the foliage with a systemic fungicide to fight the pathogen and stimulate the plant’s natural immune response.
If the problem is already widespread, acting with cupric antifungal products that work by contact is necessary. [Aff Pro]
Ficus elastica can also be affected by bacterial diseases, such as Xanthomonas, which often cause watery-looking and smelly spots on the leaves, particularly on the lower blade.
Xanthomonas is a bacterium that enters the body through the stomata in high humidity conditions and poor air circulation.
Once access has been found, it moves inside the plant through the lymphatic system, spreading to the rest of the organism.
The symptoms worsen over 10–14 days; the spots expand until they merge; they turn brown until the leaf dies and falls.
Small Leaves
The new leaves of Ficus elastica remain small, possibly due to various factors, such as recent pruning, root problems, parasites, a lack of light, or fertilizer.
In all these cases, the new leaves that have reached maturity remain smaller than the previous ones.
If you have just pruned the Ficus, it is normal for the leaves that grow from the new shoot to remain smaller.
Are you interested in learning how to prune a ficus Elastica without issue click read now.
As this grows thicker and absorbs more sap, the foliage will gradually become more voluminous.
Make sure you fertilize your Ficus during the growing season and, in general, whenever you see it putting out new leaves.
To learn about ficus fertilizer, click read now.
In the case of a crop or parasitic problem, however, the cause must be investigated, starting with a scrupulous inspection of the foliage in search of parasites.
Aphids, scale insects, or thrips are greedy for young tissues and tend to attack mainly new leaves and new shoots, slowing down their growth.
If this is the case, you will likely notice malformations on the growing leaves.
Then, pot the plant and inspect the roots. If you notice that the root system is brown or the root ball has a strong “woodsy” odor, it could be a fungal problem.
In this case, you must repot the Ficus in new soil after removing all the dead or rotten roots.
If you want to learn how to repot a ficus, click read now.
I also recommend treating with a systemic fungicide to minimize the risk of a relapse. [aff pro]
Ficus Elastica Is Losing Its Leaves.
If Ficus elastica loses its leaves, the first things to investigate are watering (too much or too little) or sudden changes in environmental conditions, such as light and temperature.
Both too-wet and completely dry soil can lead to leaf fall.
In the first case, the problem is due to root rot; in the second, it is due to dehydration, which pushes the plant to reduce the transpiring surface to survive.
Even the cold or a sudden change in light conditions causes the Ficus to lose its leaves, especially if combined.
It is common for an elastic to lose its leaves immediately after purchase or in autumn when the days become shorter and the temperatures drop.
The same can happen when the plant is exposed to cold air currents or is near heat sources.
Another common cause is stress on the root system due to recent repotting, a pot that is too small, or soil parasites.
You can learn more about the topic in this post, where I explain in more detail why the Ficus loses its leaves and remains bare. Click here if interested.
The article deals with Ficus benjamina, but the same causes apply to elastic.
Ficus Elastica With Burnt Leaves
Although Ficus elastica tolerates direct sun, we risk burning the foliage if we do not gradually adapt it to this light intensity.
Burnt leaves have diffuse light brown spots, often surrounded by a darker halo. The parts most affected are those exposed directly to the sun.
The most common case in which this happens is when the Ficus is moved outside in spring, placing it immediately in full sun.
If the plant has adapted to the scarcity of light in the dark months, it cannot immediately use all this light.
The excess is converted into heat, and in 1-2 days, the first burnt leaves can be noticed.
When moving the Ficus outside in the warm months, it is essential to let it acclimatize slowly to the light.
Please place it in the shade for the first week, then gradually move it to an increasingly sunny position.
Leaves Drooping And Limp
I discovered that Dryness in Ficus elastica causes leaves to droop or seem limp.
Dehydration is why a plant can’t transport water from its roots to its leaves. This is not always the case with low water availability.
Either because of a problem in the lymphatic transport system or because the water is lost at such a rate that the plant cannot fully compensate for it.
In summary, we can say that limp leaves are due to:
- Little water: The soil has remained completely dry, and the roots have no water to draw on.
- Dead roots: Even in moist soil, rotting or dry Ficus roots prevent the plant from absorbing water.
- Too much heat: The plant shuts its stomata to reduce transpiration when the temperature is too high. As a result, the lymph rises more slowly, and less water is available.
Brown spots on the leaves
The formation of brown patches on Ficus elastica leaves might be caused by irregularities in the watering cycle, insufficient light, extreme temperatures, parasite infestations, or fungal infections.
Water stagnation, the cause of root rot, causes black necrotic spots and yellow leaves, while a lack of water leads to brown and dry spots.
The cold can give rise to the appearance of dark spots known as cold damage in the form of freezing air currents and minimum temperatures below 10-13°C.
The lack of light often causes yellow leaves to be associated with large brown spots.
In both cases, Ficus elastica loses its leaves to a greater or lesser extent.
The lack of light typical of the autumn and winter periods often goes hand in hand with the temperature drop.
Water stagnation in the substrate is more likely when they work together to slow the plant’s metabolism and reduce water absorption.
In low light, brown patches are more likely to occur near the striations on variegated Ficus elastica cultivars like Tineke or Belize.
White tissues lack chlorophyll and do not contribute to chlorophyll photosynthesis.
For this reason, when the light fails, they are the first to be sacrificed by the plant.
To learn how to water a ficus tree effectively, click here.
Conclusions
It is necessary to evaluate other factors, such as:
- Temperature
- Light
- Air recirculation
- Irrigation regime
- Quality of the soil (is it draining or waterlogged)
- Frequency and concentration of fertilizations
Many of the problems mentioned above occur frequently between autumn and winter.
When the climate is less favorable, and the plant is moved indoors, it receives less light, and the wind does not move the air.
A drop in temperature and light can cause the Ficus to lose its leaves, causing chlorosis (yellow leaves) and brown spots.
It also results in a lower water requirement. If we do not correct the watering, it will result in serious root problems.
However, we are more likely to see limp, burnt leaves or dry edges in summer. In some cases, growth is even stunted due to lack of fertilization.
To learn why Monstera has yellow leaves, click here.
