is your Ficus Benjamina Dropping Leaves or the leaves turning yellow and falling, or falling while they are still green? It is very common, and I have the solution.
Have you tried to solve this problem, but nothing has worked? There is no need to get anxious. The point is to understand why this happens and then take action.
If you read this article, you will discover the eight primary causes of Ficus benjamina leaf loss, how to identify them, and how to address the issue before it becomes entirely naked.
Why Is My Ficus Benjamina Dropping Leaves?
Our Ficus benjamina frequently loses its leaves for many different kinds of causes, including:
Stress from adjusting to new surroundings, an abundance or scarcity of water, and inadequate light.
Although these are the leading causes, foliage loss can also occur due to root problems and excessive use of fertilisers.
In addition, water that is too rich in limestone or contains parasites and diseases.
These circumstances may impact Ficus benjamina health, causing its leaves to fall.
These problems must be recognized and fixed To maintain the plant’s health and growth.
It is usual for Ficus benjamina leaves to become yellow and drop to the ground in the fall.
It’s not an issue because all plants with deciduous leaves experience it. Towards the end of summer, they change color and eventually drop their leaves altogether in the fall and winter.
The problem instead arises when the Ficus Beniamino shows yellow leaves in seasons other than autumn.
Various factors must be considered, especially environmental ones such as light, temperature, or humidity, To understand what causes leaf fall
We must then take into account the frequency of watering, the technique used, and the quality of the water.
Assume you are certain that you have appropriately addressed each of these factors.
In such instances, it would be wise to do a thorough examination of the plant, searching for any fungal diseases or microscopic insects on the undersides of the leaves.
If you think it may be a root problem, pot the plant so you can check if the roots are okay and still have room to grow.
8 Reasons Why The Leaves Of Ficus Beniamino Fall
Among the various reasons why Ficus benjamina can lose its leaves, some are more common than others.
To avoid making the list excessively long, I skimmed it from the minor and rare causes. I concentrated on the eight most common and relevant ones.
I have put them to guide you to the correct diagnosis, starting from the most common.
Changes In Environmental Conditions
Ficus is a plant susceptible to sudden environmental changes.
A sudden temperature change the transition from a humid to a dry place or from light to shade—can cause strong stress, manifesting with the fall of the leaves.
A classic example is that Ficus benjamina loses its green leaves shortly after purchase.
It happens because the environmental conditions at home differ greatly from those in the greenhouse.
If the positioning is correct, once the plant has acclimatized, it stops losing its foliage and starts producing new ones.
If this is not the case and it is a specimen you have already had for some time, pay attention to cold air currents and the heat produced by radiators during winter.
Those who usually keep the Ficus outside during the summer can witness the loss of the leaves when they bring it home in the autumn.
Precisely due to the change in the environmental conditions it has adapted to.
Click here to read Why Ficus benjamina has spotted brown or dry leaves.
Ficus Benjamina Dropping Leaves Due To Watering Errors
Watering too much or too little can lead to Ficus benjamina losing its leaves for two reasons.
Excess water causes root asphyxiation, which, if prolonged, can lead to the formation of rot. At the same time, deficiency creates a deficit in absorption and subsequent dehydration.
Of the two, the most common cause is too much water due to too frequent watering, incorrect technique, or the use of fine, dense soil.
In this instance, Ficus benjamina leaves become yellow before dropping. Recall that the Ficus has to be watered often, but only when the soil is entirely dry.
Click this Link to find out why your Ficus benjamina is turning yellow.
To read the entire article on watering a ficus tree properly, click here.
Do not water with a drop of water at a time on a scheduled basis because this will probably lead to the soil always remaining moist inside, especially in the upper part near the collar.
When there isn’t enough water, the leaves will slant before dropping.
Ficus benjamina is a drought-tolerant plant; it will drop its leaves if it does not get enough water for many days.
Insufficient Light
Lack of light is among the main reasons why Ficus loses its leaves, especially if the plant produced beautiful foliage in a bright environment and was subsequently moved to the shade.
The reason lies in its metabolism and the effect light has on it.
Plants depend mostly on light for energy: when it is abundant, they tend to grow quickly and make more leaves.
If it is lacking, the growth slows down, and the leaves remain smaller and fewer in number.
Suppose a Ficus grown in the sun, with its metabolism at full capacity and full of energy, lacks light. In that case, it is suddenly unable to nourish the entire foliage, which ends up yellowing, drying out, and falling.
The days become increasingly shorter as we approach winter, and This also happens naturally as the light intensity decreases.
It is more accentuated when moving from a bright place to a shady one.
For example, when we bring it back into the house after letting it spend the summer outside in full light, it is normal to lose its leaves in similar situations.
In this case, Ficus benjamina does not become completely bare. Still, the falling of the leaves stops once a balance has been reached between the leaf volume and the amount of energy the plant can produce to nourish it.
Temperature Problems
The Ficus loves a constant temperature. It reacts by shedding leaves if it is too hot or too cold.
In this case, the leaves usually become stained first and then fall off. The optimal temperature in summer is around 22–28 degrees.
Ficus also tolerates higher temperatures in humid shade and ventilated position; in winter, the ideal temperature is around 18 degrees.
The temperature around the roots must also be just right for your Ficus to feel comfortable.
If the pot is placed on the marble windowsill, the cold will quickly penetrate the earth from below, and the root ball will cool.
The same applies if the vase is placed on a tiled or stone floor.
A wooden slat or a polystyrene plate placed under the pot will be useful to protect the root ball of your Ficus.
A saucer in which to place a layer of clay marbles immersed in a film of water is also good.
This measure is useful for protecting the roots from the cold and the issue relating to the right humidity, which is equally fundamental.
The humidity level should never be too low to avoid leaf loss.
The easiest way to counteract the lack of humidity in the air is to mist the leaves, particularly during the winter when house heating causes the air to become dry.
For this purpose, use water that is not cold and low in limestone.
Also useful is COMPO Foliar Moisturizer for Orchids, which is good for “emergency” rehydration of a ficus that is showing signs of suffering due to too dry domestic air.
Air currents have a negative effect and are one of the main causes of plant suffering.
Make sure the plant is not near windows or any entrances like doors that are regularly opened or exposed to drafts.
Unfortunately, the Ficus does not tolerate the air currents caused in summer by air conditioning and fans. In winter, the hot breath is caused by heating.
So do not place the plant near heat sources, and make sure that there are no fans or air conditioners whose air flow is directed towards the poor Ficus!
Small Vase
A pot that is too small compared to the root system can cause stress to the roots, which are forced inside the container and have no more space to grow.
Usually, this does not directly lead to leaf fall; just think of the world of bonsai, where the whole purpose is to keep the plant small thanks to the small size of the container.
However, when the relationship between the root system and the foliage is too unbalanced, there is a tendency to have fewer leaves, and some of these may favor the birth of new ones.
If you let the plant grow freely without ever pruning and repotting it, some leaves will fall because the root system is not large and robust enough to nourish them all.
The plant is repotted in a larger pot, or the Ficus is pruned in these cases.
To become proficient in ficus tree pruning, click here now.
Excess Fertilizer
Ficus benjamina does not require very frequent or high-dosage fertilization; if the concentration of salts is too high, the leaves begin to dry out and fall.
Fertilization must coincide with the plant’s active growth period when it throws new leaves in spring and summer.
During the darkest months, usually between October and March, fertilization must be drastically reduced or stopped completely.
In this period, the need for nutrients for the plant is minimal; if we were to exceed this with fertilizers, we would risk the formation of toxic salt accumulations in the soil.
I recommend spreading slow-release fertilizer on the soil’s surface in March to gradually release the elements contained every time it gets wet.
Since watering is less frequent in the winter, the quantity of fertilizer released will also automatically reduce until it is completely exhausted.
Avoid the risk of using the using the wrong fertilizer. Click here now to learn how to fertilize a ficus tree.
Parasites
Another reason why Ficus benjamina loses its leaves is due to the presence of parasites on the leaves or inside the soil.
The most common ones to affect the foliage are mealybugs, thrips, mites, and aphids, while in the soil, we find nematodes, fungus gnat larvae, or thrip larvae.
Particularly relevant are those that affect the foliar system, thanks to the fact that they infest numerous other species in addition to Ficus. It is easy for an infestation to spread from one plant to another.
These parasites are called phytophagous and feed on the sap produced by the plant, depriving it of the substances produced by photosynthesis.
In the case of widespread infestations, there is a yellowing of the foliage, a fall of the leaves, and a loss of general vigour of the plant up to possible death.
Each parasite has different characteristics; mites, for example, spread in the hot and dry months, while thrips tend to be more dangerous in the autumn months with the arrival of the cold.
Both are difficult to spot and recognise except for the symptoms on the leaves.
Conversely, cochineal and aphids are readily apparent to the unaided eye and may be identified sooner.
Fungal Diseases
Although Ficus is a plant that is rather resistant to fungal infections, in particularly humid environments with poor air circulation, diseases of fungal origin may arise on the foliage.
These are difficult to recognise in Ficus benjamina since the symptoms can be confused with excess water, lack of light, or cold damage.
There are hundreds of fungal diseases, most of which cause yellow and brown spots on leaves, which dry out and fall off as the infection progresses.
Active infection is present in the yellow tissues surrounding the lesion.
Pathogenic fungi are the reason for plant root rot because fungi always live inside the root system when there is lots of water staining on the soil.
Because of root rot, Ficus benjamina leaves get yellow and eventually fall off. This is because they are unable to absorb water and nutrients.
Ficus benjamina drops its green leaf due to environmental stress, like fluctuating temperatures, which happens almost always.
The Solution To Ficus Benjamina Losing Its Leaves
The first thing to do if a Ficus benjamina loses its leaves is to understand the cause; it most likely involves climatic factors, light, or the watering regime.
Ensure you place the plant in a temperate and as bright as possible; even a few hours of direct sun a day is welcome.
Give it time to acclimate, and in the meantime, water abundantly when the soil is completely dry.
Avoid watering too often, even with little water, because water stagnation is much more harmful than delaying a few days. Better a little than too much.
Suppose the problem does not stop in 1-2 weeks, pot the plant to check the root system. If there are signs of rot (black roots and an unpleasant odour),.
Repot the Ficus after pruning the rotten roots and rinsing the roots, using new soil and a clean pot.
To learn how to repot a ficus, click here.
Finally, inspect the foliage to ensure there are no parasites; most can be contained.
With oil-based products that act by suffocation, such as neem oil, linseed oil, or white oil.
Faq
Why Does The Ficus Lose Its Green Leaves?
Ficus benjamina drops its green leaf due to environmental stress like fluctuating temperatures, a flow of hot or cold air, or a drop in environmental humidity.
What Should I Do When Ficus Leaves Turn Yellow And Then Fall?
The cause of the yellowing and falling of Ficus leaves is often linked to a lack of light or excess water.
It is necessary to ensure the plant is positioned in a bright place and the soil dries completely between waterings.
As time passes, the Ficus will stop losing its leaves and make new ones.
How Do I Save A Now-Bare Ficus Banjamina?
The Ficus benjamina should be kept between 18 and 28°C in a light area.
Fertilise the plant with a fertiliser for green plants at half the dosage, and then water with water only whenever the soil is dry.
Once you notice the appearance of new buds, resume fertilising with alternate waterings or use a slow-release fertiliser.
Conclusions
The reason ficus trees are dropping leaves is because of stress, which might be changes in the environment or watering errors.
Provide appropriate light and a stable temperature for your ficus tree, and in all cases, maintain proper care and maintenance.
Let me tell you how to go around this. Read this article that talks about how to care for your ficus tree. Click read now if interested.
