Ficus

Question

I have a great ficus tree I got from family, got it home and it was doing so well! Pushing so much growth. I have since notice it took a big hit. I moved it but only away from the big vent in the room. So it’s still same area, then it started pushing leaves again. Now all the new leaves have dried up and all remaining leaves will be falling off. I don’t know if this is normal or if I have watered it too much. Would it be safe to pull it from the pot and hose off the roots let them dry up, then replant it with fresh dry potting soil?

Answer 1

Stressful conditions including excessive heat, cold, overwatering, underwatering, or the wrong light conditions can all cause a plant to drop leaves. Please see these articles:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/ficus/ficus-losing-leaves.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/plant-dropping-leaves.htm

If you have overwatered, and the soil is still very wet, you can remove the plant from the pot to let it dry out for a little while. However, to avoid damaging the roots, remove it with all the soil in the pot without disturbing the root ball. Don’t remove all the soil from around the roots, and repot it as soon as the soil is no longer soggy.

Also see this article to make sure you are providing your ficus with the best care:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/ficus/ficus-tree-care.htm