Ficus disease or normal phenolic glands?!
Jess is in the Garden
Posts: 1,022
Hello All,
I posted about this a while back and had some replies, but the situation is ongoing and I really don't know what else I can do!
So, my 5ft ficus is about 8 years old and has been in exactly the same location, in a south east facing room with loads of direct sun and light, not near radiator, not overwatered, not underwatered, not fed in winter, not standing in water...for the past 6 years and has always been the picture of good health.
It normally sheds about 30-50 leaves every winter, just before spring, which I know if normal, as they are the older leaves.
I feed it now and again with Ahern rainwater mix and occasionally (maybe 2-3 times a year) spray it with SB invigorator spray.
I always thought they were dead easy plants, simply because mine always has been, but this winter/early spring, I noticed that the dried up leaves kept falling...and that there were the following things:
One, (never more) rather waxy white blob always at the base of the underside of the leaf stem, like this:
As you can see, any leaf with the white blob also invariably becomes yellower, mottled almost, with a strange, almost 'dusty' surface to some of the leaves. As the leaf becomes more and more mottled, it then dries up and falls off.
There is very little stickiness I can see anywhere.
There are no white blobs that move and I have looked under a microscope and not seen any sign of life! That said, I am no biologist, so if they are eggs, I wouldn't know.
There are absolutely no signs of any insects, either winged or wingless, anywhere, even in the soil.
The leave also become blemished on both sides.
I have taken rather drastic measures and watered it with a systemic insecticide, just in case, about 4 days ago.
I have removed as many of the blobs as I can by hand (fun!), and also trimmed the entire plant.
I have removed all dead leaves from the pot, top dressed it with new soil and some Vitax Q4.
The pot is the correct size and it was only repotted 2 years ago.
Apart from repotting it, which I am not even sure will do anything if it not pot bound, I have absolutely no idea how to progress.
After some research online, I have seen that many experts and amateurs agree it could be a normal (though weird) phenomenon of the ficus benjaminus type - in that they apparently have a phenolic gland under the leaf which exudes a sap that is meant to attract the fig wasp, in the wild.
However, others disagree and think it is a pest!
I dont understand - if it is a normal gland and this happens with focuses then:
- why has mine never done this in all the years I have had it, when nothing has changed?
- why do the leaves with the white blobs eventually dry up and die?
Surely if the blob is only sap and not a pest, this poor plant wouldn't be dropping hundreds of leaves??
Thank you in advance for all your help and sorry about the long post! I am desperate, as this was bought when my daughter was born, so I'm rather attached to it!
Last edited: 02 May 2017 17:34:52
Posts
Thanks Pansy
knew I could rely on one of you top dogs to answer my query.
I had read that article, actually and I am also more convinced than ever before, that this is a strange ficus phenomenon, rather than a disease.
However, it doesn't explain why so many leaves drop - why would a tree do that in conjunction with secreting sap to attract pollinating wasps?! Especially as it has lost half its leaves. Seems counterproductive.
Or maybe it is being fussy for the first time in its life, secreting sap, then dropping leaves because it is having a proper ficus strop!
I think I'll let it recover from the trimming I did yesterday, then repot it into a slightly larger pot, with fresh soil. I wonder what the best soil would be - John Innes no.2?
I've also put it in an even sunnier spot and will turn the diva every day
Hi Jess in the Garden, were you able to nurse the plant back to health?
I am having the exact same problem with an office Ficus Benjamina. The tree has been with the office for 20 years and survived 4 moves... Being an office tree, I would say it has a real tough life compare to yours. For the 10 years I've been here, it has never been re-potted or fertilized ( plus it's in a pot with no holes) I've been watering it for the last few years, and when I am away, no one waters it. So I was away in April/May for 3 weeks, and it hasn't been well since. But I've never noticed those white wax thing until I got back, so I thought it was an infestation... It's not on all leaves but for sure it's on all the fallen leaves. Maybe it feels like it's on its last leg and want to call for a mate...
I'll turn the plant everyday. If the condition persist, I'll get the re-potting done. Since the tree is much bigger than me, and on the mid landing of the stairs, it's not a one women job...
Ok, update coming up!
o have done everything to my fIcus, in an attempt to 'save' it and I can now confirm that it is indeed a phenolic gland issue and NOT a disease.
So...I cut it right bank about 50cm all over. I removed every leaf that had a white blob underneath. I thinned into the plant too. I staked off top layer of soil (pot definitely still large enough) and top dressed with Vitax Q4 pelleted feed and new compost. Watered in well. I then resited it directly in front of the largest window I have so it gets more sun. I also turn it every 2-3 days.
it looked a bit forlorn for a week or so, then suddenly picked up. Teeny new leaves sprouting everywhere, even on main central stem. All new leaves glossy and green, with no white blobs.
no new white bobs on remaining older leaves either. The sticky, almost sappy stuff costing many of the other leaves, has also gone. It looks like a new plant! No more falling leaves.
so it must become that it had become of age and decided it was time to reproduce...and was producing these glands in order to create the sap stuff, that apparently attfacts pollinating wasps in the amazon, where it is native.
i think that cutting it drastically back forced it to concentrate on growing and hindered into need to be pollinated.
Janet- it was the only thing that worked for me. Still have the same ficus and it’s gone back up to 6ft (from base of stem).
Hoping it won’t do the phenolic gland thing again...but if it does, I’ll give it a light clip this time, then see how it goes.
good luck with yours!
If they were eggs, they wouldn’t be so evenly and consistently placed like that.
My ficus was happy as Larry for about 8/9 years, before it started to misbehave!
Now I just keep it a little smaller, but not by much at all.
Hasn't pulled the phenolic stunt since.
You can thin it for sure, without causing problems for the plant, but it probably doesn't need much doing, aside from shortening its height mainly.