Why My Ficus Retusa Leaves Turning Yellow?
Does Ficus Retusa likes pruning?
Pruning your Ficus Retusa will differ greatly depending on whether you grow it as a conventional tree (indoors or outdoors) or as a bonsai.
The former requires relatively little trimming. And the majority of it will be used to protect the plant from becoming too large or spreading out too far. This is especially true for houseplants.
However, it is critical to remove any dead or diseased leaves.
Your Ficus Retusa will grow to be around 1.5 to 3 feet tall as a bonsai. And a lot of pruning is required to keep it tiny. This comprises the initial, structural, and maintenance pruning.
Any new branches that emerge should be trimmed here. The idea is to maintain your chosen form while limiting size and development.
Pruning is most effective in the spring. One of the reasons the plant works so well as a bonsai tree is that it can withstand rigorous trimming.
Is Ficus Retusa toxic?
Unfortunately, Ficus Retusa is poisonous to pets. As a result, you should not allow your dogs or cats to chew on or consume its leaves.
This will result in stomach and gastrointestinal problems such as discomfort and distress. They will very certainly end up vomiting simply to feel better.
Even though the plant is not dangerous to people, you should keep it out of the hands and mouths of curious youngsters.
Is Ficus Retusa indoor plant?
Ficus Retusa is one of the rare tree species that is able to grow indoors as well as outdoors. This is also why it is one of the most popular bonsai plants.
Because of its compact stature and strong trunk, it is a very beautiful plant that is excellent for modern designer homes.
Although the real Ficus Retusa tree is generally found in South-East Asia, Ficus Retusa branches are occasionally grafted to Ficus Microcarpa to generate a sort of Ficus ginseng.
That’s why the name sounds so familiar to many plant enthusiasts throughout the world.
Original Ficus Retusa leaves are often bigger and longer than Ficus Microcarpa variants.
Ficus Retusa leaves may grow up to 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) long in a healthy environment, although Ficus Microcarpa leaves never grow longer than 4 inches.
Is Ficus Retusa prone to pests?
The Ficus Retusa is resistant to pests and diseases, as well as being easy to care for and minimal maintenance. However, in order to preserve its resilience, it must be healthy.
That is, the better you are able to provide it with its preferred living conditions, the more it will be able to avoid these issues.
On the other side, the more stressed, shocked, and unwell it becomes, the more vulnerable it becomes to them.
However, no plant is ever completely impervious to pests.
Mealybugs, scale, and spider mites are the most prevalent invaders of this ficus. Most likely, you will never have to deal with them.
However, frequent examination will enable you to detect them early if they do appear. Keeping the plant within makes it more vulnerable than keeping it outside.
Why my Ficus Retusa leaves turning yellow?
If the leaves of your Ficus Retusa suddenly turn yellow, it is likely to be a symptom of stress.
This suggests that you either did not water them for quite a long time and/or that you switched to a different location where the lighting and temperature levels have altered.
If this is the case, return them to their original location and perform regular hygiene measures. This will allow your plant to adjust once again to its preferred living conditions.
Overwatering is another reason for yellowing of the leaves.
Much of the time, when your Ficus Retusa is over watered it will be stressed. But if you continue to water it this way, it will lose vitality and its leaves may turn yellow.
This is especially true for plants that cannot tolerate direct sunlight for long periods of time.
Low humidity is another reason for yellowing of the leaves.
Even though Ficus Retusa may seem perfectly healthy, it will become stressed as a result of a changing environment.
So if the humidity remains too low, it will lose its resilience and this could cause fatal conditions within its system.
Check to see if your humidity is satisfactory or if you need to buy an additional humidifier in order to increase the level of moisture within the air.
What type of soil do Ficus Retusa requires?
Because your Ficus Retusa dislikes sitting in water, the most important factor to consider when selecting soil is drainage.
Keep in mind that well-draining soil does not always indicate that it will drain off all of the moisture after the plant is watered.
Make sure the container you keep it in includes a drainage hole to help with this.
This allows the extra water to drain into the saucer beneath.
As a result, you can start with standard potting soil and then add perlite, pumice, or vermiculite to promote drainage while keeping the soil loose and aerated.
In addition to proper drainage, your Ficus Retusa will thrive in rich, slightly acidic soil.
As a result, using soil rich in organic matter is an excellent idea. Alternatively, utilize compost to increase its quality.
The optimum soil has a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. You should avoid azalea or rose potting soil since their pH is lower, making them excessively acidic for ficus.
What is the ideal temperature of Ficus Retusa bonsai?
Your Ficus Retusa prefers warm temperatures in addition to bright light. Because the plant is from Southeast Asia, it prefers tropical climates.
While it can handle hot weather, it favours mild to warm temperatures over scorching summer heat. As a result, you should avoid temperatures above 90 degrees.
Keep the plant at temperatures ranging from 60 to 75 degrees. This is its sweet spot, just like humans, which is why it thrives indoors.
The cold is the one thing you want to keep it away from.
Your Ficus Retusa cannot withstand cold. Furthermore, it will not be able to survive at sub-zero temperatures for long without suffering damage and finally dying.
So keep it away from regions where the temperature drops below 50 degrees.
Furthermore, it dislikes chilly drafts and gusts. It will also demonstrate if the temps abruptly plummet. It, unsurprisingly, dislikes fluctuations.
One thing to bear in mind is that it enjoys outside sunlight as long as it is kept out of direct sunlight.
As a result, after the risk of frost has passed and the weather has risen around April, it is a good idea to let it out.
It will thrive there in the spring and summer.
What is the difference between Ficus Retusa and Ginseng Ficus?
The Ginseng Ficus or Ficus Ginseng is another ficus that is sometimes mistaken with the Retusa.
The Ginseng Ficus is produced by grafting the Ficus Microcarpa with the Ficus Retusa.
As a result, Ficus ginseng is frequently labelled as a Retusa.
Grafting in plants simply involves linking two or more plants together so that they grow as one.
This causes the upper half of one of the plants to grow on the root system of the other plant, resulting in the production of a new plant.
How do you shape a Ficus Retusa bonsai?
Ficus grows really quickly. After 6-10 leaves have developed, prune back to 2-4 leaves.
Heavy pruning is best done in the spring, although it can be done all year. During the growing season, keep the new growth clipped down.
When you cut a Ficus, it bleeds a milky, white sap that is really latex. This latex dries rapidly and works well as a sealer.
When trimming back smaller branches, leave a short stub that will dry up over time, then just cut the dry branch off and it will mend with minimal scarring.
Why is my Ficus Retusa dying?
Leaf yellowing is a common sign of stress. When it occurs, it indicates that something has changed within the environment.
Getting the plant back to its ideal living conditions is essential in order to recover and prevent further damage.
In addition, if you dissect the branches of your Ficus Retusa, you will notice that they are full of holes and small insects are crawling inside them.
This is a bug called scale. You can remove it with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol or oil soap.
Overwatering is a common cause of plant stress. The plant lacks the means to control its water intake, pushing it to meet its requirements.
If it is over watered for an extended period of time, this will result in death of the plant
Environmental changes is another common reason for the yellowing of leaves. If the environment around your plant changes in such a way that it affects its ability to process and understand information, this will result in death.
The change can be as simple as moving it to a new location or exposing it to cold temperatures. When the plant is put into unfamiliar circumstances, it will react by slowing down its growth in order to conserve resources and regain strength so that it can prepare for this upcoming threat.
Why my Ficus Retusa has stunted growth?
Ficus Retusa will slow down its growth when it is under stress.
In order to return the plant to its normal living conditions, you will need to first determine the cause of this stress.
If you have recently transplanted it, this could be due to the shock of being moved from one location to another.
When uprooting a plant, we can sow those seeds within in soil that was previously occupied by their roots. This damages the roots and causes stress.
The damage may not be immediate but can occur over time.
Underwatering is another cause of stunted growth. When your plant lacks sufficient water, it will start to encounter deficiencies that are vital to its survival.
As a result, the plant becomes weaker and smaller until it finally dies. Ensure that you keep this in mind when watering your Ficus Retusa
Over or under fertilizing your ficus is another reason for stunted growth. Too much fertilizer will damage the plant by increasing its needs and reducing its vitality.
It will be unable to gather and process the nutrients that it needs, leaving it is a weakened state.
In the case of under fertilization, the plant will lack vital nutrients that are essential for survival.
Why my Ficus Retusa has curling leaves?
Curled leaves and dark leaf margins are caused by a lack of water and excessive sun exposure.
This species thrives in strong, indirect light, and individuals that haven’t adapted to the intense rays will display indications of sunburn and environmental shock.
Winter sunlight is fine as long as soil moisture is monitored on a regular basis, with full avoidance once summer arrives.
Without water, the plant will start to wilt and die.
Is Ficus Retusa easy to care?
Ficus Retusa, while easy to care for, requires some attention in order to flourish in the ideal growth environment.
Ficus Retusa grows best inside when the temperature maintains between 60 and 75°F (15 and 25°C).
As early as May, once the threat of frost has passed, you may put your Ficus Retusa outside to enjoy some fresh air.
It prefers bright light but not direct sunshine. It is afraid of drafty areas.
Ficus Retusa despises thermal shock, which occurs when the temperature rapidly lowers.
Repotting is usually always necessary in the spring every two years.
