Musty Smell from Large Ficus: Causes and Fixes

A sudden musty odor in a large Ficus usually means:

1. Poor-quality soil breaking down anaerobically.
2. Food/drink poured into soil (common in office lounges).
3. Stagnant water in cache pot or saucer.

Remedies

• Add garden lime to mask odor.
• Ensure drainage holes exist; let top inch dry between waterings.
• If food contamination suspected, flush with copious water.
• If mold visible on soil surface, scrape off and repeat until gone.
• Commercial fungicide soil drench as last resort.

Roots showing through drainage holes are normal—not a repotting signal. Overwatering (3/4 gal/week) may be the real issue; cut back and monitor.