Question
Hi Will - I sure hope you can help. When moving into a new home I purchased two ficus trees. They were located in the indoor nursery of Home Depot, but when asked I was told they were indoor/outdoor plans. They are in 14" pots flanking our front door and I've placed them outside. They each have two balls of leaves and the stem is secured by bamboo. I gave them osmote plant fertlizer when I first purchased them. They get morning/early afternoon sun but evening shade. I live in NC so it's quite hot this summer. For the first few months they did fine. However, the leaves are dying and shriveling up and appear to be turning RED/Orange in color. Please help! I paid too much for them and would really like to keep them alive.

Answer
Hi Jennifer,

At Home Depot, a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. Ficus benjamina trees are outdoor trees in south Florida, but they will not survive NC winters. (If you have a different species of Ficus, please let me know.

Most potted Ficus trees sold in your are are intended for indoor use or outdoor use in a shaded area. Direct outside sun is too strong for them as they have been adapted to lower light intensities.

In addition, the summer heat is probably causing your trees to dry out very quickly and they may need almost daily watering.

Another factor may be your water quality. If your tap water is on the hard or alkaline side, then that will affect the tree's ability to absorb nutrients. If this is the case, then use filtered or distilled or rainwater.

I suggest that you try to find a sunny window location indoors to place your trees and leave then there permanently as they will have to adjust every tome they are relocated.

I don't understand why the main stem needs support. A photo might give me better insight. Send it to my address below.

I have written an article on indoor Ficus tree care that  will email to you if you send a request to my address below.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

If this information has been helpful, please take the time to give me a rating and nomination.

   
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

Visit my web site at www.HorticulturalHelp.com

If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to provide some additional insights.