Why does my Ficus elastica have brown spots on the leaves?

Ficus elastica may have brown spots

Ficus elastica may have brown spots

¿Tu Elastic fig You have brown spots on the leaves and you can’t figure out the cause? Don’t worry: although there are several possible reasons why it is like this, there are also several possible solutions. So if your tree starts to get sick, if you follow our advice you can try to recover it.

That’s why I want to explain to you why do brown spots appear on the leaves of the ficusand also what you can do so that the problem not only does not get worse, but that it can be solved.

Sunburns

Ek ficus elastica can have brown spots from the sunEk ficus elastica can have brown spots from the sun

Image – Wikimedia Commons

Although the Elastic fig It is a tree that needs direct sun, It can happen that if we take it outside after having had it inside for a while, the leaves burn, because they are not used to it.. Likewise, it is also very common that if inside the house it is next to a window through which the sun’s rays enter more or less directly, the leaves that are closest to the aforementioned window burn.

But these brown spots will appear very quickly, in a matter of a few hours. Furthermore, the tree will not have any more symptoms than that; that is, he will be healthy except for these burns. For this reason, it is easy to prevent the problem from getting worse, since you only have to change its location if it is indoors, or start to gradually accustom it to the sun if it is outside, first putting it in semi-shade for a while and then gradually exposing it to direct sun. .

It has been watered above

This is really related to the previous cause, since nothing happens to the plants if they get wet, as long as the sun does not hit them directly at that time. This means that If you water your ficus from above during the central hours of the day, for example, when the sun is high on the horizon, surely some leaves will burn.

This is why it should not be wet unless the king sun is already low and the plant is no longer exposed to it. And if for whatever reason we have already done it and some leaves have burned, it will be enough to simply not do it anymore. Those leaves will end up falling, but the important thing is not to put the others at risk.

Do you have pests or a disease?

Plants can have mealybugsPlants can have mealybugs

Imagen – Flickr/Katja Schulz

Another possible cause of your ficus elastica having brown spots on the leaves is none other than the fact that it is being affected by a pest or that it has a disease. From my own experience, I can tell you that it is a plant that resists both one and the other quite well, since it contains a latex that is very toxic inside. But when it is watered excessively or if, on the contrary, it is very thirsty, the leaves will begin to spoilsince it is then when the insects or pathogenic microorganisms will take their toll.

But what problems could it have? Well, As for pests, the most common are mealybugs and aphids. Both hide behind the leaves to feed on the sap they extract from them. And as for diseases, alternariosis or Phyllosticta can cause spots to appear on the foliage.

How is it treated? Well, the pests can be fought with ecological insecticides such as diatomaceous earth (for sale here), or even by cleaning the leaves well with water with a little diluted dish soap. As to diseases, a systemic fungicide should be applied and consider whether or not watering is being done with adequate frequencysince excess watering can be very detrimental to the ficus elastica.

The irrigation frequency is not the most suitable

You have to think that the ficus elastica is a tree that cannot go for a long time without receiving water, but it would not support flooding either. Thus, It is important that, in the event that it does not rain, or that you have it indoors, you proceed to water from time to time so that the roots do not suffer and, therefore, to prevent the leaves from ending up with brown spots.

And it is that If, for example, you water much more than is necessary, the oldest leaves will turn yellow first., and then the others. In addition, you will see that the earth is very humid and that it weighs a lot. In this case, you would have to stop watering for a while until said soil dries up a bit, and also apply a systemic fungicide (for sale here) so that the fungi do not do more damage.

On the other hand, if what happens is that the ficus is going thirsty, the leaves that will start to have a bad time will be the new ones, and then the rest. You will also see that the earth is very dry, and that it weighs little. Luckily, this is soon corrected as you just have to water more often.In case you don’t know exactly when to water the ficus elastica, check the soil moisture by inserting a stick all the way in; if you saw that it comes out with a lot of adhered soil, then you wouldn’t have to water, but if it came out practically clean, yes.

As you have seen, there are several causes. I hope your plant recovers soon.

Why does my Ficus elastica have brown spots on the leaves?

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