And another tree query.

[sanzfrancisco]

This tree, that has been in my bathroom for the past 11 years is once again losing leaves. They don't even have to become yellow before they drop. No, I don't over water, and not too long ago it was repotted into a larger container. (Thanks Chuck.) But now I am wondering if this plant could have some sort of scale. I can't see it and the branches have always had small bumps. They don't readily come off. However, the floor below the branches seems to get dirty without any reason. It's not sticky dirt, but it makes me ponder.
Help, please??

 

[Chuck]

take some pictures of the "scale"

 

[sanzfrancisco]

Sorry for the delay Chuck. So like I said, I can't see any evidence of scale. The nodules on this little branch are where the leaves used to be. I'm perplexed. Do you think I should prune the tree? I did it once when I first got it, because it was doing poorly in my daughter's house.

 

[Chuck]

Sorry for the delay Chuck. So like I said, I can't see any evidence of scale. The nodules on this little branch are where the leaves used to be. I'm perplexed. Do you think I should prune the tree? I did it once when I first got it, because it was doing poorly in my daughter's house.

You said in your first post that the bumps don't "READILY" come off. Scale doesn't readily come off either but nodules don't come off at all. I don't think you have scale. The only thing I can see that might cause leaf drop is the difference in the color of the leaves. Some are dark green, some are light green, some are mottled, some are starting to turn yellow and some are yellow. Leaf discoloration is caused by two things, nutrition and insects. It could be sucking insects and you just can't see them and it could be the tree needs feeding. Why not treat for both? Fertilize the tree and give it a good spraying with spinosad as it will kill everything except hard scale insects.

I would not prune it

 

[Sheal]

How long ago did you repot the tree?

 

[sanzfrancisco]

Hello Scotland! I repoted it in April, this year.

 

[sanzfrancisco]

You said in your first post that the bumps don't "READILY" come off. Scale doesn't readily come off either but nodules don't come off at all. I don't think you have scale. The only thing I can see that might cause leaf drop is the difference in the color of the leaves. Some are dark green, some are light green, some are mottled, some are starting to turn yellow and some are yellow. Leaf discoloration is caused by two things, nutrition and insects. It could be sucking insects and you just can't see them and it could be the tree needs feeding. Why not treat for both? Fertilize the tree and give it a good spraying with spinosad as it will kill everything except hard scale insects.

I would not prune it

I will do as you suggest, and see what happens. Thanks again, Chuck.

 

[Sheal]

Hello Scotland! I repoted it in April, this year.

Hello San Francisco. The tree is a Ficus I believe and they don't like being disturbed or moved around which is why I asked about the re-potting. There's every possibility that this has upset the tree and it's shedding it's leaves now, even though quite a bit of time has elapsed since April. The soil looks very dry so I would be inclined to give it a good watering and then forget about it for a couple of months.

I had a number of Ficus trees over a span of thirty years and I found they dropped their leaves when disturbed and would take a while to settle down again. I rarely watered them and never fed them, whatever their age.

 

[sanzfrancisco]

Well thanks so much, Scotland. I appreciate your point of view and I will take your advice.
You have a very pleasant way of communicating. I like it.
Cheers, janice

 

[Sheal]

You're welcome - and thank you sanzfrancisco.