Fiddle Leaf Fig is Getting Spots

Question:

I suspect I over watered and have stopped that. I do not want to lose it. It is getting small black spots on the green leaves that if scraped is like black soot it also is getting larger brown spots near the edge of leaves. I put marbles under the pot that sits inside a decorative pot for better drainage, but just did this 2 days ago. Thank you for your help.

Answer:

I wish I had a simple Answer: to your Question:s, but I really need more information to be able to properly diagnose the problem. Seeing photos of symptoms is not very helpful; seeing a photo of the entire tree including its pot would be much more revealing to me.

I understand you don’t want to put much effort into this so I will simply explain how your Ficus lyrata should be cared for and hopefully that will help ease your mind.

If your tree was repotted, it should not have been. If it was, you have to be very careful not to over-water it because the excess soil added retains the water for too long and can cause root rot.

Ficus lyrata trees need to be close to a sunny, uncovered window. If yours is more than 4 feet away fro the nearest window, it is not getting enough light.

Assuming your tree is properly potted, the you should water thoroughly (until a bit of water runs through the drain holes) when the top half-inch of soil feels dry.

Leaf spotting is common with this particular plant. However, the spotting should be limited to the older, lower leaves. Leaf spots are a general symptom in response to inadequate light and improper watering, both over and under watering.

Finally, if your tap water is hard, it is best to use filtered or distilled. Fertilize very sparingly.