My Ficus plants are dying.. I don't know why. Do you? *lol* I have a 2.5x2.5x3 foot cage. With the UV light and a 60W basking light. I water them about once a week. And the soil with them is the coconut fiber soil stuff. The leaves are about 1/3 what it used to be. And the rest is turning yellow/brown and crumbling. Before I gave them to him... when I bought them I hose them up, gave them the coconut stuff and grow them in my own room for about 2 weeks. They were fine, but now they are dying after 2 months of being in his cage. Why?

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*Cassie*

Ficus tend to like the soil a little alkaline, that could be a problem. It would take about 3 weeks after transplanting a somewhat established tree for these symptoms to progress. You could try fertilizing the tree with something with a good Nitrogen content, make sure its organic, fish emulsion should work.
Or try to transplant it into a fertile soil and then put a top layer of coco husk. This is all opinions, no promises....Good luck!

When I went to buy my ficus tree, i asked the gardedn center lots of questions about it as I was worried it would die on me, and the told me that because of temperature changes and the UV light it would lose its leaves, and start to look a bit off coulour, but start to grow again once it gets used to the hot temps and lighting, mine looks like its dying all the leaves dropping off and it was really bushy, i water mine about once every 3 days, I know its growing back as I can see new little leaves and I am having to trimm it.

The leaves that are turning yellow on you will be from the feeders eating them, just pull them off, or if they are brown and crumbley, they are just leaves that are shedding. hopefully it will grow new ones for you

Thanks guys for the great advice.

Can I put fertilizer in it though? He eats these plants like crazy. Is that why you said the fish thing? I can find this at any garden center?

I was wondering if it's "too" wet? That coconut soil holds water like crazy. And it's always damp.

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*Cassie*

If its always wet that could also be a problem, the moisture causes the roots and bottom of the stalk to rot/mold/get infected. If its constanly moist, cut your soil with an inorganic fast draining medium, preferably perlite.'

If you want to fertilize fish emulsion oil should work just fine, its sold in almost every garden center, you can also use guanos if you prefer. I wouldn't recommend anything like miracle-grow or shultz fertilizers, i'm sure plenty of people will tell you they are fine, but to be on the safe side I say dont.

I use a turkey baster to apply my ferts., make sure the water and ferts are well mixed then apply using a turkey baster a few centimeters below the surface, make sure to distribute it.

Do not use perlite in the potting mix for plants to be used in vivariums. It is so light in weight that even if you bury it in the mix during watering it will work its way to the top of the soil and there is the risk of the animal swallowing it and becoming impacted. If you need to amend your soil go to a supplier for bonsai or hydroponics and get some haydite or terralite. Get particles too large for the animal to swallow.
Constantly wet soil is the kiss of death for ficus as well as most potted plants. You need to let the soil dry out before watering again. It is thru the action of the soil drying out and then watering that gases are removed from the soil and oxygen brought in to the roots. For something that is going to be misted as much as a cham cage you will need an extremely porous soil which drains well. Bonsai soil would be excellent for this. Then you can place a light layer of the coconut bark to keep the animal out of the soil.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Would it work to place the soil and plant in a mesh bag when potting? I envision placing a very porous mesh, perhaps an onion or potato bag, inside the pot and filling that with the potting mix and plant. Close the bag around the plant -- leaving an opening for the stem/trunk -- and cover with coconut or riverstone. Seeds and cuttings can be started directly through a slit in the bag like you would outside with weed blocking fabric. Window screening may also work as the reptile never would contact it.

Just an idea for over here, I don't plan of using it anytime soon as plants and iguanas don't live well together -- particularly when the only plants I have going are limes with large sharp thorns. Never knew limes had thorns.

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~ Mark

The problem is the mesh would probably end up rotting. Also if the animal is a digger it may get its claws entangled in the mesh if it gets exposed. You don't want too much airspace around the roots or they will dry and die back. Its only the very tip end of the root that actually feeds and waters the plant. Other than that its just an anchor.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!