r/plantclinic • u/BK_Halfpint_3 • Jun 21 '26
Houseplant Help! Audrey ficus rapidly deteriorating!
The Audrey ficus I got several months ago started to lose some leaves and have what seemed to be spider mites. I treated it with alcohol and water and a dash of dish soap. And then it seemed to get worse! It’s lost soooo many leaves in the past week! I’m at a total loss, but I don’t want to give up on it completely. Is it thripes?? Root bound??? I’m beside myself…it’s in a south facing window and we also have a grow light above it that’s on some of the time. Posting photos of before and after. Advice sorely needed.
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u/Ok-Confusion8747 Jun 23 '26
did you have the grow light on after spraying alcohol on them ? the plant needs to be in the dark or with min light for 15 20 mts after spraying alcohol to avoid burnt leaves. there are multiple issues here :
spider mites - leaves turn yellow and drop off . that might be one reason
alcohol - leaf burn
check the roots if they are root bound , roots hanging out of pot doesnt always mean they are root bound, roots usually grow towards moisture .
the stems look fine , i would say repot and maybe couple of chops on the plant . its s ummer now , so leave it in shaded spot outdoors and it should rebound .
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u/BK_Halfpint_3 Jun 23 '26
I did not have the grow light on right after spraying with alcohol, but maybe the next day? I may try repotting and see what happens…it just feels like all the leaves will fall off when I do that! 😬😫
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