Had to repot a ficus and it took me 4 hours longer than it should have

I brought home a fiddle leaf fig from a nursery in Portland last weekend and the roots were so tangled in the pot that I spent 3 hours just teasing them apart. Turns out the soil was super compacted and I had to soak the whole thing twice before it loosened up. Has anyone else had a plant take way more time than you thought just to get it settled in a new home?

2 comments

2 Comments

johnb9515d ago

Oh man, I feel your pain! That fiddle leaf fig root ball sounds like a nightmare. One thing though, I think you might have over-soaked it a bit. Soaking a plant twice for 4 to 6 hours total is pretty standard for super compacted soil, but any more than that and you risk drowning the roots and causing rot. I usually just soak once for an hour, then gently work the roots apart with my fingers while they're still damp. The ficus and fiddle leaf figs have sensitive root systems too, so next time you could try just breaking up the compacted soil with a chopstick instead of soaking it all over again. I learned that the hard way after killing a beautiful rubber plant from too much water love.

laurar3814d ago

You mentioned soaking a rubber plant to death from "too much water love," but earlier you said a 4 to 6 hour total soak is standard. How do you tell the difference between a helpful soak and one that's going to rot the roots before you even see the damage?