Want tasty fruit?

– so do all the pesky pests.

Learn how to deal with the most common fig disease here.

Major diseases that affect fig trees (Ficus carica) along with their treatments:

Spider Mites

Symptoms:
- Tiny Spots or Stippling: Small yellow, white, or bronzed speckles on leaves where mites have sucked out chlorophyll.

- Webbing: Fine, silky webs on the undersides of leaves or between stems, especially in severe infestations.

- Leaf Discoloration: Leaves may turn yellow, curl, or become bronzed as damage progresses.

- Leaf Drop: Heavily infested plants may lose leaves prematurely.

- Stunted Growth: Plants may weaken and grow more slowly due to nutrient loss.

- Visible Mites: With a magnifying glass, you might see tiny moving dots (red, green, or brown, depending on species) on the undersides of leaves.

HINT: View the underside and stem of the leaves with the plant between you and sun. This allows you see the webbing and leaf damage much better. Even better, get a lighted 30-60X magnifier (a.k.a. jeweler’s loupe).

Treatment:

– Treat immediately –
Neem oil, pesticide or soap and water.

- If you have cold-pressed neem oil, horticultural oil, or a pesticide labeled for use on figs and treatment of spider mites (check the labeling carefully) – you can use any of those in a hand spray bottle. If you don’t have or wish to use those, a simple dish detergent (e.g. Dawn liquid, etc.) will also work and allow for immediate treatment. Mix with water and spray the underside and tops of the leaves. Also spray the stems, trunk and top of the potting media.

- Spider mites are the bane of many indoor growers. Especially with “outside” species like figs when they are indoors (perhaps overwintering or rooting in the spring). Their numbers can quickly grow from imperceptible to heavily damaging, seemingly overnight. This is why immediate treatment is so necessary.
- Additional options are using a water hose to “blast” them off, or a cloth to wipe each leaf and wash them (physical removal). Dunking them (turned upside down) into a soap or neem solution is also pretty effective at treating a severe infestation. In some circumstances aerosol “foggers” can be used. These are all effective treatment for spider mites.

- Spider mites are tenacious pests that will return in most cases – so sustained treatment and varied methods are usually required to eradicate them. This means aggressive and early treatment is absolutely necessary.

Prevention: Regular application of neem oil solution is the preferred method in our opinion. Adding fans and increasing airflow can be a big help with pests and general health for indoor plants.

Fig Rust (Cerotelium fici)

Symptoms: Small yellow spots on leaves that turn orange or brown, sometimes with a rusty look on the underside.
Treatment:
- Cultural: Ensure good air circulation by pruning; remove and destroy affected leaves.
- Chemical: Use fungicides like sulfur or copper-based products, especially in early spring before symptoms appear.

Fig Mosaic Virus

Symptoms: Mottled, yellow, or light green patches on leaves; reduced fruit quality and quantity.

FMV-Fig-Mosaic-Virus — FMV-Fig Mosaic Virus

Treatment:
- Cultural: No cure; prevention is key. Propagate from healthy stock, remove infected plants to prevent spread.
- Chemical: No chemical treatment available; focus on sanitation.

Root Rot (Phytophthora spp.)

Symptoms: Wilting, yellowing leaves, and eventually death of the tree if root damage is severe.

Treatment:
- Cultural: Improve soil drainage; avoid over-watering; plant in well-draining soil.
- Chemical: Use fungicides like metalaxyl or fosetyl-Al, but prevention through soil management is more effective.
- Prevention:
- Pruning: Regularly prune to remove dead or diseased wood, enhancing air circulation.
- Sanitation: Clean up fallen leaves and fruit to reduce disease carryover.
- Water Management: Avoid overhead watering which can spread fungal spores; use drip irrigation if possible.
- Plant Selection: Choose disease-resistant varieties when available.
- Remember, the effectiveness of fungicides can vary based on local conditions, so always follow label instructions and consider consulting with a local extension service or plant pathologist for specific recommendations tailored to your area. Also, rotate fungicides to prevent resistance development.

Fig Bud Mites (Aceria fic)

Symptoms: Slight russeting or leaf drop, stunted or deformed growth.
Fig Bud Mites with Egg
Treatment:
- Sulfur: Wettable or powder, applied to the undersides of leaves and on buds.
- Oils: Neem or horitcultural oils – dormant oils may work better but should be applied before bud break.
- Chemical: Use fungicides like metalaxyl or fosetyl-Al, but prevention through soil management is more effective.
Prevention:
- Pruning: Regularly prune to remove dead or diseased wood, enhancing air circulation.
- Sanitation: Clean up fallen leaves and fruit to reduce disease carryover.
- Water Management: Avoid overhead watering which can spread fungal spores; use drip irrigation if possible.
- Plant Selection: Choose disease-resistant varieties when available.
- Fig bud mites (Aceria ficus) are microscopic eriophyid mites that can affect fig trees. They primarily infest bud scales, young leaves, and sometimes fruit, causing damage such as faint russetting of leaves, leaf drop, stunted twigs, and deformed growth. These mites are also significant because they can transmit fig mosaic virus (FMV), a disease that leads to mottled leaves and reduced tree vigor, though the virus itself isn’t present in the mite’s eggs—it’s acquired through feeding and retained as the mite matures.
  You won’t see these mites with the naked eye; they’re tiny, cigar-shaped, and translucent, requiring at least a 20x hand lens or microscope to spot. They’re especially active in spring when buds break, as they overwinter in dormant buds. Damage is often aesthetic but can stress the tree if infestations are heavy, particularly in combination with FMV.

Endosepsis (Fruit Rot)

Symptoms: Internal decay of the fruit, often only noticeable when the fruit is cut open or begins to rot.
endosepsis and figwasps
Treatment:
- Cultural: Prune out dead or diseased wood; ensure proper harvesting timing (before full ripeness to avoid splitting).
- Chemical: Fungicides like captan can be applied during fruit development if the infection is severe.