Hi everyone, I am new member here.  I just got started getting interested in growing plants as a hobby.  I am very excited about these fig cuttings that I was able to get them to root and growing in pots.  Recently I noticed brown spots developing on the leaves of my fig cuttings.  I researched online and everything I've read indicates it's fig rust disease but I want to be sure.  Below are some pictures of one of the leaves, are the fig trees going to die?  Can anything be done about it?

Appreciate your help.
-Kevin


      

Hi Kevin, 

Welcome to the forum!

I've been gardening for a while but only started growing figs recently too and wrote a similar panicked "is this rust?!" thread here myself. I got very helpful advice from the kind forum members here and can pass on what they told me. 

Here's what I've been told:

- Don't worry too much, a little rust won't kill the plant
- Avoid getting the leaves wet when you water them, as it can spread the rust
- Try to get good air circulation to prevent mold
- If there are really diseased leaves and there is healthier growth on top, you can cut off the diseased leaf at the stem, and then let the rest of the stem remnant wither and drop off later to avoid disturbing the fruiting node.
- Throw those diseased leaves in the trash away from the plants, don't leave on the ground, to prevent spread
- You can treat by spraying the leaves thoroughly (both sides) with Neem oil mix, or copper fungicides according to the label

If you search for "rust" you'll see other threads on it. Someone else please chime in if you have other advice.

I suspect a lot of us newbies go through a subset of the common woes and the more experienced members are used to it now -- "how do I root this, why is it rotting, is this rust and what do I do, what's the best time and way to prune?" Thanks for the advice! :) 

Welcome, Kevin. Sarah nailed it.

May not even be rust. Damage from minuscule insect bites, sun scorch caused by little droplets of rain/dew magnifying the sun on part of a leaf, or other issues like overspray by household chemicals/fertilizers can also cause this. Also, as figs put out new growth, they shed older leaves -- and they look pretty shabby as they are dying off.  Feel free to post a picture of the whole plant..might help.

Thank you for the warm welcomes!

I must say that I panicked a little and promptly removed the leaves with the brown spots on them. Here is a picture of the plants with the affected leaves already removed so don't know if it's of any help.

 
 



Thank you Sarah for sharing and passing on your wisdom.  I will try to keep an eye on the plants that are having this problem.  I was a little worried about these because they seem to be taking a long time to get going.  I have other cuttings that were rooted at the same time and are now thriving after being transplanted into the ground.  It's a great feeling and experience to see the fig cutting growing into a full size plant.

Does the pot lighten in between waterings or does the mix stay heavy all the time? What type of potting mix is it? How often do you water? What is the weather like there? Have you fertilized them?

Healthy new leaves (although pale) point to a "mobile nutrient deficiency". 

I am using the Miracle-Gro moisture control potting mix and the pot lighten up fairly quickly after watering.  They get watered 3 times a week.  I am in southern California (Riverside County) so it's pretty much sunny year round.  I put them in a spot where they get around 2-3hrs of sun in the morning then shade for the rest of the day.  

Fertilizer should fix them right up, what was in the mix has leached away.

I sounds like everything else is fine... Are you planting these in the ground next season?

Okay, going to fertilize them and see if they will get back on track.  

To be honest, I am not sure what to do with these plants yet.  I started off with 20 cuttings out of which 18 successfully rooted and 15 end up surviving after root development.  I planted 3 into the ground this season and gave 6 away.  I don't have enough space in my backyard to plant all of them so not sure what to do with the rest.  Here's a picture of one them that got planted in the ground back in March.  It was around 1 feet tall when it went into the ground and it's now around 2.5 feet tall.

That is about as healthy as a plant can get, well done!

What is the fruit from the mother tree like? If you post pics this season you might get some trade offers.

Fruit is yellow greenish on the outside and pink/yellow inside.  It's very sweet, taste almost like honey and has an aromatic floral smell to it.  It bears fruit twice a year, first crop would be ready to be picked right about May/June time frame and the second crop is ready by Aug/Sep.  Second crop doesn't get as many fruits as the first one though.  

I am not sure what kind of fig variety it is although I suspect it is a Kadota variety.  I no longer have access to the mother tree since it's in a backyard of a home that has been sold.  Will try to post pics of the fruit as soon as my trees bear fruits.