Hello everyone.  My Black Madeira was doing fine until 5 days ago.  After it broke bud, it was one of my strongest growers, putting out lots of roots and leaves.  Up-potted from cup (50/50 UPM and Perlite) to 1 gal (1/1/1; UPM, Perlite, Peat Moss) on 04/01/2014.  Had nice big leaves that felt tough and looked very healthy.  A little sign of FMV, but not bad.  Keep the tree by NE facing window with lots of sun early in morning to partial sun by 10 am.  Temperature in room fluctuates from 69 to 72 degrees with 53 to 55% humidity.  It has been drinking the water that I've been giving it, about 10 sprays a day.  It has steadily been dropping its healthy leaves one by one since 04/03/14.  As of today there is one healthy leaf left.  There is a green bud on top.  Anyone have any ideas of what is going on? 

 

Sorry the picture is sideways.  Can't figure out how to make it right side up.

Years back i had some do that under grow light similar to yours drop leaves , then eventually a new bud opened and plant took off and never looked back.
I would make sure also there is no draft at that window.

don't water it any more. let is drain out and let it dry up a little. stop misting. if it was fine 5 day ago, it should bounce back. as soon as night temp is above 50, set it outside and only water when the whole set up is paper light. 

Alan, I wish that I had taken photos when I up-potted.  But yes, the leaves that drop off are healthy, strong leaves.  That's what worries me the most.

Martin, I don't feel a draft by the window, but I'll move it back anyway.  Thanks.

I've had similar experiences indoors.  Once the outdoor weather was warm enough, they bounced back nicely.

could be anything.. a bit too much moist upon transplant or lighting hitting on one side only, or sun too hot through the window, but coldest spot for it at night, there is too much of cold and hot, rather than a constant temp. that tells the plant to survive..and it drops its leaves to sustain the roots.   do not add more water, if it feels moist to the touch.

try bringing in a bit in from the glass. if you can when sun is not too hot bring it closer to light, but back it away from cold nights and scorting sun. Even in the fields, young trees drop their leaves.  it is a delicate stage. Sometimes fertilizers make them grow, but their roots cannot sustain the growth, there they also drop their leaves. My Black Madeira is inside of a tall cold frame  inside of a 5 gallon water bottle with no bottom. So far it is just a stick with a tiny green eye. I love it.  We had ONE warm say meaning with sunshine and it got hot in there almost 80, for that I dropped a shade fabric over the bottle. I know the sun will scortch the new leaves.

Please who grow kiwis also have that ... figs, kiwis and many others are sensitive. Unlike 'weeds' we don't want.

The UCDavis Black Madiera is a notorious psychotic drama queen. I believe the FMV has scrambled its neurons. It will commit hari-kiri at the slightest perceived injustice.

Thanks for everyone who took the time to reply.  I feel a lot better.  For now I'll move back from the glass in the evening and closer during the day, after the direct sun is no longer beaming into the window.  Also not going to water until the pot feels a little lighter.  

BM has been good to me as far as growth is concerned. tho.. with all that rain, and the tree in its first yr, i didn't get to taste the potential. i'm waiting for it... 

Tops in yard last several years and i do not see anything that will surpass it
in our yard but time will tell .

Hi nycfig,
I would say over watering or transplant shock . Did you touch the roots ?
I would try a heating panel under the pot to get the dirt to dry quicker .

I believe watering is critical. Normally they are slow/weak rooters. The weakest rooters I’ve grown. I’ve read some stories about BM dying. Over the last 10 years I’ve grown about 80 BM’s to various stages of maturity and have never lost one but I have seen them drop all their leaves after transplanting into a pot with too much soil. It’s my experience that they prefer a high ratio of roots to soil. Early last year I transplanted 6 well-rooted quarts into gallon milk containers. A high ratio of soil to roots. It unexpectedly poured one night and all 6 were drenched. Over the next week the leaves began dropping until there were none left. Took 2 months for them to comeback. The BM picture at the end of my BM auctions was in a 12” clay pot.

Danny, what size of cup was your BM in prior to moving into that pot?

As Keith (KK) says, moving into too large of a pot can be detrimental.  All of the new soil acts as a large reservoir for water and now the existing root system is kept much more moist than it previously had been (in most cases, if it was being watered carefully).  In a very vigorously-growing fig I will move it into a larger pot than I would for a more slowly-growing fig such as is typical for Black Madeira.

You might dig away some of the potting soil along the edges of your new pot to help the potting mix dry out a bit faster and then only water in near the center of the pot so that the "reservoir" doesn't get saturated.

Good evening all.  Thanks again for the responses.

After the BM rooted in a baggie it was moved to a 16 oz. cup with 50/50 UPM and Perlite.  Soon after it took off like it was on steroids.  Up-Potted to 1 gal. with 1/1/1 of UPM, Peat Moss and Perlite.  When I took it from the cup, most of the UPM and Perlite fell away and couldn't help to touch the roots a little while working with the plant, soil and pot.  The roots looked very strong; thick and healthy.  After potting up it did great for a few days and then started dropping its healthy leaves.

I moved it back from the window a little after the sun went down this evening.  The soil is not drenched and looks like it is drying up a little.  When I put my finger down about an inch I can feel that it is still moist.  From everyones responses I'm guessing that I may have watered too much after up-potting.  Add the transplant shock to the equation and that's probably the answer. Going to let it dry out and lighten up a bit.  That last leaf is hanging on for dear life.  It is very distressing to see an otherwise healthy plant dropping all of those beautiful, healthy leaves.  I hope that I didn't kill it and she'll bounce back.

UPM is peat based potting mix. add peat moss on top of that and it will hold more water. to lessen the issue with root, i keep same soil mix as in the cup. once the roots are hardened, i bare root and manhandled the roots going into 3 gal or larger. at that point, i water with hose until water runs out few times. 

Of it has a decent root system ratio to plant it will be fine just a mild setback.
Madeira is tougher than some give credit for.

How do i know well mine was budding out but did not like the low 40s
in evenning suring fig shuffle and died fully to soil level .
Left it be until i saw new growth that summer it came back from soil level with a little care and was topped at about 3 feet.
Good luck.

Danny,
I too have lost a BM last month. And this month another BM is dying on me. I just don't know what went wrong. The watering is just right, no fungus, no gnats. I guess if it is time for them to go then they just go. All my other cuttings are doing very well.

Norhayati

Some varieties are propagated by grafting easier.

rooted 5 BM so far. 4 of them rooted and grew fine. one of them just died without much action. but some cuttings do that. another one did the same was one of USDA/UCD Ischia Black. i had two cuttings. one is growing nicely, other just died. i pulled them out once they were dead. didn't find any specific issues. no rotted cutting. the roots just all died and went away. 

Pete, I thought PM made a mix lighter and faster draining?  I think I will follow your advice and keep same mix when coming out of a cup.  It's just hard to get UPM over here.  It's like black gold.

BM seems to be doing same as yesterday.  Leaf still holding on and moved back toward the sun.  The new growth and bud on top look very lively and green.  That seems to be a good sign.

"Over the last 10 years I’ve grown about 80 BM’s to various stages of maturity and have never lost one but I have seen them drop all their leaves after transplanting into a pot with too much soil. It’s my experience that they prefer a high ratio of roots to soil."

KK and others, I was planning on up-potting my 1 year old Black Madeira and Figo Preto from a 3 gallon containers to 15 gallon containers this Spring.  Should I go to 6 gallon instead this year and then on to 15 gallon next year?  Or should they be ok going directly to 15 gallon since the root system at this point is relatively mature?