Hello All,

This is my first post on here and I hope to learn a lot!

I recently bought my first fig tree (Italian Bearing) and when I brought it home I put it in a 15 gallon pot (it is about 4' tall right now). Once I repotted it the leaves became droopy and I believe it is in shock. I am located in New York City fyi.

I really have no idea what to do. I have read that I should put it in the shade for a few weeks, but not sure. I have attached images as well.

Please any advice or suggestions would be useful.

Thank you!

Was the tree exposed to full sun before you purchased it? If not, I think the light might have been too much on the leaves. Hopefully a few of the senior forum members can give you more info.

So it is inside? It might be from the sudden drop in humidity from outdoor/greenhouse levels to inside. Is it near a vent by any chance? 

How big was the original pot? 15 gallons is a large pot. It could be from too much water. As Joe Morle from figtrees.net says: You have to gradually increase pot size. What are you gonna do, bathe an infant in a bathtub or in a sink? Does a little kid need a big shoe or a small shoe? Could be too much water being held in the soil - the roots can only take up so much. Be careful, you can drown trees! 

Welllll... The new stems look like they are still firm to me so I still think it is soft leaves and low humidity instead of actual rootshock. In that case it is just a problem of the leaves transpiring too fast because they have weak stomata when grown in high humidity. The stems don't have as many stomata so they can deal and don't wilt in this situation. To prevent the leaves from becoming damaged as a result of getting too dry you can put a clear plastic bag tent over it to raise the humidity, you will need to shade it from direct sun which will form condensation inside the bag and slowly adjust it back to ambient humidity by gradually cutting holes and letting more air in. If you don't have a clear bag that big use anything until you can find something clear.

To rule out other things:

Did you repot it as soon as you got it, or was it inside and fine for some time before repotting/wilting? A better timeline would help.

Did you monkey with the roots at all or just pull it out of one container and pop it in the other? What size was the container you bought it in?

What is the mix, drainage of the pot and how, exactly as possible, are you watering?

If the sun is was too strong or too hot during the day it should  perk up at night....

Why put the tree in a dark closet?  just keep it away from direct sunlight, dont disturb it anymore and let it recoup

Its alright I just want to help. The bag will keep the leaves from drying out, like lettuce would if you left it on the counter. You don't want it sealed totally, just enough to make a mini greenhouse of higher humidity to try and save the leaves because they become damaged and crispy when they dry out to a certain point. It would not really be a big deal actually if the tree loses them, but would be better if it can keep them long enough for their stomatas to adjust to the new conditions and toughen up. You could also try misting a few times a day and see if that helps.

That is a big jump from a shipping size plant, 15 gallons is a big pot and to fill it the tree would end up being like 6' x 4' so you might want to think about downsizing now before it grows new roots it if that would be a problem. A container that big is going to be tough to water correctly inside... I don't have much experience with that but you want a long chopstick stuck down into the mix that you leave in (must be in for at least a couple hours to pick up the moisture) and pull out and feel it against your wrist for moisture, don't water until it is dry 4-6 inches down. To wet the mix evenly you need a larger volume of water, depending on how much the tree is drinking (not much right now with few leaves) and how dry the mix has become. Small amounts of water cause wet and dry spots that are bad for the roots. If the potting mix was moist and the chopstick says wait then wait, if it is loose and dry then your whole problem could be dry roots. Make sure the container can drain and the excess water is not sitting in a tray underneath.

There is a houseplant forum on Gardenweb where you can also get advice about the finer points of growing plants inside.

Hi,
Inside air is bad for those outside grown leaves.
If your temps allow, put the tree outside and let it do.

Hi:
You said you used Miracle Grow soil.  Was it Miracle Grow garden soil or vegetable soil?  Or was it specifically potting soil?  The veggie soil or garden soil would probably be too heavy for a container and hold on to too much moisture and not let any air get to the roots. 

Hope you can figure it out and the plant rebounds.

No-matter what you do, I would take a few cuttings now while it is still viable for back up.  Sometimes things happen and so it is good to preserve the cultivar.  Best of luck!