Can anybody give me some ideas as to what could be causing this? This figs are in a 5:1:1 mix with added lime. I have a lsu gold in the same mix and gets the same fertilizer and it looks great with dark green leaves.

looks like too much sun too quick. check the water and see if the soil is draining well.

Thanks Pete, I ordered a water meter the other day. It looks like the water drains pretty well, but it could be holding more than I think. They have been out in the sun in the same spot for several months. Do you think I should move them into a shot with afternoon shade?

I was going to say the same thing as Pete. Either too  water for that "particular" plant or too much sun.

Maybe some afternoon shade and more mulch on the top to help keep cool and retain the moisture.

Chad,
This Link was posted by Jarrett "americanfigboy" on a topic regarding yellowing leaves started by "Rewton"


It could be Rust, but IMO, it looks more like sun damage on many of the photos, but it also looks like you may have a nutrient deficiency. How much and what type of lime are you using? What fertilizer are you using and when? Magnesium is water soluble and Calcium in limestone needs time and healthy soil to break down.

This looks very much like my situation that I posted on another thread.  I'm also using the 5-1-1 mix with lime, slow release fertilizer (osmocote) and occasional foliage pro liquid fertilizer.  You can read the responses I got.  I've added additional lime, some compost as a top dressing and some solid organic fertilizer (Espoma Plant tone).  It's to early to tell if this is will reverse the problem.  In my case the sun is not the problem.  If your figs were hardened off and then later started showing the yellowing leaves then it is probably a fertilizer, nutrient or excess water problem.

I'm using pelletized lime. I had a ph of 6 and I top dressed with about 1 tbsp last week. I was using mg fertilizer wand just switched to dyna tech bloom booster. I will get them to a shader spot tonight. Do you think it could be to much fertilizer? Thanks for all the help

Also, the lime is dolomite. I can't find the crushed limestone. I'm really not sure how much of this to use at this point so it is trial and error. I think the pH should be good but I will retest next week. I can also test the nitrogen.

if leaves are hardened and soil mix drains well, i would try dolomite lime. dolomite lime has trace minerals that might help. with all these rain, everything gets flushed out in my containers.

Chad,
I use pulverized Dolemite Limestone also, but probably at a higher application rate.
Pelletized will work, it just has an added binder (sugar).
I always mix my Miracle Grow general purpose fertilizer in a five gallon bucket and water 2 quarts at a time to the plants in 5 gallon containers, with more if needed. I have never used a "fertilizer wand".
What is the analysis (NPK) of the dyna tech bloom and does it have any micro nutrients. As I mentioned in the above linked post, Micro nutrients, Calcium and NPK are all required for healthy growth, especially in the 5-1-1 mix which has no nutrients (or very few) until they are added by you.

I did not ask my standard question, how are the roots? when they were potted were the roots damaged in any way or are they possibly root bound? The symptoms will be the same for plants that have problems with their roots.

All of these were up potted last fall. I don't have enough experience to know if they are root bound or not.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0036ZZZ74

This is the bloom fertilizer. I also bought the foliage pro

http://www.dyna-gro.com/936.htm

It is dyna gro

Chad,

Don't think I saw where you told up how much fertilizer you added to the potting blend when planting.  Also I believe there are at least two fertilizer ratio Osmocote products.  I have the Outdoor & Indoor type and it's N-P-K % is 19-6-12.  I know it is slow release, but I'm afraid to use it on my figlets because of the high nitrogen content, so I use regular 10-10-10.

I've attached a photo of definite sun burned figlet, the sun nearly killed it but I caught it in time.

Chad,

I see back on your earlier post you said you were going to fertilize every time you water.  How often do you water?  I need to water my figs in 1 and 3 gallon pots nearly every day but I only fertilize once a week.

I didn't add any fertilizer to the mix when I made it. I was following the directions in the mg feeding about every two weeks. On the dyna gro liquid fertilizer I'm following the maintenance directions with is 1/4 tsp with every gallon of water. With that I'm feeding every watering. I water every day or every couple of days as needed.

Here's a picture of sun scald, the damaged blotchy pale section eventually die and decay, it resembles rust, some times holes are formed. This is what happens to older healthy leaves when exposed to intense sun before they are fully hardened off..

It happened on several of my plants that were already outside for weeks. It was overcast and rainy with minimal sun for a prolonged period in late spring (3 weeks), then completely clear, hot and sunny for several days.

<edit> My plants are left out in full sun...The new emerging leaves are able to withstand the sun and the older leaves will eventually fall off, they will never "recover". Attached below are pictures of sun damaged leaves that were just picked. The areas that are more severely damaged will eventually die. They were still healthy enough to perform their necessary functions in a reduced capacity.

Thanks Pete for the pictures. I think that's what's going on with mine. I will get them in a spot with more shade
tonight after work. Will any of these leaves recover?

Chad,

Here are a couple more examples of "sick leaves" on two different figlets.  I don't know what has caused it, but if it is only one or two leaves on an otherwise healthy plant I don't worry about it.

That looks like potassium deficiency Steve. Potassium is quick to leach from soils.

Whether it's sun scald, over fertilization, or nutrient deficiency...I find that a time of "R&R" in the shade(a week or two) does the ailing fig trees a world of good...In my case I put them in almost complete shade on the side of the house to give them a chance to sort out the problem and take some of the pressure off them...as far as the leaves recovering, it depends on the severity of the damage, but whether they fall off or not, new leaves will start growing out as the tree recovers...good luck with your trees.

Take into account that a leaf that was developed and grew to full or even half size inside or under much less intensity than full sun will always have some issues when moved out into full sun; no matter how well it is hardened off. The old leaf has already structurally developed and while it can make some adaptations to the sun it cannot structurally change in surface texture, thickness, or pore density. That is why the new leaves that grow in the sun are fine providing the roots are happy.  Pete's last post sort of said this, I am just highlighting and taking the idea one step farther. Another point is that leaf damage can never be reversed, lightly colored leaves can be darkened, but damage often times occurs long before many people notice the results and those signs/scars will remain for the life of the leaf.