Indoor Gardening and Houseplants: Rehabitate an old ficus benjamina?, 0 by GreenScaper

GreenScaper wrote:
Hi mehera1

IMO, this is not just any old tree. It is a priceless personal heirloom and you should consider a second opinion. I am a professional interior plantscaper (supposedly retired). Among other things, I used to run one of the leading interior plantscape companies in L.A. I’m very interested in exploring better ways of using the web and digital imagery to diagnose and present remedies for plants in buildings problems. You did a better job than most in posting your photo.

I have a lot on my plate right now but I will post my recommendations if you are interested. A few questions are; Is the planter real terracotta or faux? How long has the tree been in this specific location? How often do you give it water and can you estimate how much. I see it's in a drainage saucer (yuk). What is the window direction? Can you estimate roughly how many leaves have dropped and over what period of time? All yellow? You are about 2 hrs from Denver, correct? I'm curious...what is your elevation?

I spent a lot of time in Boulder during my IBM days. I was an east coaster back then. You live in a beautiful state and I have very fond memories of my time in Boulder and some wonderful driving tours in the Rockies exploring old mining towns. .

The photo below will give you some idea of how Ben might look after pruning. The photo is grade school quality but I think you can get a general idea. I am not a graphic designer.

BTW, I’ve seen Ficus benjamina trees that looked far worse than yours. This tree will be around for a long time…probably someday a joyful memory of you for those close to you.

Just Google Greenscaper for more information about me.