Seasonal Cycles

• Because Ficus benjamina needs to feel cycles, it sometimes makes its own in the absence of distinct wet/dry periods. For example, if you move a ficus tree inside for the winter or from room to room, it's likely to drop its leaves for no apparent reason. A move triggers the ficus into thinking it's going into a dry season. For the ficus, the best way to protect itself is to have fewer leaves, so it begins to drop leaves. Avoid moving your tree any more than necessary.
  
  

Chemical Process

• The chemicals manufactured by the tree to protect itself from moisture loss in the dry season are also the cause of leaf loss. If the Ficus benjamina is dry or thinks it's going into a dry season, it produces ethylene. You can tell if your ficus is undergoing the cyclical dry season process or losing leaves for another reason. Trees producing ethylene lose green leaves. Trees that are simply not getting enough moisture shed yellow leaves.
  
  

Leaf Density

• You can control the amount of leaf density for your ficus tree. Simply replicate the tree's native setting. To get a tree with dense foliage like you would find in the forest, place the tree where it receives an ample supply of filtered sun daily. For a tree with thinner leaves similar to trees growing under the canopy of other trees, set the ficus where it has equal amounts of light and darkness during the day.
  
  

Repotting

• While a ficus tree usually looks its best when slightly root-bound, you may eventually have to replant your tree in a larger pot. You can tell when this is necessary when you see roots crowding out of the drain holes of the existing pot. You can improve the soil of the ficus annually by scraping off the top layer in the pot and replacing it with potting soil rich in nutrients.
  
  

Insect Problems

• Ficus benjamina typically does not have many insect problems. However, if your ficus tree is shedding yellow leaves, check for scale, mealy bugs or spider mites. Use an insecticide designed for these insects to correct the problem. Check to make sure the insecticide is safe to use on ficus trees and follow the directions carefully.