By Kerry Stober
Q: The leaves on my fig tree are covered in brown spots and some are falling off. What can I do?
A: The most likely culprit of these symptoms is a common fungal disease called Fig Rust, caused by the fungus Cerotelium fici. The good news is this disease only occurs on the leaves and should not damage the fruit. Rust usually attacks younger leaves first. You may start to see yellowish spots, which then get bigger and turn into a brownish color all over the leaves. There also can be raised brown spots or lesions on the underside of the leaves. Over time, these leaves will turn completely yellow, followed by becoming brown and curled, and then falling off of the plant. Rust usually begins appearing in the late summer and, when severe, it can cause the tree to lose leaves very rapidly. This disease and loss of leaves will not kill the tree, but when it occurs many seasons in a row, you may see a reduction in yield of fruit. Rainy weather can cause this disease to be more prevalent, and unfortunately we had a particularly rainy summer followed by a series of wet tropical storms. Figs produce their best fruit in a climate with warm dry summers and cool wet winters.
Spraying to control this disease presents a bit of a problem, as there are no fungicides currently labeled for figs in Alabama. As a result, your best methods of control are going to be using cultural methods of sanitation and pruning. Prune out infected areas and rake up older dropped leaves, disposing of them by bagging or burning. You can also prune the tree to open up areas to more airflow throughout, as moist enclosed areas are more likely to become diseased.
Fig rust.
These methods will not completely defeat this disease, but can reduce its effect on your plant's overall health. If you water your fig plants regularly, try to avoid spraying the leaves, as we learned earlier water plays a large factor in fig rust appearance. You can also add mulch around the tree and fertilize in the spring to help keep it healthy.
The fig is a hardy tree with relatively few pest and disease issues. Keeping the area around your tree clean plays a huge role in keeping their most common pests at bay. Hopefully by following the methods, you will see less spots on your tree next year!
"Garden Talk is written by Kerry Stober of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES). She is housed at the C. Beaty Hanna Horticultural and Environmental Center, which is based at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. This column includes research based information from land-grant universities around the country, including Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities. Email questions to Kerry at KDS0010@aces.edu or call 205-879-6964 x19. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University), is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Everyone is welcome!