Im completely heartbroken. We have had this ficus for years. We are extremely attached to this tree for reasons.
But this year has been a tough year. We have made mistakes, life got in the way and now Im scared we are going to have to say goodbye to our baby.

Here is what happened:
We moved. Yes, we knew this would cause stress.

His trunk got damaged in the move. We braced him for 10 months to let him recover. He grew funny, but at least he was growing.

Over that time, my partner and I were not properly communicating leading to an overwatering and over fertilizing problem. When I realized their were signs of root rot, I repotted him, new soil. He was stressed, and struggling but still showed signs of growth so I wasnt overly concerned.

We pulled back on watering and no more fertilizer but things have taken a downward turn. He lost all of his leaves and all his branches have died in the past two months.

Scratch tests show some concerning black decay under the wounded trunk piece. The remaining branches and trunk show some green underneath the bark.

Ive been weeping for days cause I dont know how to bring him back from the brink.

Please help.

It's in pretty bad shape all right. Have you both finally decided on the best soil and regimen? If not, maybe educate yourselves https://www.gardeningknowhow.c...
I don't claim to be an expert, but I lived with one for many years and know that they're more resilient than one might expect.
This one looks as if it needs serious pruning. That foreward strand of the trunk is probably done for, but I'm not sure it can't recover.
I hope someone who knows more plant medicine comes along to help you. I know it hurts to lose one you're grown attached to.
Good luck!

Thank you. I have a feeling based on the lack of replies that my beloved plant is a goner. Probably a dumb question but is there anyway to "prune" away the bad part of the trunk and just leave the good?

Hi & welcome! So sorry your tree is not doing well.

Sometimes a plant is in such distress that it's hard to coax a recovery in the captivity of a pot. If it was mine, I would plant it in the ground in morning sun, or dappled light under a tree, to recover if it can. Mother Nature is so much better at these things. I have saved many plants that way. When frost threatens, or you're observing vigorous new growth, then dig it back up and put it back in a pot.

In addition, or separately if you don't like the idea of grounding it, you could cut the one little twig that has a leaf and see if that will grow roots. It could be stuck in the ground outside (marked in some way so it doesn't get stepped on or mowed), or you could try in a pot. Ficus generally take root easily from cuttings. If that twig has enough life to grow roots, that could give you something to start over.

Thank you so much for your reply. I put a couple twigs in water to see if they will take root but have been way too scared to take the one last leaf. I will think about grounding the whole tree.

If I were to take its one last little leaf and try and root it in a pot, what kind of soil would you recommend? Is there a specific process we should follow?

I feel like I only have one shot to get this right.

Happy to reply. I know the feeling of losing a plant with an emotional attachment.

Fresh potting soil should be fine for trying to root a cutting. I would not try the water method because we're dealing with a woody entity. Usually, woodies just rot in water before they can make roots.

Putting a drinking glass or mason jar over your cutting, as a cloche, could help keep it moist so it has a better chance of making roots. There's not much of a process for cuttings, just stick them in a pot of moist soil, with as much of the stem buried as possible without the leaf being put under the soil. This is one instance when bottom-watering seems to help add as much moisture to the soil as it can absorb without getting the soil soggy or compacting it with a gush of water.

Any twig that looks alive inside has a chance.

I wouldn't give up on your tree quite yet. When you transplanted it, how did the roots look? Were they healthy or did you have to cut off a lot? Luckily, Ficus trees are hard to kill but saving your tree will be easier if the roots aren't rotting.

I would do 2 things: First, spray the wound with peroxide. That will stop the rot and if the other 2 stems are not involved, even if you lose the one, they will continue to grow. The bark of the braided stems has probably fused but the layers underneath that carry nutrients and water are still separate.

Second, take cuttings to start a new tree. The cuttings should be 4 - 5 inches long with at least 3 nodes (old leaf scars) but the more the better. Spray them with a fungicide and let it dry. Plant them in well draining potting soil (add perlite) with 2/3 of the nodes under the soil. You can plant several in a 1 gallon pot - they seem to like company. Put a baggie loosely over the pot to hold in humidity (but don't close it completely) and wait. Lack of leaves is to your advantage as they tend to grow mold in a damp environment. If there is enough reserve in the stems to grow roots, you will have little trees in no time - well, maybe a couple months. Don't be tempted to tug on the cuttings to see if they are rooting. You will know when you see new leaves because roots will grow first.

My 30 year old tree was grown from a cutting.

Thank you so so much Lucy.

The roots werent great when I repotted and I probably should have removed more than I did. There were still some white health looking ones when I put him in his new pot.

I ordered an aroid soil mix at someones recommendation so hopefully that will help.

What do I do if I have zero cuttings to take from? He really only has one leaf left and that one isnt looking too stellar.

Id love to try propogating but with only one semi-decent leaf, I feel like its a huge risk.

Thanks again for all your advice.

There probably aren't enough roots to support as much canopy as it potentially could have so you need to cut it back for its survival. That one leaf isn't doing anything to help support the tree.

Cuttings without leaves are sometimes an advantage. Not do much material to grow mold.

Whatever you trim off can be cut into 4 or 5 inch pieces and rooted. Where you see potentially 1 cuttings, I see 15 or so.

Where you have the one big leaf, those two top twigs look fairly green to me. I suspect they're good candidates for propagation.
Try everything! If it doesn't work, you will still have learned something. If you do it together, you will have learned something really important.