Crown Gall

• Crown gall is a bacterial disease known to damage the root system of the ficus tree. This disease is caused by the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which infects the plant at the point of a wound. Once this bacteria infects the plant, it can cause the stems and roots to become enlarged and swollen. The leaves of the tree can also become swollen.
  
  

Controlling Crown Gall

• The best prevention against crown gall is to protect the ficus tree from wounds, which can easily be caused by mowing and pruning. When symptoms of this disease have been detected on the ficus tree, the plant should be promptly removed and disposed of to avoid spreading the disease to neighboring plants. After removal, all tools used to remove the tree should be thoroughly sterilized before being used on any other plants.
  
  

Lesion Nematodes

• Lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) are also known to damage the root system of the ficus tree. Unfortunately, because the symptoms caused by lesion nematodes are so similar to those caused by root fungus, this disease is difficult to identify. The main symptom of lesion nematodes is rotted roots that prevent the plant from thriving.
  
  

Root Knot Nematodes

• Root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) can infect a ficus tree, causing galls to be present on the root system and stunting the tree's growth. In severe cases, the presence of these nematodes will stunt the growth of both the root system and the plant, making it difficult for the ficus to thrive.
  
  

Control of Nematodes

• The best method of control for both lesion and root rot nematodes is to prevent them from infecting the ficus by planting it in sterile soil. If possible, plant the ficus in pots that are raised off the ground, which are less likely to become contaminated with the nematodes.