I have pruned some dead branches and am enclosing a piece of a branch. I would like to save this tree, but I do not know what to do. Thanks for any help you can give me. The branch that you sent me has quite a few scale insects on it. I would surmise that if you have that many insects on such a woody part of the plant, your leaves would be even more under attack.
Scale insects are hard to control.
Hopefully, you have cut out the heavily infested parts, but you should use some type of systemic insecticide either as a spray or as a granular application to the soil to control the rest. Refined horticultural oils could be used in the spring if you can move the plant outside to spray it. Watch the plant closely for signs of new, clean growth. When scale insects die, they don t fall off the plant, but you should see signs of new vigor when it is pest free. I have a large ficus tree that we have owned for over twenty years.