My new Ficus is shedding a few leaves. Help please.

Ah, its an indoor plant then. Ficus hate draughts, or a change in environment. Make sure that where you've got it in the house is as draught free as possible, and in a spot where there isn't a radiator and where you can be reasonably sure that its surroundings don't alter greatly through the year in terms of cold or hot, that's in bright daylight, but doesn't get sun. Let the compost dry out slightly between waterings - depending on the size of the pot and how warm the room is, it will probably require watering about once a week, maybe more often in a small pot. It's probably losing leaves because of "transition" shock - being brought from a supermarket or store to your house, all those air changes! They very often drop leaves as the season changes - winter to spring and summer to autumn being the most noticeable times. It should recover if you can fulfil its requirements.

Ficus do have a nasty habit of suddenly dropping all their leaves and then, just as you have decided it's hopeless, throwing out little tiny leaflets. The plant then revives and regrows completely.

We have several giant ficuses that started off as the week's special offer in Ikea, size about ten inches, which now reach the ceiling and all have dropped their leaves completely at some point over the past 20 years.

Though Bamboo is quite right about them not liking to be moved too much, my daughter has one of the giants which, with great difficulty, has been moved many times to her various homes. She says it would be more unhappy to be left behind.....

I think Ficus elastica tolerates quite a lot, but I suppose I assumed the question referred to Ficus benjamina or similar, Cestina - perhaps Brewersden you could tell us which one you mean? Or what it looks like?

Bamboo - ours are all benjamina and have survived a great deal of neglect though I am not recommending it as the best way of treating them!

Thank you all, you have clarified the reason for the leaf drop. It is a Benjamina, so I can now relax about the yellow leaves and care for it in the proper way.