How to Care for Fiddle Leaf Fig – 11 Full Guides For Beginer
But even though this lush plant with leaves that look like violins is beautiful, it may be hard to keep alive. But don’t worry, we have some tips to help you keep it alive and thriving in your area.
The good news is that the fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata), once it’s established, can grow to heights of 6 feet or more, making it an eye-catching display. If you want a different look, you can get varieties like “Suncoast” and “Compacta” that don’t grow as tall and are bushier.
So, if you just bought one of these not-so-cheap houseplants and want to get the most out of it for years to come, read our thorough care instructions and must-know information before bringing it home.
Fun Facts
The fiddle leaf fig is native to Western Africa and grows well in lowland rainforests. It’s a banyan fig, which means it grows high up on the branches of another tree before sending its roots down to the ground and killing the host tree. Fun!
Location, Location
To get your violin off to a good start, put it in the best place in your house.
These tropical plants don’t like drafts, so don’t put them right in front of an outside door, a window with a draft, or an air vent. They also grow well in a lot (and we mean a lot) of strong, indirect light.
Put your FLF in a room with a lot of light or near a window, but not right in the light’s path. Once you’ve found the right spot, don’t move it! Fiddles like to stick to the same routines, and once they find a nice, sunny place to live, they’ll do well.
When you water the plant once a week, tilt it a little so that all of the leaves get the same amount of sunlight and don’t grow toward a light source.
Tip: Your plant may be shocked by the trip home and the transfer process, but you won’t notice for a month or two.
Clean the Leaves
If your new plant’s leaves have dust and wet spots on them, use a damp towel to wipe each leaf clean. As you may have heard, you don’t need to use coconut oil.
In fact, this could cause the leaves to suffocate over time. Keep doing this once a month to keep spider mites and other pests away and keep your violin looking its best.
Check the Humidity
FLFs come from tropical rainforests and do best in warm, humid places like greenhouses. You don’t live in a greenhouse, do you?
Don’t Repot Yet
Fiddle leaf figs grow well as root-bound plants and will thrive in the container you bought them in.We’ll talk more about repotting later, but for now, just put it in a larger decorative pot or basket and cover the store-bought plastic pot with some pretty moss.
How to Water
Most of the time, a fiddle leaf fig dies because it gets too much water or doesn’t get enough drainage. Once a week, or once every ten days, you should water your plant.
FLFs come from a place that looks like a rainforest, which means they are used to getting a lot of rain and then being dry for a while. When you water a plant at home, soak the soil until it drips, then let it dry out completely between waterings.
You have two options for doing this. Bring the plant outside or to the bathtub, water it, and let it drip for an hour or two before bringing it back inside.
If you don’t want to move your FLF back and forth to water it, put it on a plant stand above a drip tray. No matter what method you choose, make sure the roots don’t stay under water for a long time.
Don’t know when you should water again?Just put your finger in the top two inches of dirt. Leave it alone if it’s still moist.
Overwatering
Do the leaves of your FLF look like a green and brown Dalmatian? You most likely overwatered. Root rot can happen when there isn’t enough drainage or when plants are watered too often.
When water stays in the soil for a long time, infections that were dormant grow and feed on the plant’s roots. When you let the soil dry out between waterings, pathogens go hungry and your plant stays alive.
Can You Save a Rotting Plant?
in a way. The past is the past. Distressed leaves will fall off gradually, leaving bare branches behind. But with time and care, you may be able to save your plant (for half a year or more). Here’s what you do:
First, use sharp pruning shears to cut away any leaves that look sick (see our pruning tips below). Then, lay the plant down on its side and carefully take the pot off. Check for root damage and cut out any spots that are rotting.
Roots that are healthy are white and firm, while those that have gone bad are dark and soft. Remove as much of the old soil as you can before potting up with new soil that drains well (see our repotting tips below).
Follow all of the above watering rules, especially letting the soil dry out before the next watering when you use the root rot formula. If it’s time, fertilize as usual (see fertilizing tips below).
Root Supplement from the Houseplant Resource Center prevents root rot in your houseplants.If you help your plants grow strong root systems, they will be better able to take in nutrients and grow strong and bright.
How and When to Fertilize
Even though it may appear frightening, you can purchase this fertilizer already made online for $21.
Simply add the fertilizer to your watering can according to the package directions, and water as usual throughout the spring and summer.Since the plant goes to sleep in the fall and winter, there is no need to feed it.
This fiddle leaf fig tree plant food will help your fiddle leaf fig grow into a towering monster. This liquid plant food was made to give plants the most nutrition possible. It builds strong roots and stems without burning the plant.
Pruning and Shaping
You’ve probably seen both types of fiddle-leaf figs: the tall, tree-like ones with a long, bare trunk and the short, bushy ones with leaves that start at the base. This is the same plant, but one of them has been cut and shaped differently.
In the spring, when your plant has a lot of time and energy to heal, shape it. Since it takes 18 months to get a violin to where you want it, you need to be patient.
Pruning is done to get rid of dead leaves and to make new growth happen. When leaves start to turn brown in a big way (because of stress or root rot), they should be taken off so they don’t drain the plant’s energy.
With gloves on, use sharp, clean pruning shears to cut the leaf stem at an angle, about half an inch away from the trunk.
To make the plant grow a new top, cut, squeeze, or snap off the flower at the top. When the sap starts to come out, you know you’ve done it right.
When the plant gets too tall, you might even cut the whole top off (a technique called “radical pinching”).
How and When to Repot
When the plant seems too big for its pot or when the roots start to grow through the drainage holes, it’s time to repot it. This usually happens every one to two years. Choose a pot that is about two inches wider than the first one and has two holes for drainage.
Fill the bottom of the new pot with two to three inches of stones. This lets the water drain out, keeps the wood from rotting, and gives the wood the humidity it needs. Fill the new pot with potting soil that drains well and keeps the roots from getting too wet.
Press the soil to the edges and leave a hole in the middle for the root ball. Take the root ball out of the old pot and get rid of any brown, rotting roots.
Place the root ball in the dirt crater after gently loosening it with your fingers. Fill the container with more dirt, leaving an inch between the soil and the lip, and water as usual.
