You recently bought or already have a fiddle leaf fig. What’s next?
The Ficus lyrata, commonly known as the Fiddle Leaf Fig, is featured on the covers and in images of numerous design journals. Its tall stature and large, graceful leaves add drama and height and unify entire rooms. Despite where you’ve seen Fiddle Leaf Figs in pictures, some individuals don’t aware that they need to be placed just in front of a window. They can be challenging to care for until the plant adjusts to your environment and until you figure out when to water them. Continue reading to discover how to keep your fiddle leaf fig alive and healthy for many years to come.
Light
The best setting for Fiddle Leaf Figs is in front of a window that gets direct morning or afternoon light. The ideal window to choose has a primarily unobstructed eastern, western, or southern exposure. You don’t want the window to be shaded by nearby trees or buildings. If your Fiddle Leaf is positioned right in front of the window, a north facing exposure can also work if there is enough room and nothing blocking your view of the sky. You should gradually adapt your tree to being in several hours of direct sunshine if you plan to set it in front of a southern exposure. The leaves could burn and develop brown scorch scars if they receive too much direct sunshine too rapidly. Over the course of 1 to 2 weeks, gradually increase the amount of time it spends in front of a southern window.
The amount of light your Fiddle Leaf Fig need to thrive depends in part on its size. The amount of light a plant needs will increase with its size. For instance, a window would need to be much taller to accommodate a 7′ tall tree than it would a 4′ tall tree.
In general, your fiddle leaf fig will require more light to preserve its existing leaves and spur the growth of new ones the more leaves it has. In order to tell us that it isn’t getting enough light to support all of its leaves, a plant will respond when it isn’t getting enough light by losing lower and interior leaves.
It’s crucial to maintain your plant in front of the window during the winter months when natural light isn’t as abundant but also ensuring sure it doesn’t catch any chilly air from drafts that blow in. If your windows are drafty, try moving your Fiddle Leaf 2 to 3 feet away from the window to observe how it reacts. In most cases, keeping plants at this distance allows them to avoid any sporadic cold air blasts while yet receiving an equivalent quantity of light. For more advice on winter maintenance, keep reading.
A fiddle-leaf fig can survive in dim light.
The fiddle-leaf fig will not withstand situations with both low light and high light, in contrast to other plants (looking at you, monsteras!). It must be placed in an area with lots of bright, indirect light. Furthermore, it requires a few hours of direct sunlight each day.
“Lighting is the first and most crucial factor you should take into account before purchasing a fiddle. Little did I know that by placing my fiddle in a room with a north-facing window when I first took it home, I was sort of setting myself up for failure “Greene explains. “Fiddle-leaf figs like lots of light, and they frequently need up to five hours of direct light each day,” says the author. It thrives “near to south- or west-facing windows, or directly in an east-facing window,” according to Greenery Unlimited, and nothing can be anything blocking that light (like a building or trees). Additionally, because it grows toward the sun, you must rotate it once a month.
In addition to these lighting requirements, you also need to gradually introduce sunshine; you cannot expose it to too much sunlight at once. Otherwise, the lovely green leaves of the fiddle-leaf fig can burn and get brown spots. On the other side, too little sunlight will cause its leaves to become brown or yellow, or even worse, fall off. It also hates being moved around a lot since it could lose its leaves. Most likely out of spite. Even if your plant sustains some combat wounds in the process, you’ll finally locate the best location for it, even if it takes some trial and error.
“Adding a grow lamp ($23) is one of the things you can do to supplement that light if you already have a fiddle-leaf fig but feel like it’s not getting enough,” advises Greene. They’re fantastic since you can automatically control how much light it receives each day, especially if they include a timer.
How much light is required by a fiddle fig?
Move your fiddle leaf fig to a perfect sunny spot with at least six hours of light if it isn’t getting enough sunshine. But what if your house doesn’t have a window that faces south? Do not overwater your plant and place it in the next best area. The danger of too much water is considerably higher for plants that do not receive enough sunlight.
Fiddle leaf figs can adapt to less-than-ideal sunshine circumstances and still grow, but other aspects of their care become more crucial. Water your plant sparingly, use Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Food for fertilization, and rotate your plant once a week to ensure that all of the leaves receive sunlight.
Can a fiddle-leaf fig endure in the absence of sunlight?
The light that most homes and apartments naturally provide—not too much, not too little, nothing too bright, nothing too dark—is what the fiddle-leaf fig needs to thrive. An east-facing window is suggested by Harnek Singh, a gardener at Wave Hill Public Garden in New York City. According to him, fiddle leaf figs require both direct sunlight and a lot of indirect light. “South or west-facing windows will receive too much afternoon sun.
So keep in mind that your fig requires adequate sunlight in your home just like the nourishing rays that come through the deep canopy of the jungle. Cacti and succulents that live in the desert should be placed in the south-facing window.
Singh also advises buying fiddle-leaf figs from reliable sellers to prevent encountering the opposite issue. He claims that many of these plants are frequently already declining as a result of spending too much time in the dark. Foliage that is flagging and leaves that are pale, spotted, or wan-looking are indicators of improper light exposure. If your plant displays these signs, try shifting it to a different location for a week or two.
How can I tell if the light reaching my fiddle-leaf fig is sufficient?
The thriving Facebook community known as the Fiddle Leaf Fig Resource Group is by far the best resource for anyone who care for fiddle leaf figs. Owners of this extraordinary plant can upload images there and receive prompt assistance from other fiddle fans. (Side note: You should come with us there if you haven’t already.)
Surprisingly, increasing the original poster’s plant’s regular exposure to intense sunlight could solve about 90% of the issues raised in the group.
Contrary to what many people think, these plants are full-sun organisms that absorb as much sunlight energy as any plant.
Can a fiddle live with a window that faces north?
The Fiddle-leaf Fig, or Ficus lyrata to us nursery people, is a houseplant whose appeal has grown recently. The big, waxy, violin-shaped leaves, tree-like form, and sculpture-like habit of this plant have made it a well-liked houseplant for indoor gardeners as well as a fashionable subject for design blogs and articles. The uninformed may find fiddle-leaf figs to be a little volatile despite the high acclaim. But it’s not as difficult as you may imagine to take care of them. Simply adhere to the recommendations given below, and you’ll be able to appreciate a Fiddle-leaf Fig’s beauty without the drawbacks.
Watering
Overwatering is among the serious errors that most Fiddle-leaf Fig owners make. Like many other members of the Ficus family, fiddle-leaf figs require some time to dry out in between waterings. You may notice leaf browning at the edges, a musty odor close to the base, and even leaf drop if the soil is persistently moist. To prevent this, water plants only when the top three to four inches of soil are dry. Water should also be allowed to completely drain through the pot to avoid oversaturation. Additionally, keep in mind that Fiddle-leaf Figs are indigenous to the forests of West Africa, so water with lukewarm water to help prevent shock.
Light
Fiddle-leaf Figs favor intense, filtered light. The ideal window is one that faces east or north and has good exposure, but not direct sunshine. Daily brief exposure to direct sunlight is acceptable, but avoid the mid-afternoon sun at all costs. The midday sun’s harsh rays will be too strong for your fig and may scorch the leaves.
Temperature
Warm temperatures, typically between 60 and 75 degrees during the day and no lower than 50 to 55 degrees at night, are ideal for fiddle-leaf fig growth. Maintain the temps as uniformly as you can. Rapid temperature changes can cause shock, which causes leaves to fall. Avoid placing your Fiddle-leaf Fig close to any vents for heating or cooling or windows that could be affected by a draft from the outside. Another suggestion is to lightly spray the leaves in the winter. During the winter, heating your home depletes necessary humidity. Your Fig will benefit from the additional moisture in the air that you can provide on occasion.
Repotting
Unless you observe strong root development peaking from the bottom of the container, fiddle-leaf figs often don’t require repotting until the spring of every other year. This timetable can be followed until it becomes impossible to follow. After that, all that will be required of you is to replace the top layer of soil once a year. Make sure your Fiddle-leaf Fig is potted in a loose, well-draining, nutrient-rich soil to help with moisture difficulties. By doing this, water won’t collect in the soil and soak the roots excessively.
A Note About Pets
Unluckily, pet owners might want to stay away from having a fiddle-leaf fig in their house. Pets that have consumed any part of a fiddle-leaf fig plant may experience stomach upset and inflammation.
Fiddle-leaf Although growing figs can be difficult, with a little perseverance and good care, you can produce a lovely specimen that will complement any home’s decor.
How is a fiddle leaf fig plant cared for indoors?
PRO TIP: Rinse the leaves of your plant with room temperature water every three months. This makes sure they can absorb and photosynthesize sunlight more effectively by clearing away any dust that has accumulated.
Always evaluate your plant’s watering requirements as soon as you get one. It is important to check the soil’s moisture content first to make sure it isn’t wet directly under the surface before giving your plant a drink. Additionally, think about aerating your plant’s soil before to the first watering. Aerating can help with drainage, let the soil breathe, and let moisture escape because many farmers compact the soil to prevent it from shifting while being transported.
As it originates from a region of the world where it gets extremely dry in between rainstorms, the fiddle leaf fig like its soil to be kept continuously, uniformly moist with a brief drying out interval between waterings. When the top two inches of soil have dried, thoroughly water the plant. Check the soil frequently until you establish a habit with your plant. If you allow the soil to dry deeply to the lower root system, leaf loss will result. On the other hand, excessive soil moisture can induce leaf drop and root rot.
A soil probe, which enables you to check your plant’s moisture level at the root level and may also be used to aerate the soil if ever overwatered, is the finest method we have found to obtain an accurate moisture reading throughout the soil. Choosing our Monitor Brass Soil Probe is a classy move.
We strongly advise potting your fiddle leaf because it is difficult to keep it alive for a long time in its nursery container. Just be sure to use a permanent planter with sufficient of soil mass and, most importantly, drainage. You must be extremely careful not to overwater your Fiddle Leaf Fig if it was planted in a container without a drainage hole. In this situation, we advise giving your Fiddle Leaf Fig a little extra time to dry out in between waterings and checking the soil’s moisture content at the roots with a soil probe before watering. Particularly in our self-watering containers, these plants thrive!