Fiddle Leaf Figs are infamously difficult to grow. There are a few typical maladies of this plant, like brown spots and leaf drop, that can make it sick or, worse, fast bring about its demise. The secret to keeping your plant happy and healthy is to keep an eye out for them and catch them early. Keep an eye out for these indications of a possibly sick fiddle leaf fig.
Brown spots on the leaves
The leaves of fiddle leaf figs are incredibly prone to browning. Brown spots that start to form and spread should be investigated even though a few small markings here and there are not a cause for concern.
Due to two opposing factors—either overwatering or underwatering—most brown patches on fiddles are unfortunately difficult to diagnose. Here’s how to distinguish between them:
Overwatering, which results in root rot, is probably to blame for brown patches that appear in the center of the leaf and spread outward. A fungal illness called root rot will eventually kill your plant by spreading to the leaves. You should repot your plant as soon as possible if it has root rot. Take the plant out of the ground, wash the roots thoroughly, and cut off any that are brown or mushy. After that, repot the plant in new soil with adequate drainage and remove the damaged leaves.
Are the brown spots on your fiddle beginning at the outside border of the leaves and moving inside? The plant is probably too dry for this to be the cause. Give your Fiddle a thorough rinse, and make sure it’s not too close to any heaters or air vents because that will likely cause the plant to dry out more quickly than is desired.
Finally, trauma may cause brown spots to form at random. A plant can suffer trauma just by changing homes (i.e. changing environments). If only one or two of your plant’s brown, damaged leaves are present, remove them at the stem and give your plant some time to heal.
The new growth is smaller than the older leaves
A healthy plant always shows new development, and if your Fiddle’s leaves are getting big and strong, your plant is doing fine.
The presence of little, stunted new leaves, however, may indicate that your plant is deficient in nutrients. Consider repotting your plant if it has been a while since you gave it fresh soil, or just fertilize it in the spring and summer to give it the extra nutrients it requires.
Dropping leaves
Fiddle Leaf Figs can appear to drop their leaves out of nowhere. One leaf here and there is normal; but, if several leaves have fallen off in a short period of time, you must act quickly to rescue the tree. Once more, underwatering or overwatering are the most likely causes of leaf drop in fiddle leaf figs. How then can you distinguish between them? Look at the direction in which the leaves are falling from the plant: if the older leaves (at the bottom) are dropping first, overwatering is probably the cause. On the other hand, if the plant’s leaves are falling off all around, it’s probably not getting enough water. Here are a few more techniques for differentiating.
Leaves turning yellow
Do your fiddle leaf fig’s leaves appear to be yellow? There are several potential reasons:
inadequate lighting Fiddle Leaf Figs require as much direct, strong light as they can get. Even a little direct sunshine is acceptable, but stay away from locations with medium or low light. Remember that a Fiddle that receives insufficient light is more likely to overwater.
a lackluster diet. Due to a deficiency of nutrients in the soil, your Fiddle plant may have yellow leaves. You may want to attempt fertilizing it with liquid fertilizer.
Pests. If fiddles are being attacked by insects, their leaves may also turn yellow. If you have a suspicion that this is the case, thoroughly check the leaves’ top and bottom surfaces for any potential bugs.
Stunted or slowed growth
During the spring and summer, healthy fiddles typically produce new leaves every four to six weeks. It’s possible to see your plant add numerous new leaves in only a few days or weeks because growth usually occurs in spurts. It’s typical for there to be no new growth during the winter. Again, if you don’t observe the expected growth in this plant, it may require new nutrients in the form of a quality plant fertilizer.
Dirty or dusty leaves
When was the last time you washed your plant’s leaves? Plants breathe through their leaves in addition to absorbing sunlight through them. Your plant won’t be able to carry out either of these tasks as effectively as we’d like if a layer of dust is present on its huge leaves. A fantastic technique to keep your Fiddle Leaf Fig plant bright, healthy, and vibrant is to clean the leaves every few months. You may read about various cleaning techniques for your fiddle leaf fig here.
Fiddle Leaf Figs are known to be pickier than most plants, despite the fact that they can be quite low maintenance. Maintain a regular watering routine, fertilize in the spring and summer, and most importantly, ensure that your plant receives enough light year-round (yes, this may require moving it in the winter!). Keep a watch out for any of these symptoms since treating them quickly is essential to keeping your plant healthy and looking nice.
This article was modified from Claire Akin’s Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Resource. For additional information on how to take care of the fiddle leaf fig, see their website.
Your fiddle is putting out offshoots
A fiddle leaf fig tree’s new leaves may only be offshoots of the primary plant.
This may be the case if your tree appears to be in otherwise good health (new growth is visible at the top, and the leaves are vivacious, green, and spotless).
Offshoots can either be promptly removed so the tree can focus its energy on developing new leaves and branches higher up the tree, or they can be let to grow a bit longer and be multiplied!
To avoid the tree trying to replenish this growth after it is gone, it is ideal to do this before the stems get woody.
Your fiddle leaf fig is stressed
This growth at the bottom may occasionally indicate that your tree is under attack or having health issues.
Suckers are new leaves that grow at the base of a tree and they might arise when a tree—including the fiddle leaf fig—is under stress.
This is a result of a tree’s innate propensity to sprout new growth after suffering damage. In order to potentially replace leaves or branches that may be in danger, a stressed or hurt tree may try to sprout new branches. Imagine that your instrument is doing this when it senses danger.
Sometimes we deliberately trigger this reaction, as when we notch or pinch our fiddles to encourage new growth in the desired location.
But if our fiddles begin developing suckers on their own, that might be a red flag.
Root damage
If the roots have been compromised, trees like fiddle leaf figs may develop suckers at the base of the trunk.
Simply cut the suckers at the base to allow your tree more time to heal if you’ve recently repotted your violin or pruned the roots. The roots of your tree may be strained for another cause if it hasn’t been cut down or replanted in a time. It might not be a bad idea to upgrade to a little larger pot or to take your tree out of the pot and check the roots.
Insect infestation
Your tree may begin to develop suckers if the adult leaves and branches are being attacked by insects.
Simply cut the suckers and continue fighting the infestation as your plant is already fighting insects. Try closely scrutinizing your tree for insects like mealybugs, scale, spider mites, etc. if the suckers are a surprise.
Fiddle leaf is able to grow new leaves.
It is rather simple to identify the root of your fiddle leaf fig’s negative attitude if it is anything other than green and full. Indoor fiddle leaf figs typically have a problem with either light, irrigation, or both. You can restore its health with a little work before it’s too late. Simply keep an eye out for the warning symptoms listed below and administer the appropriate treatment.
One thing to remember with fiddle leaf figs is that once a leaf is injured, it can’t truly be repaired. We’re diagnosing the issue and taking action to maintain the plant’s health going ahead. The tree will likely stop providing energy to the injured leaves when new growth begins to emerge, and they will eventually dry up and fall off. Last week, I got home to precisely that circumstance. The lowest leaf on the tree with damage was this one. The plant consumed all of its resources until it was entirely dried out, at which point it let go of it.
Unlike rubber plants, which can recover fallen leaves, fiddle leaf figs cannot. Because once the leaf is gone, it’s gone, maintaining their health is crucial.
Where do fiddle leaf’s new leaves sprout?
Similar to pruning, but without the necessity for a set of cutters, is pinching. Pinning is to take the top bud, also known as the growth tip, off the plant as opposed to cutting a portion of the stem.
If your plant has grown to the height you want it to start branching at, this is a terrific technique. Wait until your FLF reaches your desired branching height, say three feet, if it is currently two feet tall and you want it to grow to that height. The top can then be pinched.
Your Fiddle Leaf Fig has a brown-cased bud at the top, as you can see. It’s completely typical for new leaves to sprout here. The brown casings draw back and dry off as fresh leaves grow and mature.
They shouldn’t be removed because this is normal, but they might come off when they’re ready.
Use your thumb and pointer finger to snap off the top growing tip of the fiddle leaf fig. You can also use a pair of cutters if it’s too difficult to chop off with your fingers.
Why aren’t my fiddle leaf’s leaves expanding?
You must offer your fiddle leaf the best circumstances for growth if you want it to grow more quickly. This involves ensuring that it is cultivated in a suitable-sized container. Additionally, your fiddle leaf fig requires an abundance of food, water, and sunlight. Sound soil is essential.
(As you may have seen, these are essentially the same guidelines you should be using to treat a fiddle leaf fig that isn’t producing new leaves.)
Even though these gorgeous creatures have a reputation for being picky, providing for their basic needs only necessitates a very straightforward maintenance regimen. A contented, well-treated plant ought to have no trouble prospering. Let’s look into methods to hasten the growth of fiddle leaf figs.
Make sure it’s in an appropriately-sized pot
Fiddle leaf figs quickly outgrow their pots due to their rapid growth. Therefore, it is crucial to repot them whenever they get too big since else they risk becoming rootbound and ceasing to grow.
Always choose a pot for repotting that is at least twice as big as the root ball of your ficus. Make sure it has plenty of drainage holes in addition to this. Additionally, your pot’s moisture will be distributed more evenly if you add a layer of gravel to the base.
Fertilize regularly
Fiddle leaf figs put a lot of work into growing. The soil we buy at nurseries or use in our gardens frequently lacks the necessary nutrients to aid in their growth.
You can improve your plant’s soil with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer to help it develop more quickly. Use lower amounts of fertilizer over longer periods of time during your fiddle leaf’s growing season to prevent surprising or stressing your plant.
Sun, water, and soil
The best technique to encourage development in a fiddle leaf fig is as simple as making sure it has enough sunlight, water, and high-quality soil. This nearly goes without saying. A fiddle leaf fig can’t photosynthesize without sunlight, and it can’t get nutrients to its stem and leaves without water.
Additionally, you want to keep your fiddle leaf plant growing in well-kept, high-quality soil that drains excess water in order to ward off pests and illnesses. This reduces the possibility of bacterial and fungal illnesses developing in the soil of your fiddle leaf fig.
How do you grow fiddle leaf figs that are bushier?
Your fiddle leaf fig probably has no other branches that will allow it to transition from a fiddle leaf shrub to a fiddle leaf tree. In addition, bear the following in mind before proceeding:
The amount of regrowth that results from pruning depends on how severe it was. The reason for this is that the plant is trying to grow again in an effort to balance the root system below with the shoot system above, which is now designed to support the plant at its bigger size before trimming.
Usually, the most active shoot growth takes place 6 to 8 inches after the pruning cut.
Make the cut on your fiddle leaf fig
Make a decision regarding the size of the Ficus lyrata cut. Once more, the branching will be more noticeable the longer a part is clipped. (And the less the plant will grow in height, at least for that shoot.)
Your fiddle leaf fig won’t be encouraged to generate as many lateral branches off of the main trunk if you simply pinch out the fresh buds at the top with your fingers.
If you want to encourage a little lateral development to make your plant appear fuller near the top, pinching is more helpful.
On the other hand, you’ll see a lot more branching if you remove 12 of the top shoots.
Choose the node that you want to cut above. The spots on stems known as nodes are where leaves, buds, or branches can grow. However, not every node has leaves or branches; some nodes may only have a mark and a little thickening of the stem. Internodes are the parts of the stem that lie between the nodes.
3. Make use of a clean pair of pruners. Just above the top of your node, make the cut. Cut just above the node rather than into it, which would harm it.
Any plant in the fig family, including your fiddle leaf fig, will exude an oozing, milky, white sap when cut. Simply avoid eating it, getting it in your eyes, or letting it land on the carpet because it can be annoying.
4. As a final piece of advice, wait to remove leaves from the trunk of your fiddle leaf until the new branches have begun to grow. Your plant should be as robust as possible because those leaves aid in the development of the new lateral buds.
(Are you wondering what to do with the plant pieces you pruned? Why not cultivate a second fiddle leaf fig?
I’m done now! Now, give your new lateral buds, which will eventually grow into branches, a few weeks. While the exact length of time varies on a number of variables, your chances of success are higher if you attempt this in the spring, when fiddle leaves are actively growing, as opposed to the winter, when they are largely dormant. In comparison to winter, when the plant will need more time to heal the cut and form new buds, springtime will see rapid new development.