Fiddle leaf figs should be grown inside in an area with lots of indirect light as direct sunlight may burn the leaves. To ensure even growth, give each pot a half-turn once a week. Keep these plants away from cold, drafty regions and heating vents because they prefer a consistent temperature of about 68 degrees F.
Although they may be grown outside in zones 10 to 12, most fiddle leaf figs are grown as houseplants in North America, so that is what we will concentrate on here.
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!
Fiddle leaf figs can survive indoors for how long?
A tropical tree with fiddle-shaped leaves, the ficus lyrata is a native of the lowland rainforests of West Africa. It has a lifespan of 25 to 50 years (if cared for properly in non-tropical conditions).
What makes it so well-liked in the design community? Most people give the tree’s large, floppy spherical leaves, which resemble violins, credit. People anthropomorphize the plant by comparing these to babies’ huge eyes in an effort to make them desire to care for it.
Of course, the majority of designers would also mention how photogenic the plant is, which undoubtedly helps.
Do fiddle-leaf figs grow better indoors or outdoors?
As long as you reside in a tropical or semi-tropical climate similar to the circumstances of the fiddle leaf fig’s native habitat, fiddles can undoubtedly flourish outside.
A fiddle leaf fig needs lots of sunshine, the right amount of water, the optimum temperatures and humidity levels, and the perfect ratio of nutrients whether it is grown indoors or out. The key to caring for indoor plants is to as nearly as possible imitate their natural habitat.
Fiddle Leaf Fig Native Environment
Your violin will likely thrive outside if your climate is similar to that of the instrument’s native tropical West Africa.
Warm, humid climates are a fiddle’s natural home. Normal temperatures range from 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, with up to 60% humidity possible. Wild fiddles thrive in rainforests where they receive abundant indirect sunlight via the dense forest canopy, but they may also grow in full sun with the right humidity and temperature conditions.
Given that there may be outside influences, it is more difficult to duplicate the perfect situation outside. The first place to begin is by determining whether or not your climate is suitable for an outdoor violin.
Are fig trees suitable houseplants?
Here’s why you wouldn’t want to: In the summer, the edible fig (Ficus carica) requires full sun, which is nearly impossible to provide indoors. The deciduous fig tree loses its leaves in the autumn and enters a dormant state for the winter, when it doesn’t require any sunlight at all. The majority of common fig trees grow too large, gangly, and untidy to make good houseplants. But for a few reasons that we’ll go over below, you can grow fig trees in containers.
Do fiddle leaf figs need to be in the sun?
Fiddle Leaf Figs need to be thoroughly watered about once a week to match their love of natural light. You should modify the amount of watering based on the size of the plant and, consequently, the size of the roots. As a general rule, water the plant thoroughly only after the top 2 to 3 inches of soil have dried up. This entails watering it till water drips out the bottom if it’s in a planter with a drainage hole. However, avoid letting the drip tray fill up with water for too long because root rot can readily develop in this situation. Remember to water the plant slowly and in a circular motion around it, making sure to wet all of the soil. Water will then reach all of the roots rather than just some.
A Sustee Aqua-meter is one of the greatest instruments for determining how frequently your Fiddle Leaf Fig requires water (available for purchase in our shops). We have discovered that there are particular seasons of the year when our plants are significantly more thirsty than usual since we started using these in our stores. The Sustee changes color from blue to white when the soil is sufficiently dry to prevent overwatering from occurring after it has become saturated with water.
You should water all tropical plants with water that is room temperature. A plant will undoubtedly experience shock if exposed to hot or extremely cold water, just as it would if the same conditions existed outside.
Prior to watering, aerate and break up the soil to improve water absorption. In order to ensure that water reaches all of the plant’s roots rather than draining out along the planter’s edges, we also advise watering very slowly around the top of the soil.
Maintenance
Fiddle Leaf Figs need some routine care, just like most other plants. One crucial maintenance procedure for your fiddle leaf coincidentally involves its leaves, which are also its most noticeable feature. Wonderful duty in the shape of routine dusting comes with great leaves. Fiddle Leaf Figs require frequent dusting due to the size of their leaves. As dust builds up on plant leaves, dust particles interfere with the plant’s ability to absorb sunlight and carry out photosynthesis. Given how much Fiddle Leaf Figs adore light, giving your plant a frequent dusting will go a long way toward keeping it healthy.
Rotating your plant monthly or biweekly is a good idea in addition to dusting the leaves. By rotating your plant, you’ll ensure that it receives an equal distribution of light, preventing one side from growing much faster than the other and resulting in a solid, symmetrical Fiddle Leaf Fig.
There are a few things you can do to encourage your Fiddle Leaf Fig (or any tree, for that matter) to start developing branches. First, try providing your plant with additional light. Trees naturally sprout branches, and if they have a lot of natural light, they may have more energy to devote to doing so. Cutting off your plant’s highest point of growth is another approach to promote branching. As a result, the plant will be forced to start branching out from the sides rather than continuing to grow vertically. Visit our pruning journal entry to find out more about pruning and branching.
Aerating the soil once every few months prevents the soil from being compacted for people who don’t already do so. The ability of your plant to absorb water is one of many factors that can be badly impacted by compacted soil, which eventually forms tiny pockets of soil where water never penetrates. It is possible to aerate using a variety of tools, including chopsticks and official soil aerators that are of a similar size and shape. To avoid destroying too many roots, gently press the aerator deeper into the earth as you go. By breaking up any areas where the soil has clumped together, do this a variety of times around the soil to keep your plant healthy and happy.
Last but not least, we advise using a “less is more” philosophy when it comes to fertilizing your Fiddle Leaf Fig and other indoor plants. It’s advisable to avoid providing your plants with too many extra nutrients at once. In the spring and summer, we strongly advise adding a slow release pellet fertilizer, such as the Osmocote Plus Indoor Smart-Release Plant Food, into the top layer of the plant’s soil. These pellet fertilizers typically last for a few months.
Winter Tips
Winter is a challenging season for indoor plants, including Fiddle Leaf Figs, because of the obvious lack of natural light and the cooler temperatures. As indicated above, keeping an eye out for cold windows is a smart place to start, but there are other things you can do to keep your Fiddle Leaf content throughout the chilly months.
People frequently experience problems with heating vents during the winter, but since they aren’t used for more than half the year, it’s simple to forget about them. Plan to relocate all of your plants away from any heating vents when it is time for them to turn on. Repeated hot air bursts have the potential to scorch leaves and quickly dry out your plants.
Break up the dirt a little with your fingertips before watering your plant in the winter. Soil is easily clumped and compacted in winter due to the dry indoor air. By lightly breaking it up with your fingertips, you can prevent water from dripping through the soil and out the sides of the planter.
It’s also important to note that a humidifier can benefit Fiddle Leaf Figs and other tropical plants all year long, but particularly during the winter when the indoor air turns dry. Your plants are able to flourish as they would in a rainforest thanks to the continuous increase in moisture circulating in the air, which prevents browning leaf tips.
Key points:
Fiddle Leaf Figs thrive when put immediately in front of windows since they require a lot of natural light.
Once a week, thoroughly water the soil, allowing the top few inches to dry out before watering again.
Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about caring for fiddle leaf figs below, in person at one of our stores, or by contacting us.
Fiddle leaf figs can they survive in low 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.
Do you think plants belong in your bedroom?
Bedroom plants are capable of more than merely enhancing the brightness of your bookshelf. Additionally, they can improve your mood, raise your creativity, lower your stress levels, boost your productivity, filter air pollutants organically, and do a lot more.
Many of us are unaware of how crucial air quality is. The insulation, paint, and furnishings in our homes frequently release poisons like formaldehyde and benzene into the air we breathe inside. Consider adding plants to your home to help filter the air. Through the holes in their leaves, plants can absorb hazardous pollutants, filtering and purifying the air you breathe every day.
In addition to their numerous health advantages, bedroom plants can provide a lovely decorative touch and a vivacious spirit to any indoor environment. Here are 10 of the greatest plants to keep in your bedroom if you want to add some greenery.
The ideal temperature for fiddle leaf figs?
Since houseplants gained popularity, the Fiddle Leaf Fig has been the indoor plant that has dominated fashion and design trends (Ficus lyrata).
This plant can be found as a tree or in its younger, more shrubby stage. It has huge, glossy green leaves on a substantial-sized plant that can grow to be at least 8 feet tall. The ficus family, which is made up of many species that have long been popular indoor plants, includes various species, including the fiddle leaf, which has some of the biggest leaves of any of them. It can be difficult at first to keep a fiddle leaf fig happy at home, but after you learn some of its fundamental preferences, you can maintain your temperamental fiddle’s happiness and health!
Let’s just clear up one thing first.
The fiddle leaf fig is a drama queen in general. In other words, these plants consistently prefer certain conditions, and if those requirements are not met, they sulk by shedding leaves. You guessed it: Your plant will drop leaves if it is moved, turned, or repotted. It will also drop leaves if exposed to frequent drafts or intense heat.
However, your fiddle leaf fig may still live on even though its leaves are falling. In the first 24 weeks after getting your new Ficus plant, some leaf loss is typical. If, however, the leaf falling is severe or continues, check your plant’s hydration and lighting needs to see if it is growing in the best conditions.
The fiddle leaf is not the simplest indoor fig to maintain, so if you have had trouble with one in the past or want to take a shallower dive into the Ficus world, we advise trying one of the simpler figs first. If you’re worried that your house or workplace may not have enough light, consider growing a Ficus Audrey (Ficus benghalensis), which can tolerate lower light levels, or the Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica), which is just as cool but distinct from the fiddle leaf.
Light
The best lighting is consistent bright or filtered light, but avoid extended direct sunlight; place yourself in an east-facing window or a few feet from a south or west-facing window. To maintain balanced growth, rotate the plant every so often.
Water
In general, most Ficus prefer consistently moist soil—never soggy soil. Prior to watering, the top 24 inches of the soil should always be dry. Water until the water runs out the drainage holes. It’s preferable to err on the side of too little watering than too much as you learn more about your plant’s watering requirements. The majority of problems are caused by overwatering, especially in the winter when development is slower. Be sure to tailor your watering frequency to the season and water roughly half as frequently in the winter. Additionally, plants growing in lower light levels could need less water than the same plants growing in higher light levels.
Soil
To ensure the success of your fiddle leaf fig plants, use a high-quality, rich, well-draining potting soil. Fiddle leaf figs don’t like their soil to be too wet or too dry.
Temperature & Humidity
The ideal temperature range for fiddle leaf figs is between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. But watch out for drafts from windows or doors, fans, or heating vents when planting a fiddle leaf fig. Higher humidity is favorable for fickle fiddles. There are several ways to increase the humidity in your home, including:
- Add a sizable humidifier to increase the humidity in the entire space, or use a smaller tabletop humidifier to target specific plants.
- Misting: Misting can be a terrific way to increase humidity, but if done improperly, it can promote leaf diseases. Use a fine mister and only spray in the morning to give the water time to evaporate during the day.
Fertilizer
To maintain healthy growth and vibrant color, use a basic indoor plant food diluted to half strength. Use fertilizer from March through September, but avoid feeding during the winter. When watering newly transplanted plants for the first time, Malibu Compost Tea for Houseplants can be used to stimulate stressed plants or assist prevent transplant shock.
Toxicity
If consumed, the plant is harmful to both people and animals in all parts. Being in contact with sap while handling plant parts might cause moderate skin irritation; use caution and gloves when handling.
Pruning
Pruning is best done in the spring when the plant is actively growing again because it encourages branching or horizontal development (many Ficus species will “bleed from cut areas with a white sap that is sticky and contains latexprotect floors and furniture with paper, cloth, or plastic sheeting before pruning indoors, and wear gloves for protection).
Troubleshooting
One of the main issues that farmers face is leaf browning, which can result from a variety of issues. It is useful to make a note of the shape, pattern, and color of the spots as well as where on the plant the damaged leaves are located (i.e. toward the top or bottom of the plant). Due in part to their big size, fiddle leaf figs’ leaf issues can often be the most striking; each damaged leaf has a significant effect. They can be vulnerable to environmental shock and transplant shock, as was previously noted, and will likely exhibit some degree of leaf drop for the first 24 weeks after being brought into your home. If brown patches appear or dropping persists, one of the following factors may be to blame:
- Older leaves (toward the interior and lower parts of the plant) are typically harmed first by root rot brought on by overwatering; the damage appears as a black area in the middle of the leaf or sporadic dark blotches.
- prolonged dryness/underwatering
- Most damage occurs to the newest leaves, which are on the leaf’s edges.
- infection with bacteria
- regions of new growth that are worse off may become yellow, appear unnaturally tiny, or have spots that are more brown or reddish in hue than black.
- Pest-specific insect damage varies; keep an eye out for exceptionally shiny or sticky leaves as a sign of pests nearby and conduct a closer inspection.
Scale and fungus gnats: Regrettably, Ficus plants are virtually as common among insects as they are among people. Scale can be hard to see, especially in the beginning phases of the “infestation,” and when they are, they can be numerous and challenging to get rid of. They resemble tiny tan lumps that can be removed with a fingernail or small tool. They are typically seen along the midrib of a leaf (top or bottom) or on a stem at the point where a leaf is joined. You may identify issues early and get back on the road to recovery by regularly inspecting your plant and cleaning its foliage. Find out how to spot scale and get rid of it here.
If you start to experience fungus gnat issues, top-dress with Mosquito Bits or lightly dust the top of the soil with Diatomaceous Earth. Avoiding overwatering your plants and waiting until the top 2 or 3 inches are dry before watering again are the best ways to keep fungus gnats away.