Placing a cutting or a single leaf in water is another traditional way of fiddle leaf fig growth. This technique works well for many individuals, and it’s entertaining because you can watch the rooted develop rather than having to wait for growth or yank on the cutting. In the glass container, they also look lovely.
I’ll admit, though, that it’s not my favored method for growing indoor plants, including fiddle leaf figs.
I prefer to make things as favorable to myself as possible whenever I can. As a result, I find that no commercial growers employ the water approach when deciding how to best propagate.
If you give it any thought, however, it makes sense. Since Ficus lyrata is not an aquatic plant, water propagation will not be the best environment for it to flourish in. But since most who attempt it succeed, it must be able to grow quite well in water.
Use a cutting with roughly 3 nodes, as mentioned above, rather than a single leaf for the greatest outcomes. (For an explanation of why using single leaves is not a wise choice, see below.)
Place the sliced piece in fresh water in a dimly lit area. To keep the oxygen levels stable, change the water every several days.
Here is where I fail with this approach. Normally, I forget. In comparison to an unwatered plant pot that seems dry and feels light as a feather, the water in the glass appears the same.
Because plants require oxygen, soil is a better environment for them than water. While there is some oxygen in water, it fades off the surface when the water is motionless. (A bubbler is required in aquariums in order to maintain the water’s oxygen levels.)
Watch for the roots to form; it took my leaf more than 6 weeks to do so. (Results are shown in the section below.)
Can a fiddle leaf be multiplied?
Taking a stem or leaf cutting from a fiddle leaf fig plant and letting it root in water or soil will result in a new, self-sustaining plant. Most houseplants can be propagated, albeit with different degrees of difficulty. In reality, fiddle leaf figs are rather simple to grow.
Be Patient
In February of 2018, Jackye embarked on a new fiddle leaf fig voyage. As of June, the majority of her new plants had not yet experienced much new development. New cuttings must be let at least four to eight weeks to root before they can begin to generate new leaves, which can take up to six months.
Before they notice the new roots, many growers give up on their cuttings and discard them, abandoning the tiny plants before they have a chance to start sprouting new leaves. But perseverance pays off; all but three of the 61 cuttings she took produced roots.
Expect Variability
By six weeks, the majority of Jackye’s cuttings had begun establishing new roots, but there was considerable variation. Some people got new roots in 3 or 4 weeks, while others needed 8 or 9 weeks. It’s critical to realize that every cutting is unique and that a variety of elements, including hormones, light, season, and time of day, influence the roots process. Prior to giving up on cuttings that haven’t developed roots, give them at least 10 to 12 weeks.
You Can Root Cuttings in Soil or Water
Cuttings of fiddle leaf figs can grow roots in either humid soil or water. The success of your project is unaffected by the growing medium, although there are advantages and disadvantages to each. Some of Jackye’s cuttings were rooted in both water and soil. After weighing both possibilities, she advises burying the roots in soil to avoid crushing the young, delicate roots while transferring them from water to soil. She did, however, like watching the new roots grow in the water.
A Rooting Hormone Is Critical
Use a rooting hormone whether you are rooting your cuttings in soil or water. Your plant receives instructions from the chemical powder to focus its efforts on growing roots rather than new leaves. Your prospects of success are minimal without it. On all of her cuttings, Jackye applied a substance resembling our Houseplant Propagation Promoter.
Soil Cuttings Don’t Need Drainage
For the purpose of being able to observe fresh development in both the soil- and water-rooted cuttings, Jackye rooted her cuttings in clear plastic Solo cups without any drainage holes. She never allowed them to dry out and maintained them uniformly hydrated. She put them into pots with drainage holes once the roots were strong.
Fiddle Leaf Fig Propagation Can Help Your Original Plant Grow
Jackye was pleased to observe new growth, including additional branches on each plant, after taking more than 60 cuttings from her original eight plants. Cuttings are not harmful to the mother plant when used for propagation, and they may even encourage new development.
Take Cuttings of New Growth if Possible
After a few months, Jackye found that the cuttings she took from the tops of her plants that were actively growing were the ones with the most new growth. For fresh growth, these terminal branches have already been programmed. All eight of the top cuttings she took began to establish roots and new growth in less than four months.
Jackye advises taking a branch or growing tip that is somewhere between six and eighteen inches long. Take off the leaves from the branch’s lower third or so. Place the sliced portion in potting soil after dipping it in rooting hormone. For roughly six weeks, or until you notice new roots, keep it very wet.
You can even divide a lengthy branch into multiple portions when pruning it, making care to leave a few leaves on each section. Fiddle leaf figs are quite powerful and hardy plants; Jackye even tried planting branches without leaves, and they ultimately began to grow again! Just a couple more months were needed.
A fiddle leaf fig can be propagated in water.
The simplest way to reproduce a fiddle leaf fig, in my opinion, is by water! A jar of water and a pair of cutters are required. Use a tiny plant part that is 6 inches or less long for water propagation.
You don’t want the plant to expend energy on maintaining a long stem or numerous leaves while the roots are still developing. To reduce the amount of energy consumed by the plant, which is why you might see some individuals chop leaves in half. You shouldn’t have to bother about trimming additional leaves off if you only have a small section of the plant for replication.
How does a fiddle leaf fig produce new leaves?
It might be time to pot-up when your Fiddle Leaf Fig appears to be too large for the pot (aka move it to a larger pot). It will have more room to expand and become taller as a result. Additionally, it is a good idea to completely re-pot your FLF so that it has new nutrients to grow with rather than using the same old soil (this entails taking as much soil from the roots as you can, cutting, and planting it in new soil).
How to Train you Fiddle Leaf Fig into a Standard Tree form (from bush / cluster or small plant)
While it may be tempting to start trimming your FLF to make it immediately resemble a standard form using the secateurs, this may not be the best course of action. It’s really alluring looking at those drool-worthy interior design images! Although your FLF may not be in the best shape right now, if you give it some thought and time, you will end up with a much beautiful tree! To get the tree you desire, the process could take at least a few years or seasons of growth, but this is okay. Be patient and take pleasure in the training process.
To start with, don’t pick off the bottom leaves! These aid in supplying nutrients to the lower trunk, strengthening and thickening it as a result. The waif-like trunks of FLFs are well known, but if the trunk is too thin, it won’t be able to support the leafy treetop portion as you want it to, and it will always need to be anchored or lean. The bottom leaves should probably be removed last, in my opinion.
Separating a Cluster: If you have a cluster or collection of FLFs in a pot, you can cut them apart into individual trees. Remove them from their containers at the beginning of the growing season, gently dividing the roots, and providing each plant a root ball that is appropriate for its size (if you have to cut the roots apart, make sure each plant has a root ball that is appropriate for the plant’s size). Replant each in a separate pot.
Be warned that some clusters may not be able to be separated because they share a root ball. This may be the situation if your FLF has a group of stems that are quite near to one another at soil level. This type of cluster separation might cause damage to the plant or possibly cause it to die.
There are ways to encourage your Fiddle Leaf Fig to grow more branches if it now just has a single trunk. To promote new growth, one method is to clip off the tip or top few leaves of the trunk. Another method is known as “notching,” in which a tiny cut is made into the trunk right above a bud that needs to branch. The tree will be duped into branching out at this point by this.
Simply remove any branches near the trunk that you don’t want on your FLF. They can also be employed for cultivating fresh FLFs. This post will be useful for more detailed information on cultivating a FLF tree.
Are you setting out on a trip with a brand-new FLF? Please share your progress with me in the comments section below; I’d love to hear from you.
If you’re looking for more detailed information on fertilizing, trimming, supporting a leaning trunk, and typical FLF fallacies, check out my other Fiddle Leaf Fig postings here.
What happens if the top of a fiddle leaf fig is chopped off?
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.
Will fig cuttings germinate in liquid?
Cuttings of fig can easily take root in water. You only need a cup, some water, and a pair of clean, heavy-duty scissors or pruners. The entire process might take more than a month, but it could take as little as three weeks.
Can a leaf be used to clone?
You may easily and amusingly create clones of some of your favorite plants by taking leaf cuttings.
Some plants, but not all, can be multiplied from a single leaf or a portion of a leaf.
The majority of plants that may be propagated from leaf cuttings are regarded as house plants. Sedums, some Begonias, Crassulas, Gloxinias, Peperomias, and several African violets
Always choose a firm, robust leaf when choosing one to use for propagation.
instead of taking a leaf, let it callous for one or two days before sticking the stem end.
parts and struck in a medium that would cut them in two. Make sure the “up” end is up!
Can a fiddle leaf be cut in half?
Similar to sculpting a masterpiece, shaping your fiddle leaf fig requires that you start with an idea of what you want the finished product to look like.
To ensure that the remaining foliage looks balanced, I find it helpful to label all the branches you want to remove with colorful tape or a Post-it Note before you begin. To lessen the risk of shock, start out gently and never remove more than 10% of your plant at once.
Decide on Your Ideal Shape
Fiddle leaf fig plants often have one of two shapes: a bush or a tree.
Smaller plants are typically bushier, whereas larger plants are typically more fashioned like trees. You might want to start shaping your little plant into a tree as it grows. Choose whether you want to prune your plant to maintain its compact bush shape or to give it a correct tree shape.
Plan to Remove Damaged Leaves or Branches
So that you can arrange to eliminate the least healthy parts of your plant first, evaluate the general health of each branch and group of leaves. Mark any sections that need to be removed if there are any leaves with brown spots or branches with smaller leaf growth.
Remove Crossing Branches
To increase airflow and relieve crowding, you should eliminate some portions of densely populated branches. You should take care of any branches that touch each other as well as any leaves that are preventing one another’s leaves from growing.
Create Your Ideal Shape
Any growth that is 8 to 10 inches or less from the ceiling, the surrounding walls, or the furniture should be planned for removal. Next, cut off any growth that does not conform to your ideal shape.
Remove lower leaves and branches to reveal a good trunk if you want to create a tree-like shape. Remove gangly or ugly growth if your plant is out of balance to give it a more appealing overall form.
How to Make Your Cuts
Pruning should begin once you’ve marked the sections you want to cut out and made sure you like the way the tree looks in its finished form. When pruning your plant, make sure the cutting motion does not crush or harm the stem by using a sharp, clean tool.
Cut each one away from the trunk or any leaves by about a half-inch. With no chance of infection spreading to the main trunk or any surviving leaves, this enables your plant to heal properly. In order to prevent the spread of bacteria and diseases, pick up and dispose of any falling leaves or garbage.
New Growth After Pruning
If your plant is healthy, it will typically divide the branch where it was pruned, producing two branches where one once was.
Eventually, this creates the impression of a fuller, healthier plant. Your plant might only continue to develop one branch where it was clipped if it is in pain or isn’t getting enough light. After pruning, allow access to lots of light to promote more development.
Fertilize After Pruning
Fertilize your plant frequently after pruning to promote new growth and aid in the plant’s recovery from the shock of pruning. (Are you unsure of the ideal fertilizer for your fiddle leaf fig? Test out our plant food! Within a few weeks to a month after pruning your plant, you ought to notice new growth.