placing a fiddle leaf fig tree in a large, contemporary container. Garden tools, dirt, and a container of Ficus lyrata on a hardwood floor. New house tree planting procedure
Fiddle Leaf Fig 10106:21
The fiddle leaf fig, which has been a popular houseplant recently, adds a stunning architectural element to any room in the house. Although this lush plant is beautiful and has shiny, violin-shaped leaves, it can be challenging to maintain. But don’t worry—we have advice to maintain it flourishing in your area.
The good news is that the fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata), if acclimated, can grow to be at least 6 feet tall, making it an impressive statement piece. If you want a different look, there are also various cultivars of the plant, such “Suncoast” and “Compacta,” that don’t grow as tall and are bushier.
So, before taking one of these not-so-cheap houseplants home, read our in-depth care instructions and essential information if you want to get the most out of your investment for years to come.
Fiddle leaf figs grow to what size indoors?
Ficus lyrata, also known as the fiddle-leaf fig, is a well-known indoor tree with exceptionally big, deeply veined, glossy, violin-shaped leaves that grow upright on a smooth trunk. If you can place a fiddle-leaf fig in a floor-standing container where it can be allowed to grow to at least 6 feet tall, it makes the ideal centerpiece for a room. The majority of indoor specimens are about 10 feet tall. If you’re like most gardeners and want to buy a nursery plant to keep indoors, it grows pretty quickly and may be potted at any time of the year. Remember that cats and dogs cannot handle this beautiful plant.
How quickly do fiddle leaf figs grow?
By perfecting your watering routine and locating the ideal location for your plant to flourish, you’ve taken on the difficult tasks. Just a few additional things are necessary for you to understand in order to preserve your fiddle-leaf tree.
Although dusting a plant may seem odd, you absolutely must dust those large, fiddle-shaped leaves. They gather a lot of dust because they are so big and frequently grow somewhat horizontally.
At least once every month, gently wipe the leaves with a moist towel. If you don’t, dust can obstruct sunlight from reaching the plant and clog stomata, which slows photosynthesis and makes the plant struggle to survive.
Fiddle-leaf figs expand rapidly. They frequently grow by one or two feet in a year. If you don’t rotate your plant and leave it in a corner, its growth may quickly become uneven as it reaches for the sun.
There are two options for handling this. Start by frequently rotating it. And second, if it starts to look uneven, make it even by pruning occasionally.
Turn the plant a few inches every several months. In order to remember which way we are moving, I turn Midori in the same direction (clockwise) every time.
Remove some of the leaves on the heavy side of your plant if it begins to grow lopsidedly to give it a more even appearance.
These plants will keep growing upward for as long as they are content. For aesthetics, optimal airflow, and to make sure the plant receives adequate light, trim the highest branches so that the plant remains at least a foot below the ceiling.
Remove any diseased or damaged leaves as well. These won’t recover and are just a drain on your plant. Furthermore, any infections that cause disease could infect the remaining parts of your fiddle-leaf fig and possibly kill them.
Giving your plant a tree-like shape by pruning is another reason you might want to do it. For a bushier shape, some gardeners choose to leave the leaves on the lowest section of the stem intact.
Fiddle leaf figs naturally take on that well-known trunk and canopy shape as they grow in the wild. However, the plant typically retains its bottom leaves indoors.
You can remove the bottom leaves and branches if you want the conventional tree appearance.
To promote excellent air circulation, you might also wish to thin your fig once a year. Any branches that are in the way should be cut.
Put on some gloves before pruning because the sap that is released when these are chopped can irritate the skin. Next, take out a fresh set of pruners. Although you can perform this activity at any time of year, if you do it in the winter, you won’t notice any new growth for a few months.
Cut stems off an inch from the leaf node or stem. Keep in mind that the plant will split where you cut it and sprout new branches as you stimulate the desired shape. If plants are pruned while they are developing, new growth should begin within a few weeks.
You can also remove any stems or leaves that don’t conform to the desired shape. Simply pick no more than a third of the plant at once.
Finally, you can use a pair of scissors to trim the brown pieces off or clip them off totally if some of the leaves have some dark spots at the edges caused by either overwatering or underwatering. There is no point in keeping them around because they won’t regain their color.
You can cut the entire trunk down to about a foot tall and start over if your plant begins to appear sparse as a result of leaf drop or lanky growth, or if you don’t like the shape. From the cut place, the plant will produce new branches, and you can reshape it.
Before you severely prune your plant, think about air layering. If you use the process outlined above, you might get two plants in return for your efforts.
Amount of Sun
Eight to twelve hours of sunlight per day are necessary for fiddle leaf fig trees to thrive. It prefers bright filtered light but will tolerate some shade.
Your ficus plant will naturally grow toward the light, so rotating it will help it receive an even distribution of sunlight. A strong, filtered light is desirable, but just make sure it’s not searing sunlight.
Your plant should be placed next to an east-facing window for the best results. The plant would receive sufficient light during the afternoon hours as well as the early but less powerful morning rays.
To reduce the chance of scorching, some individuals advise keeping ficus plants away from south-facing windows. The issue of inadequate light is one that fig tree owners encounter much more frequently than the issue of burnt plants, according to our research. The risk of scorching is often less when a fiddle leaf fig is indoors because it is already receiving filtered light.
Watering Frequency
Your particular setup will determine how frequently you need water your ficus tree. The best guideline is to water your fiddle leaf tree as soon as the ground becomes dry. This could happen as rarely as once per week or as frequently as once every few days.
In warm weather, fiddle leaf fig trees that are cultivated in pots require a moderate amount of water. When the temperature drops, they use substantially less water.
How to Water Your Tree
Make sure to water your ficus lyrata until you notice a small amount of water dripping from the drainage holes in the bottom of your container. By doing this, you’ll enable the water to penetrate the root zone deeply and enable the plant to absorb the water it requires.
Fertilizer Ratio
The best fertilizer for fiddle leaf figs has an NPK ratio of 3:1:2 and contains the elements nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Thus, it has a nitrogen content of three parts, a phosphorous content of one, and a potassium content of two.
When you take care of your fiddle leaf fig tree using fertilizer that has this NPK ratio, your tree will repay you with strong, lush growth.
How to Prevent Root Rot
When too much water or moisture builds up in the plant’s container, the roots can rot. It is simple to identify because either the leaves will begin to show signs of brown spots or they will fall off the ficus tree.
It is more difficult to care for your plant in a way that will get rid of root rot once it has already set in. Precaution is essential.
The simplest way to avoid root is to ensure that the container your fiddle leaf fig plant is planted in has drainage holes at the bottom so that the roots are not always sitting in soggy soil.
When planting your ficus lyrata for the first time, use an excellent, quick-draining soil mixture to avoid rot. It is strongly advised to grow ficus plants in a growing medium that is composed of half houseplant soil and half cactus plant soil. It has a quick drainage system and is light enough to let plant roots breathe and draw in nutrients.
Having said that, it is normally challenging to overwater your fig tree. The plant is quite resistant to being exposed to a lot of water because of the humid environment it is typically found in.
Root rot shouldn’t be an issue if you have a pot with drainage holes. In fact, underwatering a fiddle leaf fig plant is the most typical error made by new owners.
There are more causes for your plant’s failure to thrive or the appearance of brown spots.
How Fast Do They Grow?
Approximately one foot of fiddle leaf figs grow each year. The tree’s growth rate will be moderate for the first two to three years. After three years, the tree will resemble an ornamental tree, and it will take it 10 to 15 years to reach its full height of 8 feet when it is fully grown.
Re-potting
Your fiddle leaf fig needs a new pot.
- Lay newspaper or an old sheet down to prepare the workspace.
- Make sure the new pot is about two inches larger than the old one and includes drainage holes.
- To avoid obstruction, place a few stones or clean, unused coffee filters over the drainage hole(s).
- Make a depression in the middle of the dirt and fill the remaining one-third of the container with fresh potting soil.
- Take your plant out of the previous container.
- Put the tree’s root ball in the new container’s soil.
- If you can, carefully separate some of the outside roots so they can grow broader.
- Up till two or three inches below the surface of the earth, add more soil around the root ball.
- To settle the soil and get rid of any air pockets, give the fiddle leaf fig plant a vigorous soaking.
- If desired, scatter decorative stone or glass pebbles around the plant to cover the soil’s surface; this helps retain moisture and keeps the soil from becoming messy when watered. If there is any uncertainty, it is simple to verify if the plant needs watering by pushing a finger or water meter through the stones.
- Once the ficus plant reaches its full height and size, you should refresh the soil every spring by taking out a few inches of the old soil from the area around the top of the container and replacing it with new potting soil. This will guarantee the ficus lyrata in your home’s long-term health.
Cleaning the Leaves
Simply washing the fig tree’s leaves with lukewarm water is the best approach to maintain and clean them. Wipe the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves using a clean, soft cloth that has been dampened. Without harming your plant, water will wash away dust and make your leaves sparkle.
There are many specialized cleaning agents for leaves on the market. There are other homemade recipes that use mayonnaise and other things to clean leaves. Yes, they may give the appearance that the leaves are shiny, but they also draw larger dust particles that eventually plug the pores and stomata of the leaves. Your ficus tree’s health may be harmed by this. On the leaves, never apply furniture polish!
You will be able to raise a ficus plant that is healthy by using these straightforward methods! I wish you had fun reading this ficus lyrata indoor plant care article.
Each year, how tall do fiddle leaf figs get?
All fiddle leaf fig plants, whether they are actively growing or not, need nutrients. However, those that are growing rapidly will quickly exhaust the nutrients in their soil. How frequently you fertilize your plant will depend on how quickly you want it to develop.
Our specially formulated Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Food can be fertilized every time you water a young plant if you want it to grow quickly. This makes sure that your plant receives the nutrition it requires in a gentle yet consistent manner. When properly nourished and exposed to lots of natural light, fiddle leaf figs can grow 12 to 18 inches per year!
However, you can cut back on the feedings to once a month if the plant is already large and you do not want it to get any bigger. Your fiddle leaf fig will receive enough nourishment from this to remain healthy and flourish, but it won’t encourage rapid development.
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Do fiddle leaf figs need direct sunlight?
Although they can withstand moderate sunlight, it’s not their preferred environment. It’s a good idea to put the plant near a south or west-facing window, but not directly in the sun, as it prefers steady, ambient light. They can tolerate up to six hours a day of direct sunlight, if necessary.
Finding a location where the conditions are as consistent as possible throughout the day is the finest thing you can do for these plants as they are creatures of habit. Placing your plant in low light is one thing you must never do.
Can my plant go outside?
Of course, you can take care of your fiddle leaf fig outside given the correct circumstances. It might perhaps act and develop to a height of more than 40 feet if you locate it in the ideal location. Your garden should, however, be entirely frost-free and never drop below 50 degrees at night in order to prevent any issues.
On summer days, you should use caution as well. Keep your plant from getting too hot too quickly and water it frequently so the roots have access to moisture all the time. Similar to when you keep it as a house plant, you should be watchful of how much direct sunshine it gets.
Why do the leaves turn brown?
You have some homework to complete if the leaves on your fiddle leaf fig are starting to turn brown. There are several potential causes, but light and water are the most frequent ones.
In most cases, water is the culprit if the edges of the leaves are becoming brown. If just the lower leaves are impacted, overwatering has created root rot. The likelihood of the plant being thirsty increases if all of the leaves are going crispy. Unhappy leaves that are going brown in the middle show that the plant needs more humidity since it is receiving too much light.
What’s the difference between a fiddle leaf bush and a tree?
An established fiddle leaf tree can cost hundreds of dollars, so you’ll probably end up nurturing a smaller plant to grow tall. Ficus lyrata likes to grow straight up if left unattended, but you can encourage branching by either pruning the new growth or notching the stem.
To notch, choose where you want a new branch to grow and make a 1/8-inch cut into the stem just above a node using a clean knife. The node should produce a new branch. The lower leaves can then be removed when your plant appears very healthy.
Should I mist my plant?
When caring for any rainforest plant, especially in the winter, misting is a need. Fiddle leafs prefer a humidity level of 65 percent, which is substantially higher than that of most houses.
Filling a spray bottle and leaving it next to the plant is the ideal method for misting. You can regularly spritz it with room-temperature water in this manner. Misting your plant is very crucial after dusting its leaves. For your plant, a humidifier is ideal if you can afford one, but regular misting with a spray bottle should suffice.
How long does it take for the plant to grow?
Most fiddle leaves can grow up to 10 feet tall indoors. They might even outgrow your home if they’re truly content. However, that may take up to 15 years. Of course you two want to stay together for that long, but it can be difficult to wait for a plant straight out of a magazine.
These are not the quickest-growing plants, but with proper care and fertilization, the 18-inch bush you purchased from the garden center should mature into a respectable-sized tree in 34 years.
Should I cut off brown spots off the leaves?
Although brown stains on the leaves are unsightly, you shouldn’t immediately remove them. After all, in order to photosynthesize, the plant requires its leaves. Your plant won’t thrive if the leaves are pulled out as soon as spotting appears.
Your plant is attempting to tell you something when its leaves turn brown, whether it’s water, fertilizer, sunshine, or pest control. The best course of action is to try to identify the issue, fix it, and then postpone pinching off the damaged leaves until your plant has produced some healthy new growth.
Are fiddle leaf fig toxic?
Yes. We’re not talking about plants that are aesthetically pleasing but dangerous here, but if you have kids or animals in your house, you should be cautious of them around any Ficus family plant, including your fiddle leaf fig.
A healthy adult won’t suffer long-term consequences from ingesting the plant, but cats, dogs, and small people can get hurt from the calcium oxalate crystals in the leaves. A burning, irritated mouth, trouble swallowing, drooling, and vomiting are indications of an adverse response. Consult a doctor straight away if you believe that your child or pet may have consumed a portion of the plant.