The simplest approach of cleaning huge leaf plants can have a significant impact with just a spray bottle and a cloth. Sprinkle plenty of water on the plant or each leaf before gently wiping away the dust. Keep in mind that leaves can be delicate, so be careful not to handle them roughly. This could be a very time-consuming process, depending on the size of your plant!
Why aren’t the leaves on my fiddle leaf fig shiny?
Your plants’ leaves may become dull and ugly as a result of dust and grime accumulating there. Additionally, it makes it more difficult for the plant to efficiently carry out photosynthesis and absorb solar energy. Your fiddle leaf fig plants will look and feel better after a thorough cleaning of the leaves.
Make it a routine to frequently clean the leaves to avoid dust and filth accumulation. This will keep your plant looking good and will improve its health, too.
How are the leaves on a fiddle leaf fig removed?
These bottom-most leaves will fall off more easily than those you will remove shortly if they are already in bad shape. Place your non-dominant hand on the trunk to steady it before attempting to snap them off. Then, tuck your dominant hand under the leaf as closely as you can to the stem. The petiole, or stem, of the leaf should be where your thumb rests.
Now, press down with your thumb until the leaf separates. It will likely feel similar to how crisp asparagus snaps.
You’ll notice a sticky white sap appearing right away, but don’t worry, your ficus lyrata is not hurt.
In all greenhouse ficus lyrata trees, you can observe this indelible circular imprint.
These scabs are a testament to other gardeners who favored the lollipops-shaped fiddle leaf fig over the bushy shrub kind.
This cosmetic change won’t scare a healthy plant because it is only that. Your fiddle will quickly recover from this simple treatment if you continue optimizing for typical environmental elements that contribute to tropical plant growth.
Should fiddle leaf fig leaves be wiped?
I adore our new Houseplant Leaf Shine because it not only gives your leaves a healthy shine and shields them from dust, but it also keeps pests away! It’s ideal for both cleaning and safeguarding. Over time, it even helps your plant retain more of its own moisture!
This leaf shine will give your fiddle the lovely glossy finish you want while being safe for it.
DON’T apply mayonnaise, coconut oil, milk, or another fat-based product.
This tip is widely spread, but it should be avoided because it might harm your plant.
Although they could give the leaves a brief gloss, these fatty materials can clog their pores and hinder respiration and photosynthesis. Heavy oils on the leaves, such dirt and dust, might starve and smother your plant.
To acquire those dazzling leaves, maintain your leaves clean and use the proper leaf-shining products.
DON’T scrub your leaves.
Treat the leaves on your fiddle with care! The leaves’ top layer of cells can be removed with even a rough cloth. Only gently wipe down your leaves with a very soft towel and avoid using anything else.
DON’T use harsh cleansers.
As with excessive washing, soaps, cleaners, and detergents can chemically burn your leaves, destroy their natural oils, or even remove the top layers of cells. Just use water, water with a little castile soap, or our Houseplant Leaf Shine.
Should fiddle leaf fig leaves be sprayed?
Our preferred approach for giving your violin humidity isn’t misting, but fresh leaf buds are the one exception.
The emergence of new baby leaves from their leaf sheaths can result in tearing since they are thin, sensitive, and have a tendency to stay together (see, that almost rhymes!).
New leaf buds should be misted, but only the lead buds, and not so much that the water runs off onto the surrounding leaves.
Give your new baby buds a nice sprinkling a few times each week, and if you’d like, gently dab up any surplus water with a clean, soft towel.
In a dry climate, you can still grow a healthy fiddle leaf fig. It requires a few additional tools, but it is entirely possible! Even if you reside in the middle of the desert, follow these recommendations for a beautiful, healthy tree.
Wash the Plant With a Spray Nozzle
Moving medium-sized to large houseplants to the kitchen sink, shower, or outside and hosing them off with a sprayer nozzle is the simplest way to clean them. Keep the water pressure low and make sure the water is lukewarm before spraying. The leaves of a plant might be damaged by warmwater that is either too hot or too cold. As you spray, carefully support the leaves or leaf stems with your hand.
Mist With a Spray Bottle
A spray bottle is a fantastic alternative for plants that cannot withstand the force of a spray nozzle. The plants that respond well to a misting from a spray bottle include bonsais, cactus, and succulents.
Dunk the Plant in Water
Holding the plant’s base at soil level, flipping it into a pail of water, and swishing the leaves under the water will help clean smaller plants. Pre-watering the soil will aid in preventing soil loss when the pot is turned upside down. To keep the soil contained while cleaning, you might also wrap plastic wrap over the base of the plant. Once more, only use lukewarm water, and let the plants drip-dry before repositioning them.
Tip
If your plants are very filthy, you can spritz them with diluted soapy water and then hose them out or submerge them in a clean-water-filled sink. For every quart of water, use around 1/4 spoonful of dish soap. Plants that can’t survive being hosed in the sink can have the soap removed by being sprayed with clean, lukewarm water.
Wipe the Leaves
You can simply wipe the leaves off of plants that are too big to move by using a moist towel. Young banana or snake plants, as well as other plants with few leaves, respond nicely to this technique. After the initial cleaning, placing a soft duster on the leaves whenever you dust your furniture or floors will help prevent dust from accumulating on them.
Use a Soft Brush
African violets, for example, don’t enjoy having their leaves wet, whereas some plants have leaves that are sticky or fuzzy and are difficult to clean. In these circumstances, you can very gently coax the dust off the leaves using a soft brush, such as a mushroom brush.
I have a fiddle leaf fig. Can I use olive oil on it?
Are you all prepared for a new week? I realized this past weekend just how quickly summer flew by. Even though we were out and about every weekend for the past three months, it feels like we have accomplished nothing. I had so much on my to-do list that I wanted to get done over the summer because I was unhappy with the little progress I had made. I can at least cross off taking care of my Ms.Dee from the list. You know, I was thinking the other day that it would be nice to show our beloved Fiddle Leaf Fig some attention as well while I was splitting up some indoor plants that I hadn’t touched in 14 years. For precisely a year, it has been kept in the identical IKEA container that I purchased it in. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to stop developing as a result.
Basic Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Maintenance:
- There is a lot of ambient light.
- Water only when the soil is dry to the touch, once a week or longer.
- a warm environment (60 to 90 degrees F)
- Avoid vents, drafts, and drifts.
- When required, turn the plant to maintain it in the same position. They dislike being frequently transported.
- Repotting after a purchase should only be done when new growth is apparent.
- Repotting should only be done after the Fiddle Leaf Fig has become established and grown enough for the roots to be seen on the bottom of the container. Their roots want to be closely clustered.
- Use a container that is one or two inches larger than the root ball when you repot plants for the same reason.
- Pull the plant out slowly.
- Loosen the root ball and repot in an excellent potting mix that has been fertilized in a container that is one to two inches larger than the root ball.
If not regularly cleaned, the huge leaves of these show stoppers nearly often become massive dust collectors. I must admit that during the course of the year, I may have cleaned the leaves just once.
Yuck! According to what I’ve read so far, you can use these to clean and shine up the leaves of your indoor plants;
- a mixture made of milk and water.
- Within banana peels
- little olive oil
- Natural Mayo
- Cocoa Butter (My method)
I often use a damp towel to clean my indoor plants, but this time I put a few drops of coconut oil on a soft cotton kitchen towel. See the distinction?
I had the vague impression that the idea behind using Mayo or Olive oil was that the oil (in Mayo) naturally made the leaves shine. Both of these are heavier than coconut oil, which I always keep on hand. I reasoned, “Why not?” Actually, coconut oil has a long history with us and is something we adore. Kerala, the region of India where I was born, translates to “land of Coconuts.” Naturally, coconut and coconut oil play a major role in our cuisine. The latter is used for practically everything, including cooking, moisturizing skin and hair, and even as medicine!
- Pour it into the towel with just 2 drops of the solution.
- To disperse the oil over a greater area, rub the cloth on itself before applying gentle pressure to the leaves. This makes sure that the coating of the leaf is very thin. Again, because the oil is so light, the leaf’s pores won’t become clogged.
- Keep in mind to avoid applying oil to the leaf’s underside. For the underside, water would be adequate.
Coconut oil and fiddle leaf fig trees: beneficial or bad?
My fiddle leaf fig tree is perhaps the subject I’ve been asked about the most during this blogging journey. If you’re anything like me, you want to do everything in your power to preserve that beauty. They are not only pricey, but they are also incredibly lovely! I think killing that monster would be as terrible as losing a family pet. As you can expect, I conducted a good deal of research before deciding to buy my tree. I consulted the nursery’s indoor plant experts, perused a lot of blogs, and looked online for the best fiddle leaf fig maintenance advice. Since my tree is currently flourishing, I want to share my best advice with everyone. I constantly receive mails from readers who are frantically trying to save their precious trees. Do not worry, my friends! If you follow these suggestions, your priceless tree won’t disappoint you.
Water from the bottom instead of the top.
This is without a doubt the BEST advice I ever received from the nursery expert. What you must do is as follows: Put your potted tree within a plastic liner, which is available here. Pour water into the pan and allow the tree absorb it via the holes in the bottom of the pot when you want to water your tree. This prevents you from drowning the poor animal and allows the water to be distributed evenly.
Don’t over water your tree.
I give my tree, which is about five feet tall, a half gallon of water once a week. Depending on the size of your tree and the season, water delivery will vary (due to changes in temperature).
Clean the leaves with coconut oil.
Once a month, I clean the leaves with coconut oil and a towel. This is significant because it cleans the leaves of dust. Dust can obstruct the sun’s rays, making it difficult for your plant to absorb the proper amount of light.
Place the tree in a bright corner of your home.
With plenty of indirect sunshine, the tree will flourish. Here, “indirect” is the important word! My tree is next to a big window in a corner. Although it receives a lot of sunlight, it is not scorched by the hot, direct light.
Rotate your tree each week.
Every week, I turn the pot a quarter turn. This promotes healthy growth for the entire tree by giving every leaf equal access to sunlight.
Be nice to your tree!
I appreciate you reading, my friends. I’m confident that if you use these suggestions, you won’t be sorry! Please feel free to contact me or post a comment if you have any further fantastic advice.