Secret No. 6: Avoid letting a sick fiddle-leaf fig tree fully dry up. Make sure any extra water drains out the bottom of the pot when watering it once or twice per week. (I water mine in the shower and keep it there for a couple of hours so the pot can drain, then I put it back on the plant saucer.)
Secret No. 7: Even if the container is so tight that roots are visible at the surface, wait to transplant it until you notice fresh growth.
In conclusion, letting your fiddle-leaf fig tree heal slowly on its own is the greatest thing you can do to ensure its survival. Give it filtered sunlight, water once a week, and warm environments (a room temperature between 60 and 90 degrees would do). Furthermore, if there is even a remote chance that the temperature may drop below freezing overnight, don’t leave it outside.
Are you also attempting to preserve your fiddle-leaf fig? The Fig and I: 10 Tips for Caring for a Fiddle-Leaf Fig has more advice. Visit Fiddle-Leaf Fig Trees: A Field Guide in our selected plant guide for Tropicals 101 for additional growing, maintenance, and design advice.
Finally, consult our Creeping Fig: A Field Guide for additional guidance on how to effectively plant, nurture, and maintain a creeping fig.
Get additional tips on planting, growing, and caring for fiddle-leaf fig trees by reading our Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree: A Field Guide.
Finally, use our Houseplants: A Field Guide to learn more about how to grow and care for different houseplants.
Are you looking for additional tropical plants for your indoor or outdoor space? With the help of Tropical Plants: A Field Guide, you can learn more about how to cultivate and care for different tropical plants.
Finally, consult our Vines & Climbers: A Field Guide for more guidance on how to cultivate and maintain a variety of vines and climbers.
Potential Cause 1: Root Rot
Brown stains on the roots from a fungus caused by too much moisture. Root rot is brought by by over watering and bad drainage, and it eventually affects your plant’s leaves.
How to Correct It
Removing the pot and looking at the roots is the only way to be confident that your plant has root rot. Root rot is at blame if the roots are mushy and discolored. Let your plant dry out for around two weeks if there are only a few brown patches on the leaves so that the roots have enough time to heal.
Make sure your plant gets enough light, and remove any damaged leaves. If there are several brown patches, you should remove any brown, mushy roots and the affected leaves before repotting the plant and being careful not to overwater it in the future.
Potential Cause 2: Bacterial Infection
In addition to the brown spots, your Fiddle Leaf Fig’s leaves will yellow as a result of bacterial leaf spot. In contrast to bacterial leaf spot, which causes the leaf to turn yellow as the brown spot spreads, root rot often causes the leaves to remain dark green with brown patches. Your Fiddle Leaf Fig’s leaves will eventually drop off due to both bacterial leaf spot and root rot. Since bacterial leaf spot tends to feed on new growth, it is likely to be to fault if your younger leaves are suffering more than your older leaves.
Unfortunately, this is the Fiddle Leaf Fig condition that is most difficult to treat. It can already be too late for your plant, even with the right care and watering. Cut off all of the leaves that have brown spots if the damage is not severe, then repot your plant in new, sterile soil. While it is healing, give it lots of light and don’t water as frequently.
Potential Cause 3: Insect Damage
Although uncommon, insect illnesses leave clear signs. Check your plant for webs or insects using a magnifying glass. Small patches that develop into holes on the leaves are a sure sign of insect damage.
Treatment for insect infestations is simple. Use neem oil products made specifically for indoor plants. Alternately, you might make your own cure by mixing a few teaspoons of mineral oil and baking soda in a spray bottle with water. Spray the entire affected area of the plant after thoroughly shaking the solution. Your other houseplants should not be near diseased plants. Neem oil has an overpowering odor, so move your plant outside if you can. Spray your fiddle leaf fig’s leaves with a strong mist. Don’t forget to spray the area where the leaf meets the stem after turning each leaf to cover the underside. If more spraying is required, wait two weeks, inspect once more, then repeat the process.
Potential Cause 4: Your Plant is Too Dry
Dry tan or brown regions that originate at the edge of the leaf and force the leaf to curl make dry plant brown spots simpler to identify. Your plant will occasionally appear dry or wilted overall, and the dirt may have retreated from the pot (shrinkage). This may result in the water never reaching the root ball and instead running between the pot and the soil.
Consider transferring your Fiddle Leaf Fig to a more moderate area if it is currently close to a heater or in an extremely dry environment. When the soil is 50 to 75 percent dry, water as needed, and keep an eye on your plant to make sure it’s getting enough hydration. Use a humidifier close to your plant or try misting it once to three days. Make sure the root ball of your plant is completely submerged in water by giving it a long sip. Make sure the pot’s bottom is dripping with water. Before placing the plant back on its saucer, let it to rest and drain any extra water.
Fiddle leaf fig leaves do they regrow?
If you recently bought a fiddle leaf fig, be prepared for some leaves to fall while it gets used to its new surroundings. To ensure that a larger issue is not at play, keep an eye on the overall number of leaves lost.
Typically, a plant that is recovering from shock will have between 3 and 7 leaves.
Give it Consistency
Make sure to maintain consistency in your plant’s lighting, humidity, and watering practices to aid in its recovery.
Keep your new plant away from heating vents and chilly drafts in a bright spot without direct sunlight. When the top one or two inches of soil are dry or once every seven days, water. Give your plant a couple of weeks to adjust to its new location. (This moisture meter is an excellent tool to use to determine when your plant needs water.)
The dying fiddle leaf fig: why?
Overwatering or a change in temperature are typically the causes of a fiddle leaf fig’s demise. Fiddle leaf figs require the potting soil to gently dry out in between waterings and prefer temperatures between 65°F and 75°F. The fiddle leaf fig loses its leaves when the temperature changes abruptly.
The leaves droop, become brown in areas or regions, and eventually fall off due to overwatering.
Because they are delicate plants, fiddle leaf figs can react negatively to a variety of conditions, including temperature changes, drafts, low humidity, excessive direct sunshine, insufficient light, too much fertilizer, overwatering, underwatering, and inadequate drainage.
Ficus lyrata, or fiddle leaf figs, are very sensitive to a rapid change in environment and dislike being relocated or repotted frequently.
If a fiddle leaf fig is on the verge of dying, you should try to replicate its natural environment by keeping the temperature between 65°F and 75°F, misting the leaves to enhance humidity, placing it in bright, indirect light, and only watering it when the top 2 inches of the soil feel dry.
Here is a reference table to assist you in determining the reason why your fiddle leaf fig is dying:
It can be challenging to pinpoint the precise reason why your plant is dying because fiddle leaf figs are so susceptible to environmental change.
To find out the probable cause (or causes) of your dying fiddle leaf fig and how to apply the remedies to revive your plant, keep reading.
Is my fig tree going to grow back?
My fig tree has suffered severe frost damage. Should we let the dead alone or cut them off? It has always produced good, healthy yields.
A: Although many fig trees were harmed over the recent winter, most will recover. Once you find green tissue, begin chopping away at the browned branches. If not, entirely cut off that branch. The tree can then be shaped by cutting a few inches off all around if necessary. Use a general-purpose garden fertilizer or a granular fruit tree fertilizer to fertilize. If the summer is dry, keep mulch around the tree’s base and water it once a week. An elder tree like this one has a fair chance of recovery with your proper care, even if you don’t receive many figs this year if they are late-bearing.
A: My entire garden area is covered in ants. I can’t even enter to prepare the ground for planting because the situation is that horrible. Do you have any suggestions for how I might get rid of the ants before planting?
A: To get rid of these ants, you’ll need to treat the entire garden and the region around it. There are various options, but a potent pyrethrin spray can provide effective, quick control. Afterward, use a baited ant control in the vicinity of the garden to discourage them from returning.
Q: Help! My flowerbed has a weed that is currently in bloom and whose extremely long roots make it impossible to get up. The use of weed killers hasn’t been effective, and I anticipate new growth. Any recommendations?
A weed’s behavior indicates how to control it even if we are unable to identify it. Since it dies back in the summer, we can conclude that this weed is a cool-season perennial. This most likely indicates that it appears between the first cool spell in the fall and late winter. The best course of action right now is to get those blooms cut off and remove as much of them as you can, making it more exposed to the upcoming hot weather. Since it’s impossible to remove all of those tangled roots without completely digging up the bed, the plants will resprout. When it reappears, bring a sprig to your favorite neighborhood garden center and discuss a spray with the horticulture. Compared to the mature plants you are now facing, the new growth will be significantly more susceptible to weed killers.
How may root rot in a fiddle leaf fig be detected?
By simply examining a potted plant, it can be challenging to identify root rot. Even a fiddle that seems to be rather dry on the top of its soil could be rooted underground. Only by looking at the roots underneath the surface can one truly know. Remove your plant from its pot and take a look if you notice any signs of distress, such as dropping or browning leaves.
Here are a few telltale symptoms of root rot in your fiddle leaf fig:
Once a portion of the roots starts to decay, the disease can spread throughout the entire root system and start to climb up to the plant’s leaves.
Should I prune my fiddle leaf fig’s damaged leaves?
Like grooming your dog or cat, pruning your plant is crucial to keeping it healthy and attractive. Pruning your fiddle leaf fig prevents weed growth and maintains its health. You should prune your plant for a number of reasons.
Remove Damaged Leaves and Stems
To promote the general health of your plant, you can safely remove any leaves with significant brown spots or holes. A damaged or ill leaf depletes your plant’s nutrients and increases the risk of infection. Any time of year, get rid of any leaves that are broken or ill right away.
Keep Your Plant From Getting Too Tall
Healthy fiddle leaf fig plants have a tendency to grow aggressively toward the sun, which could cause them to become too big or tall for their environment. You should cut back any growth over that height since plants look their best when their upper leaves are at least 8 to 10 inches below the ceiling. You can make your plant stronger and more compact by trimming it to prevent it from growing too tall.
Give Your Plant Balance
Your plant might grow sideways towards the direction of the closest window depending on where it receives its light, which could make it asymmetrical or unbalanced. Rotate your plant frequently so that it develops symmetrically to avoid this. Even after pruning, plants can still go out of balance, which will assist prevent uneven growth.
Decrease Crowded Areas
To stay healthy, fiddle leaf fig leaves require airflow and room. The leaves on your plant may become damaged by rubbing against one another if it becomes overly compact and crowded. Pruning will help to spread out crowded regions.
Shape Your Plant
Due to their restricted exposure to sunlight when grown indoors, fiddle leaf fig plants can develop unique morphologies. They might develop sideways rather than upwards toward the sun as they would if they were growing outside.
The lowest leaves will also fall off in the wild because of a lack of sunshine. Lower leaves, though, may still receive plenty of light inside and stay on the plant. The desired tree-like shape may be destroyed as a result. You should cut off lower leaves and branches that are spreading out too much in order to shape your plant so that it looks best in the area where it is placed.
How can you urge a fiddle leaf fig to produce new leaves?
Fiddle Leaf Figs can be encouraged to branch by notching, which doesn’t entail the plant’s height being reduced. Instead, tiny cuts or “notches” are made all the way up and down the stem or trunk to promote the formation of new growth lower on the plant.
There are two distinct notching patterns. The first slashes diagonally through the FLF trunk at a depth of about one-third, immediately above a leaf or node. Similar in nature, the second involves two cuts and the removal of a tiny “chunk” or piece of the trunk. To remove a small portion of the trunk, make the two slices just 1-2 mm apart.
It might be challenging to properly notch a plant without accidently decapitating it or cutting too deeply. It’s unquestionably a more sophisticated technique with variable outcomes. If you want to try it, I also advise going numerous notches. Not all of them have a 100% success rate. So if you want two or three branches, you might want to do six notches.
The best stem for notching is one that is more aged or woody. It might be advisable to wait till your FLF stem reaches maturity if it is still green before attempting to notch.
Tips for Notching:
- You may have more control over the notch with a craft knife than with a pair of cutters.
- Directly above a leaf or node, cut the notch.
- Cut the notch diagonally, about a third of the way into the stem’s depth.