Ficus lyrata is one of our most popular plants at Flora Grubb Gardens, our nursery in San Francisco, and we almost always have it in stock. Come get yours right now! Continue reading for advice on how to grow and take care of these plants.
The fiddle-leaf fig, or Ficus lyrata, is the ideal interior specimen plant. The plant has erect, violin-shaped leaves that are enormous, densely veined, and tall. Our retail plant shop in San Francisco almost always has Ficus lyrata on hand.
These plants are indigenous to the tropics, where they flourish in hot, muggy weather. As a result, the home grower may find it difficult to replicate these steamy circumstances, making them a little more difficult. Fortunately, they are rather resilient plants that can endure less-than-ideal conditions for a fair amount of time. Last but not least, F. lyrata are really produced as larger specimen plants. If you can place them in a floor-standing planter that will allow the plant to grow to at least 6 feet, that would be ideal. In tropical settings, trees frequently reach heights of 40 feet or more. These are not naturally trimmed down to reasonable sizes due to their enormous leaves, though they can be shaped with light trimming.
Ficus lyrata plants don’t require much maintenance. Spotting on the leaves, which is particularly obvious in a plant with such huge leaves, is one of the most prevalent complaints about these plants. This spotting is typically brought on by a leaf injury, such as mechanical harm or a mite infestation. When exposed to air, the sap of Ficus lyrata can produce these brown patches. The plants are also vulnerable to a number of leaf-spotting and fungus diseases, which are often brought on by poor air circulation and an excessive amount of moisture that collects on the leaves. By keeping the plant well-trimmed and eliminating any dead leaves or twigs that you spot, you can assist stop this form of attack.
However, if your plant is dropping leaves, it’s probably due to inadequate moisture at the roots, low humidity, and cold, dry air. To raise the surrounding humidity, try spraying the plant frequently. Finally, because these plants are particularly sensitive to high salt concentrations, flush your potting soil completely on a regular basis, preferably once a month, to avoid salt buildup.
Pests include aphids, mealybugs, mites, scale, and whiteflies can harm Ficus lyrata. If at all feasible, locate the infestation as soon as you can and use the least hazardous remedy.
Repotting: Healthy specimens have vigorous, quickly developing roots (which is pretty typical for any ficus). Try to repot the plant once a year, increasing the pot size by two to four until the plant is the required size or you can no longer handle the container. After placing plants in large containers, remove the top few inches of soil and replace it once a year with new potting soil.
Advice: Avoid often turning or moving this plant. The plant should be placed permanently, and to keep it clean, use an old T-shirt to dust it. As necessary, stake and prune. Only leaves facing the light will remain on Ficus lyrata; ones facing a darker wall or corner will wither away. If you move or reposition your ficus, be prepared for leaf loss.
Ficus lyrata need strong, filtered light. Even a little sun won’t kill them, especially if they’re in an eastern-facing window. When housed in a too-dark environment, plants won’t develop quickly.
Water: Keep it moist, but don’t let it stand in water because that will cause it to lose leaves and develop root rot.
Fertilizer: For plants that are not in ideal conditions or are recuperating from stress, apply Maxsea All Purpose Fertilizer seasonally and up to monthly.
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 fertiliser 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 fertiliser 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 highly 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 metre 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 specialised 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.
Can cuttings of the ficus lyrata be grown?
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 favoured method for growing indoor plants, including fiddle leaf figs.
I prefer to make things as favourable 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.)
Is it challenging to maintain a ficus lyrata?
Even if not having a green thumb isn’t the worst thing in the world, things can get quite irritating if you’re also burdened with the inability to keep plants alive and the want to make your house into an Instagram-worthy plant paradise. Being a good plant parent to a few succulents here and there (and even those may be difficult!) is one thing, but maintaining a towering tree like the fiddle leaf fig alive and well is quite another. And it doesn’t help that you are always surrounded by happy, healthy plants on influencers’ Instagram accounts, virtually in droves, mocking you with their gorgeous, lush leaves and making you, ahem, “green with envy.” Sorry, but I had to.
The good news is that you can maintain a fiddle leaf fig even if it seems impossible and even if you struggle with the simplest, lowest-maintenance plants available. All you need to do is know what you’re doing, and then everything will be alright. Grab your watering can, take a deep breath, and get ready to learn.
How can a tall ficus Lyrata be grown?
How to Grow Your Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Bigger and Quicker in 7 Easy Steps!
- OPTIMIZE THE POT SIZE IN STEP 1.
- Step 2: GUARANTEE OUTSTANDING DRAINAGE.
- 3rd step: COMPLETE, REGULAR WATERING.
- Step 4: Verify the soil’s aeration.
- Do an annual soil treatment in step five.
- Step 6 is to fertilise less frequently.
- STEP 7: TURN ON THE LIGHTS!