Have you ever pondered the origins of your lovely fiddle leaf fig plant? Perhaps you wonder how the trees are grown while you observe them all in the nursery. Many then wonder if fiddle leaf figs can be grown from seeds.
Yes, in a nutshell, to the query. Seeds of fiddle leaf figs can be cultivated. Although you won’t be able to develop a plant from the seeds since they need particular circumstances to flourish, you should consider twice before obtaining fiddle leaf fig seeds online.
How long does it take a fig tree from seed to maturity?
Seeds are used to develop fig trees. From the seedling stage to a fruit-producing tree takes three to four years. Most folks prefer not to hold out for that long. Despite being simple to grow, fig trees are not a common homegrown fruit tree. There can be young trees available at your neighborhood nursery. Or perhaps not. They are always available to buy online.
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.
How is a fig seed germinated?
Place the pot on a sunny windowsill and wrap it in plastic wrap. If you don’t have a sunny windowsill, start your fig plants under a grow lamp since they do best in warmer climates. Use a spray bottle to moisten the seeds to keep them damp. Within a few weeks or as long as three months, the seeds ought to begin to grow.
Can a fiddle leaf fig be grown from a leaf?
The first step in effectively propagating a fiddle-leaf fig tree is to take a tip cutting, which should be a stem attached to a leaf that is preferably 6 inches long or longer. (Without a stem, a leaf’s potential roots serve solely as ornaments; a rooted leaf won’t develop into a new tree.)
Another method for growing fiddle-leaf fig trees or other woody tropical plants is air layering. To promote the growth of new roots with this technique, a stem must be sliced at an angle.
What characteristics distinguish a male or female fig tree?
A male caprifig can be identified by its five stamens, which protrude from the fruit’s bottom and are encircled by petalless, outward-facing bracts made of tissue that resembles the fruit skin. On female trees, stamens do not emerge from the synconium.
Do figs actually ripen from seed?
The majority of fig trees (Ficus carica) are developed from short branch cuttings, however they can also be grown from seeds if viable seeds are utilized and the proper conditions are offered. Remember that fig trees come in both male and female kinds, just like people. Edible fruit is only produced by the females. The little fruit that grows will not be edible if the seed you planted grows into a male tree. Some fig trees are warm-weather plants, therefore as they start to grow, they must be protected from freezing conditions. Zones 8 to 10 on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plant hardiness scale are optimal for them.
How may fiddle leaves be quickly 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 fertilize less frequently.
- STEP 7: TURN ON THE LIGHTS!
How quickly do fiddle leaf fig trees 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.
Can you cultivate dried fig seeds?
I’m excited to finally show you how to start fig plants from seeds. Two years ago, when my effort to produce avocado plants from seeds was successful, I began to have visions of establishing a large number of fruit trees. Fig is one among them.
Come now… I share with you how to grow figs from seeds and how I take care of them.
A few years ago, my mother introduced me to the world of figs. We just eat dry figs at first. Later, higher-end supermarkets are where we can find fresh figs. Figs are sweet and tasty, which is why I adore eating them. Additionally, I choose fresh figs over dried ones. Fresh figs are relatively pricey in Malaysia. What can I do to fix it then? I grow my own lo. That was before I learned that fresh figs can be purchased locally, but they cost about the same as imported ones. Added motivation for me to grow my own now. No?
I so made the decision to try growing figs in Malaysia from seeds one day. I used fresh fig and dried fig seeds, respectively.
This is the sneak peek image I published here of my infant fig plants. If they survived, I would make a post about them. Although some didn’t make it, those who did are doing wonderful in their development.
The image up top shows two pots. Fresh fig seeds were used in one of the pots, while dried fig seeds were used in the other. Even though I can’t remember which is which, at least I (and you) are aware that both fresh and dried figs can be used to grow figs.
How can fig seeds be collected and grown? For figs, both fresh and dried: The fig seeds should be carefully removed because they are so tiny. To get rid of the slimy particles, rinse the seeds in water in a sieve with tiny holes. Give the seeds a few days to dry. They are prepared to start growing.
Make a number of little holes in the ground. Fill each hole with a seed and then fill it with soil. Love one another and wait patiently. You can transplant the fig seedlings to their permanent site, whether it is on the ground or in a pot, once they are about 5 to 6 cm tall.
Maintaining fig plants:
Figs are simple to grow and maintain. Here are some advice I have:
Unless the soil is saturated or it is raining, water your plants every day. Instead of watering the leaves, water the soil.
Full sun, based on what I’ve read. My figs, though, thrive in some light. They were in direct sunlight when I started, then the leaves started to rust. As a result, I gave them all morning sun and shade, and they are all surviving, albeit very infrequently having rusty leaves here and there.
Fertilizer: I no longer apply fertilizer. I use homemade “compost” as fertilizer once every few days to once or twice a week, however it’s not the same as compost. My own “compost” includes dried leaves, branches, eggshells, tea leaves, coffee grounds, rice water, citrus rinds, banana peels, and other culinary waste. Here is more information on my composting efforts and plant vitamins.
Pruning: Give the branches a few trims every now and then when they start to get taller or bushier. This is especially true if the figs are being grown in pots and you wish to keep their height low.
Pests and diseases: The only fig illness I’ve come across is fig rust. It’s fungus and can be a big issue in Malaysia’s humid and rainy climate. It appears that the rust on the leaves is genuine. Due to this issue, our vehicle porch, which is sheltered but still receives morning sun and rain if the wind is strong, became the new home for my potted figs that were formerly outdoors. As the rust can spread to adjacent leaves, be cautious to remove the damaged leaves. Additionally, be careful to water the area around the fig plant to avoid rust. Avoid getting the leaves damp. Ants are one of my pest issues. They ascend the fig branches and build their homes there. Therefore, I wash the houses away with water. In the event that it doesn’t, I shall prune the impacted branches. Don’t worry; fig quickly grows new leaves.
This is probably the most significant query of all. Our motivation is to grow fig trees in order to receive the benefits.
According to what I’ve read, certain figs require wasp pollination (blastophaga psenes) in order to produce fruits, while others do not. Even cultivars of fig that don’t require pollination can produce fruit. They are self-fertile, which explains why. They do not, however, generate seeds unless wasps are present. If I’m not mistaken, this means that you will just receive the flesh, or syconium, without the seeds. Then there are instances of both female trees and female blooms on male trees. If I’m not mistaken, caprifigs (men figs) are useful for pollination other figs despite being inedible. It’s a long, complex story, so, yeah. Please look online for further information.
In other words, figs produced from seeds might or might not produce fruit, and if they do, the fruit might or might not be edible. Without knowing the species and gender of the tree, it is difficult to judge them. For this reason, many people choose to have grafted or cuttings of figs, just as avocado. There is less possibility of failure because you know the tree it was cut or grated from. To increase my chances, I planted more fig trees (like avocado). Haha
I currently have seven fig plants. Only one of the seven is grown on the ground in a very limited space (also in car porch). Most of them are in pots. Their age is two. I don’t know what species or cultivars they are. However, I have no doubt that they won’t succeed. Even if they can’t produce fruit (touchwood), I still want to maintain a few because fig leaves have unique shapes and are quite attractive. I sometimes use clipped fig branches to decorate my house, but most of the time I dry them up and turn them into compost.