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.
How can my fiddle leaf fig be made better?
4. Maintain the Leaves
Finally, if you’re trying to achieve that desired tree-like shape, it can be very tempting to remove some lower FLF leaves. BUT because the leaves give the stem so much nutrients, they significantly contribute to its strengthening and thickening. My recommendation is to keep the lowest leaves on for as long as you can. When you eventually get that tree-like shape, the trunk will be able to support a canopy with a heavy top.
It’s also rather typical for lower leaves to gradually fall off as FLFs age. Therefore, you might not need to remove them manually.
Growing FLFs naturally develop larger and larger leaves, which may increase their tendency to be top-heavy. Do the aforementioned measures regarding light and air flow if you see that fresh, huge leaves are making the stem or trunk start to tilt. This will let the stem to catch up in strength to the leaf size.
In order to reinforce a weak or leaning Fiddle Leaf Fig trunk, follow these simple steps: If you can’t get it outdoors, wiggle the trunk and leave the leaves on to thicken the trunk. 1. Make sure it’s getting enough light. 2. Give it some outdoor time. 3. Give it a breeze. 4. If you can’t get it outside.
If you follow the following instructions, your FLF can usually be made to stand straight and strong on its own within 1-3 weeks.
I sincerely hope that this post has been useful to you. Please let me know in the comments if you have any questions or if you have successfully used these methods.
Potential Cause: Improper Watering and/or Improper Temperature
Generally speaking, getting too much or too little water results in leaf drop. However, Fiddle Leaf Figs can also lose their leaves as a result of exposure to weather extremes, either hot or cold.
How to correct it
Check to determine whether it is too close to a heater, an air conditioner vent, or a draft before moving it if required. It’s important to keep in mind that fiddle leaf figs are indigenous to warm, humid, tropical regions with stable moisture and stable temperatures. Therefore, maintaining comparable conditions will make your tree the happiest. Keep the soil damp but not drenched. Only water when 50 to 75 percent of the soil is dry. To increase the humidity in your fiddle leaf fig, you can mist it frequently.
The latest in plant care tips for keeping your foliage happy and healthy, brought to you by premium plant delivery service Lon & George.
It’s normal for plants to get the occasional brown spot or discolored leaf as they get older. In order to keep our plants looking attractive throughout the seasons, we must trim and prune them. Here’s how to maintain their appearance.
Start with the bottom leaves and work your way up, using a pair of clean scissors.
Follow the leaf’s natural shape when pruning; this requires some skill and practice. Consider organic curves rather than angular shapes.
3. In order to avoid opening a new wound, you should ideally leave some of the brown edge. If you do cut into the leaf, help the damaged edges dry by covering them with tissue paper.
Bonus advice: Don’t go overboard! Observe your plant’s shape from a distance. It’s acceptable to leave a few spots that are discolored, particularly if they add to the general fullness and beauty of your plant’s natural shape.
How can I tell if the light reaching my fiddle leaf fig is adequate?
Measuring the space between the leaves on your fiddle leaf fig tree is another proven way to determine whether it needs more sunlight.
The leaves of a fiddle will grow more closely together than those of a fiddle that must reach for its solar energy.
Here is an illustration of a fiddle leaf fig that displayed these precise signs. Just two years ago, I gave my mother this beautiful plant:
As you can see, the leaves were able to remain near to one another without suffocating one another due to the abundance of sunlight offered by the greenhouse environment. It was flawless.
I sent it over to my mother without checking for a bright spot in her home. The greatest spot she could locate in her house was close to a window, although it received little natural light.
After a year, she was able to move the large plant outside for some summer heat and humidity, but as you can see, the branches had already started to spread:
This fiddle leaf fig tree had a terrific summer, but when winter arrived, it had to return indoors.
It is now as follows:
Watch for this lanky, “reaching” appearance and address it right away by moving your plant steadily closer to the sun.
Severe dryness
You could be better off giving up and buying a new fiddle if practically all of your leaves have dried out from extreme dehydration and several of your branches have died.
If a portion of the trunk or stem is still alive, you technically could resurrect your fiddle, but it would take a lot of time and attention. Many violin owners just don’t want to do that since then you’d have to chop off all the dead parts and essentially start over. Think of this as your “practice fiddle and begin again with a fresh, wholesome tree. Also, remember to water it this time!
Severe bacterial infection
It is quite challenging to treat bacterial infections once they have affected the majority of the leaves. Furthermore, such illnesses may really spread to your other indoor plants!
For the sake of your sanity and the wellbeing of your other houseplants, you should give up if those medium-brown blotches persist despite your efforts. If you intend to reuse the pot, make sure to carefully clean the violin before placing it in the trash so it won’t come into contact with any other plants.
Severe root rot
It could be simpler to purchase a new plant if the majority of your fiddle’s root system has rotted away or if root rot has caused your tree to lose almost all of its leaves.
Make sure to dispose of the plant away from other plants, just as you would with a bacterial problem. If you’re not careful, root rot can still spread to other houseplants even though it doesn’t spread as quickly as other bacterial illnesses do. Before utilizing the pot for another plant, make sure to give it a thorough cleaning.
Complete leaf loss
Even though the stem or trunk of your tree is still technically alive, it’s okay to buy a new plant if all or almost all of its leaves have fallen off.
It will take a lot of work to repair the tree and encourage it to grow again, and it will take a long time before your tree is restored to anything approximating its former splendor. Severe leaf loss frequently indicates a major condition that could possibly be harming the roots. It’s ok to purchase a new fiddle if you’re not up to the challenge. Nothing to judge here.
Before properly mastering fiddle leaf fig maintenance, it’s not unusual for owners to go through a few fiddles. That’s okay!
Bring that fiddle back to life if you enjoy giving plants that are close to passing away a second chance! However, it’s acceptable to give it a few attempts if all you want is a vibrant green plant to liven up your room.
Why is my fig tree not producing fruit?
Symptoms of overwatering include brown spots or shaded regions along the borders and in the middle of the leaves, as well as yellowing foliage and leaf drop (lower leaves often dropping first).
One of the most frequent issues with fiddle leaf figs is overwatering. A fungal condition known as root rot might occur if your plant receives too much water. You’ll likely see spots and leaf drop on older leaves first if root rot is the cause.
How to Fix It: Make sure your plant receives enough of indirect sunshine and let it totally dry out before rehydrating to prevent root rot. With clean shears, you can remove any dark and mushy roots that may have developed as well as cut the leaves’ brown edges and patches.
Brown stains beginning on the edges of the leaves, curling leaves from the edges inward, and leaf drop are signs of underwatering (can affect all leaves on the plant, not just the lower leaves).
Dry, hard soil that retreats and shrinks away from the edge of the pot is another sign that your fiddle leaf figs are underwatered.
Follow a regular watering routine to fix it. The top inch of soil around fiddle leaf figs usually has to be watered once per week or when it seems dry to the touch. Try running a humidifier nearby or sprinkling the leaves with water once every one to three days to raise the humidity in the air to help counteract dry air.
Watering Tips
When it comes to their watering routine, fiddle leaf figs need consistency. Set a weekly reminder to give your Fiddle Leaf a drink. By following this timetable, you can prevent overwatering or underwatering your plant. However, it is crucial to check that the pot your plant is in has adequate drainage, since if it does not, your watering schedule may become messed up.
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.
Where should I position my fiddle leaf fig for maximum benefit?
The Ficus lyrata, commonly known as the Fiddle Leaf Fig, is featured on the covers and in images of numerous design journals. Its tall stature and large, graceful leaves add drama and height and unify entire rooms. Despite where you’ve seen Fiddle Leaf Figs in pictures, some individuals don’t aware that they need to be placed just in front of a window. They can be challenging to care for until the plant adjusts to your environment and until you figure out when to water them. Continue reading to discover how to keep your fiddle leaf fig alive and healthy for many years to come.
Light
The best setting for Fiddle Leaf Figs is in front of a window that gets direct morning or afternoon light. The ideal window to choose has a primarily unobstructed eastern, western, or southern exposure. You don’t want the window to be shaded by nearby trees or buildings. If your Fiddle Leaf is positioned right in front of the window, a north facing exposure can also work if there is enough room and nothing blocking your view of the sky. You should gradually adapt your tree to being in several hours of direct sunshine if you plan to set it in front of a southern exposure. The leaves could burn and develop brown scorch scars if they receive too much direct sunshine too rapidly. Over the course of 1 to 2 weeks, gradually increase the amount of time it spends in front of a southern window.
The amount of light your Fiddle Leaf Fig need to thrive depends in part on its size. The amount of light a plant needs will increase with its size. For instance, a window would need to be much taller to accommodate a 7′ tall tree than it would a 4′ tall tree.
In general, your fiddle leaf fig will require more light to preserve its existing leaves and spur the growth of new ones the more leaves it has. In order to tell us that it isn’t getting enough light to support all of its leaves, a plant will respond when it isn’t getting enough light by losing lower and interior leaves.
It’s crucial to maintain your plant in front of the window during the winter months when natural light isn’t as abundant but also ensuring sure it doesn’t catch any chilly air from drafts that blow in. If your windows are drafty, try moving your Fiddle Leaf 2 to 3 feet away from the window to observe how it reacts. In most cases, keeping plants at this distance allows them to avoid any sporadic cold air blasts while yet receiving an equivalent quantity of light. For more advice on winter maintenance, keep reading.