Sooner or later, you’re going to want to understand how to assist your fiddle leaf fig in branching if you want it to take on the desired tree-like shape.
A plant’s natural tendency is to climb upward so that it can compete with other plants for more sunlight. Therefore, sometimes it requires a little human assistance to motivate them to branch outward.
If you’ve ever pruned a hedge or vine-like plant, you know how important it is for getting lush, bushy growth. That also holds true for your fiddle leaf fig! When a stem, branch, or trunk is cut back, several stems are likely to emerge in its place.
In order to encourage your Fiddle Leaf Fig to branch, apply the following three techniques. Also, watch the video below to see me prune my own Fiddle Leaf Fig.
Can you sever a fiddle leaf fig’s branch?
Cutting back fiddle leaf figs is actually extremely simple, despite the fact that the concept of it may be scary.
When trimming down fiddle leaf figs, be prepared. You should cut your plant with neat, precise cuts. Only a clean, well-kept set of pruning shears can accomplish this; not a pair of worn-out scissors. It’s also advised to cover the area surrounding your fiddle leaf fig with a drop cloth when you prune it because any cuts could drip sticky sap onto your floors, and nobody likes that.
If you feel so inclined, think about keeping the healthy trimmings and replanting them as fiddle leaf fig plants by rerooting them in a jar of water. Within 1-2 months, your cuttings should form healthy root systems; at this stage, you can plant them in little pots.
Your particular preferences will determine how you prune fiddle leaf figs. dislike the appearance of sick branches or shredded, burned leaves? Simply use your pruning shears to remove any of these eyesores. The stems or trunks of fiddle leaf figs can be either naked or covered in leaves. If you want your fiddle leaf fig to look more like a tree, you should remove the older lower leaves from the trunk, assuming your plant is still growing well on top.
Do you like how tall your fiddle leaf fig is right now? Your primary stem has a developing tip at the top where new leaves will eventually appear. You will need to use your fingers to pinch out these young leaves as they emerge in order to control the height of your plant. Additionally, it might prevent lower leaf loss and promote branching of your plant close to the pinch spots.
Is your fiddle leaf fig plant lanky or excessively tall? Make a cut just above one of the main stem’s nodes at the required height by inspecting the nodes (a node is the location where a leaf joins a branch). For any horizontal or outward branches that may be too lengthy for your taste, repeat this procedure. Below the areas where you were trimming back fiddle leaf figs, new growth can sprout.
Why should I Wiggle my Fiddle leaf fig?
Your indoor tree’s trunk can be moved to simulate wind, which will help you become more resilient outside. You can also leave your tree outside for extended periods of time to strengthen its trunk and expose it to the elements. Once you get the leaves inside, be sure to inspect them for bugs.
What are the best growing conditions for an indoor fiddle leaf fig tree?
Know that your fiddle leaf fig tree prefers moderate temperature changes and place it in a sunny spot within the house. The tree should be planted in a container with well-draining soil that is kept humid but not soggy since this might cause root rot.
Why isn’t my fiddle leaf fig tree flowering?
You should be careful not to overwater your fiddle leaf fig because it is prone to root rot. Also, allow for adequate drainage with many holes in the bottom of your container when keeping the fig inside.
How do I fix a leggy fiddle leaf fig tree?
Give a leggy or tilted fiddle leaf fig tree bright, filtered sunshine as treatment. Please place your plant in the area of the house that gets the most indirect sunlight, which is usually six to eight hours per day. Don’t keep it in the Sun for too long, though; doing so could scorch the leaves.
Will wiggling my fiddle leaf fig tree weaken its roots?
Every one to two weeks, wiggle your fiddle leaf fig tree for 1.5 to 2 minutes to significantly thicken the trunk. Beginning with light shaking, progressively build up the force. If your plant is stake-supported, move it about at first with the support in place. You can take the stake out once your fig tree has gotten used to this practice.
How may new branch growth be encouraged?
One of the finest strategies to promote a tree branch’s growth is pruning. A branch can grow more quickly if upper-story plants are pruned and thinned to provide room for more light to reach a struggling understory tree or bush.
What happens when a fiddle leaf fig is notched?
A room is brightened by a bushy fiddle leaf fig with lush foliage, but occasionally they might become leggy, malformed, or not have the full foliage you want. Making sure a fiddle leaf fig plant is healthy and receiving everything it needs to thrive is the first step in encouraging it to grow bushy leaves.
Before attempting to coerce the plant into producing bushy foliage, be sure you are providing for its growing requirements and that the plant is healthy. Here is a quick list of the requirements for your fiddle leaf fig plant to thrive inside.
Check on its light needs
For photosynthesizing to take place and generate the energy required for growth, your fiddle leaf fig needs direct sunshine. Place your fiddle leaf fig in an area that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day to make sure its lighting needs are being satisfied. It works great to be near a window in the west or south. An eastern window also works nicely if you have adequate eastern exposure.
The level of light your fiddle leaf fig plant needs to thrive is not present in the light coming from a northern window. Similar to this, watch out that your plant doesn’t get too much light, since a sunburned fiddle leaf fig won’t look its best.
Make sure it’s getting enough water
Your fiddle leaf fig requires enough water to stay healthy and beautiful. Every time the soil feels dry to the touch 2 to 3 inches below the surface, water it thoroughly so that water runs through the bottom of the pot. After watering your plant, empty the saucer or catchpan. A fiddle leaf fig that has been overwatered may develop root rot, among a number of other problems. Water that is left in the saucer may siphon into the soil and keep it moist.
When determining how frequently to water a fiddle leaf fig, keep a close eye on the soil around the plant and create a schedule that works for you. When it is vigorously developing in the spring and summer, it can need watering once a week or more. During the fall and winter, it may last 10 days or longer without needing water.
Put your fiddle leaf fig in the right soil
To maintain the health of your fiddle leaf fig, you need well-draining soil. The roots may become trapped in squishy soil as a result of poor soil drainage. This may result in diseases like root rot.
By mixing one to two parts all-purpose potting soil, one part perlite, and one part peat moss, you can create your own potting soil for your fiddle leaf fig tree. Widely regarded as the ideal soil for fiddle leaf figs, this produces a light soil that drains well.
Ensure it has the right temperature and humidity
Temperature changes will harm your fiddle leaf fig, which enjoys temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees. It should not be planted close to heating or air conditioning vents because it is susceptible to both hot and cold gusts. It prefers a relative humidity of between 30 and 65 percent, therefore dry air in your home during the winter months may be problematic.
Use water-filled pebble trays underneath the pot or set up a humidifier to maintain the happiness of your fiddle leaf fig tree. You might arrange your plants in a cluster to take use of the moisture they transpire. The surrounding humidity will increase as a result.
Some people prefer to spritz their plants frequently, but this method is ineffective for increasing the humidity in the area around your plants. Misting has short-lived effects and needs to be done frequently during the day to be effective.
Feed your fiddle leaf fig with its preferred fertilizer
High nitrogen fertilizers work best for fiddle leaf figs. The optimal formula is 3-1-2. This or a similar recipe can be purchased from a hardware store or garden shop. From spring through summer, feed your fiddle leaf fig once a month, adhering to the application rate on the container. When new growth starts to show in the spring, you should restart fertilizing your fiddle leaf fig.
Pinch your fiddle leaf fig
The simplest and least labor-intensive technique to spur new growth is to pinch.
The act of pinching a fiddle leaf fig involves using your thumb and finger to scrape off the tiniest fresh leaves from the tops of your plant’s branches and stem. Squeeze the fresh leaves to remove them from the plant by locating them.
The plant must create new growth from nodes along the stem or branch when the fresh leaves are pinched out.
Prune your plant
While pruning requires a bit more work than pinching does in terms of making your fiddle leaf fig bushier, the consequences are the same.
You will require a clean, sharp pair of clippers or a knife to prune your fiddle leaf fig. Find a node on the plant’s stem where you want new growth or lateral branches to develop.
Just 1/4 to 1/2 inch above the node, cut the stem. This will compel the plant node to produce new growth. To force branching, you can prune lateral branches or the fiddle leaf fig’s entire top.
No more than 10% of the plant should be pruned. Extreme trimming may stress the plant and retard its growth.
Notch your fiddle leaf fig
A more sophisticated technique for making your fiddle leaf fig tree bushy is notching.
As previously mentioned, notching entails slicing the plant’s stem right above a node. This prevents the release of growth hormones and causes the node to produce new growth.
Since notching necessitates a deep cut through one-third of the stem, it carries a small chance of accidently cutting the entire stem. If you want to force new branches and bushy development on your fiddle leaf fig tree, try notching it as described above.
Your fiddle leaf fig plant will look better if you promote lush new growth. Notching is one method of doing it, but it’s not the only one. If you’re worried about notching your fiddle leaf fig and running the danger of breaking it or totally cutting the stem, think about pinching or pruning to create a bushy plant as an alternative.
How does notching cause a tree to develop new branches?
Yes, you can use notching to encourage branching if you purchase trees from a nursery that have few branches (feathers). This is crucial to eliminate or lessen the likelihood of blind wood in trees meant for high-density training systems (such tall spindles). The response of younger trees to notching is greater than that of older trees. As illustrated in the accompanying figure, you can make a notch above the bud using a hacksaw or a tiny knife. Without harming or destroying the wood, we remove a very small bit of bark when notching. By inhibiting the hormone (auxin) that blocks the growth of lateral shoots, this encourages branching. For notching, you should concentrate on the region between 30 and 60 inches above the earth surface. Even while you can begin notching as soon as the seeds are planted, waiting until the new shoots are between one and three inches long would be preferable since you can more clearly identify the buds that did not break.
ideal for PGR and notching applications. Continue doing that up until it’s finished.
I would advise you to remove a couple of huge branches during dormant pruning by making a bevel cut, followed two weeks before bud break by notching and PGR sprays. Leaving a lot of huge limbs on the tree prevents any new branches from growing in the leader, which results in blind wood by sapping the main trunk of its carbohydrate supplies.