We advise always removing the damaged portion of a leaf or, if it is completely brown, the entire leaf. The plant recovers and looks its best with the help of removal of the dead leaf or damaged parts. Pruning shears or extremely sharp scissors are required.
Instructions for proper removal of damaged or dead leaves
1. Use clean shears to remove any brown leaf tips or patches. To prevent harming the plant’s remaining good foliage, merely remove the damaged tips or areas, leaving a very small margin of brown. 2. Remove individual leaves at their bases if the entire leaf has turned brown. Gently tug the leaf; it might fall off on its own. Gently lifting the leaf should cause it to detach; if not, use clean shears to cut through the stem.
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How are the dead leaves removed from a fiddle leaf fig?
It’s a good idea to spread out a few sheets of newspaper around your plant before you begin so that it will protect the flooring from any falling debris and the milky latex sap that will unavoidably leak out.
Keep the poisonous latex away from your skin and out of children’s and animals’ reach. It is advised that you wear long sleeves and gloves.
Additionally, it’s crucial to use a fresh, well-kept pair of pruners. Clean them with soap and hot water if you aren’t sure if you cleaned them after the last time you used them. Prior to usage, properly dry them.
Working with the main trunk or stem is how you prune a plant that has grown too tall. This branch can be the only one the tree has, depending on how your plant is shaped.
Find the area of the branch you wish to trim before making a cut. After that, lean in close to inspect the trunk. An internodal space, or a location on the trunk that is between two nodes, is what you’re looking for.
Nodes, which grow into leaves or branches, are merely slightly elevated rings in the bark of an F. lyrata tree.
Make a diagonal cut directly between the two nodes, and then use a damp cloth to clean away the sap. Expect to observe fresh lateral branches emerging from the node immediately beneath your cut within a few weeks.
It is well known that F. lyrata reaches for the light. If you want to prevent having a lopsided plant, be careful to rotate the planter every few days. Unfortunately, we occasionally forget to do this and our plants end up excessively leaning to one side.
Or perhaps you need to remove some lateral branches because the foliage is too dense.
You may encourage greater airflow between those lovely, gigantic leaves by cutting back on a few branches, which will help you prevent insect and disease problems.
Make sure, however, that you never remove more than 10% of the fiddle-leaf fig at one time.
Cutting too closely to the trunk increases the chance of injuring the branch collar’s tissue, which could then allow disease germs to enter the trunk.
If the branch is cut too close, it may remain attached and rot, possibly leading to the degradation of the branch collar and opening the door for infection.
Simply clip them off at the base with your pruners if you only need to remove a few sick or dead leaves from your plant here and there.
Should I remove the fiddle leaf fig’s lower leaves?
Similar to sculpting a masterpiece, shaping your fiddle leaf fig requires that you start with an idea of what you want the finished product to look like.
To ensure that the remaining foliage looks balanced, I find it helpful to label all the branches you want to remove with colorful tape or a Post-it Note before you begin. To lessen the risk of shock, start out gently and never remove more than 10% of your plant at once.
Decide on Your Ideal Shape
Fiddle leaf fig plants often have one of two shapes: a bush or a tree.
Smaller plants are typically bushier, whereas larger plants are typically more fashioned like trees. You might want to start shaping your little plant into a tree as it grows. Choose whether you want to prune your plant to maintain its compact bush shape or to give it a correct tree shape.
Plan to Remove Damaged Leaves or Branches
So that you can arrange to eliminate the least healthy parts of your plant first, evaluate the general health of each branch and group of leaves. Mark any sections that need to be removed if there are any leaves with brown spots or branches with smaller leaf growth.
Remove Crossing Branches
To increase airflow and relieve crowding, you should eliminate some portions of densely populated branches. You should take care of any branches that touch each other as well as any leaves that are preventing one another’s leaves from growing.
Create Your Ideal Shape
Any growth that is 8 to 10 inches or less from the ceiling, the surrounding walls, or the furniture should be planned for removal. Next, cut off any growth that does not conform to your ideal shape.
Remove lower leaves and branches to reveal a good trunk if you want to create a tree-like shape. Remove gangly or ugly growth if your plant is out of balance to give it a more appealing overall form.
How to Make Your Cuts
Pruning should begin once you’ve marked the sections you want to cut out and made sure you like the way the tree looks in its finished form. When pruning your plant, make sure the cutting motion does not crush or harm the stem by using a sharp, clean tool.
Cut each one away from the trunk or any leaves by about a half-inch. With no chance of infection spreading to the main trunk or any surviving leaves, this enables your plant to heal properly. In order to prevent the spread of bacteria and diseases, pick up and dispose of any falling leaves or garbage.
New Growth After Pruning
If your plant is healthy, it will typically divide the branch where it was pruned, producing two branches where one once was.
Eventually, this creates the impression of a fuller, healthier plant. Your plant might only continue to develop one branch where it was clipped if it is in pain or isn’t getting enough light. After pruning, allow access to lots of light to promote more development.
Fertilize After Pruning
Fertilize your plant frequently after pruning to promote new growth and aid in the plant’s recovery from the shock of pruning. (Are you unsure of the ideal fertilizer for your fiddle leaf fig? Test out our plant food! Within a few weeks to a month after pruning your plant, you ought to notice new growth.
Should I remove the fiddle leaf fig leaves that have brown spots?
Since poor drainage is typically the cause of root rot, you should improve your drainage as soon as possible. A well-draining container, quick-draining potting soil, and infrequent watering are all important.
In order to proceed, you should first evaluate the damage. You don’t need to repot your plant if the leaves just have a few brown spots. Allow your plant to dry out for at least two weeks to give the roots enough time to recover. Make sure your plant receives adequate sunshine and remove any damaged leaves.
Use a moisture meter to check that the roots of your plant are drying out in between waterings if you’re unsure whether they are wet. With the right drainage and watering, your plant should then recover. For additional information on appropriate watering, visit our ultimate watering guide here.
However, you should do root surgery and repot your fiddle leaf fig if the damage is significant or spreading quickly.
Take your plant out of the pot, then hose the root ball down. Remove any mushy, brown roots. Make sure your drainage is adequate and repot your house plants in soil that dries quickly. To prevent the issue from recurring in the future, adopt good watering habits.
We’ve spent over a year developing a treatment to guard your plant from root rot infections in case your fiddle leaf fig still needs assistance or you want to protect it in the future.
Where should dead leaves be trimmed?
A houseplant’s appearance can also be ruined by dead or poorly formed leaves. Both damaged leaves and missing plant branches can be removed. You can use sharp scissors to trim overly ambitious stems back to just above a leaf point when they start to spoil the plant’s form. Simply remove the dead leaves; do not leave any little snags that will die back. It is advisable to trim the stem back to its base with sharp scissors in order to eliminate any dead leaves that are at the top of the shoot.
The dead blooms on houseplants can be removed individually and thrown on a compost pile. Azaleas bloom profusely over several weeks. Pick off the initial ones as they pass away to make room for the next ones to emerge. It is known as deadheading. You may remove each dead blossom from a cyclamen by pulling it off with the stalk. It will just snap off at the desired location if you give it a little tug. The stem would steadily deteriorate if you merely removed the blossom, which would stimulate the deterioration of other blooms and stems as well. Moreover, it just looks horrible. Don’t leave the blooms and stems at the plant’s base; instead, add them to the compost pile.
Fiddle leaf figs produce new leaves, or not?
Fiddle Leaf Figs are infamously difficult to grow. There are a few typical maladies of this plant, like brown spots and leaf drop, that can make it sick or, worse, fast bring about its demise. The secret to keeping your plant happy and healthy is to keep an eye out for them and catch them early. Keep an eye out for these indications of a possibly sick fiddle leaf fig.
Brown spots on the leaves
The leaves of fiddle leaf figs are incredibly prone to browning. Brown spots that start to form and spread should be investigated even though a few small markings here and there are not a cause for concern.
Due to two opposing factors—either overwatering or underwatering—most brown patches on fiddles are unfortunately difficult to diagnose. Here’s how to distinguish between them:
Overwatering, which results in root rot, is probably to blame for brown patches that appear in the center of the leaf and spread outward. A fungal illness called root rot will eventually kill your plant by spreading to the leaves. You should repot your plant as soon as possible if it has root rot. Take the plant out of the ground, wash the roots thoroughly, and cut off any that are brown or mushy. After that, repot the plant in new soil with adequate drainage and remove the damaged leaves.
Are the brown spots on your fiddle beginning at the outside border of the leaves and moving inside? The plant is probably too dry for this to be the cause. Give your Fiddle a thorough rinse, and make sure it’s not too close to any heaters or air vents because that will likely cause the plant to dry out more quickly than is desired.
Finally, trauma may cause brown spots to form at random. A plant can suffer trauma just by changing homes (i.e. changing environments). If only one or two of your plant’s brown, damaged leaves are present, remove them at the stem and give your plant some time to heal.
The new growth is smaller than the older leaves
A healthy plant always shows new development, and if your Fiddle’s leaves are getting big and strong, your plant is doing fine.
The presence of little, stunted new leaves, however, may indicate that your plant is deficient in nutrients. Consider repotting your plant if it has been a while since you gave it fresh soil, or just fertilize it in the spring and summer to give it the extra nutrients it requires.
Dropping leaves
Fiddle Leaf Figs can appear to drop their leaves out of nowhere. One leaf here and there is normal; but, if several leaves have fallen off in a short period of time, you must act quickly to rescue the tree. Once more, underwatering or overwatering are the most likely causes of leaf drop in fiddle leaf figs. How then can you distinguish between them? Look at the direction in which the leaves are falling from the plant: if the older leaves (at the bottom) are dropping first, overwatering is probably the cause. On the other hand, if the plant’s leaves are falling off all around, it’s probably not getting enough water. Here are a few more techniques for differentiating.
Leaves turning yellow
Do your fiddle leaf fig’s leaves appear to be yellow? There are several potential reasons:
inadequate lighting Fiddle Leaf Figs require as much direct, strong light as they can get. Even a little direct sunshine is acceptable, but stay away from locations with medium or low light. Remember that a Fiddle that receives insufficient light is more likely to overwater.
a lackluster diet. Due to a deficiency of nutrients in the soil, your Fiddle plant may have yellow leaves. You may want to attempt fertilizing it with liquid fertilizer.
Pests. If fiddles are being attacked by insects, their leaves may also turn yellow. If you have a suspicion that this is the case, thoroughly check the leaves’ top and bottom surfaces for any potential bugs.
Stunted or slowed growth
During the spring and summer, healthy fiddles typically produce new leaves every four to six weeks. It’s possible to see your plant add numerous new leaves in only a few days or weeks because growth usually occurs in spurts. It’s typical for there to be no new growth during the winter. Again, if you don’t observe the expected growth in this plant, it may require new nutrients in the form of a quality plant fertilizer.
Dirty or dusty leaves
When was the last time you washed your plant’s leaves? Plants breathe through their leaves in addition to absorbing sunlight through them. Your plant won’t be able to carry out either of these tasks as effectively as we’d like if a layer of dust is present on its huge leaves. A fantastic technique to keep your Fiddle Leaf Fig plant bright, healthy, and vibrant is to clean the leaves every few months. You may read about various cleaning techniques for your fiddle leaf fig here.
Fiddle Leaf Figs are known to be pickier than most plants, despite the fact that they can be quite low maintenance. Maintain a regular watering routine, fertilize in the spring and summer, and most importantly, ensure that your plant receives enough light year-round (yes, this may require moving it in the winter!). Keep a watch out for any of these symptoms since treating them quickly is essential to keeping your plant healthy and looking nice.
This article was modified from Claire Akin’s Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Resource. For additional information on how to take care of the fiddle leaf fig, see their website.