Akin developed the website and published the book to share how to grow strong fiddle leaf fig plants. Although many indoor gardeners wish to grow the plant, she discovered that there is very little reliable and comprehensive information on cultivating them.
You will find all the information you require in this comprehensive, simple-to-read guide to succeed with fiddle leaf fig plants. This involves determining whether your plant is healthy or whether it needs some additional special care and attention.
Akin lists numerous symptoms of fiddle leaf fig plant illness along with their causes. Brown stains on leaves, which may indicate over- or under-watering, are one of these. Fungal disease, which develops when leaves are overwatered, is what causes brown blotches in the middle of leaves. Browning on the leaf edges is a sign of dry, drafty air and inadequate irrigation.
Your fiddle leaf fig plant may be suffering from a lack of sunlight or inadequate nourishment if it is dropping leaves all over the plant and the leaves are yellow.
If your fiddle leaf fig has new growth and the new leaves are bigger than the old ones, your plant is likely healthy. Additionally, the plant will have glossy, brilliant green leaves and a beautiful overall appearance.
1. Ensure adequate drainage.
Plants of the fiddle leaf fig don’t respond well to wet soil. The plant roots’ ability to breathe and maintain good health depends on adequate drainage.
2. Prevent overwetting.
Every time you water, give the soil a little time to dry out. The plant will die from root rot if the soil is kept wet. The book contains details on how much water was used to water fiddle leaf figs.
Should I prune my fiddle leaf fig’s sickly leaves?
Especially if the tree is ill, pruning might shock the tree, although removing damaged leaves can also hasten the tree’s recovery. If in doubt, take a few leaves off and watch how your plant responds. After a week or two, take out a few more if it seems to handle it well.
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.
How can I tell if my fiddle leaf fig is getting too much water?
Brown patches towards the center and around the edges of the leaves of Fiddle Leaf Figs are a telltale indicator of excessive water and/or root rot. Too much water is nearly always indicated by many yellow.
A general browning with small dark patches or shaded areas that can swiftly spread from one leaf to another over the course of a week is another sign of overwatered fiddles.
You might also see that your plant loses its lower leaves first, as was indicated before. Given that plants typically safeguard their new growth and shed their older leaves first, this could be an indication of root rot.
How can I tell if the light reaching my fiddle leaf fig is adequate?
The thriving Facebook community known as the Fiddle Leaf Fig Resource Group is by far the best resource for anyone who care for fiddle leaf figs. Owners of this extraordinary plant can upload images there and receive prompt assistance from other fiddle fans. (Side note: You should come with us there if you haven’t already.)
Surprisingly, increasing the original poster’s plant’s regular exposure to intense sunlight could solve about 90% of the issues raised in the group.
Contrary to what many people think, these plants are full-sun organisms that absorb as much sunlight energy as any plant.
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.
Potential Cause 1: Root Rot
Brown stains on the roots from a fungus caused by too much moisture. Root rot is brought by by over watering and bad drainage, and it eventually affects your plant’s leaves.
How to Correct It
Removing the pot and looking at the roots is the only way to be confident that your plant has root rot. Root rot is at blame if the roots are mushy and discolored. Let your plant dry out for around two weeks if there are only a few brown patches on the leaves so that the roots have enough time to heal.
Make sure your plant gets enough light, and remove any damaged leaves. If there are several brown patches, you should remove any brown, mushy roots and the affected leaves before repotting the plant and being careful not to overwater it in the future.
Potential Cause 2: Bacterial Infection
In addition to the brown spots, your Fiddle Leaf Fig’s leaves will yellow as a result of bacterial leaf spot. In contrast to bacterial leaf spot, which causes the leaf to turn yellow as the brown spot spreads, root rot often causes the leaves to remain dark green with brown patches. Your Fiddle Leaf Fig’s leaves will eventually drop off due to both bacterial leaf spot and root rot. Since bacterial leaf spot tends to feed on new growth, it is likely to be to fault if your younger leaves are suffering more than your older leaves.
Unfortunately, this is the Fiddle Leaf Fig condition that is most difficult to treat. It can already be too late for your plant, even with the right care and watering. Cut off all of the leaves that have brown spots if the damage is not severe, then repot your plant in new, sterile soil. While it is healing, give it lots of light and don’t water as frequently.
Potential Cause 3: Insect Damage
Although uncommon, insect illnesses leave clear signs. Check your plant for webs or insects using a magnifying glass. Small patches that develop into holes on the leaves are a sure sign of insect damage.
Treatment for insect infestations is simple. Use neem oil products made specifically for indoor plants. Alternately, you might make your own cure by mixing a few teaspoons of mineral oil and baking soda in a spray bottle with water. Spray the entire affected area of the plant after thoroughly shaking the solution. Your other houseplants should not be near diseased plants. Neem oil has an overpowering odor, so move your plant outside if you can. Spray your fiddle leaf fig’s leaves with a strong mist. Don’t forget to spray the area where the leaf meets the stem after turning each leaf to cover the underside. If more spraying is required, wait two weeks, inspect once more, then repeat the process.
Potential Cause 4: Your Plant is Too Dry
Dry tan or brown regions that originate at the edge of the leaf and force the leaf to curl make dry plant brown spots simpler to identify. Your plant will occasionally appear dry or wilted overall, and the dirt may have retreated from the pot (shrinkage). This may result in the water never reaching the root ball and instead running between the pot and the soil.
Consider transferring your Fiddle Leaf Fig to a more moderate area if it is currently close to a heater or in an extremely dry environment. When the soil is 50 to 75 percent dry, water as needed, and keep an eye on your plant to make sure it’s getting enough hydration. Use a humidifier close to your plant or try misting it once to three days. Make sure the root ball of your plant is completely submerged in water by giving it a long sip. Make sure the pot’s bottom is dripping with water. Before placing the plant back on its saucer, let it to rest and drain any extra water.
How can a fiddle leaf fig be kept in good health?
Here are the keys for how to keep your fiddle leaf fig healthy, green, and gorgeous.
- Make certain that the drainage on your fiddle leaf fig is ideal.
- Use a Soil That Drains Quickly.
- Provide your plant with a lot of sunlight.
- Water with caution.
- Take Soil Aeration Into Account.
- Your Fiddle Leaf Fig Needs Food.
- Befriend your plant.
The ideal moisture level for a fiddle leaf fig?
Do Not Over Water is the first Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree ownership rule. They don’t require watering every few days like most plants do. In actuality, you ought to let the soil dry out completely between waterings. Your fiddle leaf may even go up to ten days without needing water, according to The Urban Sprout.
Before adding further water, the top few inches of the soil in the pot should be dry.
Put your finger one to two inches into the soil to measure the moisture content. It is too soon to give your plant more water if it feels damp or moist. To the touch, it ought to feel dry.
A moisture meter can be purchased if you want to get fancy. Simply insert it into the soil, and it will show you how much moisture is present. While a moisture meter is by no means necessary, it helps increase your confidence when deciding whether or not to water your Fiddle Leaf.
So how much water should you give your Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree?
These plants are accustomed to the intense rainfall and extended dry spells seen in the rain forests of Africa. Therefore, you must give your plant a deep watering when you do water it.
After some time, the state of the plant’s leaves will indicate whether you are watering it enough or too much. Here are some examples of fiddle leaf fig tree leaves in good health.
Signs of Too Much Water
- beginning at the plant’s base, the leaves are beginning to turn a yellowish-brown color.
- patches growing in the middle of the leaf that are brown or black.
- leaves shedding
- Root rot is indicated by a musty smell coming from the roots and the soil.
Signs of Not Enough Water
- On the leaf edges, brown or dark patches appear.
- Brown patches can be found on the plant’s leaves all around, not only near the bottom.
Here is a picture of a leaf from one of our plants during a dry spell.
What does a Fiddle Leaf Fig that has been submerged look like?
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.
Why are my fiddle leaf fig’s margins going brown?
Floppy Leaf The difficulty in resolving fig brown spots is mostly due to the variety of causes of browning leaves.
The fact that some of the causes are diametrically opposed to one another doesn’t help either!
The good news is that depending on where they are, what color they are, and how you take care of your Fiddle Leaf, there are techniques to recognize and address the causes of various brown spots.
Keep a watch on any brown spots on a Fiddle Leaf Fig you’ve recently purchased to see whether they spread or get worse.
As long as they don’t spread, brown patches brought on by previous problems don’t need to be attended to. Imagine them as a scar. Unfortunately, damaged leaves won’t grow back. Therefore, it’s crucial to prevent things from getting worse.
Identifying the cause of your Fiddle Leaf Fig’s Brown Spots
Don’t let the numerous reasons for brown spots deter you! Once you start to recognize the various varieties, it will be simple for you to evaluate your FLF and restore it to full health. The leading causes of brown stains or damage are listed below, along with solutions.
The appearance of sunburned leaves can range from white to yellow or light brown. Sunburned brown spots may become crispy and develop a yellow ring around the edge of the brown. Sunburn does not only affect particular areas of a leaf, such the edges.
How to spot a FLF with sunburn:
- Does direct sunlight reach your FLF? Only exposure to direct sunlight, whether from the outside or a window, can result in sunburn.
- Has your FLF received more sun recently than usual? Although fiddles are naturally full-sun plants, they must gradually become accustomed to direct sunlight. If your FLF is brand-new, be careful not to expose it to more than 1-2 hours of light morning sun at first (unless you are certain that it was in direct sun prior to purchase)!
- Does your FLF receive direct sun, but you’ve just experienced really hot weather? If these plants aren’t accustomed to intense sun, they still risk burning. My outdoor Fiddle sadly received some burns from the intense sunshine following a heatwave of 38C (100F).
- Are the sun-exposed locations where the brown spots are located? Leaf burn won’t happen if it is buried under other leaves. This is a reliable approach to confirm that sunburn is to blame. It frequently appears on taller leaves or in exposed locations where the sun shines.
Floppy Leaf Underwatering in figs usually results in brown blotches because the plant is excessively dry. Depending on whether the issue has been resolved or not, under watering brown spots are crisp, light brown, and typically begin at the leaf’s outside margins before moving within. A shortage of water will frequently cause the leaves to droop.
How to spot a FLF with insufficient water:
- When you water a plant, do you completely saturate it? Unfortunately, just providing FLFs with a small amount of water, or x-number of “cups,” results in a lot of underwatering. Keep in mind that every time you water, the entire root ball should be soaked. An accurate moisture meter can automate this process for you if you’re unclear about your watering strategy and schedule.
- Have you watered your plants in more than two weeks? The frequency of watering your FLF will depend on a variety of environmental factors, but they will typically dry out mostly in two weeks.
- Is the dirt dry to the touch? Watering is often recommended when the top two inches of soil are mostly dry. Your fiddle is way too dry if the ground is bone dry!
Brown spots from dryness appear because of dry air, much as underwatering. Tropical plants known as fiddle leaf figs prefer a humid habitat. Although they may adapt to lower levels of humidity, an optimal humidity level is above 60%. Low humidity or being in the draft of a heater or air conditioner might cause the plant to become dry.
Some people advise watering plants to prevent dryness, however this only slightly raises humidity for a brief period of time. Additionally, if the leaves are misted frequently, they may be susceptible to bacterial illnesses! Consider purchasing a humidifier to raise the humidity in the room if your house is overly dry. Run it near your plant, but keep it away from it.
How to tell if a FLF is dry:
- Check out the advice on under-watered FLFs above. Make sure your Fiddle is receiving enough water first because the symptoms of dryness are identical to underwatering.
- Are the leaves crumpling or are the edges of the leaves becoming brown? The edges of the leaves will first become dry, and this may also cause the leaves to begin to fold.
- Does your fiddle have any form of air blowing on it or sit near a heater? Dry air striking your plant can undoubtedly be a major contributor to dryness. Move it away from the draft to a new spot.
- The humidity may be too low. Although they can adapt to low humidity, fiddles do best in environments with humidity levels above 60%.
Brown stains on Fiddle Leaf Fig leaves brought on by overwatering might begin anywhere on the leaf. Accordingly, the spot may show up in the center of a leaf, next to the margin, or nearer the stem. Overwatering brown blotches have a murky appearance and are quite dark, almost black. Give your FLF at least a week to dry out if you overwatered it before watering it once more. The brown spots ought to halt growing.
How to spot a FLF that has been overwatered
- Before watering, do you make sure the top two inches of soil are largely dry? Between waterings, fiddle leaf figs prefer to mostly dry out. You should only water them when the top two inches of soil are dry. If you are unfamiliar with caring for these plants, a trustworthy moisture meter can assist you with a watering regimen.
- Do you water your FLF more frequently than once per week? While the frequency of watering will vary depending on your environment, FLFs typically only require a weekly watering.
- Does your pot have a hole for drainage? For FLF health, a draining pot is essential. Since these plants don’t like to “sit” in water, this enables extra water to drain. You’ll need to repot your plant if yours doesn’t.