When to repot a fiddle leaf fig and when to let your tree alone is one of the most frequent queries that fiddle leaf fig owners have.
Any change to their usual pattern and surroundings runs the danger of shocking them, which is frequently followed by droopiness and leaf loss. They prefer to settle into a routine and place where they may develop and thrive.
But occasionally, threats to our poor fiddles go beyond root shock. Repotting your fiddle should only be done when doing otherwise would be riskier.
Repot
Every two years, fiddle leaf figs typically require repotting, and spring is an excellent time to do it because the weather can help your tree recover from any root shock.
Additionally, the warmer weather makes it possible to repot your fiddle outside, which is advantageous if your tree is big.
Find a pot with drainage that is 1-2 times larger than your fiddle’s root ball if it is time for an upgrade (but no larger). Use a quick-draining soil, such as our Premium Fiddle Leaf Fig Soil or cactus mix.
After repotting your fiddle, the roots are particularly fragile, so wait a month before fertilizing. Chemical burns on your roots or leaves are not what you want!
Prune
Now is a wonderful time to prune your fiddle’s leaves if they are getting crowded or if the lower leaves are drooping.
To get rid of those leaves, just use a clean, sharp knife or a set of pruning shears. To prevent shock, be careful not to remove more than 10% of your fiddle’s leaves at once.
Bonus advice: You can reproduce any healthy branches or leaves that you prune! To encourage root growth, dip the cut end in some rooting hormone and place it in a glass of water. When the roots are one length, place in soil and change the water every day.
Clean your fiddle’s leaves
You should consider doing some spring cleaning on your instrument. It’s crucial to maintain the leaves of your plant clean because dust and grime can clog pores and hinder photosynthesis and respiration in addition to making them look ugly.
Use a hose, shower your plant, or mist it with warm water in a spray bottle to clean it. Then, gently wipe the leaves with a towel.
We advise using our Leaf Amor spray, which assists with leaf cleaning and also shields leaves against dust, dirt, bacteria, and fungus.
Adjust your watering routine
With the weather getting warmer, you may have become used to watering your instrument less frequently than you formerly did throughout the winter when it was chilly.
Observe the root ball of your plant using a moisture meter, and record how long it takes the soil to dry out. As the temps rise, you might notice that your plant needs a little bit more water.
Fertilize
Now is a wonderful time to start fertilizing your fiddle leaf fig if you haven’t already.
Like a multivitamin for your plant, fertilizer gives it the nutrients it needs to encourage the growth of its stems and leaves as well as give it a gorgeous, glossy green hue.
Find a 3-1-2 NPK liquid fertilizer, and make sure you follow the instructions on the bottle. Carefully adhere to the suggested fertilizer plan. I use Fiddle Leaf Fig Food since I can never remember to fertilize on a schedule, and it’s gentle enough to use with every watering. Every time I water my fiddles, I simply add a little to my watering can, and my plants absolutely adore it!
Adjust your light
Keep an eye on the type of light your fiddle is receiving because the angle of the sun’s rays changes in the spring. You might want to move your plant a few inches to prevent direct sunlight that could scorch it if the sun is suddenly shining squarely on its leaves.
Branch out
You should foster the growth of new branches on your fiddle during the spring. Try pinching or notching your fiddle if you want new branches.
Try pinching if you want the tree to sprout branches from the top: Get some pruning shears, look for the top of the tree’s freshest growth, and cut it off. (Beware of the sap!) Within two to three weeks, new branches ought to start to form.
Try notching if you want your tree to branch deeper down the trunk: decide where you want a branch to go, identify the closest node, then make a 1/8 cut in the trunk with a sharp knife. With a towel, remove the sap.
Although notching has a roughly 50/50 success rate, if it does, you’ll soon notice new branch buds!
A caveat: don’t make too many changes at once.
The spring is a great time to increase Fiddle Leaf Fig maintenance and benefit from growth spurts, but keep in mind that fiddles don’t appreciate too much change at once. Don’t repot, prune, notch, and fertilize all in the same day, to put it another way.
To give your tree time to heal, space large procedures like this out by at least a few weeks. And keep in mind to start with the fundamentals: light, water, fertilizer, and climate.
Don’t wait to repot your new plant.
Your plant most likely arrived in a plastic pot if you bought it from Home Depot or another supplier.
To keep the roots bone-dry, these pots incorporate drainage holes on the side. That’s because growers regularly moisten plants’ roots with water, and growing containers are made to allow water to drain quickly. This lessens (or completely eliminates) the chance of root rot, but once you get your plant home, it becomes hazardous.
Don’t put off repotting your plant because fiddle leaf figs can dry out and sustain severe harm in just a few days in these containers. If you have to wait a few days or weeks, make sure to water your plant every day while it is in the grower’s pot. Pour the water on the plant gently so it has time to soak in rather than simply draining out the side drainage holes.
Understand proper drainage.
Understanding correct drainage is the most crucial long-term investment you can make in the health of your fiddle leaf fig plant.
Because fiddle leaf fig trees are prone to root rot, you must ensure that your container has excellent drainage and that your plant never sits in water. To keep your root ball dry, you’ll need a container with a drainage hole and some cactus mix or other materials, such Smart Gravel.
My preferred planters are those made of ceramic with drainage holes, such as this one or the following one, both of which are available at Home Depot.
Select the right container.
You’ll need to purchase a new container that is 3–4 inches wider in diameter (across the top) than the one your plant is now in. Grab a tape measure to make sure your new container is bigger than your old one in both width and height. Avoid going overboard because oversized pots might encourage root rot. The new pot should have a maximum diameter increase of 6 inches over the old one. A 16- or 18-inch pot will work as the majority of the large fiddle leaf fig trees at Home Depot are in 12- or 14-inch pots. Your new pot must have drainage holes at the bottom, otherwise, plant homicide will have occurred. A sizable ceramic pot like the one below works best for me as a container.
Get the right potting soil.
Your plant needs nutrients from the soil in order to grow, as well as for proper drainage and moisture management.
I always plant fiddle leaf figs in our premium potting soil. Don’t give in to the temptation of using soil or dirt from your garden for succulents or other plants. Houseplants require soil that is prepared to promote airflow and water retention.
Sunburn
One of the most frequent problems we hear about when it comes to moving fiddle leaf figs is how rapidly the leaves can sunburn.
Owners of fiddle leaf figs all too frequently place them in the car without any protection from the sun, which causes the leaves to burn.
Put the leaves in a shaded area of the car and cover them with paper, a light blanket, opaque plastic, or a sheet to keep them out of the direct sunshine.
Drafts and Heat
Position the leaves away from a vent if you can to keep them from becoming dangerously heated. This can assist, but you should also be covering the leaves.
If you have to decide between allowing your fiddle leaf fig become too warm or blasting it with air, go for warm if you can.
Tearing
When you transfer the tree in and out of a car or if they shift during transit, your fiddle leaf fig leaves may tear.
Secure the tree so it won’t move and other objects can’t bump it, then cover the leaves with paper or a thin sheet.
If you must tip the tree over, support the trunk so that the foliage won’t be damaged.
Uprooting
Fiddle leaf figs dislike being relocated in the first place, thus uprooting them can result in a lot of unneeded shock that makes the tree acclimate to its new habitat more slowly and lose more leaves than is normal.
If you plan to tip the plant on its side to put it in a car, secure it in the pot by wrapping the base of the trunk and the pot in plastic wrap, a towel, or a blanket.
Breaking
Finally, if the trunk of your fiddle leaf fig is thin, you run the risk of shattering the branches or possibly the trunk.
Consider wrapping the trunk in a protective blanket or wadded-up packing paper if you’re carrying the tree in a moving truck with many other items, or use furniture to erect a barrier of protection around the tree.
The risk of breaking a branch or the trunk is lower when driving a car, but you should still support the trunk with boxes, pillows, the center console, etc. Additionally, it prevents the leaves from ripping from bearing too much weight.
How should a fiddle leaf fig be repotted?
It’s time for soil after you’ve chosen a container for your fiddle leaf’s new home.
Fiddle leaf figs require potting soil that drains well and has a lot of organic content. It performs best on a peat-based soil with some perlite. For good reason, this is staple fare for the majority of indoor potting mixtures.
A fundamental ratio would be around two-thirds peat and one-third perlite. Though many other, more complex recipes might also be effective. I merely want to give you a rough idea of what constitutes adequate drainage in this area.
What causes my fiddle leaf fig to droop after being replanted?
Like people, fiddle leaf fig trees experience some stress when they move into a new place. For them, moving into a new, larger pot might serve as a basic form of relocation. After repotting, symptoms like drooping leaves are completely typical. The symptoms might take a few days to manifest, but with the correct environment and care, your plant should adapt to the new container and return to normal in a matter of weeks. After repotting, keep a check on your fiddle to make sure the symptoms do not persist for too long.
If your Fiddle has been relocated to a new location in your house, it could also exhibit signs of stress. Your Fiddle could experience shock if the light or temperature suddenly shift. After a few weeks, if your plant is still receiving adequate light and the temperature change is not too drastic, it should easily adapt to its new surroundings. A few leaves may have drooped after your transfer because of the bumps it may have met, but this shouldn’t cause you any long-term concern.
Avoid placing your plant next to any radiators or air conditioning/heating vents. Drooping leaves are one among the stress indications that your fiddle will exhibit as a result of the drafts or heat pockets that are formed. You might invest in a compact humidity sensor, which is useful for identifying dry areas in your house.
If the leaves on your Fiddle are drooping but none (or very few) have fallen off, you’re in luck since you should have noticed the problem quickly enough to be able to fix it. After you have identified the problem and made the necessary changes to the environment or care, your plant should recover fully after a few weeks. If you’ve suddenly realized that it’s lost a lot of leaves, don’t panic. With the correct care, you should be able to resurrect your dying fiddle. Simply put, it can take a little longer and demand a closer look.
Are fiddle leaf figs sun-sensitive?
Fiddle Leaf Figs need to be thoroughly watered about once a week to match their love of natural light. You should modify the amount of watering based on the size of the plant and, consequently, the size of the roots. As a general rule, water the plant thoroughly only after the top 2 to 3 inches of soil have dried up. This entails watering it till water drips out the bottom if it’s in a planter with a drainage hole. However, avoid letting the drip tray fill up with water for too long because root rot can readily develop in this situation. Remember to water the plant slowly and in a circular motion around it, making sure to wet all of the soil. Water will then reach all of the roots rather than just some.
A Sustee Aqua-meter is one of the greatest instruments for determining how frequently your Fiddle Leaf Fig requires water (available for purchase in our shops). We have discovered that there are particular seasons of the year when our plants are significantly more thirsty than usual since we started using these in our stores. The Sustee changes color from blue to white when the soil is sufficiently dry to prevent overwatering from occurring after it has become saturated with water.
You should water all tropical plants with water that is room temperature. A plant will undoubtedly experience shock if exposed to hot or extremely cold water, just as it would if the same conditions existed outside.
Prior to watering, aerate and break up the soil to improve water absorption. In order to ensure that water reaches all of the plant’s roots rather than draining out along the planter’s edges, we also advise watering very slowly around the top of the soil.
Maintenance
Fiddle Leaf Figs need some routine care, just like most other plants. One crucial maintenance procedure for your fiddle leaf coincidentally involves its leaves, which are also its most noticeable feature. Wonderful duty in the shape of routine dusting comes with great leaves. Fiddle Leaf Figs require frequent dusting due to the size of their leaves. As dust builds up on plant leaves, dust particles interfere with the plant’s ability to absorb sunlight and carry out photosynthesis. Given how much Fiddle Leaf Figs adore light, giving your plant a frequent dusting will go a long way toward keeping it healthy.
Rotating your plant monthly or biweekly is a good idea in addition to dusting the leaves. By rotating your plant, you’ll ensure that it receives an equal distribution of light, preventing one side from growing much faster than the other and resulting in a solid, symmetrical Fiddle Leaf Fig.
There are a few things you can do to encourage your Fiddle Leaf Fig (or any tree, for that matter) to start developing branches. First, try providing your plant with additional light. Trees naturally sprout branches, and if they have a lot of natural light, they may have more energy to devote to doing so. Cutting off your plant’s highest point of growth is another approach to promote branching. As a result, the plant will be forced to start branching out from the sides rather than continuing to grow vertically. Visit our pruning journal entry to find out more about pruning and branching.
Aerating the soil once every few months prevents the soil from being compacted for people who don’t already do so. The ability of your plant to absorb water is one of many factors that can be badly impacted by compacted soil, which eventually forms tiny pockets of soil where water never penetrates. It is possible to aerate using a variety of tools, including chopsticks and official soil aerators that are of a similar size and shape. To avoid destroying too many roots, gently press the aerator deeper into the earth as you go. By breaking up any areas where the soil has clumped together, do this a variety of times around the soil to keep your plant healthy and happy.
Last but not least, we advise using a “less is more” philosophy when it comes to fertilizing your Fiddle Leaf Fig and other indoor plants. It’s advisable to avoid providing your plants with too many extra nutrients at once. In the spring and summer, we strongly advise adding a slow release pellet fertilizer, such as the Osmocote Plus Indoor Smart-Release Plant Food, into the top layer of the plant’s soil. These pellet fertilizers typically last for a few months.
Winter Tips
Winter is a challenging season for indoor plants, including Fiddle Leaf Figs, because of the obvious lack of natural light and the cooler temperatures. As indicated above, keeping an eye out for cold windows is a smart place to start, but there are other things you can do to keep your Fiddle Leaf content throughout the chilly months.
People frequently experience problems with heating vents during the winter, but since they aren’t used for more than half the year, it’s simple to forget about them. Plan to relocate all of your plants away from any heating vents when it is time for them to turn on. Repeated hot air bursts have the potential to scorch leaves and quickly dry out your plants.
Break up the dirt a little with your fingertips before watering your plant in the winter. Soil is easily clumped and compacted in winter due to the dry indoor air. By lightly breaking it up with your fingertips, you can prevent water from dripping through the soil and out the sides of the planter.
It’s also important to note that a humidifier can benefit Fiddle Leaf Figs and other tropical plants all year long, but particularly during the winter when the indoor air turns dry. Your plants are able to flourish as they would in a rainforest thanks to the continuous increase in moisture circulating in the air, which prevents browning leaf tips.
Key points:
Fiddle Leaf Figs thrive when put immediately in front of windows since they require a lot of natural light.
Once a week, thoroughly water the soil, allowing the top few inches to dry out before watering again.
Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about caring for fiddle leaf figs below, in person at one of our stores, or by contacting us.