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.
Your fiddle is putting out offshoots
A fiddle leaf fig tree’s new leaves may only be offshoots of the primary plant.
This may be the case if your tree appears to be in otherwise good health (new growth is visible at the top, and the leaves are vivacious, green, and spotless).
Offshoots can either be promptly removed so the tree can focus its energy on developing new leaves and branches higher up the tree, or they can be let to grow a bit longer and be multiplied!
To avoid the tree trying to replenish this growth after it is gone, it is ideal to do this before the stems get woody.
Your fiddle leaf fig is stressed
This growth at the bottom may occasionally indicate that your tree is under attack or having health issues.
Suckers are new leaves that grow at the base of a tree and they might arise when a tree—including the fiddle leaf fig—is under stress.
This is a result of a tree’s innate propensity to sprout new growth after suffering damage. In order to potentially replace leaves or branches that may be in danger, a stressed or hurt tree may try to sprout new branches. Imagine that your instrument is doing this when it senses danger.
Sometimes we deliberately trigger this reaction, as when we notch or pinch our fiddles to encourage new growth in the desired location.
But if our fiddles begin developing suckers on their own, that might be a red flag.
Root damage
If the roots have been compromised, trees like fiddle leaf figs may develop suckers at the base of the trunk.
Simply cut the suckers at the base to allow your tree more time to heal if you’ve recently repotted your violin or pruned the roots. The roots of your tree may be strained for another cause if it hasn’t been cut down or replanted in a time. It might not be a bad idea to upgrade to a little larger pot or to take your tree out of the pot and check the roots.
Insect infestation
Your tree may begin to develop suckers if the adult leaves and branches are being attacked by insects.
Simply cut the suckers and continue fighting the infestation as your plant is already fighting insects. Try closely scrutinizing your tree for insects like mealybugs, scale, spider mites, etc. if the suckers are a surprise.
How can I induce my fiddle fig tree to grow new leaves?
It might be time to pot-up when your Fiddle Leaf Fig appears to be too large for the pot (aka move it to a larger pot). It will have more room to expand and become taller as a result. Additionally, it is a good idea to completely re-pot your FLF so that it has new nutrients to grow with rather than using the same old soil (this entails taking as much soil from the roots as you can, cutting, and planting it in new soil).
How to Train you Fiddle Leaf Fig into a Standard Tree form (from bush / cluster or small plant)
While it may be tempting to start trimming your FLF to make it immediately resemble a standard form using the secateurs, this may not be the best course of action. It’s really alluring looking at those drool-worthy interior design images! Although your FLF may not be in the best shape right now, if you give it some thought and time, you will end up with a much beautiful tree! To get the tree you desire, the process could take at least a few years or seasons of growth, but this is okay. Be patient and take pleasure in the training process.
To start with, don’t pick off the bottom leaves! These aid in supplying nutrients to the lower trunk, strengthening and thickening it as a result. The waif-like trunks of FLFs are well known, but if the trunk is too thin, it won’t be able to support the leafy treetop portion as you want it to, and it will always need to be anchored or lean. The bottom leaves should probably be removed last, in my opinion.
Separating a Cluster: If you have a cluster or collection of FLFs in a pot, you can cut them apart into individual trees. Remove them from their containers at the beginning of the growing season, gently dividing the roots, and providing each plant a root ball that is appropriate for its size (if you have to cut the roots apart, make sure each plant has a root ball that is appropriate for the plant’s size). Replant each in a separate pot.
Be warned that some clusters may not be able to be separated because they share a root ball. This may be the situation if your FLF has a group of stems that are quite near to one another at soil level. This type of cluster separation might cause damage to the plant or possibly cause it to die.
There are ways to encourage your Fiddle Leaf Fig to grow more branches if it now just has a single trunk. To promote new growth, one method is to clip off the tip or top few leaves of the trunk. Another method is known as “notching,” in which a tiny cut is made into the trunk right above a bud that needs to branch. The tree will be duped into branching out at this point by this.
Simply remove any branches near the trunk that you don’t want on your FLF. They can also be employed for cultivating fresh FLFs. This post will be useful for more detailed information on cultivating a FLF tree.
Are you setting out on a trip with a brand-new FLF? Please share your progress with me in the comments section below; I’d love to hear from you.
If you’re looking for more detailed information on fertilizing, trimming, supporting a leaning trunk, and typical FLF fallacies, check out my other Fiddle Leaf Fig postings here.
Fiddle leaf fig leaves do they regrow?
If you recently bought a fiddle leaf fig, be prepared for some leaves to fall while it gets used to its new surroundings. To ensure that a larger issue is not at play, keep an eye on the overall number of leaves lost.
Typically, a plant that is recovering from shock will have between 3 and 7 leaves.
Give it Consistency
Make sure to maintain consistency in your plant’s lighting, humidity, and watering practices to aid in its recovery.
Keep your new plant away from heating vents and chilly drafts in a bright spot without direct sunlight. When the top one or two inches of soil are dry or once every seven days, water. Give your plant a couple of weeks to adjust to its new location. (This moisture meter is an excellent tool to use to determine when your plant needs water.)
Why aren’t my fiddle leaf’s leaves expanding?
You must offer your fiddle leaf the best circumstances for growth if you want it to grow more quickly. This involves ensuring that it is cultivated in a suitable-sized container. Additionally, your fiddle leaf fig requires an abundance of food, water, and sunlight. Sound soil is essential.
(As you may have seen, these are essentially the same guidelines you should be using to treat a fiddle leaf fig that isn’t producing new leaves.)
Even though these gorgeous creatures have a reputation for being picky, providing for their basic needs only necessitates a very straightforward maintenance regimen. A contented, well-treated plant ought to have no trouble prospering. Let’s look into methods to hasten the growth of fiddle leaf figs.
Make sure it’s in an appropriately-sized pot
Fiddle leaf figs quickly outgrow their pots due to their rapid growth. Therefore, it is crucial to repot them whenever they get too big since else they risk becoming rootbound and ceasing to grow.
Always choose a pot for repotting that is at least twice as big as the root ball of your ficus. Make sure it has plenty of drainage holes in addition to this. Additionally, your pot’s moisture will be distributed more evenly if you add a layer of gravel to the base.
Fertilize regularly
Fiddle leaf figs put a lot of work into growing. The soil we buy at nurseries or use in our gardens frequently lacks the necessary nutrients to aid in their growth.
You can improve your plant’s soil with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer to help it develop more quickly. Use lower amounts of fertilizer over longer periods of time during your fiddle leaf’s growing season to prevent surprising or stressing your plant.
Sun, water, and soil
The best technique to encourage development in a fiddle leaf fig is as simple as making sure it has enough sunlight, water, and high-quality soil. This nearly goes without saying. A fiddle leaf fig can’t photosynthesize without sunlight, and it can’t get nutrients to its stem and leaves without water.
Additionally, you want to keep your fiddle leaf plant growing in well-kept, high-quality soil that drains excess water in order to ward off pests and illnesses. This reduces the possibility of bacterial and fungal illnesses developing in the soil of your fiddle leaf fig.