placing a fiddle leaf fig tree in a large, contemporary container. Garden tools, dirt, and a container of Ficus lyrata on a hardwood floor. New house tree planting procedure
Fiddle Leaf Fig 10106:21
The fiddle leaf fig, which has been a popular houseplant recently, adds a stunning architectural element to any room in the house. Although this lush plant is beautiful and has shiny, violin-shaped leaves, it can be challenging to maintain. But don’t worry—we have advice to maintain it flourishing in your area.
The good news is that the fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata), if acclimated, can grow to be at least 6 feet tall, making it an impressive statement piece. If you want a different look, there are also various cultivars of the plant, such “Suncoast” and “Compacta,” that don’t grow as tall and are bushier.
So, before taking one of these not-so-cheap houseplants home, read our in-depth care instructions and essential information if you want to get the most out of your investment for years to come.
How can I encourage the growth of my fiddle leaf?
The following are our seven steps for growing your fiddle leaf fig tree:
- OPTIMIZE THE POT SIZE IN STEP 1.
- Step 2: GUARANTEE OUTSTANDING DRAINAGE.
- 3rd step: COMPLETE, REGULAR WATERING.
- Step 4: Verify the soil’s aeration.
- Do an annual soil treatment in step five.
- Step 6 is to fertilize less frequently.
- STEP 7: TURN ON THE LIGHTS!
How much time does it take a fiddle leaf fig to reach its full height?
This West African native plant is planted inside because of its lovely semi-lobed and oval leaves, which all appear to develop to different proportions. This plant was given the name fiddle because of the fiddle-like (violin-shaped) shape of its leaves.
Although it may take this ficus up to 10–15 years to achieve full maturity, after 3–4 years of growth, it begins to resemble a beautiful tree or other ornamental house plant.
Trunk and leaves: As you can see from the picture on the left, the leaves have pronounced veins running through the middle and from the center to the edge. These lustrous leaves can reach a length of 12 inches and a width of at least 5 inches. Although sturdy, the trunk is rather peculiar and grows quite long and thin, giving the plant a bushy appearance at the top without lower leaves.
Displaying: Because they prefer bright lighting, they thrive in greenhouses and conservatories. Although sufficient light must be provided – wherever they are sitting – they are the kind of plant that looks wonderful near doorways, corridors, fireplaces, and other prominent sections of a room.
Flowering: Fiddle leaf plants will develop flowers and eventually fruits in their natural habitat and outside, but this rarely occurs indoors.
Care level: This ficus seems to require a little more attention than the rubber plant, F. elastica, primarily because of its demand for light and sensitivity to losing leaves. Overwater is the worst thing to do. Additionally, excessive soil drying and low humidity levels will render leaves dark and unsightly. The majority of growers will be alright because it’s not nearly a novice plant and doesn’t require an expert.
How do you handle a fiddle leaf fig that has grown tall?
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.
Can fiddle leaf figs grow quickly?
By perfecting your watering routine and locating the ideal location for your plant to flourish, you’ve taken on the difficult tasks. Just a few additional things are necessary for you to understand in order to preserve your fiddle-leaf tree.
Although dusting a plant may seem odd, you absolutely must dust those large, fiddle-shaped leaves. They gather a lot of dust because they are so big and frequently grow somewhat horizontally.
At least once every month, gently wipe the leaves with a moist towel. If you don’t, dust can obstruct sunlight from reaching the plant and clog stomata, which slows photosynthesis and makes the plant struggle to survive.
Fiddle-leaf figs expand rapidly. They frequently grow by one or two feet in a year. If you don’t rotate your plant and leave it in a corner, its growth may quickly become uneven as it reaches for the sun.
There are two options for handling this. Start by frequently rotating it. And second, if it starts to look uneven, make it even by pruning occasionally.
Turn the plant a few inches every several months. In order to remember which way we are moving, I turn Midori in the same direction (clockwise) every time.
Remove some of the leaves on the heavy side of your plant if it begins to grow lopsidedly to give it a more even appearance.
These plants will keep growing upward for as long as they are content. For aesthetics, optimal airflow, and to make sure the plant receives adequate light, trim the highest branches so that the plant remains at least a foot below the ceiling.
Remove any diseased or damaged leaves as well. These won’t recover and are just a drain on your plant. Furthermore, any infections that cause disease could infect the remaining parts of your fiddle-leaf fig and possibly kill them.
Giving your plant a tree-like shape by pruning is another reason you might want to do it. For a bushier shape, some gardeners choose to leave the leaves on the lowest section of the stem intact.
Fiddle leaf figs naturally take on that well-known trunk and canopy shape as they grow in the wild. However, the plant typically retains its bottom leaves indoors.
You can remove the bottom leaves and branches if you want the conventional tree appearance.
To promote excellent air circulation, you might also wish to thin your fig once a year. Any branches that are in the way should be cut.
Put on some gloves before pruning because the sap that is released when these are chopped can irritate the skin. Next, take out a fresh set of pruners. Although you can perform this activity at any time of year, if you do it in the winter, you won’t notice any new growth for a few months.
Cut stems off an inch from the leaf node or stem. Keep in mind that the plant will split where you cut it and sprout new branches as you stimulate the desired shape. If plants are pruned while they are developing, new growth should begin within a few weeks.
You can also remove any stems or leaves that don’t conform to the desired shape. Simply pick no more than a third of the plant at once.
Finally, you can use a pair of scissors to trim the brown pieces off or clip them off totally if some of the leaves have some dark spots at the edges caused by either overwatering or underwatering. There is no point in keeping them around because they won’t regain their color.
You can cut the entire trunk down to about a foot tall and start over if your plant begins to appear sparse as a result of leaf drop or lanky growth, or if you don’t like the shape. From the cut place, the plant will produce new branches, and you can reshape it.
Before you severely prune your plant, think about air layering. If you use the process outlined above, you might get two plants in return for your efforts.
Are fiddle leaf figs fond of little pots?
Select a larger pot to replant your Fiddle Leaf Fig in if it is root-bound. It’s ideal to select a pot that is just a few inches wider than the one it is currently in.
This is due to two factors. First of all, fiddle leaf figs prefer their pots to be small. And secondly, these plants frequently expend their energy filling out a much larger pot if they are given one. In other words, the plant will prioritize developing its root system before producing new leaves!
This may be the cause of your Fiddle’s failure to develop if it is in a pot that is too big.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you must use a pot with drainage holes at the bottom. Your Fiddle Leaf is vulnerable to a variety of harmful situations, such as overwatering and root rot, without sufficient drainage. Check to see whether your FLF is being overwatered here.
If you want to plant your Fiddle Leaf in a decorative pot that doesn’t have drainage holes, make sure you first plant it in a pot with drainage holes before putting that pot inside the decorative one.
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 long is the lifespan of a fiddle leaf fig?
A tropical tree with fiddle-shaped leaves, the ficus lyrata is a native of the lowland rainforests of West Africa. It has a lifespan of 25 to 50 years (if cared for properly in non-tropical conditions).
What makes it so well-liked in the design community? Most people give the tree’s large, floppy spherical leaves, which resemble violins, credit. People anthropomorphize the plant by comparing these to babies’ huge eyes in an effort to make them desire to care for it.
Of course, the majority of designers would also mention how photogenic the plant is, which undoubtedly helps.
What happens if the top of a fiddle leaf fig is chopped off?
Your fiddle leaf fig probably has no other branches that will allow it to transition from a fiddle leaf shrub to a fiddle leaf tree. In addition, bear the following in mind before proceeding:
The amount of regrowth that results from pruning depends on how severe it was. The reason for this is that the plant is trying to grow again in an effort to balance the root system below with the shoot system above, which is now designed to support the plant at its bigger size before trimming.
Usually, the most active shoot growth takes place 6 to 8 inches after the pruning cut.
Make the cut on your fiddle leaf fig
Make a decision regarding the size of the Ficus lyrata cut. Once more, the branching will be more noticeable the longer a part is clipped. (And the less the plant will grow in height, at least for that shoot.)
Your fiddle leaf fig won’t be encouraged to generate as many lateral branches off of the main trunk if you simply pinch out the fresh buds at the top with your fingers.
If you want to encourage a little lateral development to make your plant appear fuller near the top, pinching is more helpful.
On the other hand, you’ll see a lot more branching if you remove 12 of the top shoots.
Choose the node that you want to cut above. The spots on stems known as nodes are where leaves, buds, or branches can grow. However, not every node has leaves or branches; some nodes may only have a mark and a little thickening of the stem. Internodes are the parts of the stem that lie between the nodes.
3. Make use of a clean pair of pruners. Just above the top of your node, make the cut. Cut just above the node rather than into it, which would harm it.
Any plant in the fig family, including your fiddle leaf fig, will exude an oozing, milky, white sap when cut. Simply avoid eating it, getting it in your eyes, or letting it land on the carpet because it can be annoying.
4. As a final piece of advice, wait to remove leaves from the trunk of your fiddle leaf until the new branches have begun to grow. Your plant should be as robust as possible because those leaves aid in the development of the new lateral buds.
(Are you wondering what to do with the plant pieces you pruned? Why not cultivate a second fiddle leaf fig?
I’m done now! Now, give your new lateral buds, which will eventually grow into branches, a few weeks. While the exact length of time varies on a number of variables, your chances of success are higher if you attempt this in the spring, when fiddle leaves are actively growing, as opposed to the winter, when they are largely dormant. In comparison to winter, when the plant will need more time to heal the cut and form new buds, springtime will see rapid new development.