Fiddle Leaf Fig Care Guide
Family: Mulberry and fig family Moraceae
Genus: Ficus
Botanical Name: Ficus lyrata
Difficulty: Can be needy
Light
Fiddle Leaf Figs love to be in areas with bright, filtered light or in an eastern-facing window. They grow best in places where bright light is consistent.
Water
Check to see if the top half of the soil is dry. When watering them, soak them until water begins to pool in the saucer under the pot and then empty it.
Climate
The Fiddle Leaf Fig loves humidity and warmer temperatures. They prefer to be outside but they can be made to adapt to indoor conditions in places that are not drafty.
Soil
Fiddle leaf figs should be fertilized once in the spring and twice in the summer, but they will not need to be during the winter because their growth is slowed down by the cold.
Pests and Diseases
If your plant is over watered or under watered, it is more susceptible to mealy bugs, mites, scale, whiteflies, and aphids.
Tips
Mist your Fiddle Leaf Fig to increase the humidity in its environment.
Dust the leaves by wiping them with a damp cloth and dry them to keep them healthy.
Avoid moving your plant around too much.
Signs your fiddle leaf is unhappy
Floppy leaves: needs water
Yellow leaves with brown spots: bacteria
Green leaves with brown spots: root rot
Older leaves dropping (near the bottom): over watering
Yellow leaves: not enough light
How to propagate
Fiddle leaf figs are very easy to propagate in water, but can be a little finicky once they’ve been transferred to soil. To propagate your fiddle leaf fig, use sharp, clean snips to take a cutting from a stem that has three nodes, if possible. You can dip the tip of your cutting in a rooting hormone to encourage faster growth. However, fiddle leaf figs will grow without this if you aren’t able to get any.
If you ‘re choosing to propagate your cutting in soil, prepare a container with a propagation mix that has been dampened. Your fiddle leaf will need to stay in a slightly damp soil for a while until it starts to root. If you chose a cutting with a lot of leaves, you should consider cutting off some of them to reduce the amount of moisture lost. You should cover your plant with thin plastic wrap and mist it frequently to ensure it gets the proper amount of humidity and moisture needed to grow.
If you’re going to propagate your cutting in water, all you will need is a glass container, water, and your cutting. Just place your cutting in the glass of water and keep it in bright indirect sunlight. You should change the water out every 2-3 days, and keep it filled to where it covers the roots once they start to grow.
You can grow them in water until the roots are 2 inches or longer. Then, you can plant them in a pot prepared with damp potting mix. They will need to be kept in bright, indirect light. They will also need to be watered frequently to keep the soil damp until they start to show growth.
Fun Facts
They do not actually produce any fruit!
They can live up to 50 years if properly taken care of!
Their sap is poisonous to kids and animals.
Hardiness Zones
Before you move your plant outside, be sure to check the hardiness zone to save yourself some grief and the loss of a beloved plant.
The hardiness zones for fiddle leaf figs are : 10b-11
If you live in Tennessee, here’s a hardiness map to help you decide if your plant can survive outside!
