Welcome to our Fiddle Leaf Fig forest! 🙂 Can you believe they were little pieces of cuttings only 4 years ago?
Fiddle Leaf Fig trees are among the easiest and most beautiful indoor plants to grow. After growing them for four years we can honestly say that!
Today we will share our favorite tips and tricks on Fiddle Leaf Fig care, from fertilizer and soil, to water, temperature, and more!
If you follow these 7 tips, especially the first 3, you will have beautiful Fiddle Leaf Fig trees for years to come. Is it possible NOT to fall in love with them?
A quick view of how our propagated Fiddle Leaf Fig cuttings grew in the last 4 years.
Here’s how we propagated them using two easy methods with 100% success!
Let’s start with the two cuttings propagated in water. I planted them in this green pot. One of the cuttings apparently took off with such speed and grew to over 4′ tall, wow! The other grew also, but is much smaller (you can barely see it on the left side) due to competition in the same pot.
Now let’s look at the two cuttings rooted in soil in the white pot! Both grew much denser with many more leaves, and a bit taller, although not as tall as the one rooted in water.
And now, after 4 years, can you recognize the these 4 Fiddle Fig plants?!? The tallest one is over 8 feet! There’s also one that grew branches, I will share tutorial on that soon!
Now the 5 tips on Fiddle Leaf Fig care!
( Some of the helpful resources are affiliate links. Full disclosure here. )
Tip 1: Fiddle Leaf Fig trees LOVE bright light.
Lack of bright light is the #1 reason for unhealthy Fiddle Leaf Figs! Keep them by the brightest windows or doors in your home if possible. Avoid hot noon sun. A little morning sun or late afternoon sun is good for the plants.
Although I have seen many huge Fiddle Leaf Fig trees growing outdoors here in coastal southern California, nursery grown plant leaves are much more tender, and can burn if exposed to hot noon sun.
Tip 2: How often should I water Fiddle Leaf trees?
The short answer: we water all our indoor plants once a week, it’s easy to remember, and plants are happy too.
The long answer: wait to water until the top 1/2 inch or so of soil is dry, especially in the winter when there is less growth. Water thoroughly so the soil is moistened, then let drain well. Empty the tray after every watering so the plant never sits in water.
Tip 3: Best soil and fertilizer for Fiddle Fig
Most recommended fiddle leaf fig fertilizers have NPK ratios of 3-1-2, although 10-10-10 is also a good all purpose option. In very simplified terms, NPK stands for nitrogen (promotes leaf growth), phosphorus (promotes blooming), and potassium(encourages root growth). A higher nitrogen fertilizer is great for foliage plants.
You can use either slow release fertilizers in granule form, like this one, or liquid fertilizers like these. When using liquid fertilizers, it is always a good ideas to dilute more and fertilize more often, like every 2-3 weeks during growing season, which are spring and summer. Compost tea is another great choice. You can make it easily from ready made dry mixes like these, or from scratch.
Most potting soil with good drainage will work great.
Tip 4: Temperature requirements
Fiddle Fig trees are happiest with temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees
They will struggle when temperature falls below 50 degrees or gets hotter than 95.
Tip 5: Some extra love for your plants
When you see some people’s indoor plants looking so lush and happy, the secrets are in the extra love they show for their plants. ( Yes, I do believe in singing to your plants!)
During the warmer months, bring them outdoors in shade if possible for some fresh air and brighter light. Each week or two, clean the dust off the fig tree leaves. The trees will love you! =)
I love bringing our indoor plants when it rains, because they don’t get showers in an indoor environment like in nature. It works wonders! Check out our favorite and easiest indoor plant list and growing tips here!
FAQ
My Fiddle Leaf Fig looks unhappy! What should I do?
Tip number 5 will revive your tree like magic! Most of the time it is due to lack of light, or incorrect watering. Check Tip 1 and 2 for more details!
My fig tree leaves have brown spots!
Brown spots are caused by root rot. Although we can root Fiddle Leaf cuttings in water, don’t let your tree sit in water for more than a day!
What are the white bugs on my tree?
They are either mealy bugs or white flies that tend to attack plants that are stressed. Check the underside of the leaves when you water, and if you notice any of these pests, wipe them off with a damp cloth, and go over the tips above to see why your plant might be stressed.
Happy growing! See you soon!
Jennifer
We just bought a Fiddle Leaf Fig tree, and I am so happy to see your fig trees looking so nice! Such a great article on Fiddle Leaf Fig care. Thanks a lot!
Khadeejah
Hi! Did the cutting taken from a single leaf amount to anything? I rooted a cutting but haven’t gotten any new leaves yet. It’s been about 6 months. Any tips?
ananda
hi, if it’s a stem cutting, it will grow new leaves! we lost our leaf cutting during a big move, and i have heard mixed results on that. 🙂
Linda Weeks
I just got my first fiddle-leaf fig, and I am so excited about it, and here is all I wanted to know, in one place! Glad you just happened to post this article!
I”l be back when something happens. Thanks,
ananda
good luck with your Fiddle Fig Linda!! 🙂
Nikki
You say that one of yours even grew branches. Does this mean it’s not common? I guess I thought propagation would grow a new fig tree. Do you just get one branch growing upwards with leaves directly off of it? Thank you!!
ananda
hi Nikki! i meant instead of s single stem tree, which happens a lot, i was able to figure out how to make them multi-branched, tutorial on that soon! 🙂
Andie
I’m so excited I found your article!! We’re going to make cuttings of our fiddle leaf fig based on your recommendations today! So I have to ask – where did you get your baskets for them? They’re beautiful & I can’t find anything remotely as pretty online. Help! Thank you!!
ananda
hi andie! i found them at homegoods! 🙂 once these shops reopen, you can also look for them in places like tj max, i have seen similar ones there as well!
Andie
Thank you!!! Awesome!! Do you know what size diameter they are? They look much larger than the typical baskets?
ananda
12″ to 14″ sizes! 🙂
Christine
Did you plant the tree directly into the basket or is there a pot inside the basket? Sorry for the dumb question but I am new to this, haha
ananda
very good question! 🙂 i put a pot and saucer inside the basket!
Lydia
Hi! Thanks for the awesome article! What are the differences in the tree that started in water and the tree that started in dirt now that they are full sized? I am trying to decide which option is the best!
ananda
hi! they grew equally big and healthy! 🙂 the water method seems easier to us!
Carol
I have gotten a moisture meter but registers high moisture but the top2-3 inches are dry.. should I still water every week
ananda
yes i would. 🙂 and let the plant absorb the water for a few hours then let it drain.
Emily
Love this article!! I have a fiddle fig that keeps growing! But now have a couple of the leaves with brown spots. Most of the leaves look great. I see that it says root rot is the cause… how do I solve this?? I water and let them drain in the sink weekly.
Thank you!
ananda
hi emily! occasionally they can get brown spots. if you could get the tree outside during summer in a shaded area, it helps a lot. most indoor plants love the air and humidity outdoors.
Carol Walker
How do I get my fig to branch out, it’s just growing taller?
ananda
hi carol! i am just about to publish an article on that in 2-3 weeks here! basically you have to cut it at a woody spot, will share lots of tips! 🙂