Grow Beautiful Fiddle Leaf Fig (5 Best Care Tips!)
Welcome to our Fiddle Leaf Fig forest! 🙂 Can you believe they were little pieces of cuttings only 4 years ago?
Fiddle Leaf Fig trees ( aka Ficus lyrata ) 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 are wondering how to make Fiddle Leaf Fig grow multiple branches, here are the secrets we discovered!
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.
* Some resources in article are affiliate links. Full disclosure here .
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?!? They have put out so much new growth! 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!
Tip 1: Fiddle Leaf Fig plants LOVE bright indirect light.
Like many houseplants, 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. So an north or east-facing window, a covered porch or balcony in warm weather protected from cold drafts are all great places to keep your FLFs.
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 with too much exposure to direct sunlight, especially the intense light you get in places like Arizona, California, etc.
Tip 2: How often should I water Fiddle Leaf trees?
Our watering schedule is super simple: 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. Use room temperature water, water thoroughly so the soil is moistened, then let drain well. Use enough water, and empty the tray after every watering so the plant never sits in water, which can cause root rot.
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 that holds moisture and with good drainage will work great. Make sure your planter has drainage hole.
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 or humidity in an indoor environment like in the tropical rainforests where many of our houseplants grow in nature. It works wonders! You can also mist your plants and remove dust from the leaves. Check out our favorite and easiest indoor plant list and growing tips here!
Pruning, repotting, etc.
Fiddle leaf fig plant can be pruned easily. I find that if you prune a bit lower at the woody part of the trunk, new branches will grow! More on Fiddle Leaf Fig branching secrets here! You can also propagate the cuttings into new plants!
Re-pot your Fiddle leaf fig every 1-2 years into a larger new pot if you want it to grow faster. I actually do the opposite and try to keep them smaller! We have a FLF that is over 10 feet tall, and still growing in a medium sized 5 gallon pot!
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.
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Happy growing! See you soon!
I purchased a FLF about 3 years ago that needs repotting but this has 3 trees in one pot. Should I leave them together or separate them into their own pots?
hi Chris! if the roots are really tangled together, i would leave them. otherwise, they will grow bigger in their own pots 🙂
Great information on Fiddle Leaf Fig Care.
I just bought a fiddle leaf fig plant and it is rootbound. When is the best time to replant it ?
hi Debbie! any time really if the indoor temperature is warm. otherwise, spring and summer is good! 🙂
I do know from your article and other sites to water once weekly, but HOW MUCH water is where I get confused. I still have my FLF in the 3 gallon pot I bought it in from the garden center and it’s doing nicely except for one or 2 browns spots. Could that also be from under watering?
hi Catherine, it’s usually 2-4 cups of water for us here ( SoCal, warm, low humidity, bigger plant need more water). 🙂
at the beginning it’s always best to touch the soil at 2-3″ depth to make sure it’s neither soggy nor super dry.
When is the best time to cut my fiddle leaf in order to encourage branching? Is it ok in winter or should I wait until spring/summer?
hi crystal! other times may also work, but late winter through summer should be really good! 🙂
I have a 6.5 foot tree and some of the roots are showing at the top of the soil on the trunk and I have leaves browning, crispy and falling. Theres a lot of damaged leaves. Is there anyway to save damaged leaves? If they all fall off can I propagate with just a branch or the trunk of the tree? And should I repot? Lots of questions, I’m sorry! Lol.
hi Summer! i would propagate a branch at least, just in case you lose the tree. if the damaged leaves are still green, i would leave them on for now. the best thing i can think of is to move the tree outside but not in direct noon sun once the weather is warm enough. make sure the soil is neither too dry nor soggy!
browning, crispy leaves are usually caused by sun burn, or too little or too much water. good luck! 🙂
Hi there,
I have a huge fiddle leaf tree, we call her Big Bertha.
However BBertha is too big for our room now and I fear , she is going to fall in us one night while sleeping. She is a healthy tree, but I need to cut her back. I’ve read all of the above, but if I cut the top branches off, will the lower branches grow new leaves? I say this because the lower part of the plant has very little leaves.
hi Brandy! yes you can cut a lot off a tall fiddle fig, it will be fine and grow new branches. to be safe i would cut it where there are still at least one leaf on the trunk. here’s ours cut in almost half- https://www.apieceofrainbow.com/fiddle-leaf-fig-branching/
Can I use a branch with brown spots to propagate in water? What will happen to it after new plant grows from it?
Thank you for wonderful article! So helpful!
hi Tina! yes you can. the main stem will become woody like a trunk after it’s rooted and start growing. 🙂
Just want to know how to plant the rooted leaves, in a small layer of soil or several inches up the leaf?
hi Nellie, just 1-2 inches up the leaf is enough, but you do want the soil to be a little deeper so as roots grow the leaf or stem cutting can stay upright. 🙂
Amazed how easy it was to root it in water, i took 3 pieces of branches and 2 leaves off a 20 year old plant going around my mezzanine and everything rooted beautifully. How do I plant the leaves with « cat whiskers » roots? Do I plant it in a very thin layer of soil, just to cover the roots? A stem has to form from the roots, right? I am really curious.
As for branching, once in a while it will do it for no reason, I believe when you cut it, it branches out of course you don’t want to sacrifice a branch just to try..but you can root the leaves and give it to your friends. I dust the leaves regularly, love the shiny sturdy large fiddle-shaped leaves.
Thank you for a great article
hi Nellie, just answered your 1st question in the other comment. 🙂 if you are wondering about FLF branching, we have a new article on how we got pretty consistent results! https://www.apieceofrainbow.com/fiddle-leaf-fig-branching/
How do I get my fig to branch out, it’s just growing taller?
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! 🙂
I have 2 fiddle leafs that were damaged in the freeze in Florida. They both started dropping all of their lower leaves but still has some on top. What should I do in this situation?
hi Carlee, if the plants still have leaves on top, i would not cut them yet. let them grow a bit more in a protected spot with very bright light. they should start growing again. 🙂
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!
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.
I have gotten a moisture meter but registers high moisture but the top2-3 inches are dry.. should I still water every week
yes i would. 🙂 and let the plant absorb the water for a few hours then let it drain.
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!
hi! they grew equally big and healthy! 🙂 the water method seems easier to us!
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!!
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!
Thank you!!! Awesome!! Do you know what size diameter they are? They look much larger than the typical baskets?
12″ to 14″ sizes! 🙂
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
very good question! 🙂 i put a pot and saucer inside the basket!
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!!
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! 🙂
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,
good luck with your Fiddle Fig Linda!! 🙂
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?
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. 🙂
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!