If you’re worried about your wonderful plant parent abilities because your Fiddle Leaf Fig is dying on you, and you’d rather buy a faux, plastic tree, we want to tell you two things:
- Everyone (mostly) has this issue.
- It’s not you, it’s them.
No, but seriously. Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees’ care can be quite tricky, even for the most experienced plant parent. And before you mention “oh, well I see them growing outdoors and they’re doing fine,” do keep in mind that plants (as a rule) will adapt to the environment they’re in. Soooooooo, the longer a plant lives in a particular area, the more adapted that plant becomes to certain things such as: amount of light, humidity, watering schedule, fertilizing it receives, etc..
Okay, so you came here to see how your Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree keeps dying on you. In this article you will learn 5 tricks that will not only up your plant parent game, but will (hopefully) save your tree:
- Track how often you water & make it consistent. Without a consistent watering schedule you risk getting root rot either due to excessive water or dried up roots from underwatering. Jot down when you last watered, keep this updated, and with some dedication you’re sure to pick up a schedule that will work for both you and your tree!
- Keep the plant in one place. Now, this trick is pretty unique to Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees. As Indoor Gardening (2020) says, Fiddle Leaf Figs won’t be too happy with you if you move them around too much. So find a warm, bright spot and keep it there until you see signs that tell you otherwise!
- Give it enough light. This might not be the easiest in every home, but if you can find a window that will allow your tree to have indirect light, without any direct light, and will be warm and humid, you’re GOLDEN!
- Right size pot = happy tree. Most likely the soil your plant came in should not be its forever home, nor should the pot. Let’s discuss pot size and how to know when to repot. Typically, if the roots are spiraling around its perimeter, it’s time to repot. Same goes if you’re seeing roots stick out from the top soil. Knowing how to size up can be quite tricky, but the rule of thumb is to find a pot that allows roughly two inches around the perimeter to grow. Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees expand a lot of energy just to grow new root systems so sizing up a ton isn’t the best idea (Garden Tabs, 2021).
- Double check for loose soil, nothing too dense. As we mentioned before, the soil your tree came in should not be its forever home. When you’re ready to repot, make sure the soil you’re transferring it to is light and airy. For this we recommend using: perlite, orchid bark, coco chips, etc.. If you’re not wanting the hassle of buying several items to get the perfect medium, our friends at IvyMay & Co. have the perfect RedWoods Houseplant & Aroid Potting Mix you can use!
The most important thing to remember is that the plant parent journey is full of trial and error. So, as a reminder to yourself, it’s not you, its them.
Try these 5 tips and let us know how they worked out for you! Follow us on Instagram, Tik-Tok, Twitter, and Facebook for more plant care tips & don’t forget to download The Watering Can App in your app store!
Written by Ivy Moran
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