Your Fiddle Leaf Fig Just Needs a Little TLC

Nothing like a gorgeous indoor plant to give your home an instant indoor outdoor feel. This has become a very popular houseplant–and for good reason. It has a classic style that can fit in many decors from modern to bohemian. With a plethora of planter choices, these Fiddle Leaf fig trees will add a depth and texture to your interior. 

This is one that does require a bit of a green thumb. Once you have the routine down, kind of like with a pet, you then can reap the benefits of your labor of love. It’s a taste of the richness and splendor of Western Africa wherever you place this beauty.

A good part of the care is in the placement of these tropical plants. They love to be in a facing window position but need bright indirect light. So best if they are set back a little from the window. The leaves start to reach for the sunlight as the fig tree grows so you’ll want to rotate the plant to keep an even look.

As you don’t want the leaves to drop, you’ll want to keep a regular pruning schedule. Keeping any of the leaves that have brown spots removed right away. Turning brown is almost always a sign of overwatering so see the care instructions below for keeping your Fiddle Leaf healthy.

The Fiddle Leaf Fig Ficus Lyrata is a tropical tree with heavily veined, designer large leaves and a perfectly fashionable green shade. The cool violin shaped leaves gives this plant an aesthetic quality that lends itself well to black and white schemes as well as neutral and even more colorful tones. 

It comes from a warm humid climate so it does best in the most replicated environment. Wtth attention to which planter is used and the best placement for bright filtered light, you’ll have a happy ficas. In fact, when you find the sweet spot for your indoor glory, you will have to keep it from taking over the room by managing the growth and even transplanting part of it as it grows.

Care tips for your Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree:

 

1. Best planted in a floor standing planter. The tree will grow to the size of the pot so you can somewhat control how big the tree grows with the selection of the planter.
2. Keep the soil moist but not too wet. This is the most important factor to monitor. These trees like a moist, humid climate but should not be in standing excess water. There should be drainage holes in the bottom of the pot to avoid root rot. 
3. Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees like a moderate temperature around 60 – 80 degrees. Make sure that it’s not too close to a door, air conditioning vent or fan. You don’t want the potting soil to dry with too much heat or cold air.
4. Bright but indirect, filtered sunlight is required. So you can even try a few different locations to find the “sweet spot.” Near a window with the light filtered in by curtain sheers or blinds can be a happy place.
5. Control the growth to the space. Once your Fiddle Leaf Fig tree has reached the desired size, you can take a few inches of soil from the top of the planter keeping the root system in check. If you’d like to keep it healthy and growing, make sure you feed it.
6. Dust often so you don’t accidentally create sunscreen. To have the best looking leaves in town, I recommend gently wiping the leaves often to relieve any dust building up; keeping those leaves extra shiny. A fine mist sprayer will make it smile. When dust accumulates, sun has a hard time getting through and therefore you prevent the photosynthesis process.
   

As I was researching organic pesticide options I stumbled upon this interesting article. 

I’ve heard of people releasing ladybugs into their outdoor gardens to get rid of other bugs like spiders and mealworms; however, this gardner decided to bring the tiny cute critters indoors to protect her Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree. Sounds like it’s a toss up of the lesser of two evils but still an original idea.

On the other hand, planz.com says that if you find you have some unwanted pests on your ficas leaves, then you can just wipe them down with a soapy cloth. Or if you don’t mind using a botanical insecticide then you can use a product like Garden Safe house and garden spray to kill them off. 

One thing to avoid that can attract bugs is the mayonnaise leaf shining trick. In the short term, this works because of the oils. Long term, it will weaken the plant system (because it clogs their pores and will eventually dull the leaves), attract bugs, and generally backfire from its original purpose. 

Another thing to keep in mind: it is mildly toxic to cats. Though, I have multiple cats and have never seen them interested in eating it, or even sniffing it (unlike our Christmas Tree), so I wouldn’t worry too much unless your furry friends have a bad habit of eating your plants. 

The Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree is not only good looking but has been a featured piece in many designer showrooms and interior schematics. I think it’s an easy and relatively inexpensive way to bring together fashion and function in a room. Just like anything else, with the proper set up and care, it will bring joy to your home for years to come.