Share tips on how to take care of a fig tree with fig leaves, how often water, how much water, how much sunshine, all these important questions!
Meet Frida Kahlo. She is our gorgeous violin leaf fig plant, greeting everyone who walks into our house.
Frida has received a lot of praise in real life and online, and I often question how to care for these types of plants.
I hesitated to write this because I used to be a notorious plant killer and killed multiple houseplants. Over the past few years, I finally found my groove and despite my confidence in my daily routine, I am still afraid of anything.
I couldn’t help but worry that once I published this, Frida’s leaves began to retreat and burn. But I’m going.
Hope you find some useful tips here, as well as my violin leaf lovers, please share your important tips in the comments.
What is a fiddle leaf fig tree
Violin leaf fig plant is also called ficus lyrata. They are tropical trees that perform well outdoors in moderate and humid environments.
Over the past decade or so, their popularity has surged. Violin leaf figs are usually Grace magazine covers, Instagram and Pinterest posts.
This is a beautiful houseplant that adds the aesthetic appeal of your space and can be an amazing architectural statement in your home. It has a decorative effect and is notorious for challenging houseplants.
In this article I’m sharing tips on how to take care of a fiddle leaf fig tree, finding time to reposition it and stay lush, healthy and thriving.
How to take care of the fig tree with violin leaf
Proper placement and lighting requirements
The key to the leaves of figs, tropical plants and home plants with violin is to find a place in your home where they will be happy and get enough light. Usually, this is a northern or south-facing window that gets a lot of sunshine here. These plants also tend to perform well in areas with high ceilings, skylights and large windows. If you live in a poorly lit area, you can use a growth light. I’m in a Facebook group with a violin (obsessed) and many members use lights on plants. Look around and make sure you don’t have AC vents that blow directly on the plants.
While the sun is a good thing, be aware of too much scorching sun and strong direct sunlight on the plants as it can cause sunburn. We also have another violin leaf, Fred, who was forgotten outside and sunburned. He has had brown spots for a while, but he has finally recovered. Bright, indirect light is usually the best. Lightning conditions make everything different.
Watering
OK, so here are a lot of ways: the cup method (watering a small amount often) or the less common method (watering once a week). I found that the cup method didn’t work for me. She fell off the leaves like crazy, and I pounded around the plants, trying to figure out what was going on. Game changer: Water meter! I ordered this from Amazon and checked her water every 7-10 days. When the soil is dry, I will only water the plants, express 2 or 3 moisture, and then soak it in it. I will use 4 large bowls filled with filtered water and then dip into the soil. (Frida prefers filtering water from the refrigerator rather than from the sink. Our levels in Tucson are too acidic and it affects her leaves.)
Before watering, use a water meter or chopstick to poke holes in the soil – don’t worry that it won’t interfere with the roots. This will help to make the soil and water flow more freely. A good rule of thumb for the amount of water used: water until it starts to come out of the drain hole and leave it alone.
Note: Violin leaf figs like rain, I think rain is much better for plants than sewers. Call me crazy, but their reactions were different. If it rains, drag the stronger plants outside!
Potted culture medium
Tip: Before flowering small garden figs in the pot, place them in the nursery in the house area where the house is located. This way, it can have time to adapt to the lighting and environment before reshaping the plants. For potted soil. They sell special violin leaf fig soil and I know many people wish you good luck in the cactus/juicy soil. I used the potting soil grown by Miracle and it worked very well. Contact your nursery to see their recommended pot mix for your climate.
When you pour the violin’s leaf figs in, you don’t need a huge pot because the root system doesn’t require a lot of space to expand. In fact, they perform better when they are slightly bound, and many of the fiddle leaf figs do well in the initial pot of the nursery. I would choose a pot of size, or a little bigger. It is important: make sure the pot has a drain hole so that the water can easily flow through. I also like to place the small rocks on the bottom of the pot before adding the plants and soil so that the water moves easily and prevents roots from rotting.
Fertilization
If the soil is healthy and the plants are thriving, you don’t have a * to fertilize the plants. If you notice it needs to be improved a little, I like this fertilizer mixed with filtered water. (This is too acidic for our sink water and causes problems, so I stopped using it.) If you choose to use fertilizer, please do twice a year: once in summer and once in winter.
Regular maintenance
fog! As I mentioned before, FLFS loves humid environments and thrives in humid conditions. If you live in a dry climate, fog can have a positive impact on the leaves. You can place the humidifier low near the plant, or occasionally manually atomize it. I use this gentleman from Amazon and only mist when watering (once every 7-12 days). I atomize the leaves and wipe all the dust with a tissue. In this way, dusty leaves will not hinder the ability to obtain sunlight.
Weak trunk: I’ve heard that people gently shake tree trunks every few days, especially when they’re weaker/smaller. This is to stimulate strong winds and encourage stronger trunks. I haven’t done this for Frida yet, but I can try Fred.
Interestingly: Violin leaf figs will be with the ceiling allowing for height. Our ceilings are 30 feet high and I want her to grow with all her heart.
Focus
I found that these plants are best for one person, so I only recommend rewriting if absolutely necessary. (This may put stress on the plants, we don’t want to stress them!) Some locations recommend repositioning every 2-3 years to get fresh nutrients from the soil, but I think if the plants are happy, please don’t be alone. Some metrics you may need to restore: the soil pulls away from the edges and you will see a lot of roots, bacterial infections (there are a lot of brown spots on the leaves), or root rot. You can avoid rot by making sure there is a lot of drainage and avoid overwater.
If you need to restorate, shake the excess soil from the roots and trim any root ends where weeds are overgrown. (It’s like giving it a hairstyle.) If you see any mushy roots, you can also trim it. Put in a pot with a few inches of soil, surrounded by lots of fresh fresh soil and water.
good friend! This is what I have for YA, and I think of new tips, I will add more to this post.
Do you have plant babies? Any great tips you learned over time? Please share with us all your fiddle leaf fig care tips!
XO
Gina
