Ficus Lyrata Care Tips (Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree)

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If you’re looking for a stunning plant to beautify your indoor space, ficus lyrata is all you need. The plant is incredibly easy to care for, just keep it in a humid environment, water and trim the right way, give it bright, filtered light, and your plant will blossom.

In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about ficus lyrata care tips so you can understand how to take care of the plant.

Let’s get started!

What Is Ficus Lyrata?

Ficus Lyrata, also known as fiddle leaf fig, is a trendy indoor tree that contains huge, heavily veined, and glossy violin-shaped leaves that grows on a sleek trunk.

This tree is ideal as a room’s focal point if you can easily situate it in any floor-standing container where the plant is given the needed minerals to grow to at least 6 feet tall. 

However, some indoor specimens reach around 10 to 12 feet tall. The Ficus lyrata is a fast grower; one of the benefits of this is that it can be potted at any point in the year, and it can equally grow at any point in the year, which makes it one of the most easily cultivated types of plant.

See Also: Queen of The Night Flower Care

Ficus Lyrata Care Tips

  • One of the things you need to know is that these plants are native to the tropical part and area of Africa, and they can quickly grow and survive in hot and humid conditions. 
  • If you cannot duplicate the humid condition best for planting this tree in your home, you will find it challenging to grow fiddle leaf figs. They require steamy conditions, which are essential for their growth and development. 
  • This plant is easy to cultivate and grow. They are not demanding plants, mainly if you can duplicate and get their growing conditions right. If you intend to grow your fiddle fig as a houseplant, you have to be prepared to rotate your tree every few days so that different parts of it can get even sunlight which is helpful for its growth and development. 
  • Every two weeks, you need to dust the leaves with damp clothes, this will make the leaves appear shinier and look more appealing to the eyes, but it also allows sufficient sunlight to hit the leaves for photosynthesis. 

However, you can easily trim off any decaying or dead leaves as they arise, and you’re equally at liberty to prune off the top of the main stem for a bushier growth habit.

That said, below are the various things you need to pay attention to while growing this tree:

Light requirements

Fiddle-leaf is a type of plant that requires sufficient light to grow effectively. Direct sunlight is essential, but it can burn the leaves, especially during hot afternoons. 

So be sure the leaves are receiving sufficient sunlight, and at the same time, the light it is receiving is not direct sunlight.

Soil requirements

One of the factors you should consider is the type of soil needed to plant the tree; it has to contain the necessary minerals and nutrients that account for the effective growth of the plants.

Watering needs

Fiddle Leaf Figs like a very moderate amount of moisture in the soil. If this plant doesn’t get enough water, the leaves will wilt and lose their color, and they will get yellow and die off. 

At the same time, if this plant gets too much water, this plant might suffer from root rot, and the leaves might drop, ultimately killing the plant. 

Water your plants during their growing season, water your fiddle-leaf fig when the top of the soil feels very dry, and over the next few months, water slightly less. 

Moreover, you need to know that this plant is sensitive to high salt levels in the soil. So it is essential to flush the dirt until water comes out of the pot; this is to help remove the excess moisture in the plant, which helps to prevent salt build-up. 

Temperature and Humidity

You must know that fiddle-leaf fig trees don’t like extreme temperature fluctuations. It needs a temperature between 60 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit; for healthy growth, you must keep the plant away from drafty areas and air-conditioning vents. This can easily cause sudden temperature shifts. 

It would be best if you aimed for a humidity level between 30 and 64 percent, which is ideal for the plant. If you need to supplement humidity for your plant, you can easily mist your plant with clean water in a spray bottle daily. 

Fertilizer

Fertilize your crop during the growing season with a very high-nitrogen Fertilizer. We advise you to use the liquid Kelp Fertilizer. It has no side effects and can be used for any plant or crop. 

Pruning

A fiddle-leaf fig tree benefits effectively from having its leaves pruned very often. For your tree to grow effectively, you need to cut back any damaged leaves and overgrowth branches that don’t allow the plant to grow effectively. 

When cutting, you need to make the cuts an inch away from the tree trunk to avoid damage to the tree. 

Types of Fiddle-Leaf Fig

There are different types of fiddle-leaf fig; the main species, Ficus Lyrata, is the most common type of fiddle-leaf fig plant and is very popular among gardeners. Other species include

  • Ficus Lyrata Bambino
  • Ficus Lyrata Compacta
  • Ficus Lyrata Variegata

1. Ficus Lyrata Bambino

This is a species of fiddle leaf fig tree that is dwarf and only reaches a few feet tall. It is one of the most popular types after the one we’re discussing in this article

2. Ficus Lyrata Compacta

This is one of the best fiddle leaf fig trees; it can grow up to 5 feet tall and features smaller, more bunched leaves than their main species.

3. Ficus Lyrata Variegata

This is a unique type of variety with apparent leaves that are showy; the leaves of this species are a mixture of green and cream. 

How To Propagating Fiddle-Leaf Fig

It is easy to propagate fiddle-leaf fig with effortless stem cutting, but it isn’t easy to do so with the seed. Working with stem cutting is the best, and you can’t fail with this method. 

Procedures

  • Use sharp shears to cut the tree’s stem to about 12 to 18 inches long. Pinch off all the leaves and leave only one
  • Place the cutting vase in a jar of clean water at room temperature, ensuring it receives sufficient light but not direct sunlight.
  • Replace the water only when it appears cloudy
  • After a few weeks, small white bumps will appear on the base of the stem sitting in the water. After a few weeks, you will observe that the roots have started to grow in the water. 
  • When you’ve observed that the root has reached 2 inches long, you plant the cutting in a 1-gallon pot filled with potting soil and water until it is damp. It would be best to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged.

How To Pot And Repot Ficus Lyrata

It would be best if you planned to repot a young Fiddle Leaf annually every spring. 

  • Select a container that is about 2 inches larger in diameter than the existing one
  • Next is to loosen the plant from its current pot gently; when lifting it out, remember to support its vase and place it in the new pot
  • Fill in the spaces around the plant with a potting mix. 
  • Once the plant has matured, it will be too large to repot. If you find yourself in this situation, you need to remove the first few inches of soil in each spring and replace it with fresh soil.

However, if you carry out this procedure outdoors, you must do so when the temperature is at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything higher or lower than this can cause the fiddle leaf fig tree to lead to poor growth and development.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a fiddle-leaf fig tree hard to grow?

The Fiddle Leaf Fig tree is not hard to grow if you follow through this article and the steps listed below, you will find out that it is even more simple to grow than most other plants out there

How long does it take a fiddle leaf fig tree to germinate?

The germination period of a fiddle leaf fig tree is dependent on the growth condition that is available to it. If this tree is planted in an area that receives sufficient sunlight, is well watered, and is on soil with the required amount of nutrients, this plant will grow very fast and healthy. On average, it takes 2 to 3 weeks for it to germinate

How many varieties of fiddle leaf fig trees do we have?

There are several varieties of this plant available, but for convenience, we have listed the three most popular types of fiddle leaf fig tree.

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