
If it’s getting more than 5,000 lux (500 foot candles), you can follow “production” instructions. Follow the “maintenance” instruction if your plant is in medium light, or getting less than 5,000 lux of light. Make sure to follow label instructions on the packaging for dilution and administration. I recommend using a 3:1:2 fertilizer such as Dyna Gro Foliage Pro. If your houseplant is growing during winter, it is fine to fertilize it then as well. If you want your Fiddle Leaf Fig to grow well and stay healthy over the long term, you should fertilize it during the growing season according to the instructions on the product label. If you repot houseplants annually, you don’t need to fertilize them. It is easy to replenish the water, but nutrients need to be replenished by repotting annually or fertilizing. When your Fiddle Leaf Fig gets adequate light, it will use up water and soil nutrients faster. If it does, increase the amount of light or reduce the amount of water when watering. I recommend not letting the plant’s soil stay wet for longer than a week, to reduce the chances of root rot. Accumulation of excess salts in the soil can burn roots over time. The other reason to empty the saucer is to remove excess salts that are present in that water. That can be fine in a lot of cases, but in some cases, if you consistently let your plant sit in a large amount of water, it can promote root rot. One reason is, you don’t want your plants sitting in water. If the soil is dry, you should water fiddle leaf figs again and again until the soil is fully saturated.Īlways spill excess water from the saucer. Then scratch the surface and check the soil an inch below the top. Stop when you see water dripping from the drainage hole. Water in a circular motion around the plant, making sure water covers all areas of soil and reaches all parts of the root system. It is possible to grow it in a pot without drainage holes, but since it requires you to be careful with the frequency of watering and amount of water, I don’t recommend it for beginners. Make sure the planter your plant is in has a drainage hole that ensures you don’t overwater the plant.
#Fiddle leaf fig care free#
If your plant receives large amounts of light, feel free to thoroughly soak the soil once it’s dried out completely. To be on the safe side, let the soil dry out completely.

Some Fiddle Leaf Fig growers recommend that the top 2 to 3 inches of the soil should be dried out for the next watering this can be fine for some people, depending on their potting mix and amount of light, but for a lot of people it’s too soon. Put it all the way down and if it comes out dry, it’s time to water it.

You can use a chopstick to check the dryness of the soil. And when they get really thirsty, usually the leaves will get droopy. Don’t rush with the next watering schedule, they can tolerate staying dry for a while. Water your Fiddle Leaf Fig once the soil has fully dried out, all the way to the bottom of the pot. The best way to know when your Fiddle Leaf Fig is ready for another thorough watering is to check the plant’s soil because it likes to dry out between the waterings. But don’t worry, and certainly don’t exaggerate with watering because these plants can tolerate staying dry for a while. The more light your Fiddle Leaf Fig enjoys, the more water it will need. If you worry about them increasing your electricity bill, use my LED Grow Light Calculator to quickly find out, and if unsure which grow light to buy, try out my Grow Light Finder. In case there isn’t enough natural light, buy grow lights.

Also, the more leaves Ficus Lyrata develops, the more light it’ll need to support the existing leaves and grow new ones. Have in mind that the larger Fiddle Leaf Figs get, the more light they need. Since it has bright light requirements, this plant needs to be positioned in front of your largest and brightest, non-obstructed window no close buildings or trees should get in the way of the plant’s view of the sky. So, patience! Direct sun makes around 40,000-100,000 lux of light (roughly 4,000-10,000 foot candles), but if you can provide an average of over 5,000 lux, your fig plant should be ok. However, they need to be gradually adjusted to it otherwise, the leaves may burn.

#Fiddle leaf fig care full#
Fiddle Leaf Fig enjoys a high amount of light - bright indirect light to full sun (direct sun for most of the day).
