Want to learn how to propagate and care for your Fiddle leaf Fig Tree? Ficus Lyrata, commonly known as the Fiddle Leaf Fig tree is a popular houseplant. It can be a bit finicky. But, when it is happy it is just stunning. Furthermore, keep reading to learn more Fiddle leaf fig care and propagation tips.
In this HOW TO video below we share our best tips on keeping your Ficus Lyrata happy and healthy. Watch or keep on reading for more care tips.
Water
Wait for the top inch soil to dry before watering. Lukewarm or room temperature water works best.
Light
Prefer lots of bright, filtered light. Keep your fiddle leaf fig near a sunny, east-facing window for sunshine throughout the day.
Humidity
Thrives in warm, wet conditions. Mist to increase humidity around your plant, especially in the drier winter months.
Temp
Performs best temperatures between 65-75° F
Soil
A well draining soil mixture will need to have chunky particles to allow water to move through the mix freely.
Pronunciation
FYE-kus leer-RAY-tuh
Common Name
Fiddle Leaf Fig, fiddle-leaved fig, banjo fig
Scientific Name
Ficus Lyrata
Toxicity
Can cause stomach irritation for your pets if ingested.
Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees
This Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree below is about four years old. As you can see it’s growing really well. It has continued to grow into a tall, bushy 7-8 foot tree. I love how green and lush the leaves are.
Remember, wherever you make your cut, that is where you will most likely get two new shoots. As you can see in the picture below, I made a cut right where I am pointing. Also, notice there are 2 shoots now growing on either side.
It has actually encouraged growth and it is much more full where I made the cut. See picture below.
Below you can see another spot where I made a previous cut on my Fiddle Leaf Fig. Now there are new shoots that are growing nice and healthy.
In fact, it has actually encouraged growth. And, it is much more full where I made the cut. Aren’t these such beautiful plants?
I took off some of the lower leaves, because I wanted to make it more of a tree instead of a bush. However, you could definitely leave the lower leaves if you prefer a bushier fiddle leaf fig tree.
Now lets propagate and make some more fiddle-leaf fig trees! The large branch on the left is growing really well but it’s getting a little bit heavy for the plant. I will propagate that branch. This will help me multiply my Fiddle leaf Fig Tree collection for free.
I find the best spot to make a cut is right below a leaf. Grab a really sharp knife or some cutting shears and then make your cut. You can see my cut in the picture below (see giant red arrow). It still gives some room above the lower leaf to grow some new offshoots.
Below is the branch that we cut off. I am going to make two new plants from this one cutting. Technically, I could propagate this cutting as one plant, but I want to make two plants. If you only want one cutting, be sure to remove most of the lower leaves.
To make two cuttings to propagate, I make a cut right above the leaf in the center of the stalk. You will see some white milky sap on the cutting. And that is totally normal. It easily wipes off.
The lower leaves just snap right off easily when removing them. I like to leave one to two leaves on my cuttings that I propagate.
For the first Fiddle Leaf Fig cutting, I will be leaving two leaves on the stem.
Leaving more than 2-3 leaves will make it harder for the plant to develop roots. It will be sending energy to keep all the leaves alive instead of sending energy to grow new roots. I like to leave one or two leaves.
Set the fiddle leaf fig cuttings in some water and wait for it to grow some roots. Change your water about once every four to five days just to make sure the water stays clean.
In about a month or so you’ll get some white bumps on your stem cuttings. This is totally normal. Eventually, roots will grow from the white bumps on the stem.
Growth can take several months depending on your climate, so be patient. Definitely worth the wait! Before placing your cutting in soil, make sure you have about a golf-ball size amount of roots.
Find a pot with drainage holes to plant your cuttings in. Place the Fiddle Leaf Fig stem cuttings in the pot and add well-draining soil. Next, gently pat down the soil. Leave a few inches above the rim of the pot.
Next add 1-2 cups of water. Be sure to keep your freshly potted cuttings out of direct sun to avoid leaf sunburn.
Here are my tips for growing a healthy fiddle-leaf fig. First thing you want to do is find a good spot for them where they are going to get some indirect sunlight. They do not like direct sun as they can sunburn and develop brown spots. Read more about fiddle leaf brown spots here. Once you find a spot then try not to move them too much. You can rotate it occasionally but try not to move them too much.
Water your fiddle leaf fig tree when the top inch of soil is dry. Lukewarm or room temperature water works best since cold water can put plants into shock. When watering a larger Fiddle Leaf Fig (pictured below), I use about two cups of water every week. Again, this will vary on how much light your fiddle leaf fig gets, your climate, and location. Additionally, you can use a moisture meter if you are in doubt. It’s my favorite fool-proof tool to help with watering. Indeed inexpensive and really helped me when I was a new plant mom.
Another way to keep your fiddle-leaf fig happy is to dust them regularly. Dust obviously makes them look dirty. However, heavy dust also blocks the light absorption on the leaves. The leaves cover a large surface, so they do tend to get dusty. Let that light shine and make sure you dust off those leaves. I use a damp microfiber cloth to gently wipe the leaf surface.
Make sure you put your plant in a container that’s good for your Fiddle Leaf Fig’s size. You don’t want a really large container. Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees prefer a smaller container. In fact they like being slightly root bound.
Read more Fiddle Leaf Fiddle Tree care tips here!
6 Lessons I learned from my Fiddle Leaf Fig – Ficus Lyrata tips
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