Fiddle leaf fig trees are well known for two reasons. First, they are ridiculously adorable and totally trendy. Second, they have been given a bad rap for being super high maintenance. Because, well, they kind of are.
If you are a proud new plant mama (or papa) to a fiddle leaf fig tree, or if you want to get a little fig but you have a healthy respect of your less-than-green-thumb, or if you're just wondering how to keep the thing alive, this is for you. I adopted my fiddle leaf fig a few months ago. Since then, it's grown quite a bit already and seems like it has a pretty good quality of life. I've had a few people ask me how to care for it, so I figured I would share with you the few things that I have done to make sure it remains healthy and continues to flourish. 1. Start with a healthy plant. Fiddle leaf fig trees aren't the cheapest of plants, so make sure to choose a healthy one to purchase. Be selective. Don't buy any that have brown spots, since that's a sign of disease, bad watering, or pests. 2. Let it sunbathe. This plant likes its sun. Place it in a spot that gets nice indirect sunlight throughout the day. South facing windows get a lot of light, but an east or west facing window does well for them too. Just make sure it doesn't stand in the way of direct rays of light. Keep it a couple of feet from the window, or place it in front of a window with a sheer curtain. You don't like sunburns. Your fig doesn't like them either. 3. Keep it in a room that stays roughly between 60 and 80 degrees. Also, keep it away from any cold drafts from windows and doors. Fiddle leaf figs come from warm climates, and they really don't like the cold. 4. Water thoroughly once weekly with a water-soluble plant food fertilizer. Ask your local greenhouse what brand they carry, and be sure to follow the instructions on the container. Mine says I can use it every week, but there are bi-weekly options out there as well. Also, watch your plant. Brown spots are sometimes signs of too frequent or not frequent enough watering. Be mindful and try adjusting your watering schedule if brown spots start to form. 5. Dust the leaves with a clean rag every so often. Dust build up can interfere with the leaves' ability to absorb sunlight, so getting rid of any dust buildup every once in a while is pretty important so that the plant can continue to thrive. Just make sure to use a clean rag so as not to spread any bacteria onto the leaves. Also, watch for brown spots, falling leaves, or yellowing. This variety of tree is fairly susceptible to pests. If signs of infection are forming on any of the leaves of your tree, use a rag with warm water and a little dish soap (1 gallon of water to every 1/2 tsp of detergent), to gently cleanse the leaves. So, compared to a succulent or something, I suppose fiddle leaf figs are kind of high maintenance. But honestly, they are also surprisingly hearty. Given a decent environment, they flourish and can grow to be above six feet tall. Just remember that a little consistent love goes a long way for this plant, and if you take a little time each week to give it some attention, your fig will be fit as a fiddle for the days to come. xoxo, Meg
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It was love at first sight.
I first noticed the trend it in the realm of Pinterest, and then suddenly my attention was alerted and I noticed it was everywhere. Fiddle leaf fig trees in baskets, fiddle leaf fig trees in pots, fiddle leaf fig trees on little scooter cart things – the funky houseplant had become a phenomenon. Now, I know that this little tree has exploded across the design world – how could it not? With its big, waxy leaves that flop around to its skinny little trunk and unique silhouette, its mere aesthetic and persona seize your attention in the same way that your friend’s California-vacation-palm-tree-pictures do when you scroll through your Instagram feed. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a plant lover. Lucky for me, my husband is okay with my plant obsession, even when it means finding thirty-two plants distributed carefully throughout our century old house. Although he didn’t really get my love for the fiddle leaf fig, he said that when the time was right I could get one – but it would be my job to keep it alive. His philosophy is probably similar to your mother’s philosophy of childhood pets: if you feed it, you water it, and you take it outside when it needs to go outside, then you can have it. As much as I love and care for all my other plants, when I first saw that fiddle leaf fig, I knew it was my dream plant. I researched, I saved spare change, I charted the sun patterns in our house to decide its ideal resting place, and I got a little rolling plant cart thing for it at Menards. Finally, after months and months and months of waiting, our local greenhouse called me and told me their truck had just come and my fig tree had arrived. I freaked out a little (okay, a lot), dropped everything, and drove to the greenhouse. Apparently I had really hustled over there, because the fig trees were still in the unloading zone wrapped in the brown paper they travel in and chilling out on their wooden pallets. The greenhouse workers all gathered around, gave me advice, told me how to care for it, and after inspecting the selection of figs, I picked a nice and healthy one to be mine. After paying, I lugged my new baby out the door and managed to fit it in the front seat of the Subaru. When I got home, I was so excited that I just wanted to take a million pictures of it and post all of them on the social media like a new mom showing the world her newborn baby. I refrained. Now it’s been a few days, and I actually had to take an unexpected trip to Florida. My husband is super awesome and said he’d plant-sit. He also offered to take pictures of my cute fiddle leaf every day that I’m gone. I could be wrong, but I think he’s starting to understand the whole fig-loving craze. And who knows. Maybe when I get home I’ll discover that he sang it lullabies at night in my absence. xoxo, Megan |
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