Your Ultimate Guide to Growing a Fiddle Leaf Fig

By Green Assembly | www.greenassembly.com.au

Here at Green Assembly, we like to think of the fiddle leaf fig as the Kim Kardashian of the indoor plant world. You love to hate her, and her lush leaves are as iconic as that famous behind. They can be found looking perfect in home and garden magazines and were dubbed THE house plant of the last few years. And yet, people seem equally as desperate and petrified to own one!

These fears are warranted – with death rates running high. But while she can be fickle at times, this stunner is actually not as tricky as most think!

With some tried and tested tips from selling hundreds of these babes and from chatting with the guys growing them from scratch at the various nurseries around Perth, we’ve come up with the ultimate survival guide.

Light

The fiddle leaf fig needs bright, indirect sunlight for most of the day (think north-facing window). A bit of direct sunlight early in the morning won’t brown her leaves but only if it’s before 10am. After that, her leaves will scorch faster than a fat kid chasing an ice cream truck.

Water

Fiddle leaf figs like consistency and with (a lot) of trial and error we have found the best way to water them goes a little like this:

1. Always wait until the first three inches of topsoil are totally dry before you water (the time this takes will vary between summer and winter).
2. When it’s time to water, give her a big drink, so that excess water runs out the drainage hole.
3. Let the excess water drip for an hour then empty the drip tray. Never leave water sitting in the drip tray.

Maintenance

One of the key things NOT to do with your fiddle leaf fig is move her. Once you find a well-lit possie she loves, leave her to do her thing.

Fertilising

We recommend a slow release fertiliser like the miracle-working Troforte CRF Pots and Plants that we use on all our plants, every six months and then in spring and summer, a liquid fertiliser like Seasol once a month.

Leaf shine and clean

Use a mix of equal parts full cream milk and water and gently wipe the top and bottom of leaves to clear dust and make them shine.

Troubleshooting

Dropping leaves can be caused by too much or too little water or being exposed to cold or warm airflow. The fiddle leaf fig originates from tropical regions, so she likes warmth, consistent moisture and even temps.