Three simple secrets to a healthy fiddle leaf fig tree

Fiddle leaf fig trees have become the ultimate plants to have in your home thanks to social media! Today’s guest blogger, Claire Akin, provides some handy tips for beginner FLF owners. She created The Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Resource Center to make growing fiddle leaf figs easy, social and fun. Stop by to watch her free webinar, shop her store, and join her Facebook group to engage with thousands of other fiddle leaf fig lovers!

Maintaining a healthy fiddle leaf fig tree without any experience may seem daunting at first. But with a punctual and consistent routine, you’ll find that gaining experience is easy. The most important lesson to remember is that over-watering and under-watering are the two biggest culprits in jeopardising your plant’s health. So by simply avoiding these two issues, you’re already ahead of the game.

3 Easy Tips To Keep Your Fiddle Leaf Fig Healthy

1. Scheduling
Pick any day during the week and stick to that particular day to develop good habits of remembering to take care of your plant. Like anything with proper scheduling, reminding yourself of your plant’s health will become second nature to you. We recommend “Fiddle Leaf Fig Friday” and you can share photos of your plant on Instagram and tag #fiddleleaffigfriday!

2. Watering
The best part of taking care of a fiddle leaf fig is that it doesn’t take much to actually keep it healthy. You may not even need to water it every week. One of the best ways to build confidence is to use a moisture meter to determine whether your plant needs water.

Simply stick the meter in the soil about halfway between the trunk and the outside of the pot and about 3 inches down. A reading of 4 or less means your plant is ready to water! This is the best precaution you can put in place to ensure you don’t over-water or under-water your plant.

3. Fertilising
Like water, food is critically important for your fiddle leaf fig. Soil can only provide so much support and gets depleted of nutrients within a few months. To optimize your plant’s health, it needs proper fertilisation for it to consume the essential nutrients and grow. By implementing this with your watering, you’re slowly becoming an expert in taking care of a fiddle leaf fig tree!

Bonus Tip: Let There Be Light!

Fiddle leaf figs love plenty of indirect light. They can get sunburnt in direct afternoon sunlight, but generally they do best in the sunniest part of your home. Try to put yours near the largest windows available with a southern-facing exposure if you live in the northern hemisphere. If your home lacks abundant light, you can try a grow light on your fiddle.