Email. This post of branching may have some tips if you’d like to try shape your plant into more of that tree shape! The soil on top is dry, but moisture meter is reading wet in the middle downward. Just gotta have patience for these ones to grow. I just purchased my first FLF bush. Hi, I love following your site and Instagram. If they are planted in a large pot, sometimes they spend all their energy spreading out their roots rather than growing new leaves! Hey Nathaniel, if the temperatures are fine for you they should be ok for the plant too! You can find more details on notching here. All the best! If the top inch is dry, its time to water again. Or wait to see which one becomes more dominant -there’s not necessarily one answer for your situation 🙂 It’s possible that if you do prune one of them off, it will activate more buds that will grow into branches, so keep that in mind. I’ve just bought another FLF with three stems in the pot, to grow bushy and lush. Read my full guide on strengthening a weak or leaning trunk here. I last watered the plant a week ago and while the top few inches of soil are very dry, the soil seems somewhat moist in the bottom of the pot and there are white bits in the soil near the drainage holes. Should it be just above a bud, just below one or doe it not matter? Even though ive had the plants for a couple years in the same pot could I still split them and get two plants or would you keep them together? I bought my fiddle leaf fig in May and about 2 weeks ago the leaves on one entire branch turned brown and brittle and fell off in what seemed like overnight. And if they are in a brighter or sunnier location, you may need to adjust your watering schedule! It is very healthy and loves it’s location but it is getting way too big. To promote a fruiting spur or fruiting bud, notch below a node or bud. I got mine just a year ago and it was 36” tall. If you can remove all the old dirt with some help from the hose you may be able to detangle the roots a bit better and cut cleanly any that can’t be detangled with clean, sharp cutters. So you recommend watering until it drains through approx every two weeks In Winter? Hello, this is all so fascinating! While we can’t control all these elements, understanding them can help you stress less if your FLF does take a little time to adjust. Humidifiers can help if the air is dry however the crinkling leaves are kind of like an adaptation to our environment, as they are tropical plants in nature. This post was so helpful in fact I’m wondering because I just started using miracleGro plant food spikes 6-12-6 on my newly purchased baby FLF. Fiddle Leaf Fig Propagation. All the best! FLFs have naturally thin trunks so it will take time for them to thicken as the plant matures, too. It won’t stand up on its own and I have stakes holding it up. They can be affected by lower temperatures, a lack of humidity and less light – just for starters! When you say your FLF has 5 branches, do you mean 5 trunks coming out of the soil, or a single trunk with 5 branches further up? In this clip, I show you how my Fiddle Leaf Figs are doing. You must be logged in to post a comment. Hey Kimberly, thanks so much – I’m always happy to help and reply to comments 🙂 It’s normal for the soil to be more wet/damp the further into the pot, and it will dry out first at the top. A nice bulb can also be a decor feature, as opposed to a flaw. If you cannot get it outside to experience the breeze, wiggle the trunk every second day or so to mimic the wind. Thank u so much..i think i should consider moving it to some different place since its winters here and the room gets a bit colder as conpared to other rooms in the house The top is VERY sparse with 4 branches that have 1-7 leaves on them. Thank you in advance for your help! A few years ago, the fiddle leaf fig was the “it” plant and to some extent it still is. Once every 10 days is generally a good time to water. See if you can tell if they are attached (a low fork) or separate trunks. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. But a sudden cold snap or temperatures close to freezing can result in shock and leaf loss for our lush, tropical friends. I’ve staked it awhile ago, but as it continues to grow , it leans more and more. Now that it’s spring, you could give it a fertilize to help encourage new growth. Does this mean that it will never grow taller anymore? Should I pull the yellow leaves off now too? Hi Emily, love your informative post! I bought a fiddle leaf fig, probably 2 years ago. As your FLF sounds quite mature, I would say you’d have to cut the roots apart to do this, which can be a little risky. Yes, there are smaller versions available, such as the bambino, although I haven’t heard of the ones you’ve seen. These forums go into a lot of depth about FLFs and are a great resource! All trunks are brown and woody looking. You can prune the top to remove some of the weight higher up, otherwise you can stake it higher – this will help stabilize it but may not help the trunk grow thicker. But with a little extra work it’s possible to get them to support themselves. Here are some resources and videos to help you with notching. I use this method as some moisture meters can be unreliable. Firstly be patient – it takes time for a tree to grow! Your FLF can handle a lot of wiggling, so don’t be afraid to really move it. Generally sudden drop like this is because of a change in temperature or drafts nearby. I would like to get rid of them all together. I’ve seen great results except for a few dead leaves. They are all still green and looking like healthy but nothing changed!! Another thing to do is to embrace the Y shape! Most of the leaves are small. Hi! Hey I’m still very new to caring for indoor plants and I’m not very sure what you mean by pruning or pinching (where and how – Pictures would be very helpful!). Required fields are marked *. If it looks like the leaves are dead and aren’t recovering, you could remove them completely to keep your tree looking green. Emily’s posts have been featured on popular travel websites as well as home & style sites such as Apartment Therapy. I have a FLF that is about 2 feet tall with 7 small(er) trunks. Hosing the plant to remove dust is another option, although this is obviously best left to the warmer months when it’s safe to take plants outside! Hi Matt – the plant won’t keep growing from where it has been pruned, but it can still grow taller from branches that form after pruning. Your advice has made me a relatively good FLF grower! Hell!! Or will the trunk begin to form as it grows and then I can begin pruning smaller leaves off the lower portions, as you described? These forums were an amazing resource for me and I would definitely recommend checking out more! and do I cut off the branches with no leaves? You could remove the less dominant trunk, but this may be a little risky and there may always be that ‘kink’ in the spot where it was removed. And don’t expect immediate miracles even then. Join our Fiddle Leaf Fig Community to ask questions and register for our free webinar to learn more about Fiddle Leaf Fig Care. I’ve read most of the comments about pruning and supporting growth but I’m still not sure how to go about getting a thicker “trunk” on my FLF. 3-1-2 is the best ratio for Fiddle Leaf’s needs so it would be a good idea to switch over. The lower leaves provide support for the trunk and help it to grow strong, which is important for a tree-form as they are top-heavy and more prone to bending or tipping. All the best! Hi, I’ve done a lot of search but can’t seem to find the answer I need. But then there is also three more smaller trunks that aren’t as mature. If so, the branches are still alive and should regrow leaves from the top when ready. But, your FLF doesn’t have to stop growing and thriving in cooler weather! A quality, full-spectrum grow light can provide extra light for your Fiddle Leaf Fig during cooler weather (or even all year round). If you’re concerned about the smaller branch not growing, you could try facing that side of the plant closest to the light! Unfortunately, some leaf drop may be unavoidable. Thank you for this post! Same spot, a bit deeper. We’ve had our very small FLF since last December and it’s always been fine. I generally stop fertilizing or fertilize less often, at half strength if there are any signs of growth. To promote a branch, notch above a node or bud. Maybe you’ve found a smaller, bushy FLF to bring home. The best way to tell if your FLF needs water is by feeling if the top two inches of soil are dry. Encouraging New Growth Notch your fiddle leaf trunk to encourage it to grow new branches. A grow light can either supplement sunlight or can even replace natural light altogether in some situations (that’s how powerful they can be)! Hi Sarah, splitting them or keeping them together is personal preference and it won’t harm the plant to keep them together. Before he came to me, the grower must have chopped the main trunk (about halfway up) and there are two stems that have grown in a Y shape from that cut, so now the tree is growing out in two points rather than up. For more tips, read my guide to humidity for indoor plants. This article on encouraging a Fiddle Leaf Fig to branch might have some more useful info too! Mine is really fast growing and I have it indoors in less light than it should have and in the NorthEast. Will I ever be able to achieve the tree shape? More info in this post on brown spots. Is this a lack of humidity or maybe misting with hard water from the hose? Have you had success notching? Their large green leaves add a lot of life to indoor spaces, and they tend to do well with minimal care. Winter is renowned for dry air, which means your plants are probably feeling it even more than you are! If you have multiple trunks in the one pot, you could try separating them when you repot. If the stem was green, this could be why you didn’t see results from notching. When I bought my plant from Home Depot in October 2017, it was a sad little neglected mess, and having read about how difficult this plant was to care for, I figured we would have a challenging and short life together. Apart from that a grow light would be very helpful, fingers crossed you can get your hands on one over there! Winter often means less light for our plants. With less leaves to support up top, it won’t be as bendy. I notched my ficus lyrata and cut off the top about a month ago and FINALLY have some progress to show. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. The fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) is a popular indoor specimen plant featuring very large, heavily veined, violin-shaped leaves that grow upright.These plants are native to tropical parts of Africa, where they thrive in very warm and wet conditions. I would like to try and take some of the smaller plants and separate them to grown in their own pots but I’m not wondering if it’s a bit too soon. I want to encourage branching by notching, but I’m worried this will impede its growth from the top. Hey Jaime, I think the plant will keep growing from the top when it is ready, unless the branches themselves have died. in terms of no new leaves growing, I’m sure it is just settling into its new environment as Fiddle Leafs generally don’t like change. Hi Thais, I think it will depend on the type of cutting you did. I love your advice. The sudden yellowing & leaf drop sounds like it could be exposed to cold air or a draft though – can you check if there’s any cold air coming through the window or if there’s an air vent or heater blowing onto the plant in its new location? Do I take one off? This means your plants will have less water requirements. It seems to be thriving now – but not in the way we had hoped. To notch a fiddle leaf fig, use a knife (clean, obvs) to cut just under half way around a branch. It is now approximately 8 feet tall. Now, during the winter months, it gets too cold at night but drastically warms throughout the day. It won’t affect the health of your plant so much, its just a natural response to not quite ideal environmental conditions. All the best 🙂. All the best! I just purchased a FLF. Any suggestions on how to make my FLF look healthier and continue to grow? If it doesn’t, try it again. They will need water less often in winter but its always best to check if the top 2″ soil is dry rather than a timeframe. Hi!!! Generally it’s best to prune no more than a third of a plant to prevent it from going into shock. It is one plant though, not 2 or 3. FLFs can handle having no direct light (as long as they’re still close to a window) although the more light the better. Pruning is the easiest way to encourage branching – you don’t need to cut a lot off if you don’t want. Its almost 3 feet tall. I try to separate now, risking that they may be too young and struggle to grow But again, if there’s no unhealthy signs of this already on the plant, I would say the soil is most likely fine. It sounds strange but it does help! If there’s not enough leaves, your plant will not be able to get the nutrients it needs from sunlight and heightens its chances of being unhealthy or dying. mine has three trunks rather than one… is pruning it to a tree still possible? Or is there any way to encourage the new growth on the same spot i did notching? As FLFs are tropical plants, they like to have upwards of 60% humidity. Make a Mid-Century Modern Greenhouse from Photo Frames. Thank you!! Mine is more of a small bush,but i’ve got big plans for my little guy (Newt). It is a really fun plant to grow! Hey Mary! Trending: Indoor Plants with Pink Foliage. You can read it here. Hello! Do this above a leaf node. I’ve spent years now researching and reading up on Fiddle Leaf Figs, as well as growing and experimenting with my own. Hi Randy, I would leave it at this stage as plants will often come with a slow release fertilizer in the soil from the nursery. Fertilizing your FLF when they’ve slowed or stopped growth can result in a buildup of unused fertilizer in the soil, or it getting flushed out of the pot and wasted. Here’s a post on propagation that might help. This is may be a silly with all the info online but I don’t know how to report or if I should. I’ve only brought home a cute FLF (oh I’m in Australia, it’s Winter here) my ideal location for it is my massive east-facing window where it gets morning sunlights. In my research i’m finding that the smaller versions are actually a different variety (“compacta” or “suncoast”?) thank you, Hey Sharlee, FLFs can be pretty resilient so I’m sure it will recover! But for a plant, the lower light levels is much more noticeable! We’re getting very low light levels. You can always prune it if it gets too tall. I’m still not sure what I should do about my bush Fiddle leaf tree… First, … Hey Alissa, I think the plant would be fine if you wanted to cut these smaller growths off. If they’re small, it’s better to leave them on the plant! The humidity is 36% today which is probably about average. Whatever you decide, try to imagine how you’d like the plant to look in the long run. My dog took a bite out of a lower leaf on my FLF and the teeth marks are still there! This week one of them grew a new leaf! It keeps sending out leaves from the top seems to be growing well. Taking the steps in this post will strengthen the trunks as well as help them grow straight, rather than leaning. Unless your plant is not draining and there are signs of overwatering (dark brown spots on leaves or yellowing), I think you will be fine to wait until spring to repot. The pot should never fully dry out, and when the top couple of inches feels dry, you know its time to water again. You may want to do multiple notches, as not all of them may take. Do I cut them to save the tree? Wow! How long does it take for a leaf in the pot to grow into a little tree?! I put the flf nearer to the window. Mar 28, 2020 - If you want your Fiddle Leaf Fig to branch, try these three simple methods - pruning, notching and pinching. So, you’ll want to know how you can move your FLF indoors for the winter months. Use a pair of clean and sharp cutters, or a razor if your FLF has a thinner trunk. Thanks! They are very fun to grow and bring so much joy 🙂. The sun here is even its filtered through the window, you can still feel the warmth. claire@fiddleleaffigplant.com. The adjustment was hard as we figured out where it would thrive and it lost many leaves at the beginning. If there is, it sounds like it needs to be repotted! If you’re after more info on how grow lights work, read this guide to Grow Lights for Indoor Plants. I found this post while searching for an answer for my leaning branches. Let me know what you decide to do and how you go! My branches start too high. It lost a few leaves at first, but now is doing well in a sunny window and the smaller leaves on top are getting bigger. Remember its always best to prune with the tree’s natural shape in mind! Hi there, I purchased a FLF and it’s growing really well it’s pretty much doubled in size 1.5ft to 3ft in about 2 months. Thank you for your post it is very helpful foe me coz my FLF has 2 branches and it gives me an idea to see if its 2. If your FLF isn’t responding well to what you’re doing – change something! Notching. If it’s summer where you are, there wouldn’t be any harm in trying. All the best! If your Fiddle Leaf Fig normally lives outdoors and you live in a place that gets cooler than 55F (12C) at night, it’s best that it comes indoors to get out of the cold. I’m wondering, what do you think is the minimum amount of direct light a FLF needs in order to survive? Hi! A good tip may be that if your Compacta is already putting out new growth, it will likely respond well to pinching or pruning. Thanks so much for your insight! More info on grow lights here 🙂. There’s a myriad of different colours and styles of grow lights, which can be confusing. I often share my own Fiddle Leaf Fig updates and care tips over on Instagram – come join me! I wrote a post of strengthening FLF trunks, which could be helpful. I have 2 FLF. Hope that helps! Such as being near a draft or heater. I’m not so sure if it will have problems if the sun never physically hit the leaves? What should I do with it? They are healthy,beautiful and bushy and about 2 feet tall. To be even more sure, feel if the top 1 inch of soil is wet or dry. I would say unless there’s signs that the plant is suffering from it, it isn’t necessary to repot. Just water little by little or wait until it fully dries out and then water fully? Lastly, I saw huge improvements in my FLFs trunk when I started using a quality fertiliser. Even grew in Oregon winter! Keeping it in a consistent location should help too 🙂 Hope that helps! 4. Notching has a similar affect and you may want to use this method if you have a precise idea of where you would like a branch to grow. This is when they appear to stop growing, because of less-than-ideal environmental conditions (Fiddle Leafs are tropical plants!). Follow Emily on Instagram (@dossierblog) to stay up to date! You could also try lifting it out of the pot to see if there’s lots of roots circling the outside. This is also why they can suffer when you first bring your Fiddle home. thank you for the helpful info! If they are still young, it will be easier to try separate them than if they are older (and therefore have a larger root system). Have you had any luck notching the trunk below the branches? If you can, putting your FLF outdoors will help the trunk. Thanks for all the great info on FLF. Is it in the path of a heater or air con? I'm the new mom of a 3 foot Fiddle Leaf Fig tree. Its best to only go up one pot size at a time to help them grow better and prevent overwatering, so the pot you purchased sounds like it would be way too big for the plant at this stage. My goal is to have one trunk grow into a tree with branches. You’ll want to get a sharp pair of pruning shears because dull tools or scissors can crush the stems and damage your plant. As your FLF matures you may find they eventually drop off, which one of mine has started doing. When I was only watering it once or less per week, the leaves had brown edges and there was not as much growth. Thanks, I’ll go out and add a few notches right now. I’ve been reading up and appreciate all of your tips. More FLFs is always better, haha. Hope that helps! Thanks. I have it in a window with very bright light and noticing brown spots on the edges outer part of leaves. As long as the leaves aren’t being taken over by browning I don’t think it’s too much to worry about. Thanks for the tips, very helpful! Be aware that it’s normal for there to be some possible negative side effects of transitioning a plant indoors. 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