Deciding if you need to re-pot a fiddle leaf fig tree can be tricky. When the new leader appears, guide it gently (while it's very young) in the proper direction if necessary, or use the light source to help guide it. Prune away moldy-looking branches in the spring. The tree is of course flexing more because of the foliage weight, but it also seems there is a bend in the trunk near where it meets the soil. In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. At the point where the leaning stem intersects the plane of the pot walls, I would prune the plant to the closest leaf, within that plane, which will produce a branch/new leader growing toward an imaginary point extending straight upward from where the trunk exits the soil. To get your FLF growing straight can be done in as soon as one week. Quite a prune! Welcome to Bad at Plants, a new column in which plant expert Maryah Greene, of Greene Piece consulting, answers your questions about plants so we might all become at least slightly better at keeping them alive.. I got this fiddle leaf about a year ago and it came staked. This is a hard prune. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Thanks again! It might freak you out to consider chopping back even further - to the leaf moving left in the image, with the tip of the leaf superimposed over the horizontal edge of the desktop. Something else or a combination of the above. I never really thought much about it, so I always left the stake in. The new branches will but beneath the top leaves of your tree. As a tropical tree, the fiddle leaf fig plant is native to Africa. You know you want your tree to look good, but the one long arm that's extended halfway to the corner grocery store isn't doing the composition any favors. Once your cutting has been in the soil for 2 – 3 months and has started to grow new leaves, it’s time to feed it. Re-pot it so it sits upright and make sure to rotate it more in the future? I also just went and looked at the tree to better visualize your suggestion. With it’s famous broad and glossy leaves, as well as the ability to grow as large as a tree (and form many different shapes), there’s something retro and fab and bold about the fiddle leaf that can just make a … The tree thrives in moist, humid conditions. I got it only a month ago. I learned a long while ago that worshiping growth for the sake of growth is a losing strategy. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need plenty of air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. That's a trap and I'm hoping someone is curious enough to bite. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water. And that more of corkscrew (for lack of a better word) is nicer? Your tree doesn't have enough as it is, so pruning at this time would be a decidedly counterproductive move. If you’re brand new to fiddle leaf fig care and want to learn to care for your bambino, here’s a quick reference guide: Potting and Soil for Bambino Fiddle Leaf Figs. Notching Your Fiddle Leaf Fig. This is how bonsai practitioners increase ramification (branch/leaf density). Looking good and looks like it straightened out quite a bit. Good things often take a bit more time, but I get that it takes time and experience to realize that. If you rely on the advice to 'water when the top inch or two of soil is dry' you will undoubtedly be over-watering. Definitely curious to know what you mean. The Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Plant Food has the perfect ratio of … Buy It Pruning and Shaping. No, it wouldn't be too much for the tree, and yes, it does make good sense to reduce the top by 1/3 to 1/2. Chris B. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Also try to make sure the undulation isn't just side to side. When each of those branches have 3 leaves, I'll cut back to 2, so I'll get 4 branches. Yes. All right! Or would it be too much for the tree? It doesn't matter to me if you decide to do something we haven't even discussed. The three main components of a tree-form Fiddle Leaf Fig over a bush-form are height, the single bare trunk and the branches.So lets look at each one individually: Height. Keeping fiddle leaf figs happy, simply depends on their environment. Here are a couple of images for your amusement, which show how much difference changing the planting angle can make: I also just went and looked at the tree to better visualize your suggestion. Pruning back to the correctly angled leader at the side wall of the pot would mean cutting off about 2/3 of the trunk! Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Well, these fiddle fig leaf, is a perfect indoor specimen plant, it features heavily veined and violin-shaped leaves. Do you think it makes sense to prune back roughly 1/3 of the trunk and also repot at a better angle? However, I was considering repotting it as well, so that the bottom portion of the trunk (where most of the bend is) points up more vertically. Copyright © echo date(Y);?> Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Resource, Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Food Moisture Meter, How to Strengthen and Thicken a Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Trunk (VIDEO). Leaning fiddle leaf fig. His head hit he ceiling, his trunk was leaning – no longer was he petite and small. This is about as far as I pushed it before it felt like the trunk was beginning to resist flexion as opposed to help. I've been reading about ways to address this and am curious what folks here would recommend. I haven’t pruned my fig tree yet but am going to. Air layering is another technique for propagating fiddle-leaf fig trees or other woody tropical plants. I already have it staked but it’s still leans! If you like the twisty curvy look you bend the top using a guy wire tied to the side of the pot. Whatever you decide is exactly what you should do. Aah time. Rotate the plant towards the light source and it will straighten itself out? A long stick of a given diameter bends more readily than a short stick - same diameter. 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. Fungal infections can be identified by light brown and tan spots on the leaves, yellowing leaves, and curling leaves. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. The Fiddle Leaf Fig is a really great plant for beginners and experts alike, and designers will appreciate what it can do in a photo. Some photos that maybe help illustrate what I'm trying to say: Where the trunk seems to want to sit. What I would do is just that - what I would do. Since its launch back into popularity, the fiddle leaf fig‘s (or Ficus lyrata‘s) finicky reputation has been solidified. I was thinking a bit more about it since I first posted yesterday and I agree that pruning is the best choice here. Instead, small cuts or ‘notches’ are made up and down the stem or trunk to encourage new growth to form further down the plant… Thanks for help in advance, Plants make their own food (sugar) during the process of photosynthesis, and each leaf represents an individual food factory. Or should I jump down to the orange leaf? 5 months ago. Make sure the pot drains well! This makes them somewhat challenging for the home grower, who is likely to have trouble duplicating these steamy conditions. How can I change this? This is nice to think about. > As you decide where you want to prune to promote a sinuous trunk, keep in mind that the bends in the trunk will look better if they become closer together toward the top. Healthy fiddle leaf fig plants can aggressively grow toward the sun, which means they may get too large or tall for their location. Fiddle Leaf Figs aren’t the fastest growing plants but you can speed up their growth by providing the right conditions for them. Or may be taking into account the branching structure when twisting and bending? Both of your observations are indeed correct, but what I was referring to centers more in the idea that when mapping out a plan for something artistic, like building a symphony hall or a building meant to blend well with a challenging piece of property, you're generally dealing with 3 dimensions. Root rot is one of the leading causes of unhappy fiddle leaf figs. I never really thought much about it, so I always left the stake in. Also, I can see the tree is being over-watered and wants much more light. I can see you've been giving it some thought. Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Plant Food for Ficus Lyrata – Calcium Fortified, Urea-Free and with NPK Ratio of 3-1-2 for Healthy Roots, Stems and Leaves (8 Ounces) 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,007 $20.99 $ 20 . > When you're mapping out a strategy for what you envision a plant looking like years from now, there's a 4th dimension to be considered - life. This post shows you how to do that: How to Strengthen and Thicken a Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Trunk (VIDEO). The most devoted of them have moved these trees around the home, chasing the perfect light, or have invested in humidifiers and moisture meters. Learn easy ways to keep them healthy, Go ahead, borrow those bookshelves. The fiddle leaf fig, Ficus lyrata, or whatever you want to call it, is a flowering plant in the mulberry and fig family (Moraceae). It wouldn't be the end of the world and I think could produce a tree with a bit more character (as opposed to a plain old straight tree), but wanted to double-check that's what you meant. To get your FLF growing straight can be done in as soon as one week. I repotted the tree a couple of months ago and I'm afraid I was careless and may have repotted it at an angle. Am I right? Ashley Kavanagh. Place your fiddle leaf fig in an eastward facing window. That being said, fiddle leaf fig does very well as an upright and attention-grabbing houseplant with its striking leaves. FLF’s may be renowned for being slow-growing. Or should I jump down to the orange leaf? Do you mean the undulations should be in different planes? Keeping the fiddle leaf fig indoor helps to improve the quality of air inside the home or the office. When you next prune, you'll be pruning the plant so the next leader also grows back toward the vertical line, and it too will grow to a point slightly beyond the vertical axis. I'm not trying to talk you into anything, but it wouldn't be a particularly hard prune. One day he was chopped, he and I stood in shock, as the top half of him began to fall. I'm just loaning you some of my experience to help ensure your tree has the best chance of becoming a really nice tree. Fiddles need fast-draining soil like our Premium Fiddle Leaf Fig Potting Soil and a pot that’s only 2-3 inches larger than the root ball. That means the new leader would look best somewhere around the same angle, but in the opposite direction. Buy Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Food on Amazon Now! Imagine the side walls of the pot are taller. Hello! You already know your options, Chris. One day Filbert the Fiddle Leaf Fig became too tall. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Jun 13, 2019 - How to strengthen and thicken a weak or leaning Fiddle Leaf Fig trunk, step by step. Notching is a method of encouraging a Fiddle Leaf Fig to branch that doesn’t involve removing any height off the plant. My plan is to cut right above the leaf circled in purple. You can buy a fiddle-leaf fig tree for $12.99 from Ikea. My hope is that after pruning, the branch straightens out to be contained in the pot now that the foliage weight is removed. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. If it was my tree, I would go with #1. Do you think it makes sense to prune back roughly 1/3 of the trunk and also repot at a better angle? You can prune your fiddle leaf fig any time of year, but pruning in the spring allows the plant to get the light it needs to recover and grow. Or would it be too much for the tree? Try wiggling your tree every day to mimic wind and strengthen the trunk so it can stand up straight. Most growers have an innate sense of obligation to keep any growth a plant puts on as though it's sacred. As with any plant, receiving enough sun is important for fiddle leaf figs. These are the same plant, but one has been manipulated through pruning and shaping. Fiddle fig or fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) can grow outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 12, though it may grow better in USDA zones 10b through 11. It is native to West Africa, where it can grow up to nearly 50 feet tall in lowland tropical rainforests. You'll see this issue in many indoor trees. This ^^^ is a Ficus microcarpa cutting from which the 3rd leaf and branch tip has been removed. In the axils (crotches) of each leaf is a newly formed branch. By Ashley Kavanagh | 2020-04-13T23:02:46-07:00 April 13th, 2020 | 1 Comment. But then I realized there’s no reason to … Leggy. For the tree, I've decided to go for a prune without a repotting. If you want a full plant with many branches and leaves, use this strategy: When the 3rd leaf on any branch starts opening, prune the branch back to only 2 leaves. Al, Pinch the top (remove the top leaf and the growing tip of the trunk) and prune the branch back to 2 leaves. 2. Hi there, Anyone able to properly identify what's happening with my plant? Outdoors is even better but you would need to gradually expose the plant to full Sun. Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Top-prune right above the leaf that is growing in the direction back towards the center of the pot? Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'. Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Plant Food for Ficus Lyrata – Calcium Fortified, Urea-Free and with NPK Ratio of 3-1-2 for Healthy Roots, Stems and Leaves (8 Ounces) 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,441 $20.99 $ 20 . Take a look in the pic attached:), Hi Ashley! Thank you, Al! Watering in small sips leads to avoid over-watering leads to a residual build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil from tapwater and fertilizer solutions, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. If you notice any white, powdery mildew growing on the stems or branches, use a sharp pair of pruning shears to remove the infected area from the plant. Its broad or wide leaves are efficient at purifying the air. This is a super exciting stage in your fiddle leaf fig tree’s life because now you can start to shape it into an instagram worthy plant! Two leaves at the bottom fell off the other day. I'll update end of summer with how it looks then. Does the pot have a drain hole? If the plant isn’t growing as much as it should, or not growing at all, you might have to take action. So there you have it: the most common causes of drooping fiddle leaf fig trees’ leaves are weak tissue, environmental changes, thirst, root shock, and chemical burn. My tree leans like crazy. Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Food; Root Supplement; Premium Fiddle Leaf Fig Potting Soil; Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Food Moisture Meter; ... African Violet Plant Food; Search for: Search for: Leaning tree!!! 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