Hey everyone! I bought this fiddle-leaf fig about three months ago, the previous owner said it was growing like crazy so they had to get rid of it due to space constraints. I potted it in quite a large pot with normal potting soil and have been watering it sparingly (2-3 cups a week?) to prevent root rot. I’ve noticed that the topsoil remains damp for a very long time compared to other plants, I’m not sure if that means the soil doesn’t drain well or if three just isn’t using much water. I’ve dug deeper into the soil, nearly to the bottom, and it’s not completely dry but also not wet. The tree is standing between two windows, so receives quite a lot of indirect light but not too much direct light.
It was fine for about a month, but since then it has been dropping the inner/lower leaves at an increasing pace – maybe 3-5 leaves a week at this point. Parts of the leaf go brown (from the end, sides or beginning) and then the leaf drops. I can see the same happening to a lot of the remaining inner leaves so I’m worried things are going to get worse. None of the big outer leaves have fallen yet thankfully, but I haven’t seen the tree grow at all since I’ve had it.
Does anyone have any idea what’s going on?
Mysterious-Chair-160
Hello! A few things come to mind:
1) Watering: more important than volume of water or keeping to a schedule is making sure the soil is drying between waterings (not dry as dust, but pretty dry). And you should always water thoroughly so that water is running from the drainage hole(s). Root rot won’t occur from a lot of water during watering, but it will occur if the soil is not getting the chance to dry out in between. I think you are watering too frequently if it stays damp for a long time.
2) Light: this doesn’t appear to be getting enough light, which is making the plant unhappy and the soil staying too damp. My flf is happiest when it’s in a south facing window where it gets the most light possible.
3) Soil: this can be optional if 1 and 2 are the right conditions, but it helps to have soil that’s a mix of types. I like adding orchid mix and perlite or pumice so it’s less dense overall. Mixing these in will help it to dry out more quickly and avoid bugs like fungus gnats who like a moist environment.
This planter size looks fine to me. Once you adjust watering and light, you will notice your soil drying out faster.
2 Comments
Hey everyone! I bought this fiddle-leaf fig about three months ago, the previous owner said it was growing like crazy so they had to get rid of it due to space constraints. I potted it in quite a large pot with normal potting soil and have been watering it sparingly (2-3 cups a week?) to prevent root rot. I’ve noticed that the topsoil remains damp for a very long time compared to other plants, I’m not sure if that means the soil doesn’t drain well or if three just isn’t using much water. I’ve dug deeper into the soil, nearly to the bottom, and it’s not completely dry but also not wet. The tree is standing between two windows, so receives quite a lot of indirect light but not too much direct light.
It was fine for about a month, but since then it has been dropping the inner/lower leaves at an increasing pace – maybe 3-5 leaves a week at this point. Parts of the leaf go brown (from the end, sides or beginning) and then the leaf drops. I can see the same happening to a lot of the remaining inner leaves so I’m worried things are going to get worse. None of the big outer leaves have fallen yet thankfully, but I haven’t seen the tree grow at all since I’ve had it.
Does anyone have any idea what’s going on?
Hello! A few things come to mind:
1) Watering: more important than volume of water or keeping to a schedule is making sure the soil is drying between waterings (not dry as dust, but pretty dry). And you should always water thoroughly so that water is running from the drainage hole(s). Root rot won’t occur from a lot of water during watering, but it will occur if the soil is not getting the chance to dry out in between. I think you are watering too frequently if it stays damp for a long time.
2) Light: this doesn’t appear to be getting enough light, which is making the plant unhappy and the soil staying too damp. My flf is happiest when it’s in a south facing window where it gets the most light possible.
3) Soil: this can be optional if 1 and 2 are the right conditions, but it helps to have soil that’s a mix of types. I like adding orchid mix and perlite or pumice so it’s less dense overall. Mixing these in will help it to dry out more quickly and avoid bugs like fungus gnats who like a moist environment.
This planter size looks fine to me. Once you adjust watering and light, you will notice your soil drying out faster.
Best wishes!