Fiddle-leaf fig

Light and exposure

The fiddle-leaf fig wants plenty of light, bright but filtered. A spot a metre from an east or west facing window, or behind a sheer curtain in front of a south facing window, suits it. The direct summer sun scorches the foliage and leaves dry brown patches on it, while a dark corner makes it thin and drop its lower leaves.

It is a plant that hates to move. Once it has found its light, leave it in place: each relocation costs it a few leaves while it readjusts. Simply turn the pot a quarter turn a week so it grows straight, without moving it to another room.

Watering

Let the top two to three centimetres of soil dry before watering again. In practice, count on watering once a week in spring and summer, then once every ten to twelve days in winter. Water abundantly all at once, until the water runs out of the bottom, then empty the saucer.

The fiddle-leaf fig forgives excess water poorly. Brown patches spreading from the centre or the base of the leaves betray roots rotting in a soaked substrate. Conversely, leaves browning at the edges and curling up point rather to a lack of water or air that is too dry. A finger in the soil remains the best judge.

Soil and repotting

It needs a rich but free draining potting soil. Mix a green plant potting soil with a handful of perlite and a little bark to keep the whole thing aerated. The pot must have holes: roots bathing in water are the first cause of leaf loss.

Repot in spring every two years, into a pot only slightly larger. A container that is too big keeps the soil damp too long. On a large specimen that has become hard to repot, replace the top few centimetres of surface soil with fresh potting soil each spring.

Temperature and humidity

The ideal range is between 18 and 24 degrees. Below 12 degrees, the plant suffers, and a sudden cold snap makes it drop its leaves all at once. Keep it away from doors that open to the outside and from single glazed windows in winter.

The real Belgian trap is twofold. In winter, the air dried out by central heating from November to March browns the edges of the leaves: mist or set the pot on a bed of damp clay pebbles. And beware of cold draughts, common in our old houses in the Herve area, which are enough to make the foliage drop without any other sign.

Pruning and upkeep

Prune in early spring if you want to branch the plant out or limit its height. Cut just above a node: the plant will grow back in two or three new shoots below the cut. Wear gloves, the milky sap flows at the cut and sticks to the skin.

Wipe the large leaves with a damp cloth every fortnight. Dust builds up quickly on this wide, glossy surface, and a clogged leaf captures less light. Clean foliage grows better and shows the plant off.

Pests and diseases

Mealybugs, small cottony clusters in the leaf axils, and red spider mites, which spin fine webs and speckle the foliage with yellow dots, take advantage of the dry winter air. Clean with cotton wool soaked in diluted methylated spirit and raise the room humidity.

Brown patches are the fiddle-leaf fig’s great worry. In the centre or at the base of a leaf, they betray excess water and the beginning of root rot: reduce the watering and check the roots. At the edges and dry, they point to air that is too dry or a lack of water. Telling the two apart prevents making the problem worse by watering an already drowned plant.

Propagation

Stem cuttings succeed in spring or early summer. Take a tip ten to fifteen centimetres long with two or three leaves, let the cut dry for an hour so the latex stops flowing, then place it in water or directly in light potting soil kept moist. Rooting often takes a good month.

Air layering is the queen method for rejuvenating a large specimen bare at the base. Notch the stem, wrap the wound in moist moss and plastic film, and wait for roots to form in the moss before cutting below the package and repotting. It is slower, but the success rate is much better on thick stems.

Toxicity

The milky sap contains latex that irritates the skin and mucous membranes. A chewed leaf causes digestive upset in cats, dogs and young children. Wear gloves when pruning if you have sensitive skin.

Month-by-month care calendar

Green Hub tips

• Do not move your fiddle-leaf fig without reason: it loses leaves at every change of light. Find it the right spot and let it settle in.
• Tell the brown patches apart: in the centre of the leaf, it is too much water; at the edges and dry, it is air that is too dry or a lack of water.
• Wipe the large leaves every 15 days. Dust builds up quickly on them and curbs the light the plant needs.
• To rejuvenate a specimen bare at the base, prefer air layering to ordinary cuttings: the take is much surer on thick stems.