If you’re thinking about adding more plants to your home, you most likely came across the fiddle-leaf fig, a houseplant that is becoming increasingly popular with homeowners. This beautiful plant originates from West Africa and it got its name because of its big and curvy leaves that look like a fiddle.
However, are these plants easy to maintain? What should you do to ensure that it thrives? Are there any special tips that will help you? Fortunately for all people that are wondering the same thing, the 2024 guide below can help. Here is what you should know about caring for and growing an indoor fig tree:
1. It Likes Humid Areas
One of the first things that you need to know and remember is that all fig trees prefer moist and humid air – at a level of about 60%. In most situations, the average humidity level in any home is approximately 10 percent, which is why the leaves might start turning brown. To avoid this, you could either mist the leaves every other day or you could place a humidifier near them. Also, you could increase how humid it is by placing the pot on a tray that has water combined with some gravel.
2. Sunlight is Incredibly Important
Another thing that you must ensure is that you place the pot with the fig near a window that allows a lot of bright light to enter your home. By doing so, you can ensure that they get plenty of light, which will in return, allow them to grow and thrive. Keep in mind, you’ll want to rotate the pot every two weeks since this will guarantee that it grows and stays in an upright position. Also, the leaves will gather a lot of dust, thus, wipe it off once a week with a damp towel
3. You’ll Need to Add Fertilizers to it
Almost all fig trees prefer liquid fertilizers with a 3:1:2 NPK ratio. Now, whatever fertilization product you purchase, it’s important for you to carefully read all the instructions on the bottle so that you can ensure that you use it in the right way. It’ll have to be fertilized every month during the growing season, however, during winter, you won’t have to fertilize it, although you could by adding a weaker solution to it.
4. Pruning Will Be Required
Once your plant starts growing more and more, you’ll have to prune it from time to time. However, when you’ll do it will depend on the country you live in, thus, before you go ahead and prune it on your own, ensure that you read some tutorials first such as https://cactusrose.com.au/how-and-when-to-prune-a-fig-tree-in-australia/
By doing so, you’ll ensure that you don’t do anything that might harm the fig.
5. Be Careful About Watering it
Before you water the plant, you need to wait until the first inch of the soil feels completely dry. It’s best to add room temperature water to the pot, mostly because colder or hot water could shock the plant and cause it to wither quickly. The fig will like to be watered frequently, but, it shouldn’t be soaked at all times, so, add water to it until you notice that the excess is starting to leak from the bottom of the pot you’ve planted the tree in.
6. The Temperature Needs to Be Right
Like humidity, fig-trees like warm temperatures, similar to its native hot habitat. Hence, to ensure that everything is okay, you should keep it in an area where the temperature is consistent, from 60ºF to 75ºF. You must, at all costs, avoid placing or leaving it in a room or area where the temperatures drop below 50ºF since the leaves will start browning, and in some cases, they might entirely fall off if unattended.
7. Pests Could Be a Problem
Yes, they’ll be in your house, but this doesn’t mean that pests cannot attack it. Things such as mites, scales, and aphids could attack it from time to time, which is why you need to check the leaves and see whether or not the plant is infected. You should look for holes in the leaves, weird growth, and don’t forget to check the other side of the leaves since small pests love creeping there. If you notice any bugs, spray a mild insecticide on them, and remove them with a wet towel.
8. It Needs to Be Placed Properly
An indoor fig tree can grow in height quite a lot, which is one of the main reasons why a lot of people choose to place them on the floor. Now, of course, smaller figs can be placed on furniture such as a shelf or mantle, but once they become too large, you’ll certainly want to change the position. Also, they don’t like to be disturbed, thus, you shouldn’t move it too often since this can easily cause the leave to break and fall off – something that can damage your plant quite a lot. So, be careful!
9. Repotting Will Be Needed
The last thing you should know about maintaining your indoor fig tree is that you’ll have to repot it once it gets too big for the container it’s in. Hence, when you start seeing roots spreading from the drainage hole, it’s a suitable time to change its container. You can place it in a larger one or you can simply remove it, cut the roots, and return it. Again, to ensure that your trim the roots properly, read some guides and tutorials.
Conclusion
Although most people think that it’s extremely daunting to care for an indoor fig tree, it doesn’t have to be like that, especially if you choose to follow most of the tips we mentioned above. By doing so, you won’t only ensure that your plants don’t wither, you can also ensure that they grow and thrive without any hindrances!
So, now that you know what you have to do if you’re planning on keeping fig trees in your home, don’t waste time. Instead, you might want to start searching for the perfect fig trees that will make your home more appealing and that’ll help you make a healthier environment for you and your family members.