can my gorgeous fiddle leaf be saved?
antiguamarie
2 months ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (8)
antiguamarie
2 months agoantiguamarie
2 months agoRelated Discussions
Help save my fiddle leaf fig-my first plant!
Comments (7)Thanks, Lee. It's always nice to find out that someone finds value in the things we write. One would assume a nursery wouldn't over water their plants. In most cases, plants in nuresries WON'T be over-watered for a couple of reasons. One of those is that they are good at noticing signs that illustrate a group of plants need fopr water, or for just establishing an appropriate schedule on which to water. The second reason has to do with the fact that the plants often rest on the ground. When the pot is in direct contact with the ground, or if roots grow from the pot into the ground or through a ground cover cloth under the pots, the earth acts as a giant wick to pull excess water from the soil. If you use a soil that is capable of supporting 3-4" of perched water and you set it directly on dry ground, the perched water will disappear within minutes due to the wicking action of the earth. .... to clarify. Water when the skewer/dowel comes out free of dirt/dry looking? Yes, that's right. If you were checking daily or twice daily to get a 'feel' for how often to water, the ideal time to water would be the first time the tell comes out dry. IOW, you want to wait until just before the plant might experience drought stress before you water. With some species of ficus (like benjamina), you can clearly see or feel when the youngest leaves are just starting to lose turgidity. If you wait until then and pay attention to the interval since last watering, you can often establish an appropriate rhythm that should keep you out of trouble re over-watering. Do you have to use a new dowel every time? If you're actually using a dowel, you can cut a 4' piece in half & sharpen all 4 ends. If you're using a skewer, they're cheap, so why not use a fresh one after each moist pot you discover. Or, if you wipe the end off with a rag and wave it in the air between tests, it usually dries down enough that you can test a lot of plants with just the 4 ends from the single rod you cut in half. How much water do I flush it with? I usually suggest at least 10x the volume of the pot the plant is in; and if you err, it's better to err on the generous side and use more than 10x. How often do you do it? I use a soil that I can flush at will, and I DO flush every time I water. If you're limited to supplying small amounts of water to prevent soils from staying soggy for long periods, a thorough flush every 4-6 weeks is good. What do I use as the wick? Anything cotton? Cotton rots quickly. I prefer strands of rayon. You can buy a rayon mop head and pull it apart, or buy a man made rayon chamois and cut it in strips. Too, the nylon string ties used to tie onion or citrus bags closed very often work very well for drainage wicks (but not watering wicks). I have some of those that are 12-15 years old & still working great. Not all are created equal though, so discard those that don't work well. And do you tape it on the side of the planter out of the effluent. I meant to talk to you about the effluent. Your pot should be raised so it's above the effluent that collects in the saucer, or via other means, the effluent should have no pathway back into the soil. Reason: It doesn't make sense to flush salts from the soil only to leave a pathway right back to where they came from because the pot is sitting in the effluent. Here's how I do wicks: That covers how I do it before the planting is established. If the pot supports an established planting, I simply fold the wick over the end of a straight slot screwdriver and push it into the soil far enough that the short end is all the way into the soil. That holds it pretty securely initially and as roots grow around and into the wick, even more so. Is foliage pro 9-3-6 still your go to fertilizer? Yes. I might add a little extra K for some plants (tomato and hibiscus), but I basically use it for everything. I completely avoid any high-P fertilizers in containers. I consider a fertilizer to be high in P if the middle number (P) is equal to or larger than the first number (N). ..... it seems I will loose a bunch of leaves off the bottom. Is it ever possible to get that growth back? Yes. Once a leaf is shed, no new leaf will form in its place, but above the scar where a shed leaf was attached, there are dormant buds that can be stimulated to grow. The methods of activating these latent buds could easily fill a chapter in a book, so I won't elaborate. Back-budding will naturally occur if you can get the plant outdoors in full sun and plenty of air movement, fertilize it in what's called the luxury range, and make sure the root system is healthy and has plenty of room to run. You can artificially stimulate back-budding low on the trunk by notching or pruning the plant back hard. The hard pruning is especially effective when working with healthy plants at the peak of their food-making/photosynthesizing ability, which, where you live would be in June. Father's Day or the summer solstice are the easiest markers to remember. You mentioned the kids and learning. When I was a youngster, I went to a 1-room little red brick schoolhouse that had K-8 in the one room. Obviously, it was hard for the teacher to spend as much time with each student as they needed, so most of the time I read World Book Encyclopedia and anything I could get my hands on about animals or science. I only wish that the world of plant science would have got its hooks into me at a very young age. I hope your kids find something they love to do, no matter what it is, and have the opportunity to follow that calling. Al...See MoreSave My Fiddle Leaf Tree!
Comments (2)My FLF did this when I first brought it home. It'll drop leaves because it's adjusting to the change in environment (going from plant nursery with lots of sunshine to your house which has different lighting). If I've learned anything from these forums, it's that with such a large plant, you can't reliably predict how dry the entire pot is when only the first inch of soil is dry to the touch. The easiest way to do that is to do the dowel test - take a wooden dowel/skewer and insert it all the way down in the pot. When you remove it, is it damp/cool, is some soil stuck to the dowel? (It's kind of like using a toothpick to test if your muffins are fully baked.) If so, hold off on watering. Depending on the season and sunlight we get, it's not uncommon for me to sometimes go 2, even 3. weeks without watering my FLF using this test....See MoreHelp me save my fiddle leaf!
Comments (2)Fiddle leaf figs grow by dropping bottom leaves. It's just something they do. They also don't like to be rootbound, so you may want to repot it. Their roots can fill up a large pot very quickly. The only way to keep them into a smaller pot is to prune the roots every other year....See MorePlease help save my Fiddle-Leaf Fig!
Comments (10)Hi Josie, people commonly have FLF issues originating from an inappropriate watering regimen and from an overly water retentive soil. If you search on the forums there are some great threads where Tapla (Al) shares his knowledge on soils and what makes for an appropriate mix for houseplants. Since it’s fall, it’s not a good time to repot plants. But it is a perfect time to learn all about the needs of your plant so you can repot it in spring. How do you water? How do you decide it’s time to water? To tell it’s time to water, take a sharpened wooden dowel (or chopstick) and insert it deep (all the way to the bottom) of the soil. If it comes out moist and with dark soil, don’t water yet. If it comes out clean and dry, it’s time to water! Check every couple of days. When it’s time to water, good watering practice is to water until water flows freely out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the container. Also, FLFs love lots of light. It should be right up in front of your brightest South facing window, unobstructed by blinds or curtains....See Moretapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
2 months ago41 North (Zone 7a/b, NE, coastal)
2 months agolast modified: 2 months agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
2 months agoantiguamarie
2 months agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
2 months ago
Related Stories
LANDSCAPE DESIGNThese 4 Planting Strategies Can Save You Money
Use seeds, plugs and more to keep costs down as you fill out your garden
Full StoryFURNITUREGet Gorgeous Art Deco Furniture for Less
Save money while still getting the art deco look you love, with these shopping strategies and insider tips
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNWhere to Save Money on a Landscape Renovation
These 10 cost-saving ideas from professionals can help you stretch your budget without sacrificing style or quality
Full StoryFRONT YARD IDEAS9 Gorgeous Sidewalk Garden Designs
These ideas for perimeter planting can boost your home’s curb appeal with more color, personality and seasonal interest
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGN9 Ways to Save on Your Kitchen Remodel
A designer shares key areas where you can economize — and still get the kitchen of your dreams
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNGet Along With Less Lawn — Ideas to Save Water and Effort
Ditch the mower and lower your water bill while creating a feast for the eyes with diverse plantings and gathering places
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDESA Glimmer of Gold Leaf Will Make Your Room Shine
Make a unique, unexpected statement in any space with this precious metallic finish
Full StoryBATHROOM DESIGNNew This Week: Space-Saving Ideas in 3 Small Bathrooms
Follow a few of these design moves to make the most of your compact space
Full StoryKITCHEN CABINETS9 Ways to Save Money on Kitchen Cabinets
Hold on to more dough without sacrificing style with these cost-saving tips
Full StoryCOLORWant Gorgeous Interior Colors? Look to the Light
See how to manipulate natural and artificial light — and learn about those baffling new bulbs — to get the exact room colors you want
Full Story
41 North (Zone 7a/b, NE, coastal)