The west window will provide more, and more intense light than the east. If you really want the plant to thrive, keep it outdoors when temperatures are above 55* (night temperatures included) and growing in bright shade or protected from midday sun. The light levels in the west window present no problem for the tree per se, but because of lack of air movement indoors, leaf surface temperatures can build to temperatures high enough to cause damage on lyrata. To prevent this, you may need to either reduce the direct light load during midday, or provide some air movement, the latter being preferred. Water only when the plant feels dry at the drain hole, then water profusely - so at least 10-15% of the total volume of water applied escapes the drain hole. Use a 3:1:2 ratio fertilizer like MG 24-8-16 or 12-4-8. Foliage-Pro (by Dyna-Gro) also makes a VERY good fertilizer with a 9-3-6 formulation with ALL the essential elements, including Ca & Mg (MG lacks these, as well as S). Al

Eeeew....wasps & hornets, huh? I already have issues with those buggers! I'm allergic too. I have to come up with something. I have to block my neighbor's view. I can see directly into their house from my livingroom couch. The house is a rental and these new people don't believe in 'shades'. It's their bedroom....fyi....I don't think they care. I have a blinds, but if I shut them in the daytime, my house will be too cave-like as it faces East. I do draw the blinds in the evening. I'm starting to hate downtown living.....maybe I'm getting too old to enjoy it anymore.

Hello all! I have been the proud owner of a fiddle leaf since June and have been rewarded since then with 5 large leaves and about 1 foot gain in height. It is happily placed in my apartment'a northeastern window. The plant is now at a height (almost 4 feet tall) that I would want it to start branching while also reinforcing its already strong trunk. I was planning on pinching the bud in May/June to do this. Alas, life/plants never follow our plans and it is budding and developing new leaves--thus also will be adding height. It is mid-December now and I am wondering if pinching now would harm/stress my tree? Should I allow the tree to grow and then cut above the node at the height I desire in June instead of pinching? Photo of bud provided. Please let me know your thoughts! -Audrie

What it looks like is that your knife wasn't sharp enough. Also I'd never use a knife to prune. It is hard to get a clean cut (if it's not a clean cut it can take longer for the plant to heal) and can easily introduce disease and infection if the tools are not sterilized beforehand. For such thick stems use a pruner, you can buy them at home depot or lowes. To sterilize your tools, get a blow torch and heat up the blade until it gets red and then let it cool off. It goes without saying that you should choose a pruner with a blade that is pure metal, not the kind of hybrid plastic ones they have nowadays. I wouldn't necessarily prune any more off. The problem is that your ficus began branching too late and now whatever you do the tree is still going to look top heavy indoors since it can't get any taller than that.