Marianne's Response

Fiddleleaf fig

I am considering a fiddleleaf fig – or is this just a fad like the ficus trees of the not-to-distant past? They look nice but are they just too hard to keep alive here? I have read it needs indirect bright light, no direct sunlight, warm environment, doesn’t like drafts, and watering only when the soil is dry at least an inch down. One site said to mist during the winter and another didn’t mention it. One of my problems in my home is that any of the windows I want most to place it are shaded by a porch and we have UV blocking windows. One possibility would be in a bathroom window that faces south but we have a lot of trees so it doesn’t get much direct sunlight. And, what kind of soil and pot? Or, is this just a fad and I should just forget it?

Posted by Debbie Nighswonger on June 16, 2018

Marianne's Response

I love the fiddle leaf fig and I don't think any houseplant is a fad because they all add life and oxygen to our homes. I suggest you start with a small one to see how it does in your home. I agree with the indirect light so the windows with the shaded porch should be fine. Purchase your plant from a greenhouse or nursery and the size  of pot it is growing in when you buy it should be fine for a couple of years. You can leave your new plant in the plastic pot and just slip this into a basket or larger decorative pot making sure there is drainage material or a hole so that when you water the tree does not sit in drainage water. If you heat with wood or have a very dry home you may need to mist the leaves in winter but in most cases this plant will adapt to winters indoors. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti

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