Fiddle Leaf Fig: How to Keep it Alive

Fiddle Leaf Fig: How to Keep it Alive

I killed my first fiddle leaf fig within three months. Bought it at a local nursery, placed it in what I thought was a bright corner, watered it when the soil felt dry, and watched it drop leaves one by one until it looked like a sad stick with two leaves clinging on for dear life. I was frustrated because everyone online made it sound easy, but my plant clearly disagreed.

After that failure, I spent way too much time reading research papers and grower forums. I wanted to understand what these plants actually need, not just the generic advice that gets repeated everywhere. Turns out, fiddle leaf figs are particular, but they’re not impossible. You just need to stop guessing and start paying attention to a few specific things.

I don’t currently have one in my apartment because my windows face north and these trees need more light than I can offer. But I’ve helped three friends keep theirs alive, and I’m planning to get one when I move next year. Here’s what actually works.

The Importance of Bright

The number one reason fiddle leaf figs fail is bad light. I’m not talking about “sort of bright” or “I think there’s enough light here.” I mean actual, measurable brightness that hits the plant for most of the day.

These plants come from the lowland rainforests of western Africa, where they grow as understory trees. That sounds like they’d prefer shade, but understory in a tropical forest is still much brighter than most of our homes. They’re used to filtered light coming through a canopy, not the dim corners we often stick houseplants in.

When my friend Sarah showed me her fiddle leaf fig, it was sitting about eight feet from an east-facing window. She couldn’t figure out why the lower leaves kept turning brown and dropping. I moved it right next to the window, within two feet of the glass, and the plant stopped declining within a week. New growth came in darker green and much larger than the pale, small leaves it had been pushing out before.

According to research from the University of Florida’s Environmental Horticulture Department, Ficus lyrata (that’s the fiddle leaf fig’s scientific name) performs best with bright indirect light for at least six hours daily. Direct sun can work too, but you need to acclimate the plant slowly or the leaves will burn and develop brown patches.

Here’s what I tell people: put your plant as close to your brightest window as possible without the sun hitting the leaves directly for more than an hour or two. South or west-facing windows work great. East-facing can work if the window is large and unobstructed. North-facing is risky unless you have huge windows or live somewhere with intense ambient light.

If your room feels dim to your eyes, it’s definitely too dim for a fiddle leaf fig. Our eyes adjust to low light really well, but plants can’t. I use the shadow test: hold your hand about a foot above the spot where you want to put the plant at midday. If your shadow is sharp and dark, there’s enough light. If it’s fuzzy or barely visible, that spot won’t work.

One more thing about light: consistency matters. Don’t move your plant around. Pick the brightest spot you have and leave it there. These plants hate change, and moving them between different light levels will stress them out. I learned this when I rotated mine to “even out the growth” and it dropped four leaves in protest.

Consistent Light

I’m splitting this into its own section because people underestimate how much stability matters with fiddle leaf figs. It’s not enough to have bright light. You need that same light showing up every single day.

Seasonal changes will happen naturally, and that’s fine. The plant expects winter to be darker than summer. What it doesn’t expect is you moving it from the living room to the bedroom and then back to the living room because you’re rearranging furniture. Every time you relocate it, the plant has to adjust its leaf chemistry to the new light conditions. That costs energy and often results in dropped leaves.

I watched my coworker move her fiddle leaf fig four times in two months. Each time, it dropped leaves. She thought the plant was dying and kept moving it to “find a better spot.” I finally convinced her to pick one location and commit. Three months later, no more leaf drop. The plant stabilized.

If you absolutely have to move it, like if you’re switching apartments, expect some adjustment. Give it at least a month to adapt before you panic. Research from North Carolina State University Extension notes that Ficus species in general are sensitive to environmental changes and will often drop older leaves when adjusting to new conditions.

Also, don’t spin your plant. I know the instinct is to rotate it every week so all sides get light, but fiddle leaf figs don’t appreciate that. They want to orient their leaves toward the light source and leave them there. Rotating confuses this process. If one side starts looking less full, that’s just how the plant grows. You can prune it later to encourage branching, but don’t spin it weekly like you might with a smaller plant.

Above: A close up look at the symptoms.

How to Water Without Causing Edema

Watering is where I messed up with my first plant, and it’s where most people struggle. The common advice is “water when the top two inches of soil are dry,” which sounds simple until you realize that timing changes constantly based on season, pot size, and your home’s humidity.

I overwatered mine. The soil was staying wet too long, and I didn’t realize it because I was only checking the top layer. The roots started rotting, and the plant developed edema, which shows up as small, rusty-looking bumps on the undersides of leaves. Those bumps are basically burst cells from the plant taking up water faster than it can transpire it away.

Here’s the method that actually works: stick your finger into the soil up to your knuckle, about three inches deep. If it feels damp at all, don’t water. Wait until it’s dry at that depth. For most people in most homes, this means watering roughly every 7 to 10 days in summer and every 14 to 21 days in winter. But ignore those numbers and just check the soil.

When you do water, do it thoroughly. I take my friend’s fiddle leaf fig to the bathtub, water it until water runs out the drainage holes, let it drain completely for 20 minutes, then put it back. This is way better than giving it little sips of water every few days. Deep watering encourages the roots to grow down into the pot instead of staying shallow.

Edema is a specific problem with fiddle leaf figs because their leaves are so large. According to a study published in the Journal of Environmental Horticulture, edema occurs when root uptake exceeds transpiration rate, which happens more often in conditions with high soil moisture and low light or humidity. If your plant has those rusty bumps, you’re watering too frequently or your soil isn’t draining well enough.

The fix is simple but requires patience. Water less often. Make sure your pot has drainage holes (this should be obvious, but I’ve seen people keep these plants in decorative pots with no drainage). Consider repotting into a chunkier soil mix. I use a blend of regular potting soil with added perlite and bark chips, roughly 60% soil and 40% amendments. This lets water move through faster.

One last watering note: don’t follow a schedule. I tried that, watering every Sunday regardless of soil condition, and it was a disaster. Check the soil with your actual finger every time. It takes five seconds and saves your plant.

Cleaning Huge Leaves for Health

Those big, glossy leaves are the whole point of owning a fiddle leaf fig, but they’re also dust magnets. A layer of dust blocks light from reaching the leaf surface, which reduces photosynthesis. It also looks terrible.

I clean my friends’ plants about once a month. I use a damp cloth (just water, no leaf shine products) and wipe each leaf gently on both sides. It takes maybe 10 minutes for a medium-sized tree. Some people freak out about this, worried they’ll damage the leaves, but fiddle leaf fig leaves are tougher than you think. Just don’t scrub hard or use anything rough.

You can also shower your plant. I do this every couple of months, taking it to the bathtub or shower and rinsing it off with lukewarm water. This is especially good if you have a larger tree where wiping individual leaves would take forever. Just make sure the water isn’t cold, and let the plant dry in a bright spot before putting it back in its usual location.

Clean leaves aren’t just about appearance. According to research from the University of Georgia Extension, dust accumulation on indoor plant leaves can reduce photosynthetic efficiency by up to 50% in some species. With a plant that’s already sensitive to light levels, you can’t afford to lose half your photosynthesis to a layer of grime.

I’ve also noticed that pests like spider mites are less likely to establish on plants I clean regularly. Spider mites love dusty conditions, and a monthly wipe-down disrupts them before they become a real problem.

Don’t use commercial leaf shine sprays. They leave a waxy coating that can clog the stomata (the tiny pores leaves use to breathe). Your plant’s leaves will look shiny naturally if they’re healthy and clean. If they look dull, it’s dust or a health issue, not a lack of spray.

Above: The tools you need to fix this.

Fertilizing Your Tree in Growing Season

I don’t fertilize in winter. Full stop. From about November through February, my friends’ fiddle leaf figs get nothing but water. The light is lower, growth slows down, and pushing fertilizer during dormancy can lead to salt buildup in the soil without giving the plant any real benefit.

From March through September, I use a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half the recommended strength. I fertilize about once a month, sometimes every three weeks if the plant is pushing out a lot of new growth. The half-strength thing is important because fiddle leaf figs don’t need as much fertilizer as the bottle suggests, and overfertilizing causes brown edges on leaves.

I use a standard 10-10-10 or 20-20-20 NPK fertilizer. Some people swear by fiddle leaf fig specific formulas, but research from the University of Minnesota Extension indicates that Ficus lyrata doesn’t have unusual nutrient requirements. A balanced fertilizer works fine as long as you don’t overdo it.

Signs you’re overfertilizing: brown, crispy edges on leaves (especially new leaves), white crust on the soil surface (that’s salt buildup), and stunted or deformed new growth. If you see these signs, flush the soil by running water through the pot for a few minutes to wash out excess salts, then back off on fertilizer frequency.

Signs you’re underfertilizing: pale new leaves, very slow growth during the growing season, and older leaves turning yellow and dropping (though this can also be a watering issue, so check your soil moisture first). If your plant isn’t growing at all from spring through summer and the light is good, try adding fertilizer.

I’ve also started top-dressing with worm castings once in spring. I scrape off the top inch of soil and replace it with fresh soil mixed with worm castings. This adds a slow-release nutrient source and refreshes the soil surface. It’s not necessary, but it’s a nice boost if you’re into that kind of thing.

The most important fertilizer rule is this: only fertilize a healthy plant that’s actively growing. If your fiddle leaf fig is struggling, dropping leaves, or looking sick, don’t fertilize it. Fix the underlying problem first (usually light or water), let the plant stabilize, then start feeding it once it’s growing again.

These trees grow slowly compared to a lot of houseplants, so don’t expect dramatic changes even when you’re doing everything right. New leaves might appear every few weeks during summer, but that’s about it. If you see steady new growth and the plant isn’t dropping leaves, you’re succeeding.

I’m still planning to get my own fiddle leaf fig once I have the right light for it. Until then, I’m keeping other people’s alive and learning from their plants. They’re particular, sure, but they’re not the impossible divas everyone makes them out to be. Just give them bright light, consistent conditions, careful watering, clean leaves, and food during the growing season. That’s it.

References

University of Florida Environmental Horticulture Department. “Growing Indoor Foliage Plants.” EDIS Publication ENH21.

North Carolina State University Extension. “Ficus Species.” NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.

Journal of Environmental Horticulture. “Edema Formation and Prevention in Ornamental Plant Production.”

University of Georgia Extension. “Indoor Plant Care: Light and Photosynthesis.” UGA Extension Publications.

University of Minnesota Extension. “Fertilizing Indoor Plants.” Extension Horticulture Resources.