When I first brought my fiddle home I knew I had some work to do to get it to survive. It had leaves that were browning and no growth for some time as its top stem was long and had no leaves attached. I decided I was going to learn absolutely everything I could about how to care for this Ficus Lyrata so I could have this beautiful plant inside my apartment.
My sister and I gave her the name Felicia so that she would know she was about to have a whole life ahead of growth and sunshine. Here are my tips that I learned from hours of searching the internet and personal experience of having 10 new leafs since I brought her home last June.
Background:
- The Ficus Lyrata is native to Western Africa where it can be found in their tropical rainforests and even growing in their cities looking more like trees rather than bushes.
- Fiddles get plenty of bright light and water here and can even grow up to 50 feet tall!
Repotting:
The first step was to take her out of her waterlogged pot and into some fresh, dry soil. I got the Miracle-Go Cactus, Palm & Citrus Mix because it is a well draining soil that helps keep the roots from being suffocated and unable to retrieve oxygen for growth. I took Felicia and her new soil and pot out onto my balcony and began cutting away at the black, plastic container she was in at Home Depot. The new pot I got her was about 2 inches wider with drainage holes at the bottom so that there is no stagnant water sitting at the bottom.
Once Felicia was unbound, I tousled around her static roots and soil with my hands. They like to be untangled for a better ability to get comfy in the new soil and pot.
Now that she is ready to cozy up in her new home, I poured about 2 inches of soil into the bottom of the new pot and placed her in. As I did this I was holding her upright so she was not tipping to one side or another, I began pouring the soil all around her. Once the soil was packed to the top I left about an inch and a half so that the soil was not spilling out the pot.
Cutting Our Losses:
After getting Felicia potted into some fresh soil I then knew I needed to take off some of the leafs that were already browning and dying. This helps to keep the plant from spending more time trying to renew the dying leafs and instead it will spend more energy nourishing the ones that are bright green. I took out a clean pair of kitchen scissors and snapped off around four leaves that I found that were far gone.(Remember not to get too happy with your scissors and only cut off the leafs that are looking crusted, brown, and more blemished than the others.)
Sunlight:
Take a minute to walk around your house and search for the brightest area. That is exactly where you should put your Fiddle Leaf. They enjoy a cozy place with no drafts and the brightest light possible so peel back your curtains and give them some light! I put Felicia right between two windows in the corner of my living room so she is getting light from every angle.
Watering:
I believe the key to my success in watering my fiddle was getting a moisture thermometer. This ensures that before you add or decide not to water it that it's staying around 3-4 on the moisture level. I found my thermometer on Amazon for less than $10.
I started watering Felicia in the summer months so I was giving her 2 to 2 1/2 cups of water every week around the same time. Once winter came I kept checking once a week with my thermometer and if it was around below a 3 than I would water around 1 1/2 to 2 cups in the winter months.
The very last thing I do when I remember (which ends up being every couple of weeks) is to get a paper towel wet and wipe the leaves off of any dust. I have found that this keeps her looking glossy with a better ability to absorb the most sunlight and nutrients as possible.
So there it is! My how-to guide for keeping Felicia looking bright green and healthy. As I am writing this we are just transitioning into Spring and Felicia already has new leaves growing. I hope that you got some tips to feel more confident about how to care for your Ficus Lyrata, as they are beautiful plants and create a lovely atmosphere for your home.
Please leave any comments or questions below that and have a beautiful day.
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