Tuesday, July 30, 2013

help for my fiddle leaf fig...

Help! Any advice for my sick Fiddle Leaf Fig?
It appeared so healthy and happy here in the bright indirect light.


NO!!!


The good news is new leaves are still forming...  


I take it to the kitchen sink every Monday and give it a thorough watering allowing the
water to run out the drainage holes, so it never sits in water. But I've never re-potted it, and
 noticed this root growing out the bottom today. Any idea if that could be the problem?
I guess they like humidity, if so we could be up a creek as there isn't any in Denver,
 not complaining!


It looks so good...


...until you see the back. There's another one ready to bite the dust.  


Any advice? I can't imagine that corner without it now. :( 


31 comments:

Julia@Cuckoo4Design said...

Oh no! And I have no help for you!
I want one so badly but I'm pretty sure I'd kill the poor thing.

Nita Stacy said...

I would say definitely repot it. And I think you may be overwatering. Let it get dry between waterings.

Kristin Joy said...

It's so beautiful! Don't worry, all plants need to get rid of their old leaves, at the bottom. The fact that you have new growth is a good sign. Everyone says that fiddle leaf figs love sunlight so maybe repot it {it needs a little more room} and put it in the sunniest window for a few weeks.

Luci @Bungalow At Home said...

Yes, mine is down to only 3 new leaves!! I think I have it figured out now.. It needs more than indirect sunlight and less watering. I would repot it as well.. I find it needs so little water!

Kim said...

Oh Pam, mine is doing the same thing ... I thought this was just normal ... because it is still healthy!! I think it is okay if they drop a few leaves ... I hope!! xo

Calypso In The Country said...

I wish I could help out but I tend to kill all plants!
-Shelley

Lisa @ Shine Your Light said...

I'm reading all these tips hoping that when I buy one I can keep it alive. Yours does look so healthy and beautiful from the front! Fingers crossed it survives :)

Tina@The BanditGirl said...

The advice all sounds good above. Remember it is in the ficus family and they are temperamental (it's not you!). Maybe you can find some ficus tips online. I would always err on the side of a too big pot.

Cindy @ a curious gardener said...

Hi Pam,
The fiddle leafs never seem to retain the same look as when we buy them. They thin out over time. They hate to be over watered and the brown edges of the leaves tell you that you are probably overwatering. Ours used to do that too until I cut way back on the amount of water and frequency. I water every week and a half or so and not a drenching watering. Losing leaves from the bottom is natural, they do that in the rainforest too. Yours looks great, just care for it a little less!

Cindy @ a curious gardener said...

This says to trim the roots
http://www.greenconnection.net/2012/04/03/the-amazing-fiddle-leaf-fig/

Linda {Calling it Home} said...

Oh no. I stayed away from them because I kill all house plants. I hope you find the answer.

Unknown said...

She is a beauty. I hope all of the advice helps. I've been wanting to buy one, but I tend to over-care for plants. Does it need some neglect?!

Lori

Patty Day @Pattys Epiphanies said...

I can't grow weeds! Wish I could help!

Dana Frieling said...

Sounds like everyone's offering the same advice I have to share. The brown spots are definitely overwatering. I was advised to stick my finger in the soil up to my knuckle. If it felt damp at all then leave it be. Good luck!

Kelly @ A Swell Place to Dwell said...

Yes, I agree. Over watering. Mine started to get the brown spots on leaves too, so now I just let it dry out completely and stay like that for a few days and it's just fine. Usually about ever 2 weeks or so I pour a jug of water (2 liters or so) into and then leave it alone for a another couple of week, so it's never soaking wet. When I bought mine the lady in the greenhouse said I shouldn't have to re-pot it for years, so I've left it in it's dinky little pot and it seems to love it.

Barb said...

Hi,
I would say that overall your Fiddle Leaf is looking wonderful. I live in Florida and the plant I brought inside bit the dust quickly, but my "big guy" reins supreme out on my lanai. He is is in very indirect light but loves our "soupy" humid weather. I throw a few coffee grounds into his pot each week and give him a good watering. He loves his coffee, too. Other than that I ignore him. He does loose a few leaves (that look similar to your photos) from time to time. I just watch for new growth... Think of yours as shedding his winter coat.I have a Golden too and boy does he shed a winter coat here in Florida! ( And yes, my plants are either male of female... and I do chat a bit to them... but they don't have names!) As opposed to the plant that was indoors he has lots of room for his roots, I might suggest that you re-pot if you have roots coming out the bottom... I gave my outdoor plant a HUGE pot from the get go. If you choose a ceramic or clay pot make sure it is glazed so that the soil will not dry out to quickly. Okay, good luck. I think overall your guy is doing well. Relax and let nature handle the rest! Love your blog!

Jennifer @ Dimples and Tangles said...

Hmmm. I'm certainly not an expert, but I only water mine about once every 2 weeks. I do the same, set it in the bathtub and give it a thorough dousing, and then let it drain well before putting it back in the pot. Mine's still in the original pot too, and I've been wondering when to re-pot. I'm having trouble with some sort of bug munching holes in one of mine. Argh!

Vel Criste said...

Wish I could help you ot Pam, but I have a 'black thumb' when it comes to plants. I hope your tree gets better, she is gorgeous. :-)

yamilovesemma said...

It's normal that it gets rid of the bottom leaves,specially when it is in small pot like yours,I also read that they don't need water everyday. I think she's just fine.Do not water it very often, she doesn't like to be that wet.I have one and the guy at the nursery warned me about the falling leaves so do not worry.

Deborah said...

It sure looks great from the front! I hate to disagree but I think that because you have leaves with brown edges and they are lower on the tree it is from not enough water and/or humidity. The soil in the nursery pot probably dries out very quickly. Over watering usually makes yellow leaves or black spots on leaves. I would repot it and maybe water it more often during the summer and then go back to your weekly watering when the weather cools down. Best of luck!

René said...

I have had mine about 14 years and it unfortunately goes through ugly phases every once in a while. In the summer I move it to a partly sunny spot on the deck and it starts to look really healthy again. I was the leaves every once in a while because they are dust collectors. Good luck!

Carrie said...

No advice because I haven't wanted to try one. It seems like they start out great and then get fussy. But good luck! I hope it sticks around; it's very pretty!

Dwellings by DeVore said...

I'm definitely no expert on fiddle leaf figs, as I killed my first one :( but I think the reason it died was because it was root bound, I noticed roots growing out the bottom so I say repot it.

Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia said...

I'm good at outdoor plants but seem to kill all my indoor plants :( I'm thrilled I can leave comments again on blogger....for some reason the past few months the only blogs I could comment on was wordpress, feels good to be back!'XO

Unknown said...

I have gone through several of these babies, and the latest success is reviving one from almost complete death, no leaves at all were left. So I repotted it and set it in a corner of my bedroom and barely water it, I'd say about a pint every 2 weeks seriously. I had an epiphany when I was in a store that had no natural light and 2 10 ft. FLFs in the corners and it was dry as a bone. so I took the hint. I think overwatering causes the brown spots on leaves. You don't need humidity. It needs dry air I think. GOOD Luck! they are so beautiful.
xo Nancy

Unknown said...

Wish I could help. I haven't been able to find one in my area anywhere!

Leslie said...

Try placing it in a new location?? Maybe it's getting ready to grow new leaves?? I'm not much help here .. haven't tried to grow this particular plant.

Stephanie said...

These plants seem to be very finicky, wish they had one in artificial lol! I read through all the comments just in case I wanted to buy one some day, and it made me realize I would probably kill it within a week. I hope you are able to adjust the over/under watering..it sounds all too complicated for me.

Liz@ HomeandGardeningWithLiz said...

I saw your comment on Stonegable's blog so I came to visit. Love that stairway you posted the link for.
Generally when a plant browns, it's too dry, and when it yellows it's too wet. But I just read an article (http://houseplants-care.blogspot.com/2007/11/fiddle-leaf-fig-care.html) which indicates overwatering can make the leaves brown up.
If the roots are coming out of the bottom then it may be rootbound, so repotting it into a container at least 2" bigger on the sides is a good rule of thumb.
You can take scissors and trim the brown off of the leaves too to neaten it up.
I gave up on growing indoor plants like this because of the disappointments in their growth habits. I always admired the fiddle leaf fig.
I guess they are considered moderately fussy.

Courtney said...

Over-watering will make the leaves brown. I have a plant nanny in mine, and the tree takes the amout that it needs, which seems to work really well. It has been growing like crazy lately. It really doesn't take a lot of water.

Also, if you re-pot, do not disturb the roots. The best time of year to re-pot a fiddle leaf fig is in mid-June, and you've missed the window. Put it in a new pot surrounded by new dirt if you think you need to, but try not to disturb them too much.

Courtney said...

Over-watering will make the leaves brown. I have a plant nanny in mine, and the tree takes the amout that it needs, which seems to work really well. It has been growing like crazy lately. It really doesn't take a lot of water.

Also, if you re-pot, do not disturb the roots. The best time of year to re-pot a fiddle leaf fig is in mid-June, and you've missed the window. Put it in a new pot surrounded by new dirt if you think you need to, but try not to disturb them too much.

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