How Often to Water a Fiddle Leaf Fig? Detailed Guide to Watering and Fertilizing

The fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) is a foliage plant with large, thick, glossy green leaves, and in recent years it has become one of the most popular indoor green plants. The fiddle leaf fig is very easy to care for, but you must master the correct methods, so how should you water and fertilize a fiddle leaf fig? Let's take a look below at the daily care tips for fiddle leaf figs!

How to Water a Fiddle Leaf Fig (How Often to Water)

1. Determine the amount of water based on the season

As a tropical and subtropical plant, the fiddle leaf fig is in its peak growing season in spring and summer, with a large amount of growth, so it needs more water during this period. This means you need to appropriately increase the amount of watering to give the fiddle leaf fig plant sufficient water. At this time, note that along with watering you should also appropriately increase misting of the leaves, about 3-4 times a day. In autumn and winter, however, you should appropriately reduce the amount of watering, giving the plant only what it needs.

2. Determine water needs based on leaf condition

For indoor potted plants, sometimes even if the surface potting soil is extremely dry, there may still be standing water at the bottom, so you can judge whether water is needed based on whether the leaves are drooping. In this way you can build up experience with the watering cycle.

How to Fertilize a Fiddle Leaf Fig

1. The fiddle leaf fig grows faster than other similar plants. In the first month of the seedling stage, its demand for fertilizer is not great, so you can fertilize lightly, combining it with watering, fertilizing once or twice. You can use Huaduoduo fertilizer, but note that the fertilizer concentration must be dilute.

2. From the second month to the fifth month, it already has a tree shape and is growing larger and larger. At this time you should gradually increase the amount of fertilizer, fertilizing once every half month, and the fertilizer concentration can be slightly stronger than in the first month. You can use potassium nitrate + Huaduoduo + calcium nitrate, using all three fertilizers at the same time; the calcium and potassium in the fertilizer are very helpful for the lignification of the stems.

3. During its growing season, the fertilizer requirement is greatest, and it needs fertilizing almost once every one to two weeks. This can make the plant's leaves denser and make the leaf color greener and the gloss brighter. You can likewise choose to use potassium nitrate + Huaduoduo + calcium nitrate, using all three fertilizers at the same time.

4. After the new leaves have fully unfurled, which is around mid-August, you should fertilize once every 10 days, and you can choose a nitrogen-based fertilizer.

What to Do When a Fiddle Leaf Fig Drops Leaves

First, when you notice the fiddle leaf fig dropping leaves, we need to find the reason for the leaf drop, whether it is due to too little fertilizer, lack of water, or too much water supplied. Generally speaking, as long as you find the cause, the problem is easy to solve. If it is due to too little fertilizer, it is recommended to fertilize the plant, once every one to two weeks. If it is due to a water problem, then it is recommended to water once a week, not watering too much, with the amount each time being just enough to completely moisten the soil.

How to Handle Rust Spots on a Fiddle Leaf Fig

1. If the leaf damage is relatively severe, it is recommended to cut the leaves off directly;

2. If the whole plant is relatively infected by this disease, you can first remove the affected parts, then carry out repotting and soil replacement;

3. You can also use a specialized medicine for spraying treatment. If it is not serious, you can just use the medicine for spraying; if serious, you should also consider repotting and replacing the soil;

4. After rust spots appear, never spray water on the leaves.

In summary, ordinary foliage plants are generally very easy to care for, and the fiddle leaf fig is no exception. But many people think that being easy to care for means it can be left alone. In fact, being easy to care for only shows that it has strong vitality; you still need to occasionally fertilize and water it. If it is left unattended for a long time, it can easily cause the leaves to turn yellow, drop, or even wither and die!