Should I completely cut this back or leave some green? The difference between what a plant is and what it could be is described as lost potential. I do it once a week/each feeding. Elevated on a piece of plaster, it drains out into the base pot but the plant itself does not sit in water. Timing heavy work like hard pruning and repotting is best done in consideration of the plant's natural rhythms. Pruning would usually be done in Spring/Summer while the plant is showing active growth. wondering when I know it's time to repot? How much sun does your plant get? General potting mix, I have not re-potted in a few years but recently added some organic potting mix and worm castings to the top. Al. Sometimes fiddle leaf figs are stubborn....just like children. Fiddle Leaf Fig Notching 101: How to Encourage Branching (Pictures) Repot it in very late spring (early spring is not a good choice), as in just before the summer solstice (I use Father's Day as a reference point) and the plant will be pushing new growth in 1-3 weeks. Get’s good indirect sunlight. Good news from the notching I think a new bud is forming on the branch the remains. If your plant has a droopy or hang-dog look, it's likely from a lack of turgidity (internal water pressure), brought about by too little water, too much water, and/or a high level of dissolved solids in the soil. Usually my ficus drops a lot of leaves over winter (we are in New England). No plant "prefers" to be grown tight. | Houseplant … The top leaf and branch was knocked off when rough housing kids knocked a lamp into my beloved plant and snapped the top branch off completely. TWO Fiddle Leaf Fig plants! Think of how curing salts 'pull' water out of the cells of ham or bacon and you can see how the buildup of dissolved solids (salts) from tapwater & fertilizer solutions can quickly kill a plant - same mechanism - reverse osmosis. Many people would prune their FLF in just this manner to encourage it to branch from the top. Occasionally it can be traced entirely to growers watering with their own version of enhanced frequency; more often, it's the result of a poor soil that simply does not allow the grower to water correctly w/o the plant paying a tax in the form of diminished root health because the soil remains saturated long enough to have attained the age of majority. Root congestion probably starts to be somewhat limiting a little before that point, but not seriously, so the "when you can lift the root/soil mass from the pot intact' is simple to remember and simple to verify. Should I bring my Fiddle Leaf Fig tree inside after new leaves? Some MG fertilizers are 'ok' for Ficus, and others are wholly inappropriate. If you've been forever in battle with your chosen soil for control of your plants' vitality, the change that occurs when you switch to a good soil (one that allows you to water correctly [so you're flushing accumulating salts from the soil whenever you water w/o your plant paying 'the tax'], will make it seem like you have somehow done something magic. For the most part, plants decline and die in situations where the amount of food/energy they're able to create (with the help of the sun) is less than they are expending to drive their metabolic processes. Al, Normally I wouldn't respond to a post so old, but there is a lot of misleading information here that could detract from others' growing experience. Try reading this. | What's the deal - Indoor Plants … Necrotic leaf tips and margins are far more often than not a symptom of over-watering and/or a high level of dissolved solids (salt) in the soil solution. It's better to allow the plant to suffer some small amount of stress from root congestion and repot when the plant is about to be at its most robust state in the growth cycle than to repot when the plant is just trying to make it until next spring when it's at its best. How to Grow and Care for Fiddle-Leaf Fig Plants - The Spruce This holds true even if the plant were to be planted out (in the landscape). (More often then not you should probably get 2 new branches from the top). you can lift the root and soil mass from the pot intact. Even plants that LOOK good can be losing out on an extreme measure of potential; and in plants, lost potential can never be regained under ANY circumstances. I put some in water with rooting hormone and some in perlite with rooting hormone. Cutting propagation method of Fiddle-leaf fig 1. understanding how soils work, followed by understanding how plants work, are representative of the largest steps forward you'll likely make as a container gardener. Best Steps to Fiddle Leaf Fig Propagation for 2020 - Plants Spark Joy Three Ways to Encourage a Fiddle Leaf Fig to Branch: Pruning, … | The … Broken Branch from notching, Should i cut back entire tree? Cut the branch right above a node (where a leaf connects with the branch). Before the top can/will grow, the root system has to be able to support new growth, so dead roots have to be replaced. I use soils that hold no (or nearly no) excess (perched) water. After the branch broke off I think I found a new bud on the side the remains. If you repot a healthy tropical ficus in fall or winter, it might take several months to recover to the point top growth can resume. Many people would prune their FLF in just this manner to encourage it to branch from the top. How to Get Your Rubber Plant, Fiddle Leaf Fig, (and Other Ficus … I started using it this year only. Part 1 to match the other side or part 2 to leave some green. Hello may mexican fortune plant start to have holes and spleet leaves. Pruning/Pinching the dominant vertical branch. Pruning is hands-down the easiest and most reliable way to get your Fiddle Leaf Fig to branch! Fiddle Leaf Fig sprouted random branch. Clean cut, propagated this branch into 3 parts dipped with rooting hormone, and into filtered water. That approach guarantees ALL growth is the tightest the plant can produce within other cultural influences. If you’re growing season is coming to an end you may not see new growth/branching from this area until next Spring. You prune in early fall, then your tree puts on a lot of leggy growth over winter, growth you're reluctant to remove until fall. Now the tree is totally lopsided, I have it leaning on a window it can’t support itself. Potting up is little more than putting the plant in a larger pot and filling in the void at the bottom and sides with fresh soil. Due to notching too deep  1 out of 2 of my branches broke off this week. Doesn't that sound backward? Is midcentury still in? Join our Fiddle Leaf Fig Community to ask questions and register for our free webinar to learn more about Fiddle Leaf Fig Care. That scenario makes things easy for the grower and easy on the plant. How will it grow? Then, using a 'tell' as an indicator of when it's appropriate to water to put a polish on what you practice. It involves cutting off the stem of your Fiddle Leaf Fig at the height you’d like branches to grow from. You can prune the branches and new ones will follow. Perhaps I'm being too incremental in my pruning and not giving it the fresh start it needs. Before and after. For example, the most common general purpose MG fertilizers (24-8-16 and 12-4-8) lack calcium, magnesium, and get all of their nitrogen from urea, which tends to produce coarse, rangy plants with long internodes and large leaves. The energy it takes to regenerate roots might have been put toward an increase in the plant's mass. Low light and cool temps can cause plants to stall in sort of a consequential dormancy, but nutritional issues and root congestion can do the same; as can the cyclic death and subsequent regeneration of roots as the root mass wobbles back and forth between just right and too wet. For the cutting propagation of Fiddle-leaf fig, first of all, a good time should be selected. Where is it in your home? Fiddle Leaf Fig Propagation: 100% Success in 2 Easy Ways! I would only repot out of season if I knew or strongly suspected the plant would be down for the count before a more appropriate time to repot rolled around. Fiddle Leaf Fig Propagation: 100% Success in 2 Easy Ways! Curing the effects of too much water in the soil starts by using a soil that doesn't hold too much water, and by default, not enough air. Fix Fiddle Leaf Fig Stunted Growth | Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Resource And how many of them at a time? I’m heart broken and afraid it is going to do weird things to the plant or wait a year for a new leaf to finally form at some cock-eyed, weird angle. The former ensures all limitations imposed by root congestion go away; the later ensures limitations imposed by root congestion remain until the time someone actually gets their hands in the root/soil mass to correct the root issues and congestion. Can you cut a fiddle leaf fig back? I wanted a more full plant. It came in a plastic container (inside the decorative one) that drains very quickly, which I've heard isn't good. He’s been really happy lately but i hurt him…. What if you pruned in late May? Thank you for your time and hope you are well! You'd be removing ALL the leggy growth from winter. Examples would be inappropriate use of an insecticide or using a household cleaning product (Dawn/Ivory dishsoap, e.g.) It is not caused by anything you have done or can do in the future. This is the branch I had been notching for 1.5 months. 9 of 10 people that give advise on the internet are guessing or repeating advise they read somewhere else - whether it's appropriate or not. There are several links I can suggest if you have interest? If it did, Mother nature would have arranged for roots to occupy a little pot-shaped root ball directly under the plant's stem. This week I started on the other side and I cut too deep and an entire branch fell off I cut back the broken branch to an angel and propagated the rest of it. Buy Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Food on Amazon Now! The tree in the pot is a little over 6ft, and is a few years old. Fiddle leaf fig propagation: Leaf or cutting in water Another propagation method popular for fiddle leaf figs is putting a cutting or single leaf in water . Keep it in a bright spot. to "clean" the leaves or combat an insect problem. Hi Heather, don’t worry your fiddle leaf fig looks fine. It is a single trunk. You saw the growth explosion on the tree I pruned back to only a few leaves (above)? The spots are not related to a biotic pathogen or high/low light levels, and don't look like a manifestation of over-watering, under-watering, or a high level of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil solution. There are benefits to cutting in both places, it just depends on the look you are going for with your tree. For this small series, it is recommended to carry out in spring, when the operation survival rate is higher. About two months ago, during my fiddle leaf fig pruning/repotting misadventures (long story, but plants appear to have forgiven my mistakes now :-)), I kept a few leaves and tried to root them. Your job, as chief grower, is figuring out what is most limiting to your plant and fixing it. It doesn't LOOK like your tree is in any immediate danger of expiring, but symptoms made manifest by ongoing limitations commonly lag the cause by weeks to months. Next, follow me to see the propagation methods of Fiddle-leaf fig. OTOH, I've heard they don't like too much room and to wait for roots to stick out the bottom before repotting. Top cutting getting growth from a secondary leaf. There should be no pathway by which the effluent can make its way from the collection saucer back into the soil. Sometimes it takes awhile for new branches to start to grow from the top and plenty of bright light will help it do so quicker. Three Ways to Encourage a Fiddle Leaf Fig to Branch: Pruning, … What's the only thing better than a lush Fiddle Leaf Fig plant? How To Grow And Care For A Fiddle Leaf Fig | Bunnings Warehouse The fiddle leaf needs a lot, a lot of light for it to keep its leaves and produce new ones. Example: "Miracle-Gro Fertilizer" covers a lot of territory. The new shoots are spontaneous and unpredictable. The technical term for this occurrence is plasmolysis, commonly: fertilizer burn. It was growing in a big Y shape. If you don't see any new growth between 1 and 2 you may want to cut at 1 so the tree is even on both sides, but it's ultimately up to personal preference. I need advice on where to cut back the other branch, it’s too heavy not and can’t support itself. Keep in mind that the cut section … That means I'd have to work very hard at over-watering. | Fiddle … How to Identify & Treat Fiddle Leaf Fig Brown Spots | Dossier Blog Discover the answers to these questions and more, The tropical houseplant with big green leaves adds a cheerful and striking design element to rooms, Here are some top small-scale trees for 4-season interest, easy care and little mess, A Glimmer of Gold Leaf Will Make Your Room Shine, Play Up Some Fiddleleaf Figs for a Lively Indoor Tune, Top Design Trends From the Winter 2015 Las Vegas Market, Top Trends From This Fall’s European Interior Design Fairs, Top Trends to Inspire You From the London Design Festival, See How Fiddleleaf Fig Trees Can Liven Up Your Decor, 10 Spectacular Trees for Courtyards and Tight Spaces. Sometimes it takes awhile for new branches to start to grow from the top and plenty of bright light will help it do so quicker. Need advice on where to cut back? I'm hesitant to do a major trim in the spring because that is when I want to full new growth. Thank you for your question. Thoughts? Not sure if I should stop during the winter, my plant normally pushes out leaves all year round but much more during the summer. Cutting time. IOW, once they wilt, their attitude usually changes at least partially so that droopy appearance becomes a permanent thing. I tried notching every 2 weeks for about a month and a half on one side, this branch remains. Repotting is different and more involved with potting op. I use that as my own reference point. Common fiddle leaf fig problems | With visual guide! After deep breathing and sending the children outside, I cut the nub closer to the plant....with trees, this would be akin to “topping” the tree. Hi everyone, In this video, I am rescuing an abandoned fiddle leaf fig and trying to manage its pests. Apr 8, 2020 - This post has everything you need to know about fiddle leaf fig propagation, including propagating from a branch or a stem! Best to water over the sink and wait until the pot is completely done draining, or lift the pot so it's well above any effluent that collects in the pot. Please let me know what I should do. In the case of your fiddle leaf fig, it’s probably the only branch available to take it from a fiddle leaf bush to a fiddle leaf tree. Here are a couple more points to consider before jumping in: The more severe the pruning, the greater the resulting regrowth. Hi Heather, don’t worry your fiddle leaf fig looks fine. The motive behind watering thoroughly is to regularly flush soils of salts that accumulate in the soil, out of the pot into the collection saucer. Is it the same? It's time to repot at the point in time where (when?) Too, where a poor soil makes fertilizing something of a helter skelter proposition, good soils make it monkey easy. I tried to notch it a while ago, but it didn’t really do much of anything except grow another leaf where it was notched. Gilbert Vasquez. Pruning Sits in a plastic pot with holes. That's 2 months worth of summer growth. Lots of people have great success with this method, and it’s fun because you can see the rooting progress instead of having to … You can also air-layer fiddle leaf fig plants, but the water method is easy-peasy. Got a fiddle leaf fig, or ficus lyrata, to add to my collection finally! The former includes bare-rooting the plant, pruning roots, and repotting it in a fresh batch of soil. - A … Additionally, habitually watering in small sips is a recipe for disaster, and watering on a schedule as opposed to on an as-needed basis ensures either over or under-watering and a build-up of salts in the soil that will eventually prevent a plant from taking up water. Fiddle Leaf Fig Spots: Photo Troubleshooting Guide | The Fiddle … Then, as new growth with short internodes follows the spring pruning, you pinch until Sep, then don't do any pruning until the following Memorial day. Unfortunately, after wilting the leaves of F lyrata often don't recover to occupy their former spatial positions. Once the roots develop — in about a month — pot the plant. Fiddle Leaf Fig Problem | Fig plant, Fiddle fig tree, Fig leaf tree The plant lost a lot of leaves for the first 2 years due to underwatering. Broken Branch from notching, Should i cut back entire tree? Does anyone have any advice to get my fiddle leaf fig to branch and look more like a tree? Plants should never be allowed to sit in the effluent that exits the drain hole. Here are some resources on notching and pruning you may find helpful, as well as great pruning shears if you need them. I've been pruning back slowly so as not to shock, pruning in the early fall when I want to incentivize root growth over winter. When keeping the best interest of the plant in mind, that you discover it's time to repot isn't reason enough to repot the day after. Place the branch (with a leaf attached) in clean water, and replace the water every week or so, whenever it starts looking less than clear. Apparently they are doing very well so it would be a shame if you did damage by trying to fix what is not broken. Sits under a skylight and in front of a north-facing window. Happy growing :). How far can I cut the leggy branches back? Copyright © echo date(Y);?> Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Resource, Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Food Moisture Meter. Lol, Don’t worry too much as your FLF looks nice and healthy. There are sometimes good reasons to allow or use the stress associated with root congestion to achieve an effect or bend the plant to your will, but it's inaccurate to simply announce any plant likes to be root bound. Bottom view of leaves, not so great do the underwatering from years ago. Almost all houseplants respond very favorably to Dyna-Gro's Foliage-Pro 9-3-6, which has all the nutrients needed for normal growth and derives it's N from ammoniacle and nitrate sources. In fall, you cut off all the desirable short internodes, all the way back to the long internodes. Soggy soils kill roots. 4 years ago. This represents the difference between a plant surviving at the outer limits of what it's programmed (genetically) to tolerate and one that's growing in its 'sweet spot'. Al, Make a unique, unexpected statement in any space with this precious metallic finish, Strike a dramatic chord in a minimalist scene or a country note in a rustic setting — fiddleleaf fig plants harmonize with any style, Brighten a room and clean the air with a houseplant that cascades artfully, stretches toward the ceiling or looks great on a wall, Interior designer Shannon Ggem is tracking finishes, motifs and design combinations at the 2015 show, Give your home's interiors magazine-ready polish with these tips to finesse the finishing design touches, Bring a glorious sight to the landscape this autumn with one of these beauties that thrive in mild climates, See where the European design world is headed with this trend report from Houzz’s international editors, What’s going to be next season’s biggest paint trend? I actually love the way yours looks right now. 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