Earlier this year I bought a Fiddle Leaf Fig. They seem to be all the rage don’t they? Bunnings had a good tall one which looked really healthy for only $85 and I had an ugly corner in my home which needed filling up, so I thought the Fiddle Leaf Fig would look great there.

But it made me nervous. I am not a gardener and I don’t know the first thing about caring for indoor plants properly! I even killed my succulents, but I found they had started growing again after I ditched the pot around the side of the house. Check out this photo!

Anyway, I wanted to make a good go of this Fiddle Leaf Fig. I decided to do my research and have a crack at it!

So far so good. I have had a couple of hiccups along the way and lost some new growth on the top, but I haven’t killed it and it still seems to be growing.

Most people say they like a filtered sunny position with lots of light but this wasn’t going to work where I wanted it. The corner of my home doesn’t get a lot of light. So this meant I needed to babysit my Fiddle Leaf a little more than usual.

Every couple of mornings I move the plant to the back of my house where the sun comes up and I get some sunlight. In the Winter months the light streams in to the house, so I just move it to that area for an hour or two. But I have found that during the warmer months I need to actually place it outside to grab a few rays.

A couple of things here… I don’t let my plant get direct sun rays for very long at all (if I had better filtered light this would work better, but I have got to go with what I have). I also don’t leave it out in the open for too long. I learnt this lesson when I started seeing red spots on the new leaves. I did some research and it seems that cold air (like outside air) makes the leaves stressed and their tiny vessels get stressed – like broken capillaries! See the photo below. But I believe these will improve as time goes on. I can see they are fading.

I water it only once a week outside (with the hose), and I prop it up so the water can thoroughly drain through. Once I see water coming out of the bottom I stop watering. I don’t put it back in the basket unless the water is no longer dripping through (I also have a plate in the bottom of the basket just in case). When I water it I also spray the leaves over gently – they become glossy looking again because dust can settle on them quite easily.

Here are some points to note:

• Indirect light (morning is best)
• No cold air outside
• No hot air (not near heaters or full sun)
• Water once a week (or every 10 days depending on how hot the weather has been). Stick your finger in the soil and if the soil is dry down to your knuckle then you can water again. I also feel he bottom under the put. If it’s still a little damp, I wait a couple of days. Water it outside and put it up on a chair or ledge so the water drains through the bottom thoroughly.
• Brown areas on the leaves usually means over-watering (well I think this is true in my case). I have a few brown spots and they are down low on the bottom leaves so I think in the beginning I was watering it too much.
• Use Seasol in the warmer months every 6-8 weeks. I’ve used it twice now and within days I have noticed new leaves.
• Here is an awesome YouTube video I found too outlining some basic tips.

I wouldn’t say this is a very low maintenance plant! It’s a little bit of trial and error. I have read lots though where people have thought theirs was dying, but then changed up the routine and have managed to save it again.

If you have a Fiddle Leaf Fig, I’d love to know what your tips are? I know mine could do even better!