Purchasing a Fiddle Leaf Fig isn’t necessarily an easy decision. They are known to be finicky and depending on the size, Fiddle Leaf Figs can be quite expensive plants. But once you get your plant home, what should you do with it? It’s essential to provide the right conditions from the start to keep your new Fiddle Leaf Fig happy and growing.
Fiddle Leaf Figs can be sensitive to changes in their environments, so they should be given conditions as close to ideal as possible while they adjust to living in your home. Fiddle Leaf Figs need plenty of bright, indirect sunlight, mild temperatures, and not too much water.
When you bring your Fiddle Leaf Fig home, it may lose a few leaves because of the change in environment. However, if you provide the best conditions as mentioned below, your new plant will soon perk up and reward you with healthy new growth.
Where to Place Your New Fiddle Leaf Fig
Fiddle Leaf Figs can be picky about their locations, so ideally, you should make sure you have a good spot before purchasing one. But even if you made a more spur-of-the-moment decision, the tips below will help you determine the best spot to place your new Fiddle Leaf Fig.
Lighting is probably the most important factor in determining whether your Fiddle Leaf Fig will thrive, survive, or fail. Fiddle Leaf Figs need a lot of bright sunlight to do well, but they can get burned in direct sunlight. Typically, six or more hours of indirect sunlight per day will allow your Fiddle Leaf Fig to do well. They can also tolerate some direct sun without getting damaged, but it’s best to keep this plant protected when you first bring it home. (Read more about ideal lighting conditions for Fiddle Leaf Figs in this article.)
Your Fiddle Leaf Fig should be kept at temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. This range falls within the average temperature of most homes, but you should be aware of this if you’re keeping your Fiddle Leaf Fig on a porch or in an unheated room.
While Fiddle Leaf Figs can adjust to lower or higher temperatures over time, they may not do well when first exposed to temperatures outside of their comfort zone. It is best to keep them within the optimal temperature range when you first bring them home. If you need your Fiddle Leaf Fig to be in a location that has somewhat more extreme temperatures, introduce the change gradually to reduce the chance of the plant experiencing shock.
In addition to their specific temperature needs, Fiddle Leaf Figs are also sensitive to drafts. If you decide to place yours next to a door or window that allows outside air in, you may want to consider some type of insulation during the winter months to keep your Fiddle Leaf Fig safe. Also, be aware of the location of heating or air conditioning vents that might blow on your plant and adjust the placement accordingly.
Remember, most new Fiddle Leaf Figs have spent the majority of their life in nurseries or greenhouses, so try to emulate a similar environment in your home for your newest plant.
How to Water a New Fiddle Leaf Fig
After placing your Fiddle Leaf Fig in the ideal location, what’s next? Some conventional wisdom says that you should water the plant as soon as you get it situated. But that could cause you to accidentally overwater. It’s important to always check the soil to see if it needs water before adding more.
As with any plant, you can check moisture levels by digging your finger a few inches down into the soil or by using a moisture meter. Only add water when the top two inches of soil are dry (or the top three or four in large Figs in deep planters).
If the soil feels even a little bit moist or measures beyond the midpoint of your moisture meter, it’s best to hold off on watering. Let the soil get dry before watering a Fiddle Leaf Fig. It is always better to give this plant too little water instead of too much. But Fiddle Leaf Figs don’t like to get parched either so balance is important. When you first purchase your Fiddle Leaf Fig, you may not have a good sense of how often it needs to be watered, so you should monitor it closely in the first few months to gauge how much and how often to water.
Water your Fiddle Leaf Fig with room temperature water to avoid shocking the roots. Water evenly around the pot and thoroughly drench the soil so that about 20% of the water you pour in drains out from the holes in the bottom of the pot. Remove any excess water from the saucer under the pot if there’s any remaining after about half an hour.
Should I Repot My New Fiddle Leaf Fig or Leave It Alone?
It can be tempting to repot your Fiddle Leaf Figs or other plants as soon as you bring them home. After all, you want them to have plenty of room to grow and spread out, and you might want to move the plant to a more attractive container. But unless your Fiddle Leaf Fig is severely rootbound or otherwise has issues with its soil, the better choice is to give it time to adjust before repotting.
After about a month or so, if your plant seems healthy and is putting out new growth, go ahead and repot it. Remember that this is best done in the spring or early summer before the most active growing season, so make plans for repotting accordingly.
In the mean time, you can always use a cache pot by simply situating your nursery pot down inside of a more decorative pot. Then when it’s time to water you can remove it from the cache pot and water it before returning it back to its new home.
Other Care Tips for New Fiddle Leaf Fig Owners
If you can give your Fiddle Leaf Fig the proper amount of light and water you’ll be well on your way to a happy houseplant. Remember you want to make as few changes to your Fig’s care as possible until it can adjust to its new environment. But there are a few other things you can do to make the transition a smooth one. I’ll list them out below:
Keep It Separate: It is a good idea to quarantine your new Fiddle Leaf Fig for a couple of weeks after you bring it home so you can confirm that it doesn’t have any pests or diseases that can transfer to your other plants. If you don’t have the space to quarantine, be sure to inspect the plant closely (preferably before purchasing it) and pass over any specimens that show damage.
Keep It Clean: You’ve probably noticed the wide, horizontal leaves that give Fiddle Leaf Figs their distinctive appearance. They can also attract a lot of dust. Unlike some other houseplants, Fiddle Leaf Figs require regular cleaning so that they’re able to absorb sunlight. If your plant is small enough to move easily, this can be done by giving it a shower or taking it outside to (gently) spray with a hose. If you are lucky enough to have a large and cumbersome Fiddle Leaf Fig, you can clean the leaves by wiping them down with a moist cloth.
Keep It Stable: If your Fiddle Leaf Fig does experience shock after being relocated, don’t panic. The symptoms of shock include wilted leaves all over the plant and leaf drop. It may look as if your whole plant has died overnight. However, Fiddle Leaf Figs can usually recover from shock with proper care. Resist the urge to give your shocked plant fertilizer or make other changes to correct the problem. As long as your conditions are correct, just leave it there and allow it to bounce back.
