13 inches of growth in one year...How this fiddle leaf fig is thriving!
A fiddle leaf fig thriving in a city apartment?
Tell me more…
There are tips for fiddle leaf care all over the net. For those of us who live in the Northeast, some of the tips are applicable, some…not so much.
Here are the five things I find most helpful for care when living in an apartment in the Northeast:
Clean with Care
-Pack your patience…the kind of patience you have on a Sunday while watching GoT. It’s perfect for binge watching any series really.
-I generally use a dry cloth to clean the leaves. A paper towel will work too.
-Move from the highest leaf of the plant to lowest. Keep one hand under each leaf while using the other to clean. This allows you to keep the leaf in place.
-Leaves accumulate more dust that you imagine. Do you see that pic below? Ridic.
-A noticeable luster is a clear sign you’re doing it right.
Bright + Indirect Light
This baby sits 4 feet away from an East facing window. It likes it there.
Watering Schedule
Yes, schedule. I water weekly on Sunday during the growing season and every 7-10 days while dormant. I water until it leaks out the bottom.
A mini sermon on watering:
Water every bit of the top soil…not just the area closest to the base of your plant. The outer edges need love too. The roots system underneath (you know, the one you can’t see) extends way beyond the base.
Fertilize
Plant, like people, need nutrients so fertilizing is a must during the growing season. This fiddle leaf fig gets fertilized weekly. While dormant, skip the fertilizer.
Misting
I recently began to incorporate misting in the mix. These are tropical plants after all so why not recreate tropical conditions. I clean bi weekly theb mist according to season. In the winter I may mist weekly. In the boiling hot summer...we’re getting her wet twice a week. Mist in the a.m. for optimal results.
…and there you have it. These tips helped my fiddle leaf fig grow 13 inches over the last year.
Dusty leaf
Cleaned
Don’t be that person who only waters directly near the base of your plant
Water it all!
One hand right under the leaf as you wipe…trust me on this
Eww
May 2018
1 year and 13 inches later