Welcome new and old plant parents! I am excited for you to start your indoor plant journey with my beginners guide to being a good fiddle leaf fig plant parent. I’m sure you’ve had your eyes on the beautiful tropical plant for a long time, but doing your research into taking care of a fiddle leaf fig is a great way to get to know the needs and wants of fiddle leaf fig trees and bushes!
If you haven’t read my Tips On Growing A Fiddle Leaf Fig in Canada post, read that first and then come back here.
Now that you are more familiar with what fiddle leaf figs prefer and how to accommodate growing a tropic plant in less than ideal conditions – let’s get into these must have items for making your life taking care of a fiddle leaf fig easier!
- Moisture Meter: To help you know how often and how much you need to water your plant, for my home we water once a week but I also live in a very dry place and studied my fiddle leaf figs moisture meter to give them the perfect amount of hydration.
- Soft Plant Ties: Sometimes if you purchase a smaller fiddle leaf fig the trunk will not be strong enough for the amount of leaves it is carrying or it can start to grow at an angle. I use these soft plant ties to secure it to a stick from my yard to help it can grow straight.
- Watering Can: An obvious essential for indoor plants – I used to carry my fiddle leaf fig plants to the bathroom but they eventually grew too heavy to carry and now I use a small watering can so I don’t overwater them.
- Microfiber cloths: My home is constantly dusty, and when I notice that it is not growing at the same rate as it was in prior week it usually means I need to dust my plant. Using a microfiber cloth is the best way to gently capture all the dust particles on the leaves that are preventing the plant from utilizing all the sunlight.
- Liquid Plant Food: This is a fiddle leaf fig hack, especially if you do not live in humid hot places where fiddle leaf figs thrive. I use a very small amount weekly during the summer months and then none during the winter while it is dormant.
- Draining Pots : Fiddle Leaf Figs need excellent drainage, because you are essentially mimicking an African rain from where they thrive. You want to dowse the soil with lots of water at once and then let it dry out during the rest of the week, then repeat. If you don’t use draining pots you are more prone to hurting your fiddle leaf fig with root rot because the soil is too wet.
- Decorative Pot Basket : Well, this one is not essential for most people but I consider my plants as decor and love using these baskets to bring a room together.
- Dirt Protector (from kids and animals): I have never had a kid love dirt so much as my son, he is always digging his fingers into potted plants! This dirt protector helps keep cats, dogs, and kids out of your indoor plants.
- Light Meter for Plants: You may find that the room that you want your fiddle leaf fig to live in does not have an adequate amount of light, but how do you even tell? Use this light meter for plants to detect what window space in your home will bring in enough all day indirect sunlight.
- New Plant Parent Book: If you are not following @houseplantjournal on Instagram, you need to! He has a whole Instastory highlight on fiddle leaf figs and a few time lapse videos of fiddle leaf fig leaves opening. This book is awesome if you are looking into other house plants but are unsure of what they need for water, moisture, and sunlight.
This beginner’s guide to being a fiddle leaf fig plant parent seems like at lot at first, but it makes a huge difference if/when you have fiddle leaf fig issues like unhappy leaves, dormant growth, or root rot. You’ll save yourself the hassle of guessing what the root of your fiddle leaf fig problems because you will have a tool kit of everything you need to diagnosis and treat your plant.
What are your biggest worries or questions about being a fiddle leaf fig plant parent? Let me know in the comments below or reach out to me on Instagram! I’d love to chat plants with you.
Make sure you pin this post on Pinterest so you can come back to it!
If you like this post, check out my 3 Reasons Your Fiddle Leaf Fig Is Growing Wrinkly Leaves post before you go!
