Fiddle Leaf Plant Care: My Guide to a Happy Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant

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The fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) is the plant that broke my heart before it won it. Dramatic, I know. My first one dropped four leaves in its first fortnight and I was convinced I’d killed it. Turns out, I just kept fussing over it too much and had moved it around the house landing its place under my air-cond unit; my rookie mistake that I now get the warn you about.

During the lockdown in 2019, I picked up my first fiddle plant and today, it’s my favourite one in my collection (there’s a picture below)! It’s taller than me, puts out new leaves consistently and I promise you, fiddle leaf plant care is far less mysterious than the internet (or social media) makes it sound.

Fiddle leaf plant care in a nutshell

A fiddle leaf fig thrives in bright, indirect light, wants its soil watered only when the top 5cm (2 inches) feels dry, and prefers warm, humid air. Feed it a high-nitrogen fertilizer through the growing season, rotate it weekly so it grows straight, and resist the urge to overwater – soggy roots are the number one killer of these plants.

That’s the whole game. Here’s the game plan in absolute detail.

Quick facts

• Botanical name: Ficus lyrata
• Light: Bright, indirect light (a little gentle morning sun is fine)
• Water: When the top 2 inches of soil are dry – roughly weekly
• Humidity: Loves 40-60%+; thrives in tropical climates, can be adjusted in temperate climates
• Mature size: 1.5-3m (5-10ft) indoors, taller in ideal conditions
• Toxicity: Mildly toxic to cats and dogs (the sap is an irritant)
• Difficulty: Beginner-friendly once you nail watering and light

Light: the make-or-break factor (and avoiding fiddle leaf sunburn)

If your fiddle leaf fig is unhappy, light is usually the first thing to check. Being native to the rainforests of West Africa, they want lots of bright but indirect light. This means a spot near a window, a few meters away from a sun-facing window, or a shaded balcony.

My personal lesson is that more is not always better. I once dragged my fiddle out to a sun-soaked spot thinking I was doing it a favour. Within days the top leaves had pale, bleached patches with crispy brown centres.

To avoid it: keep your fiddle out of harsh, direct afternoon sun, especially behind glass that magnifies the heat. If you’re in a tropical climate and have your pot near a window, use a sheet curtain to manage the heat. If you see sun spots on your leaves, move your pot further back from the window and watch for new growth.

Pro tip: Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth every couple of weeks. Dust blocks light, and a fiddle leaf is a big leaf plant so it collects a lot of it. Clean leaves = better photosynthesis = faster growth.

Water without the fear

Watering is where most people go wrong in their fiddle leaf fig care and it’s usually by loving the plant a little too much. The rule I live by: only water when the top 5cm-ish of soil is dry to the touch. Stick your finger in. If it’s still damp, walk away.

When it is time, water thoroughly until it runs out the drainage holes, then let it drain completely. Never let the pot sit in a saucer of water – that’s a one-way ticket to root rot (more on that horror below).

In tropical climate, this works out to roughly once a week, but as I’ve always said, don’t water by a generic calendar. You and I don’t have the same climate or conditions, so always adjust to your space. A fiddle in a bright room drinks faster than one in a dim corner. Droopy, soft leaves often mean thirst; but droopy leaves plus damp soil mean you’ve overdone it. So, feel your soil and determine what your schedule looks like.

Humidity and temperature

Fiddle leaf figs are tropical through and through.They’re happiest between 18-29C (65-85F) and in humidity of 40-60% or higher. This is the one area where growing in a temperate climate can prove to be a bit of a struggle, especially during non-growing months. To fix this, group it with other plants (this increases humidity) or sit it on a pebble tray to lift the local humidity. A pebble tray is exactly as it sounds, a tray filled with pebbles and water. This adds humidity to the air and pebbles prevents the pot from sitting in water.

Fiddle leaf fertilizer: feed them for big leaves

Want bigger, glossier leaves? Feed your plant. Fiddle leaf figs are hungry growers and respond beautifully to the right fiddle leaf fertilizer.

Look for a formula with a higher nitrogen ratio – something around a 3-1-2 NPK is the sweet spot, because nitrogen drives the lush, leafy growth this plant is famous for. There are dedicated fiddle leaf fig fertilizers on the market, or a balanced houseplant feed works fine too.

My routine: feed once a month at half the recommended strength during active growth(spring and summer). Never fertilize bone-dry soil, this can burn the roots. Always water first, then feed. Remember, less is more; over-fertilizing scorches leaf edges, it looks just like a sunburn. Yup, fiddle leaf sunburn is a real thing.

Choosing the right fiddle leaf fig pot

The fiddle leaf fig pot you choose matters more than people realise. Two non-negotiables:

1. Drainage holes. Always. No exceptions. A gorgeous pot with no drainage is a death trap – if the pot you pick doesn’t have holes, either poke some or use it as a decorative pot and put your plant in a nursery pot, stacked within your decorative one. k
2. Don’t size up too much. A pot only 5-8cm (2-3 inches) wider than the root ball is ideal. Planting a fiddle leaf fig plant in a pot that’s too large would mean drowning it in too much soil. This soil would hold too much water and eventually lead to slow growth and root rot.

I’m a fan of terracotta pots for fiddles because it breathes and wicks away excess moisture, which is forgiving towards the occasional heavy watering (guilty). Since it dries up faster, you would be watering more often. For less watering frequency, use a plastic or glazed ceramic pot as those hold moisture for a much longer time. Whatever pot you use, take the time to figure out how long it stays moist and water accordingly.

Fiddle leaf fig repotting

Fiddle leaf fig repotting is due every one to two years, or whenever you see roots poking out from the bottom or circling on the surface. Here’s how I personally do it:

1. Water the plant a day before. It’s easier on the plant (and human) to repot a hydrated plant.
2. Remove the plant from the pot. Tease apart any tightly bound roots you’re your fingers and avoid breaking the mains roots
3. Fill the new pot (one size up) halfway with a well-draining soil mix.
4. Set your fiddle leaf fig plant at the same depth it was before, press the soil firmly with your fingers, water it and keep it away from harsh light for a few days while it settles in to its new home.

For a big, mature fiddle that’s already in a large pot that can’t realistically upsize, just give it a refresh once in awhile. Scrape off the top few centimetres of old soil and replace it with a fresh mix each year. Expect a little sulking with a few dropped leaves after the change, this is normal and it will adjust to grow lusciously after.

Why is my fiddle leaf fig leaning? (and how to fix it)

A fiddle leaf fig leaning to one side is incredibly common, and it’s usually due to one of these two reasons:

1. Light. Fiddles lean toward their light source, this is called phototropism, and it’s why mine used to do a slow lean toward the direction of the sun, almost like it was eavesdropping on the neighbours. The fix is simple: rotate the pot a quarter turn every week so all sides get even light and the plant grows upright.
2. A weak trunk. This occurs when a plant has never had to deal with any movement. To fix this, stress your plant. Sounds counterintuitive, but a quick wobble to the truck every now and then mimics wind and movement in the forest. This bit of stress signals the plant to strengthen its trunk. If you’ve left your plant for long and find that its tall and floppy, then give it support with a stake – a moss pole or bamboo stick. You can remove this once the truck stabilises later.

Fiddle leaf propagation: make more for free

Once you’ve nailed down your fiddle leaf fig care, you’ll want more and fiddle leaf propagation is genuinely satisfying. The golden rule first: you need a node (the little bump on the stem where leaves and roots emerge). A single leaf with no stem will root, but it will never grow into a new plant – it just sits there being a leaf. Don’t fall for the single-leaf-in-water photos you see on Instagram!

Two methods (best done during the start of growing season)

Stem cuttings (easiest and my favourite way). Cut a section of stem with at least one node and one or two leaves. Pop it in a jar of water (refresh the water weekly) or straight into a mix of moist, well-draining soil. Rooting hormone speeds things along. Water cuttings take a few weeks to root; once roots are a few centimetres long, you can move them into soil. Keep cuttings warm and in light but out of direct sun.

Air layering (best for thick, tall, or leggy plants). This is a go-to for an established fiddle that’s lost its lower leaves. You wound a section of the main stem, wrap it in damp sphagnum moss and plastic, and let roots form while the branch is still attached to the main plant. Once it’s well rooted, cut below the new roots and pot it up. This is a more reliable way to propogate, but requires some experience. It’s a good method of for woody stems, and you get a big, ready-made plant.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fiddle Leaf Fig Care

The fiddle leaf fig has a diva reputation it honestly doesn’t deserve. Get the light right, go easy on the water, feed it through the growing season, and rotate it so it stands tall – that’s 90% of fiddle leaf plant care sorted. The rest is just paying attention and learning your particular plant’s rhythm.

If yours is struggling right now, don’t give up on it. Mine looked like a goner in week two and it’s now the proudest plant in my home. So pick one up, give it a bright corner, and let’s grow, baby!Want more big-leaf inspiration? Read my guide to common big leaf indoor plants, and if you’re tight on sunshine, my best low light plants picks.