From my perspective, light is my food. I, the Fiddle Leaf Fig, originate from the lowland tropical rainforests of West Africa, where I am accustomed to thriving under the bright, dappled light of the canopy. My large, glossy leaves are designed to capture vast amounts of this energy to fuel my growth through photosynthesis. If I am placed in a dim corner, I simply cannot produce enough energy to create new cells and grow. You may notice my new leaves are smaller, farther apart, or that I have stopped producing them altogether. I am in survival mode, not growth mode. To help me, please place me directly in front of a bright, east or south-facing window where I can bask in plenty of indirect sunlight for most of the day.
My growth above the soil is a direct reflection of my health below it. My roots are my anchor and my mouth, responsible for absorbing water and nutrients. If I have been in the same pot for years, my roots may have exhausted the available nutrients in the soil and become pot-bound, circling tightly around themselves. This strangles me, preventing proper water uptake and stifling any chance of expansion. Alternatively, if my pot lacks drainage holes, my roots are likely sitting in soggy, oxygen-deprived soil, causing them to rot. A rotting root system cannot support new growth. Please check my roots. If they are circling, it is time to repot me into a new home just one or two sizes larger with fresh, well-draining soil.
The soil in my pot is my entire world, and its nutrients are finite. Every time you water me, a small amount of those essential nutrients washes away. After some time, the soil becomes depleted. I require a balanced diet of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (often displayed as an N-P-K ratio on fertilizer bottles) to manufacture the proteins and compounds needed for new stems and leaves. A lack of food means a lack of growth. During my active growing season (spring and summer), please feed me with a balanced, liquid fertilizer diluted to half-strength approximately once a month. This provides me with the building blocks I desperately need to put out new, healthy growth.
I am a sensitive soul, and sudden changes in my environment consume energy I would otherwise use for growth. Drafts from air conditioners, heaters, or frequently opened doors create temperature fluctuations that I find stressful. Similarly, low humidity levels, common in heated or air-conditioned homes, cause my large leaves to lose moisture rapidly. This forces me to divert resources to conserve water rather than grow. I thrive on consistency and tropical humidity. Please keep me away from vents and drafts. You can increase humidity around me by grouping me with other plants, using a humidifier, or regularly misting my leaves, making my microclimate feel more like my native home.
