And You Thought Your Kids Were Picky
/Fiddle Leaf Figs are all the rage. If you are a hipster, visit coffee shops, or have a Pinterest account, you have seen these plants. You probably googly eyed them and then rushed to the nearest nursery to get your hands on one of these beautiful giants.
I will warn you, Fiddle Leaf's aren't for the faint of heart. They will run anywhere between $50-$100 and when you spend that much money on a plant, the last thing you want to do is kill it.
So, here are 5 tips to care for the pickiest plant I've owned:
1. They like a warm, sunny spot. Place them there and then don't touch them.
2. When I said don't touch, I meant it. Derek's friend came over and was rubbing all over my little fiddle leaf and kept saying "Wow! Is this real??". After a few minutes, I tried to politely steer him away because I didn't want to sound like a crazy plant lady. But sure enough, that weekend I lost 5 leaves. These plants aren't great if you have a hyper dog, a hyper child, or a hyper friend.
Ps. Along with minimal touching, they don't like the breeze. So try to avoid a spot in your house with open windows or ceiling fans.
3. Water trick. If you fiddle comes in a plastic bucket from the nursery, keep it in the bucket for at least 4-5 months before transplanting. When it needs watered, you will notice the soil around the edges of the pot pull away. Fill up your sink with water and place the fiddle in there overnight. This allows the plant to drink from the roots instead of you accidentally drowning it by pouring too much water on top.
Ps. This is a great way to water most of your plants.
4. Every few weeks, wipe the leaves down with coconut oil! These guys (and most house plants) can get very dusty which can hinder photosynthesis (yes Mr. Cassidy, I was listening in your 9th grade Biology class). Get the dust outta there with a paper towel and a light coconut oil bath.
5. Rotate the pot about once a week and take lots of pictures. A beautiful fiddle really is something to show off.
