The fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) is an excellent plant with slightly little bit of a standing. Nonetheless, whereas its care requirements are pretty simple, this particular Ficus can sometimes be slightly bit temperamental.
A main occasion of this drama queen habits is that this plant’s habits of getting droopy leaves. These large leaves are the precept trigger most people want to non-public a fiddle leaf fig, so seeing them droop instantly may make most people panic.
Nonetheless, this shouldn’t discourage you from having one, and there’s no trigger to panic when it begins to behave slightly bit overdramatic.
The good news is that whereas many points could trigger this drooping, they’re just about always an easy restore. That talked about, let‘s take a look on the assorted causes this can happen and what to do to remedy each set off.
Why Are The Leaves Of My Fiddle Leaf Fig Drooping?
As talked about, there are a selection of potential causes, some totally pure and others hinting at care or environmental factors.
The following are among the many most common causes for leaf droop and strategies to restore the problem.
Chemical Burns
Fertilizer is often a great factor for vegetation fastidiously, nonetheless an extreme quantity of fertilizer can burn a fiddle leaf plant.
Likewise, many pesticides or insecticidal soaps can lead to burns on vegetation, significantly if the plant is delicate or the leaves end up moist.
Inside the latter case, Fiddle-leaf figs may bear sunburn from the sunshine hitting the water droplets.
The restore for these points is simply being acutely aware of what you’re doing. When fertilizing, always use the best dilution and frequency.
As for any pesticidal product, try to make use of them so the leaves will probably be dry by the purpose the photo voltaic’s rays hit them, or manually wipe each leaf with a delicate materials.
Improper Watering
Improper watering is a big deal for a lot of vegetation, as they don’t use water in pretty the an identical methodology you or I do.
Truly, larger than 97 p.c of the water they drink goes to a course of often called transpiration, which is analogous to sweating in some respects.
When a plant is in arid conditions, it ought to use transpiration to aim to extend the humidity spherical it.
That is probably one of many causes watering on a schedule is a poor thought given that plant may be using roughly water at any given time.
When your Ficus is dehydrated, the leaves will lose their sturdiness and develop to be limp.
You could as nicely inform if the humidity is simply too low if this limpness is accompanied by effervescent alongside the leaf’s edges.
The humidity is often improbable for an indoor plant, as an expansion of 35 to 60 p.c is good for this plant, nonetheless grouping completely different vegetation could assist improve the humidity must you uncover the air is simply too dry indoors or outside.
On the flip side, overwatering additionally can lead to drooping, and the indicators are just about related.
It’s as a result of soggy soil can clog your plant’s roots, making it powerful for the plant to take in water and nutritional vitamins, inflicting it to dehydrate whereas sitting in water.
You could inform if a plant is getting an extreme quantity of or too little water by merely sticking your finger into the soil.
A fiddle leaf fig should be watered when the soil feels dry 1″ to 2″ inches down (to the first or second knuckle). Use each the soak-and-dry methodology or the bottom-up methodology for among the best outcomes.
Insufficient Gentle
Whereas some vegetation thrive in low light and even darkness, this plant won’t be amongst them. The fiddle leaf fig plant needs a great deal of shiny, indirect light (or direct morning or evening light with some shade throughout the afternoon).
If it’s not getting enough light, the leaves will lose some stability and begin to wilt, gaining a yellow tinge.
Fixing this disadvantage with a potted plant is fairly easy, as you could switch it to a barely sunnier spot.
Outside specimens may require you to hunt out what’s obstructing the sunshine and (if it may truly’t be merely mounted) may require transplanting the Ficus someplace else.
New Progress
Now this one might sound pretty peculiar, nonetheless we assure you, it’s an exact cause for drooping.
When new leaf buds first begin opening, they’re typically significantly awkward. Truly, the larger the model new leaf, the additional most likely it’s going to probably be to have an ungainly droop for the first few days.
This particular set off will sometimes correct itself inside each week and shouldn’t be set off for alarm.
Sudden Environmental Modifications
That’s the place the fiddle leaf fig will get its standing for being a drama queen, as this plant fully hates being moved.
Likewise, any sudden change to its routine can depart it visibly sulking.
Sadly, there’s not rather a lot you’ll be able to do about this poor habits, significantly must you’re trying to shift the fiddle leaf into increased lighting.
The good news is that it should perk up as soon as extra as quickly as you come again from its common routine.
Transplant Shock
Lastly, we now have an issue that usually impacts solely potted vegetation (nonetheless may lengthen to an outdoor plant if it should be relocated) – transplant shock.
Crops have superior to remain in a single spot for a lot of or all of their lives, so when you will need to repot one, it ought to bear from shock.
This isn’t as noticeable in some vegetation as in others, nonetheless your Ficus tends to be very vocal about disliking being repotted.
The remedy for that’s simple, however annoying as a result of it merely needs some time to get used to the change.
It’s going to sometimes take a month or two for a ficus to get higher completely from transplant shock, at which stage it ought to as quickly as as soon as extra perk up and be fully glad.
Be sure to don’t fiddle with it all through this time, in any other case you’ll stress it extra.