The fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) is a superb plant with a little bit of a status. Nonetheless, whereas its care necessities are fairly easy, this specific Ficus can typically be a little bit temperamental.
A primary instance of this drama queen habits is that this plant’s behavior of getting droopy leaves. These massive leaves are the principle cause most individuals need to personal a fiddle leaf fig, so seeing them droop immediately could make most individuals panic.
Nonetheless, this shouldn’t discourage you from having one, and there’s no cause to panic when it begins to behave a little bit overdramatic.
The excellent news is that whereas many issues may cause this drooping, they’re virtually at all times a straightforward repair. That mentioned, let‘s have a look at the assorted causes this will occur and what to do to treatment every trigger.
Why Are The Leaves Of My Fiddle Leaf Fig Drooping?
As talked about, there are a number of potential causes, some fully pure and others hinting at care or environmental points.
The next are among the most typical causes for leaf droop and methods to repair the issue.
Chemical Burns
Fertilizer is usually a good thing for vegetation carefully, however an excessive amount of fertilizer can burn a fiddle leaf plant.
Likewise, many pesticides or insecticidal soaps can result in burns on vegetation, particularly if the plant is delicate or the leaves find yourself moist.
Within the latter case, Fiddle-leaf figs could undergo sunburn from the sunshine hitting the water droplets.
The repair for these issues is just being conscious of what you’re doing. When fertilizing, at all times use the right dilution and frequency.
As for any pesticidal product, attempt to use them so the leaves will likely be dry by the point the solar’s rays hit them, or manually wipe every leaf with a gentle material.
Improper Watering
Improper watering is a large deal for many vegetation, as they don’t use water in fairly the identical method you or I do.
Actually, greater than 97 p.c of the water they drink goes to a course of known as transpiration, which is analogous to sweating in some respects.
When a plant is in arid situations, it should use transpiration to attempt to increase the humidity round it.
This is likely one of the causes watering on a schedule is a poor thought for the reason that plant could also be utilizing roughly water at any given time.
When your Ficus is dehydrated, the leaves will lose their sturdiness and grow to be limp.
You may as well inform if the humidity is just too low if this limpness is accompanied by effervescent alongside the leaf’s edges.
The humidity is normally fantastic for an indoor plant, as a spread of 35 to 60 p.c is ideal for this plant, however grouping different vegetation may help enhance the humidity should you discover the air is just too dry indoors or outdoor.
On the flip facet, overwatering also can result in drooping, and the signs are virtually similar.
It is because soggy soil can clog your plant’s roots, making it tough for the plant to soak up water and vitamins, inflicting it to dehydrate whereas sitting in water.
You may inform if a plant is getting an excessive amount of or too little water by merely sticking your finger into the soil.
A fiddle leaf fig will have to be watered when the soil feels dry 1″ to 2″ inches down (to the primary or second knuckle). Use both the soak-and-dry methodology or the bottom-up methodology for one of the best outcomes.
Inadequate Mild
Whereas some vegetation thrive in low gentle and even darkness, this plant will not be amongst them. The fiddle leaf fig plant wants loads of shiny, oblique gentle (or direct morning or night gentle with some shade within the afternoon).
If it’s not getting sufficient gentle, the leaves will lose some stability and start to wilt, gaining a yellow tinge.
Fixing this drawback with a potted plant is pretty simple, as you may transfer it to a barely sunnier spot.
Out of doors specimens could require you to seek out what’s obstructing the sunshine and (if it could actually’t be simply mounted) could require transplanting the Ficus someplace else.
New Progress
Now this one would possibly sound fairly peculiar, however we guarantee you, it’s an precise reason for drooping.
When new leaf buds first start opening, they are often considerably awkward. Actually, the bigger the brand new leaf, the extra probably it will likely be to have an ungainly droop for the primary few days.
This specific trigger will typically proper itself inside every week and shouldn’t be trigger for alarm.
Sudden Environmental Modifications
That is the place the fiddle leaf fig will get its status for being a drama queen, as this plant completely hates being moved.
Likewise, any sudden change to its routine can depart it visibly sulking.
Sadly, there’s not a lot you are able to do about this poor habits, particularly should you’re attempting to shift the fiddle leaf into higher lighting.
The excellent news is that it’s going to perk up once more as soon as you come back from its regular routine.
Transplant Shock
Lastly, we now have a problem that normally impacts solely potted vegetation (however could prolong to an outside plant if it must be relocated) – transplant shock.
Crops have advanced to stay in a single spot for many or all of their lives, so when you must repot one, it should undergo from shock.
This isn’t as noticeable in some vegetation as in others, however your Ficus tends to be very vocal about disliking being repotted.
The treatment for that is easy, but annoying because it simply wants a while to get used to the change.
It’ll typically take a month or two for a ficus to get better absolutely from transplant shock, at which level it should as soon as once more perk up and be completely satisfied.
Make sure you don’t fiddle with it throughout this time, otherwise you’ll stress it additional.