Mature fiddle leaf fig dropping leaves – House Plant Journal

Mature fiddle leaf fig dropping leaves

Plant: Fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata)

How long have you had the plant? Over 4 years

Concerns:

Bottom leaves became yellow and drop.  For the plants life there were no issues.  Since about a month ago the problem started.  My mother visited around that time and the since then I notice too much humidity in the pot.  Now it’s better in terms of humidity, but the leaves keep turning yellow and falling

Light Situation:

From this spot, the plant gets about 3 hours of direct sun.

How do you determine WHEN to water: I follow the schedule I was told for this plant – once a week

Describe HOW you water: I pour a small amount of water onto the soil

What fertilizer do you use? I use COMPO green plants NPK 7+3+6

When was the last time you repotted? I haven’t repotted.

Darryl

Thanks for the photos and info!  Here’s my assessment and recommendations:

  • You have an amazing fiddle leaf fig!  It has been loving life and happily growing because of these exceptionally large windows and your dedicated care!
  • Lower leaves turning yellow and dying off is completely normal no matter how good your light and care are.  Your overall plant looks completely fine to me so I would not be alarmed.  In fact, over the next few years, you may want to air layer a leafless part of the stem and replant the plant so the lowest leaves appear closer to the soil level.  Alternatively, you can cut the top few feet of the plant and it may branch from that point – again, you don’t have to do this now but maybe in a year or two when the plant reaches your ceiling

If you want to know when to calmly remove dead leaves – I think you’ll enjoy my book and online course.


Tired of your houseplants dying on you?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *