Fiddle leaf fig houseplants are one of the most popular potted plants you’ll find. Their fiddle-shaped leaves and bright green colour make them a common choice for even the most novice plant parents.
Why is your fiddle leaf fig leave drooping? The main cause of fiddle leaf fig leaves drooping can be dehydration from lack of watering which can cause the leaves to droop or flop over. However there maybe other reasons such as a overwatering, root rot, lack of sunlight to lack of fertilizing that could also be cause your fiddle fig leaves to be drooping.
But sometimes, these happy and perky plants can start to look a little sad. Their leaves may start to droop, and its vibrancy may disappear a bit. If you’re new fiddle leave owner and not used to this, it can be confusing as to why – when you’ve done everything you were supposed to do – your fiddle leaf is drooping.
It happens to the best of us, and there are thankfully ways to fix it. The first step is to identify what’s causing the leaves to droop, and then you work on the solution.
Your plant may be telling you that it needs more light or less water, or simply to please stop rearranging your room.
Keep reading to learn how to investigate leaves drooping and how to bring them back to their lively selves.
Why Are My Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Leaves Drooping?
There’s no denying that fiddle leaf figs can be a little finicky. They almost demand a suitable environment and rebel against anything not ideal. This can include how much sunlight it gets, where it’s placed, and how humid your home is.
However, it’s also important to note that the bottom leaves of your Ficus lyrata may be drooping naturally. Even the healthiest and happiest of these plants will have drooping lower leaves. So, if that’s what you’ve been stressed about, you can relax and know your fiddle leaf is fine.
If not, let’s take a look at why a fiddle leaf fig would have drooping leaves.
8 Common Factors for Drooping Leaves on Your Ficus Lyrata
If you notice your fiddle leaf starting to sag, you’ll need to start eliminating certain issues to find the one that’s bothering your plant. The following list offers the most well-known causes of drooping or soft leaves.
It’s Crying Out for Sunshine
Ficus lyrata’s LOVE sunshine, they’ll soak it all up. In fact, it’s recommended that the plant get a few hours of direct sunlight each day. So, if your plant doesn’t have enough light, it’s not going to be its happiest self.
Lack of sunshine can cause health problems in a fiddle leaf, and its drooping leaves may be your plant’s way of alerting you to the situation.
Thankfully this is usually a quick fix, and they don’t have to stay limp. But if your apartment is darker and without direct sunlight, then you should check out artificial lights that can help.
You’re Over or Under Watering
Yes, this can be either-or, which may sound terribly confusing. But the fact is that your Ficus lyrata needs a specific amount of water – sort of like how you need a specific amount of sleep. Anything more or less, and things start to take a turn for the worse.
You can check the soil with your fingers, and see if it’s dry – that’s a good indication that your plant is thirsty and needs more water than it’s getting.
But if the soil seems overly soggy, especially after a significant time since the last watering, you’ll want to try and reduce the amount of water you’re giving. Just a little bit.
It Needs to be Cleaned and Fertilised
If your plant is in need of a little fertiliser, you could be seeing its droopy leaves as a sign. How else can a houseplant communicate its needs? You should be fertilising your plant once a month during spring, summer, and fall, and then only quarterly between fall and spring.
Also, remember that you should dust the leaves every once in a while. I wipe my fiddle leaf fig leaves down with a damp cloth at least once a month to remove any built up of dust.
Make sure there is nothing getting in the way of the large leaves absorbing the light and carbon dioxide that it needs.
You’ve Shocked its System and Roots
As your fiddle leaf grows, it may need a bigger pot. You can usually keep the plant a healthy indoor size, but often it’ll need to be repotted a couple of times. But this repotting can cause shock to the plant’s roots – and this can show as droopy leaves.
If this has happened, the best thing to do is to leave the plant alone for a while. Let it settle and regain its composure and you should find it starts to look a lot happier soon enough.
There’s Not Enough Humidity
Fiddle leaf fig plants need humidity, it’s in their DNA. If there isn’t enough in your home, you may find your plant looking a bit tired. These plants are made for warm, humid conditions and thrive on 40%-60% humidity.
Anything less, and they’re going to be too dry, but they also don’t love having too much more than that. If you’re finding your home is not humid enough for your plant, you can use a mister to lightly wet the leaves.
Or, if you’re very committed to this little green creature, you could place a humidifier near it. My largest fiddle leaf fig loves my humidifier.
It’s Just Growing Pains
When your plant grows new leaves, they are young, fresh, and weaker than the rest. This can make it look like they’re drooping, but they’ll soon get stronger and perk up. It’s usually more noticeable as the leaf gets bigger since it gets too heavy for the young leaf’s stems to hold up.
If you’ve been watching your plant, you will notice when it starts to grow new leaves. And if this is the case there isn’t any real cause for concern. You’ll most likely see the leaf beginning to stiffen in a couple of days.
It’s Telling You That it’s Not Happy in its New Home
If you’ve recently bought your Ficus lyrata, or you’ve moved, house or just moved the plant to a new room, it might be telling you that it isn’t pleased with this new arrangement. Fiddle leaf figs are a lot of things – but flexible is not one of them.
Take a look at any changes that might have happened to or around your plant. Is something suddenly blocking its light? Did you switch up your watering routine? Have you had to put it up on a table to stop your cat from eating it (because fiddle leaf figs are toxic to cats)? Any of these can cause a slumpy plant.
It’s Suffering From Chemical Burns
This might sound extreme, but chemical burns come from pesticides and detergents. If you use these on your plant, there is a chance of them causing harm. And again, if your plant is unhappy, leaves droop down to tell you that something is wrong.
If you find yourself needing to use chemicals on your plant, make sure there are no traces left before you put it in the sun.
Chemicals and sunlight can be a harsh combination. There are also natural, organic products that you can use instead to minimise the risks to your plant.
How to Fix Fiddle Leaf Fig Drooping Leaves
Once you’ve gotten to the root of the problem, you can begin to bring your fiddle leaf fig leaves back to life.
Each of the issues listed above has a fix – some are easy and some might take a while to figure out. But stick in there as your fiddle leaf fig is worth it.
If you’ve tried one solution – for instance, moving it to a more open window – and don’t see any improvement in a week or so, then try something else. It may take a lot of your patience and some of your time as well, but you’ll be glad once you see the leaves coming back to life.
If the drooping leaves are just babies, you can relax and watch them grow into big, strong foliage in time. And if you notice drooping only at the bottom, remember that this is perfectly normal. There isn’t much you can do about lower leaves drooping a bit.
Care Tips For Your Fiddle Leaf
If the droopy leaves saga left you shaken, and you’re doubting your capabilities of taking care of this pedantic, yet stunning, houseplant, take a deep breath. With a few specific things to note, your Ficus lyrata can become well worth the extra effort.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when taking care of your fiddle leaf fig:
● Lots of sunlight – place your plant near a window that gets lots of light and make sure you rotate it every few weeks so the whole plant has a chance to soak in the rays.
● Just enough water – your fiddle leaf doesn’t want to be damp or soggy, but letting it go thirsty is not a good idea. Find a regular watering routine and stick to it.
● Take note of changes – if you’ve moved your plant to a new room, or just a new corner, this is the first thing to consider when exploring reasons for drooping leaves.
● Clean the leaves – make sure you get any settled dust off the plant so it can breathe and soak in all the nutrients.
● Fertilize fiddle fig correctly – make sure you’re adding fertiliser to the spoil in the correct time frame to keep the plant healthy.
● Try to avoid harsh pesticides or cleaning chemicals – opt for natural products or clean the plant before placing it in the sun.
● Check your fiddle leaf often – make sure you’re watching your plant so that you notice changes. You also want to check that the soil is healthy and that there are no bugs.
● Ensure you have a good pot – these plants, like most others, need good drainage and a correctly-sized pot to live in. Without these, you’ll find issues like root rot and other annoyances in your plant.
● Make sure your plant’s space is humid – this can be done with a humidifier or by misting the plant. Fun fact, it can also be done by adding more plants!
Other Issues To Look Out For
Besides drooping leaves, if your plant is sick or unhappy, there are other ways you’ll be able to notice. These include:
● They’re not growing – your fiddle leaf should grow new leaves in spring and summer. If it’s not, there may be something bothering it.
● Losing or dropping leaves – it’s normal for your Ficus lyrata to lose some leaves occasionally, but if you notice an excessive amount of leaves dropping off there is likely an issue with the plant’s health.
● Brown spots on the leaves – these can be a particularly bad sign as brown spots can mean that your plant has root rot. This comes from bad drainage in the fiddle leaf fig’s soil, and it can kill your plant.
● New leaves growing smaller than the old ones – along with seasonal growth, you should be seeing new leaves that grow bigger than the old ones. If you’re seeing the opposite, there’s a good chance that your plant is in need of nutrients or is under watered.
● Leaves are yellow – leaves will only turn yellow if your plant is lacking nutrients or is being overwatered. These are easy to fix and you should see improvement once you make the necessary changes.
Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Leaves Drooping Down – Fixed!
It may be distressing to watch your plant leaves drooping down and looking sad, but once you find the problem the solution is usually just around the corner. And knowing what caused the drooping leaves means you can ensure it doesn’t happen again.
It is important to note, however, that it can take some time for your fiddle leaf to perk up again. So, if you’ve made adjustments and it still doesn’t look like it’s helping, try to have a little patience before trying something else.
Fiddle leaf figs are often the first plant chosen for a home, so it’s understandable that you may not have all the answers just yet. But as your plant grows, so will your knowledge of how to take care of them.
These may be fussy plants, but they are a beauty to have in your home. And thanks to them being evergreen, you can enjoy their bright green fiddle leaves all year long.
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