I have a 6 year old fiddle fig. It has been very picky and had grown and dropped leaves frequently and did not add much height. In the past 3 or so months it has grown A LOT, adding about 2 feet.
The trunk is weak and I have a support stake. But as you see in the picture I need a taller one.
What do you guys recommend to help it grow out (how do I make branches) and to increase the trunk width/strength.
by Ok-Weekend5451
3 Comments
Couple things that usually help FLFs in this situation:
• Give it as much bright, indirect light as possible (right by that window is good). Rotate it every week or so.
• To strengthen the trunk, gently shake it daily or run a small fan nearby—it mimics wind and encourages it to thicken.
• If you want branching, you can try notching or a hard cut back in spring/summer when it’s actively growing.
On the nutrition side, mine really took off once I started using a balanced liquid fertilizer in a 3-1-2 ratio during the growing season. It pushed sturdier growth and kept leaves from dropping as much. So pairing light + airflow + consistent feeding should help it bounce back.
It looks like she doesn’t have much soil for how tall she is, maybe a bit roomier pot with more well-draining soil
Maybe it’s not getting enough sun. Looks very “leggy” as if it’s trying to reach toward sunlight & not getting enuf to produce leaves. I’m guessing this based on other plants that I’ve seen do this but I’ve never seen such a bare, long, thin, droopy flf (no offense). Or is it so bare because it dropped all its leaves? Anyway, Google articles on how to make them fuller. U have to cut them at whatever height u want & that will encourage it to sprout new stalks from the main stalk. Last year I thought one of mine had died from still being outside a lil too long when the weather got cold. I snapped off the main branch at about 2 ft & decided to wait & see. By the next spring 4 shoots had sprang out from the base of the stalk & it’s fuller & healthier than ever. The thing with these is maybe it will work, maybe it won’t, but in this case what do u really have to lose? The plant’s current condition is not really sustainable & doesn’t appear to be very healthy so why not give it a try? I would say cut it at a level that it can stand on its own or with minimal bracing, take the top part & put it in soil with rooting hormone & hopefully it’ll root & u shld end up with 2 healthy plants 🤞.