Fiddle Leaf Fig Branching: Secrets to Healthy, Bushy Plants

Fiddle leaf branching is a concern that can be easily resolved by the correct pruning and provision of sunlight, fertilizer, watering, and humidity. If you think you still have to learn the proper techniques, then look no further.

Keep reading this article, and we will teach you the right ways that you can encourage your plant to be having more branches and look vibrant.

What Are Ways to Encourage Fiddle Leaf Branching?

The ways to encourage fiddle leaf fig branching are to prune the plant regularly and to provide it with enough sunlight. You must also water and fertilize it, ensure that you keep the surrounding humidity, rotate the plant regularly, and monitor for pests and diseases.

It may take several months to almost a year after notching fiddle leaf fig for it to become bushy, depending on the plant’s age and overall health. If you remain consistent with your plant maintenance and care, this is how you should be able to see growth within this period.

– Prune and Oink Regularly

Fiddle leaf figs are plants that require some tender loving care too. One of the best ways to encourage branching of any plant is to prune it properly and regularly. You’ll need to find the biggest and tallest stem to do this for your fiddle leaf fig.

Next, locate a leaf node. A leaf node is where a leaf sticks out from the stem. You’ll want to make a cut right above one of these nodes to encourage new growth from the sides. Grab some sharp pruning shears or a sharp knife and make a clean snip right above the leaf node.

Cut at a sharp angle to avoid water damage that could lead to fungus growth. This is why you’ll want to use clean and sterilized tools when pruning fiddle fig trees. When cutting more than one stem, clean and sterilize after every cut.

If, at this point, you have more tall stems to trim, go ahead and prune those too for a bushier fiddle leaf fig tree. After cutting, give it some time. It may take a few weeks to see new growth pop up from the sides of the stem. Don’t worry; just keep taking care of your fiddle leaf fig like normal.

Only prune a few stems at a time, or you’ll stress out your fiddle leaf fig, and be cautious of this matter. The latter is why you must start with just one or two stems and give your fiddle-leaf fig tree some time before cutting more. With regular pruning and good care, you’ll have a fiddle leaf fig multiple stems pretty soon.

In addition, you can also pinch back the new growth on your fiddle leaf fig to encourage branching. So you can pinch off the tips of new growth. This will promote branching at the nodes, resulting in a heftier and fuller tree.

– Provide the Tree with Enough Sunlight

The fiddle-leaf fig tree is a pretty easygoing plant, and it loves hanging out in bright, indirect light with a bit of shade from direct sunlight. To be guaranteed that the tree gets enough sunlight, you must place it in a sunny spot, but not where it receives direct light.

This is because direct sunlight can burn the leaves of your fiddle leaf fig, so make sure to protect it from the harsh sun with some sheer curtains or blinds. Put your tree near a window that gets plenty of indirect sunlight. Use a light meter if you need help determining which spot is the brightest.

If your place doesn’t have enough natural light, you can add some LED grow lights are an option to use if you wish to supply your plant with the light it needs to grow. LED grow lights are a great option as they put out the right spectrum of light that plants need for growth. Place the grow lights about six inches to a foot above the top of the tree and keep them on between 12 and 16 hours a day.

– Water and Fertilize Accordingly

These trees prefer to be watered when the top-inch soil is dry. On one hand, overwatering can cause the roots to rot while, on the other hand, if you are watering less than the right amount, it can leave the leaves to wilt and drop. To avoid this issue, it’s important to use a well-draining potting mix and container with drainage holes that are responsible for preventing steady water from sitting in the soil.

When irrigating your tree, ensure you water it thoroughly so that it reaches the roots. You can also pour the water slowly and evenly over the soil just as it starts to drain out the bottom of the container. Allow the water to drain completely so that even the pot is not exposed to standing water.

Fiddle leaf fig trees benefit from a balanced ratio of a fertilizer that has equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. To keep it robust and healthy, fertilize your tree every two to three months during the spring and summer growing seasons. You may opt to use a liquid or granular fertilizer, but make sure that you follow the techniques placed on the package for application rates.

While feeding your tree is beneficial, you should avoid fertilizing during the dormant season, which is during fall and winter. Because of how the plant can rest and will not need much water or nutrients.

When your fiddle leaf fig starts growing leaves at the bottom, this matter can be a sign of stress. There are several factors involved, such as lack of light, overwatering, poor drainage, or being root-bound. You’ll need to check your tree for each factor and resolve accordingly.

– Keep the Humidity Around the Fiddle Leaf Fig High

The leaf fig plants are native to tropical regions and thrive in humid environments. Keeping the humidity high around your fiddle-leaf fig tree can help prevent the leaves from drying out and becoming brittle and encourage healthy growth.

You can increase the humidity around your fiddle tree in different ways. These are grouping plants together, misting, using a pebble tray, and placing a humidifier around the tree. To help you make quicker decisions, we’ll tackle each method briefly.

If you have more than one plant or tree, you can group them with your fiddle-leaf tree. Grouping them together can help create a microclimate with higher humidity levels. The plants release moisture through transpiration, which can increase the surrounding humidity.

Misting is another quick option to increase the humidity around your tree immediately. As its term implies, you simply have to mist the direction of the leaves of your tree with a spray bottle can help increase the humidity levels temporarily. However, you must also be cautious and try not to mist too often, as this can lead to fungal growth.

If you’re going with the pebble tray method, all you should do is locate and fill a tray with some pebbles and add water right until it reaches just below the top of the pebbles. Place your fiddle tree on top of the pebbles, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the pot, and as soon as the water evaporates, slowly, but surely, it will increase the humidity levels around the tree.

Finally, you can use a humidifier if you have the budget for it because a humidifier is the most beneficial way to increase humidity around your tree. To do so, place a humidifier near your tree and simply adjust the settings to maintain a humidity level between 50 and 60 percent, which is ideal for most plants and trees.

While one method isn’t always better than the other, we recommend trying one that works best for you. You can even do a combination of one to three methods if your tree is placed in an area that is especially low in humidity.

– Rotate the Fiddle Leaf Fig Regularly

Rotating your tree is important in encouraging it to branch and become bushy. This is because if your tree is constantly exposed to light on only one side, it will tend to grow towards that light source and may become lopsided or unbalanced, which is not the most attractive.

Simply turn the pot a quarter turn every few weeks to do this. This matter will help you to be sure that all sides of the tree receive equal amounts of light and encourage even growth. While this is an influential factor, this is just one of the many ways to a proper fiddle-leaf fig plant care.

When rotating your tree, make sure to handle it gently to avoid damaging the roots or breaking any branches. Adjust the positioning of any stakes or support structures you have in place to ensure they continue to provide the proper support as the tree grows and changes shape over time.

– Monitor for Pests and Diseases Regularly

While caring for your tree, you’ll also need to regularly examine your tree for any signs of pests or diseases. Look for any discoloration, spots, or holes in the plant’s leaves, stems, or trunk. While you’re there, check for any signs of pests, such as spider mites, scales, and mealybugs.

If you now notice any issues, isolate the affected plant immediately from other plants to prevent pests and diseases from spreading. Look up the specific pest or disease and treat it accordingly with organic or chemical methods. Continue to monitor the plant and make sure the issue has been resolved.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to get fiddle leaf fig to grow new leaves, you’ll be able to cultivate a bushier and more sizable tree than ever before, so let’s go over everything quickly and make sure we’re on the same page:

• Prune the tallest and biggest stem or stems on the tree using clean, sharp, and sterilized tools.
• Notching fiddle leaf branches will encourage the cut parts to produce new growths.
• Provide adequate light, water, fertilizer, and humidity for the tree.
• Rotate the tree a quarter turn every few weeks to make sure light hits all sides.

With all this information at hand, cultivating a bushy tree is no longer a cause for concern, so now you will have the most vibrant growing plant.