My New Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree & Five Tips for Caring for It

I finally own a fiddle leaf fig tree!

I’ve been searching for a fiddle leaf fig tree for a good part of a year. Ever since I saw Kimberly from Swoon Worthy blog talk about her gorgeous tree on her blog, I wanted to get my hands on one. Turns out, fiddle leaf fig trees are incredibly hard to source. And if you can find them, they are rather expensive. As much as I love my plant babies, Lee would kill me if I spent a small fortune on plants. Especially when we’re saving up for other things in our lives.

Thankfully, I found my perfect baby. And surprisingly, it was an eBay find! I very rarely go on eBay, mainly because I get a little frustrated when you don’t see what you want immediately. This fiddle leaf fig tree popped up straight away. I was so happy I immediately purchased it and told my husband about it later. By later, I mean when it was delivered…

Welcome home fiddle leaf fig tree!

Currently, Fred lives in our living room near the window while I still figure out the layout of the room (there’s been a slight changeup).  I will eventually give him a permanent home. For now, he’s happy where he is getting as much sunlight as possible. To add to the California vibes I’m trying to incorporate into our home, I’ve placed him in this gorgeous basket. I’m obsessed with this and was an absolute steal of a find from Homesense. So obsessed, I’m on the hunt for another one to place somewhere else in our home.

I’m sure you’ll be seeing much more of Fred the fiddle leaf fig tree on the blog and Instagram– he’s just so pretty to take pictures of! If you’re looking for a gorgeous fiddle leaf fig tree, I wish you the best of luck. Do check out where I purchased mine from, it was such a bargain! If you have already purchased a fiddle leaf fig tree, here are some of my top tips for keeping it alive…

HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR FIDDLE LEAF FIG TREE.

01. Potting. As soon as you get your tree home, get it out of that plastic pot it comes in and put it into something sturdy. I went for a ceramic one from B&Q. Just something to give the plant room to breathe and grow. If you don’t like the look of the pot, you can always do what I did and put it into a very on-trend basket to give it something extra.

02. Light. Boy, do fiddle leaf fig trees love the light! As soon as I potted Fred, I placed him near the window, to ensure it got as much light as it could while its maturing. Also, remember to dust this bad boy. It will get dusty and it can actually stop you tree from absorbing the light and might ‘suffocate’ it. Every three months is a good amount of time with a clean cloth. Also, because it loves the light it will start to lean towards it. Turning it once a month will keep it straight and tall.

03. Support & Structure. If you get a small adolescent tree like I did, it will need some support as it grows and matures. I’ve used a couple of wooden canes to support while it gets its stance. Yes, they don’t look great but until it becomes sturdy its worth it so you don’t end up with a really wonky tree.

04. Watering. You’ve got to treat your fiddle leaf fig tree like Goldilocks. If you don’t give it enough water you’ll end up with a dead brown tree. Overwatering it will also kill it. I’ve talked about how to know if your plants need watering or not on this post. To be sure, you can always purchase a self-watering pot or device which you can add to your plant. It will give it enough water to keep it happy and is so easy to fill up.

05. Pruning. My tree is not there yet, but cutting and pruning you tree will encourage it to grow. You can also cut yourself a branch off your fiddle leaf fig tree and give yourself a brand new tree! Twice a year is enough to keep it neat and tidy. As well as encouraging it to grow!

Do you own a fiddle leaf fig tree?

I would love to see you plant babies in your home. Check out my other interior posts here on the blog.