Fiddle Leaf Fig Loses Leaves [Causes & Fixes]

Fiddle leaf fig is a popular plant in the United States because of its attractive lyre-shaped leaves. They are tall and glossy dark green, and their upward and outward growth forms a lovely circle. Among modern indoor plants, the fiddle leaf fig is particularly hip.

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Can Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Exist with no Leaves?

Sometimes, a fiddle leaf fig can turn into a wooden stalk. Its leaves start wilting and dropping to the point of leaving almost no leaves. Here, the question arises, can you save a fiddle leaf fig that has lost all its leaves, or is it considered dead?

Inevitably, most people get the heartbreak of losing a treasured houseplant. When they begin dropping their leaves, it is usually a sign that they are in crisis and requires immediate attention. Fiddle leaf figs, however, are very theatrical and tend to drop their leaves all at once.

Some people may decide that their tree has reached the end of its life because all of its leaves have fallen. Try not to give up on it because it can still live without its leaves.

However, that relies on the condition of its roots and stalk. As long as the stem and the roots are healthy, a fiddle leaf fig can continue to grow.

If you can quickly determine what’s wrong with your bare fiddle leaf fig, you can bring it back to life. Reviving it should be as simple as curing its diseases.

You can save the tree if you remove the diseased and decaying branches. If you give it the proper amount of heat, water, and light in time, you might be able to save it.

What to Do if Your Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Loses its Leaves?

Look for Traces of Life

First of all, you must determine how much life your fiddle leaf fig tree has left.

Start by inspecting its branches. Are they rigid and fragile? Are they moldy? Are they strong enough to go through the revival process?

A tree won’t survive if all of its branches are rigid and fragile. However, this is not always the case, as rigid branches may conceal flexible ones. They can recover if given proper care. The number one rule is to proceed with caution.

Touch the trunk and branches. Your plant may have died if the stems and leaves have become woody, dry, and brittle. There is hope for your plant if the insides are still pliable and have a hint of green.

Carefully inspect the roots. They are hopeless if they are dry and shriveled, but your plant has a chance of survival if they appear relatively healthy.

Repotting

If your fiddle leaf’s root system has deteriorated, you should repot it and treat the deterioration.

You should repot your plant and remove any dead or decaying wood and roots if you think root rot is the cause of your fiddle leaf fig suddenly losing its leaves.

However, this is a highly stressful process for fiddle leaf figs. Therefore, you should try to prevent it if possible.

A High-quality, well-drained potting mix is the best soil for fiddle leaf figs; use it when repotting your plant. With clean implements, separate the root ball of the fiddle leaf fig and trim away any rotted, wet, or dead roots. Replant your fiddle leaf fig carefully. Don’t forget to pack the dirt tightly around its roots.

Put Some Water on Your Plant

You must find the sweet spot between overwatering and underwatering your fiddle leaf fig to bring it back to life. This plant will not expend as much energy when its leaves are removed; thus, it will not require as much water.

Water a fiddle leaf fig regularly to keep the soil moist but not soaked. Your plant will suffer much more if you overwater it.

If you have a fiddle leaf fig, you should check the soil’s moisture level once every few days with a fingertip and water it as needed, ensuring that any standing water drains into the drip tray.

Make Sure it Gets Enough Heat and Sunlight

Your fiddle leaf fig may be dropping leaves due to a lack of light because it is a tropical plant that prefers bright, warm conditions.

To combat this, put your plant in a spot where it will get lots of sunlight and other light sources to meet its light requirements. If you are growing the plant indoors, place it near a window.

A fiddle leaf fig’s journey to recovery may be aided significantly by warmth. As soon as you’ve given your plant a thorough cleaning and given it some water, it would help if you moved it outside into direct sunlight to begin the process of regrowth.

How Can You Grow New Leaves on my Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree?

Fiddle leaf figs require regular management of water and light while they recuperate so that new leaves can form. If it doesn’t work, you can also try notching its stem. How do you ask? By making minor cuts on the core trunk.

This requires making shallow cuts just above the stem’s nodes. Feel around with your thumb and fingertip to locate the nodes. These nodes are barely perceptible thickenings of the stem.

If you remove all the leaves from a fiddle leaf fig, you’ll only have to wait for it to sprout new ones. This procedure necessitates close observation, particularly of the soil moisture levels, because it lacks the large leaves that typically indicate when it is sick.

The ability of your fiddle leaf fig to regenerate its leaves is contingent on the state of its root system and the vitality of its stem.

A little root ball could indicate that the plant’s roots are unhealthy or have died. However, your tree may be salvageable if they are more widely dispersed and appear healthy.

Furthermore, regrowth is dependent on how well you tend to your plant. Damage prevention is essential to minimize losses.

How to Save the Plant if Some Leaves are Still Left?

Mildew

The Fiddle Fig Tree might lose all its leave if it is attacked by mildew. If you see mildew appearing on the central stem of your plant, take immediate precautionary steps.

The best way to get rid of the mildew is to get a neem oil-based plant fungicide spray and apply it all over the affected region. Repeat every few days to kill the mildew and eliminate it.

It is possible to use neem oil even on leaves that appear healthy under normal circumstances.

An alternative to neem oil is a spray bottle with one teaspoon of baking soda and one US quart of water. Spray the solution on the mildew thoroughly until it disappears.

Spider Mites

You can use water, alcohol, and neem oil to eliminate spider mites and mealy bugs.

Spray the affected regions with water and manually remove as much as possible if you see small white or black bugs or dark patches on the leaves, branches, or stems.

Then, press an alcohol-soaked cotton swab onto each area to kill the insects.

Gnat

If you have a gnat problem, you should try making a trap. Place some honey or apple cider vinegar in a small dish and set it near your plant if you notice any gnats buzzing around.

Wrap the dish with plastic and make a few holes in the plastic with a toothpick. Put the gnat trap above the dirt adjacent to your plant.

Gnats will enter the holes, searching for the sweetener or vinegar, but they will likely be trapped within.

Allow the soil to dry out during treatment for the infestation. It will prevent the gnats from depositing their eggs in the top layer of soil.

When a gnat trap is set, the pests are typically gone within a few weeks.

Underwatering

Remove the old, diseased roots to make place for new, healthy ones. Remove the plant from its container and check for brown, shriveled, and straggly roots if your fiddle leaf fig looks dry and under-watered.

You can use a sharp knife to make slits in the roots, loosen them, and then remove them from the ground and away from the plant.

Roots that are brown, shriveled, and lanky are too dehydrated to recover at this point. Cutting them improves the healthier roots’ access to water and nutrients.

Final Word

Restoring a fiddle leaf to its previous beauty can be a satisfying challenge. You can’t anticipate overnight success. It will take time, attention, and patience to bring back life to your fiddle leaf. However, there is an important caveat to consider.

Attempting tree revival is helpful in cases with less severe illnesses. These include moderate root rot, lack of water, pest infestations, and lack of light and nutrients.

Discard your fiddle leaf fig and begin again if the condition is serious, such as if it has a bacterial infection or root rot that has progressed very far. If you decide to get rid of your plant, remember that the sap is potentially deadly. You must be careful because the fiddle leaf fig harms cats and other animals. You must be very careful if you have pets roaming around in your home.