Why is My Fiddle Leaf Fig Losing Leaves? [Cause & What to Do]

One of the first signs that something is wrong with your fiddle leaf fig plant is when it starts to lose its leaves. The fickle FFL tree, native to the African rainforest, thrives under similar conditions, including bright, indirect light and liberal but rarely watering. Make sure not to place this plant near any vents or draughts.

The fiddle leaf fig, a popular houseplant, adds a stunning architectural element to any room in the house. Although this luxuriant plant is beautiful and has glossy, violin-shaped leaves, it may be challenging to maintain.

But don’t worry; we have the advice to assist you in maintaining its flourishing in your area. The good news is that the fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata), if adopted, may grow to 6 feet or taller, making it a magnificent plant.

It might mean that the temperature is too high or that your plant is drying out too much in the summer heat if your fiddle leaf fig is losing leaves in the summer. Mainly, if the soil dries up excessively, your plant won’t receive the water required and may react by losing leaves.

Similarly, if the temperature goes over 75, this may also be a factor in the shedding of fiddle leaf fig tree leaves. Verify that the soil doesn’t dry up between waterings and that the temperature stays below 75 degrees. Also, ensure your plant is not exposed to solid draughts by placing it away from such areas.

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Why are My FLF’s Leaves Falling Out?

When its growth requirements are not satisfied, the fiddle leaf fig can be cantankerous and retaliate by shedding its leaves. These are the most frequent causes of leaf loss. However, there are others.

One of the most frequent causes of a fiddle leaf fig losing leaves is overwatering, albeit this is more likely to happen when the leaves start to have significant, dark brown stains. As a result, the leaves gradually wither and fall off the plant. If not addressed correctly, this might develop into a deadly root rot.

Fiddle leaf figs struggle in low light and require six hours of direct sunshine daily. Drooping fiddle leaf figs are another symptom that they are suffering from low light.

Place your FLF close to a southern and western window that gets direct sunshine if it drops leaves due to a lack of light. Your fiddle leaf fig often doesn’t receive enough light from windows in the north and east.

Fiddle-leaf fig plants commonly get pale brown borders around the leaf margins when they are underwatered. Your FLF will lose leaves when the leaves get crispy and dry and frequently start to curl. To prevent this, give your plant some water when the top 2 to 3 inches of the soil feel dry, but do not allow it to go entirely dry.

The fiddle leaf fig leaves may be dropping off due to the plant’s container retaining too much moisture, which is connected to overwatering. Ensure the dirt in your FLF plant container drains well and doesn’t stay wet to prevent this from happening. Before watering the plant, let the top 2 to 3 inches of soil dry off.

Many plants naturally shed their leaves in reaction to stress, and your fiddle leaf fig is no different. Stress can be brought on by upsetting the plant, relocating it, or just having too much activity close by. Your FLF plant should be placed in a quiet spot away from people so it won’t be disturbed.

Fertilizer

Fertilize once a month using a fertilizer with a 3:1:2 ratio of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium if you purchased your FLF in the spring or summer (NPK). While it may seem scary, you can quickly get this readymade fertilizer for $21 online.

Follow the directions on the fertilizer’s container to add it to your watering can, then water as usual in the spring and summer. In the fall and winter, when the plant is dormant, there is no need to fertilize.

Relocating the Plant

The shock from movement is another primary factor in leaf drop in the fiddle leaf fig plant. When you buy a new FLF plant, it goes through a lot of stress moving and being placed in a new setting since they generally prefer a controlled environment and dislike change.

Given that the plant was raised in a bright greenhouse with several other plants and high relative humidity, the new illumination and humidity may be much lower than what the plant is accustomed to.

Your plant may respond to shock by shedding older leaves at the center and bottom of the plant, which may be coupled with the physical stress of being bruised during transport.

Over-Watering

Do your FLF’s leaves resemble a brown and green Dalmatian? Most likely, you overwatered. Root rot might begin to develop when there is insufficient drainage or not enough time between waterings.

Dormant pathogens grow when water lingers in the soil for an extended period, feasting on the roots of the plant. Pathogens starve, and your plant lives to see another day when you let the soil dry out between waterings.

Overwatering or failing to adequately drain are the two ways to destroy your fiddle leaf fig. Water your plant once every ten days or once a week. Because they are native to a rainforest-like habitat, FLFs are used to receiving colossal amounts of water with alternating dry spells.

Therefore, indoor plants must be watered until the soil barely drips before letting it dry thoroughly between applications. You can do this in two ways. Once you water the plant, bring it inside after watering and allowing it to drip outside for a few hours.

Place your plant stand above a drip tray if you don’t want to move it to be watered. Ensure the roots don’t spend a long time sitting in extra water, whichever technique you pick. Not sure about the next time to water? Press your finger into the soil’s top 2 inches. If it’s still wet, don’t touch it.

Humidity

The Ficus lyrata requires more humidity than the typical home environment can supply because it is a tropical native. The average home’s ambient humidity is roughly 40%, but this houseplant likes 60% or greater.

If possible, put the plant close to a humidifier or in a moist area like a bathroom. Fiddle Leaf Figs should, at the very least, be kept away from dehumidifiers and heating vents. The leaf tips will dry out when leaves drop due to low humidity.

Drainage

Check your drainage and lighting conditions if your plant develops black or brown patches or starts to shed leaves. A too-big container, incorrect soil, and abundant water can cause root rot in a fiddle leaf fig.

The absence of sunshine exacerbates these issues. If you can, relocate your plant to a south-facing or big window if it isn’t in an exceptionally light spot.

If the issue is severe, you should repot your plant into a new container with excellent drainage and use quick-draining soil to ensure that the roots of your plant can breathe. Your fiddle leaf fig tree will live as long as half of its leaves are there.

Is Falling Leaves Always Bad?

Dropped leaves alone aren’t always harmful, so keep an eye out for these other indications. You’ll quickly master reading your fig’s signals and understanding what your tree requires. Yellowing on fallen leaves is usually not a problem, but brown areas should be taken seriously.

If your tree has many yellowing leaves, it may be receiving too much water, not enough light, or not enough fertilizer. However, if a lower leaf is yellow and falls off, the tree no longer cares for that leaf and is just done with it.

Your plant’s leaf node also perishes when a leaf drops off of it. This implies that the plant cannot develop a new leaf in the exact location. The good news is that your fiddle leaf fig can develop fresh leaves from another node because it has leaf nodes throughout its stems.

To put it another way, as long as its growth requirements are satisfied and the root cause of the leaf drop is handled, the plant will produce new leaves to replace the one that has fallen.

Even while a fiddle leaf fig with no leaves is unquestionably an indication that your plant has a significant issue, it’s pretty unlikely that you’ll reach that stage if you’re taking care of its fundamental needs.