Guess what! I haven't killed my fiddle leaf fig trees yet! And it's been 6 months! That's quite the accomplishment for me. I'm not exactly known for my green thumb especially with houseplants. Succulents rarely have a chance around me- I kill them with water, and I kill other plants that need water with neglect. oops. But BOTH fiddle leafs are still going strong! (ish)
Hector, my IKEA fiddle leaf suffered an early setback (as I mentioned in my first fig post) and got very very very mad at me for over-watering him and letting him sit in the puddle. Thankfully, he's been making a promising comeback with new growth.
Charlie is not impressed.
Yes, Hector's not looking his best, but he's on the mend. That's what I keep telling myself.
Even though all his original leaves are either gone or brown, he's got a bunch of new leaves including 2 currently sprouting. Maybe there's hope for him yet!
At least if I kill this one, it's only a $13 IKEA plant as opposed to my other, nursery born fiddly dude, Victor:
He's much much happier. I haven't tried to kill him once! (Sir Charlie Bear was following me around as I was taking these photos. I think he was practicing for his Top Model audition).
This little fig tree is much much happier than his upstairs counterpart. Aside from watering (after being repotted into a self-watering pot with plenty of drainage to prevent over-watering...), the only other upkeep these guys get is a bit of Miracle Grow Leaf Shine. My endorsement is not sponsored, it just makes the leaves look bright and shiny. See?
So shiny they almost look fake. But not.
My mom's the one who's really knocking this whole fiddle leaf thing outta the park. I picked her up an IKEA one when I got Hector and they were just about the same size and health. Now 6 months later I have never seen a happier plant- it's jumped up by over a foot and a half! If it keeps at this rate, my parents will need to cut a hole in the ceiling for it.
Her 'secret' is that she waters it a little every time it feels dry and it loves it's window. She's like the plant whisperer or something. Clearly not a trait I was passed. Whenever I'm reminded of how lush Hector was when I brought him home (before the incident), I just wish I could find another in stock at IKEA, but the IKEA fiddle leaf figs are like the chupacabra- some have seen it, but many doubt it's existence. One day, IKEA, one day.
Have you had luck not killing fiddle leaf figs? I'd love to hear your secrets!
I'm super excited for the coming weeks, I have several projects up my sleeve that I'm hoping to finish up and share. Good things are coming! Stay tuned!
