Do’s and Don’ts for Shiny Fiddle Leaf Fig Leaves

Fiddle leaf figs are beautiful plants and we all want those shiny fiddle leaf fig leaves!

But sometimes our fiddles need a little help to shine!

Our plant’s leaves might get dusty or just grow out dull instead of gleaming and beautiful. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of advice out there about getting that coveted shine, and not all of it is good. Some of it is downright harmful and can lead to serious problems for your fiddle!

I want to clear things up a little and share some healthy ways to get those nice, shiny fiddle leaf fig leaves we’re all looking for, as well as point out what NOT to do.

Shiny Fiddle Leaf Fig Leaves Do’s:

Take care of your plant.

This might seem obvious, but this really is the most important factor in shiny fiddle leaf fig leaves. Your tree can’t shine if it’s not healthy!

Make sure that your tree gets plenty of indirect sunlight, the right amount of water, and the right nutrients to support healthy leaf growth. If you’ve got those three elements in place, everything else will be so much easier to achieve shiny fiddle leaf fig leaves.

This site is full of articles to help you take the best possible care of your fig, so study up!

Provide humidity.

As tropical plants, fiddles LOVE humidity. It keeps their leaves nice and supple, which promotes shine and that beautiful deep green color.

Keep your tree away from vents, space heaters, and drafts, and provide a humidifier or pebble tray to provide some extra humidity, especially if you live in a dry climate.

Give your tree a shower every once in a while and make sure to mist your new leaf buds so they can grow out healthy, green, and shiny!

Clean your leaves.

Again, this seems obvious, but dust and hard water stains are one of the key factors in dull leaves. Clean leaves are shiny fiddle leaf fig leaves.

Cleaning your leaves is also a matter of health, because plants use their leaves to carry out photosynthesis (eat) and respirate (breathe), so it’s important to keep the leaves clean so they can do their job!

Every once in a while, wipe down your leaves with distilled water and a very small amount of detergent-free soap.

Try these articles for more detailed instructions:

• Hard Water Spots on Fiddle Leaf Fig Leaves: 3 Simple Steps for Removing White Residue
• What’s the Best Way to Clean Fiddle Leaf Fig Leaves?
• How to Clean your Fiddle Leaf Fig Leaves (Video)

Apply a healthy leaf shine product.

I love our new Houseplant Leaf Shine because not only does it protect your leaves from dust and give them a healthy shine, it also wards off pests! It’s perfect for cleaning and protecting. Over time, it even helps your plant retain more of its own moisture!

This leaf shine is safe for your fiddle and will give it that beautiful glossy look you’re going for.

Don’ts:

DON’T apply mayonnaise, coconut oil, milk, or another fat-based product.

I see this advice floating around a lot, and it’s a definite no-no because it can actually hurt your plant.

While it might provide some temporary shine, these greasy products can clog the leaves’ “pores” and interfere with photosynthesis and respiration. Like dust and dirt, heavy oils on the leaves can effectively starve and suffocate your plant!

So stick to keeping your leaves clean and using appropriate leaf-shining products to get those shiny leaves!

DON’T scrub your leaves.

Be gentle with your fiddle’s leaves! Even wiping with a rough cloth can remove the top layer of cells from the leaves. Avoid using anything to wipe your leaves besides a very soft cloth, and only give it a gentle wipe-down.

DON’T use harsh cleansers.

Soaps, cleansers, and detergents can chemically burn your leaves, strip them of their natural oils, or even remove the top layers of cells, much like over scrubbing. Stick to our Houseplant Leaf Shine, water with a little castile soap, or even just water.

Shine on!

For shiny fiddle leaf fig leaves, the best thing you can do is care for your plant’s health and keep the leaves clean. Like humans, plants look best when they’re healthy, so I prefer a health-first approach to shiny leaves!

Join our community on Facebook to show off your shiny fiddle leaf fig leaves!

Grab the Essentials for Your Fiddle Leaf Fig:

• Premium Fiddle Leaf Fig Potting Soil
• Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Food
• Root Rot Treatment to treat one of the most common issues affecting fiddle leaf figs.
• Houseplant Leaf Armor to protect against insects, bacteria, and fungus (As an added bonus, it also cleans and adds shine to your plant’s leaves!)
• Moisture meter to always know when your plant is thirsty.
• Houseplant Propagation Promoter to propagate more quickly and with more success.

To learn more:

• Sign up for our free Fiddle Leaf Fig Care 101 Webinar or enroll in our free Fiddle Leaf Fig Course for advanced fiddle leaf fig care.
• Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter.
• Read The Fiddle Leaf Fig Expert, your complete guide to growing healthy fiddle leaf fig plants. The book is available in full-color paperback or Kindle edition on Amazon now!
• Click to join our community on Facebook: Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Resource Group.