What to Do if Your Fiddle Leaf Fig is Dropping Leaves
Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant

What to Do if Your Fiddle Leaf Fig Is Dropping Leaves

One of the first and most common signs of trouble in a fiddle leaf fig tree is dropping leaves.

Ficus plants, in general, are prone to leaf loss when they’re stressed, but for the ficus lyrata (fiddle leaf fig), dropping leaves means the plant needs help quickly. Because fiddle leaf fig leaves are so large, it can take months or years to regrow lost foliage. If your fiddle leaf fig is dropping leaves, act now to address the problem and save your plant.

Why Is Your Fiddle Leaf Fig Dropping Leaves?

There are three main causes of leaf drop, and it can be tough to tell which is which. The key to remedying the situation in a hurry is to first figure out what is causing your plant to drop leaves.

Leaf Drop From Shock

The first common cause of leaf drop is shock from being moved.

When you get a new fiddle leaf fig plant, the plant undergoes considerable stress during the move and when it’s placed in a new environment. Fiddle leaf figs do not like change and thrive best in a consistent environment.

The new lighting and humidity may both be significantly lower than what the plant is used to, having been grown in a bright greenhouse with many other plants nearby and high relative humidity. Coupled with the physical trauma of being beaten up during the move, your plant may react to shock by dropping older leaves near the middle and bottom of the plant.

Leaf Drop From Shock
This plant lost over half its leaves, but still made a full recovery.

Leaf Drop From Dry Conditions

The second major cause of leaf drop in a fiddle leaf fig is from dryness. Lack of watering and very dry air can cause a fiddle leaf fig to drop leaves.

Take care not to put your plant in direct sun or near a heating vent, where it is blasted with dry air regularly. Fiddle leaf figs do not like drafts, so picking a spot away from any vents or blasts of hot air is ideal.

Leaf Drop From Dry Conditions
This fiddle leaf fig is beyond repair after dying of thirst.

Leaf Drop From Root Rot

The third and very common cause of a fiddle leaf fig dropping leaves is due to root rot, often stemming from a combination of too much water and not enough light.

The telltale sign in this situation is brown or black spots on the leaves. If your plant has dropped spotted leaves, take a look at your drainage and lighting situation pronto.

It’s important to treat root rot immediately, and to protect your plant from bacteria, fungus, and insects, use our Houseplant Leaf Armor. (As an added bonus, the Leaf Armor also cleans and adds shine to your houseplant’s leaves!)

Root Rot Suplement Bottle

Root supplement is a ready-to-use liquid that is easy to apply to your houseplants.

Simply add Root Supplement to your watering can and apply every two weeks for best results.

BUY ROOT ROT TREATMENT
Protect your Plant from Bacteria
Classic signs of root rot in a fiddle leaf fig leading to leaf drop

What to Do if Your Fiddle Leaf Fig Is Dropping Leaves

If you’ve just purchased your fiddle leaf fig, expect some leaves to drop as it adjusts to its new home. Monitor the total amount of leaves lost to make sure a bigger problem is not at play.

Typically, between 3 and 7 leaves are completely normal for a plant that’s recovering from shock.

Give it Consistency

To help your plant recover, be sure to provide consistency in light, humidity, and watering habits.

Keep your new plant in a bright location without direct sun and away from heating vents or cold drafts. Water once a week or when the top one or two inches of soil are dry. Give your plant a few weeks to settle into its new home. (Using a moisture meter like this one is a great way to tell when your plant is thirsty.)

Soil Meter

We've designed a professional grade meter for home use!

Use our three-way meter to give you accurate readings on how much water to give them, whether they are in the right place for sunlight and soil pH values.

BUY FIDDLE LEAF FIG SOIL METER

Check Your Watering

If you suspect that your plant is dropping leaves because of dry air or lack of water, address the situation by making sure you’re watering regularly and keeping your plant in a stable place without hot wind from a heater.

When you do water your plant, make sure that the root ball itself is getting wet.

Some plants with very compact root balls can miss out on waterings because the water flows around the root ball and out of the container. This can make it seem like your plant is well-watered, but the roots are dying of thirst. Water slowly at the base of the trunk to make sure the water is absorbing through the roots.

Address Light and Drainage

If you see black or brown spots on your plant and its dropping leaves, take a look at your drainage and lighting situation immediately. Too large of a container, the wrong soil, and too much water can lead to root rot in a fiddle leaf fig.

Lack of sunlight makes these conditions worse. If your plant is not in a very bright location, move it to a south-facing or large window if you can. If your problem is severe, you will want to repot your plant to a new container with perfect drainage and use fast-draining soil to make sure your plant’s roots can breathe.

As long as your fiddle leaf fig tree still has at least half of its leaves, it can make a full recovery.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Resource (@fiddleleaffigplantresource) on

By addressing the problem and providing consistent care, you will give your plant the best chance to stabilize and eventually improve. It may take time, however.

Brown spots on fiddle leaf fig leaves will not heal, so you may want to remove any damaged leaves that are unsightly. New growth may take months to start once your plant has stabilized, so be patient. But now that you’re better in tune to your plant’s health, it will be smooth sailing in the future.

Grab the Essentials for Your Fiddle Leaf Fig:

To Learn More:

Fiddle Leaf Fig Welcome Bundle

Save 15%!

Grow happy, healthy plants!

Buy Now

2 thoughts on “What to Do if Your Fiddle Leaf Fig Is Dropping Leaves”

  1. Hi Claire, I live in La Mesa and just finished watching your Fiddle Leaf webinar and have a question about watering…I know you mentioned that you water your fiddle leaf once a week. I purchased a (large) fiddle leaf fig in May from Walter Anderson nursery.  It lost about 5 or 6 leaves at first probably from shock, and then it was doing pretty well.  I was only watering every 10-14 days but I think maybe when summer hit I did not step up the watering. This week during our Santa Ana it dropped about a dozen leaves (mostly yellow and near the bottom of the plant), especially in the last 3 days so I was freaking out a little.  It was pretty dry according to my moisture meter and it looked like the leaves were drooping.  It looks a little more perky today after giving it water last night. (20% of the water ran through) So I guess my question is, how much water do you give yours?  Mine is in a 14″ pot.

    Thank you!

    1. Thanks for your question – I water mine every two weeks and water until they drain. You can also do once a week and water less (2 cups or so). For my outdoor plants, I give them a good soak every two weeks. Better to water too little than too much, but if they get droopy, water right away. Hope that helps! Claire

Leave a Comment

Thank You!
 

Get it on Amazon with this Code

USE CODE BUYONEGET15
SHOP NOW!
close-link
Soil Meter

We've designed a professional grade meter for home use!

Use our three-way meter to give you accurate readings on how much water to give them, whether they are in the right place for sunlight and soil pH values.

BUY FIDDLE LEAF FIG SOIL METER
close-link
Book-cov

Claire is an expert on growing dozens of varieties of houseplants, especially fiddle leaf fig plants.

As a writer and a fiddle leaf fig lover, she created this resource with the aim for this to be the only resource on fiddle leaf figs that you'll ever need.

BUY THE FIDDLE LEAF FIG EXPERT
close-link
Fig Shear

Our scissors were carefully designed to fit the needs of any plant owner!

Whether you are pruning, shaping, or propagating, you'll do it better with our trimmers.

BUY PREMIUM HOUSEPLANT SCISSORS AND PRUNING SHEARS
close-link
Root Rot Suplement Bottle

Root supplement is a ready-to-use liquid that is easy to apply to your houseplants.

Simply add Root Supplement to your watering can and apply every two weeks for best results.

BUY ROOT ROT TREATMENT
close-link
Propagation Promoter

Our Houseplant Propagation Promoter helps increase your chance of success, grow new roots faster, and keep bacteria at bay to protect your cuttings.

The result is a healthy new plant in less time!

BUY HOUSEPLANT PROPAGATION PROMOTER
close-link
Fig Potting Soil

Our fast-draining, well-aerated soil is designed to correct brown spots, prevent dropping leaves, and encourage new growth.

Enjoy healthy, dark green leaves and stop stressing about your plant!

BUY PREMIUM FIDDLE LEAF FIG POTTING SOIL
close-link
Plant Food Bottle

Are You Starving Your Fiddle Leaf Fig?

Made specifically for fiddle leaf figs, our plant food will help guide your plants to a longer, more beautiful life and provide the most care possible.

BUY FIDDLE FIG PLANT FOOD
close-link
Leaf Armor

With a solution that is designed and specially formulated for houseplants, you can help promote their leaves' longevity and maintain their freshness.

Protect your plants from the elements. Give your houseplants the care they deserve!

BUY HOUSEPLANT LEAF ARMOR
close-link
Buy Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Food on Amazon Now!
Buy Now

Use Code:

SAVE 10%

ON ALL OF OUR PRODUCTS NOW!