Best Tips to Figure Out How Much Humidity does a Fiddle Leaf Fig Need
Many fiddle leaf fig owners wonder just how much humidity does a fiddle leaf fig need and how much humidity needs to be in their home for their fiddle leaf fig to thrive. We get questions about humidity frequently in our Facebook community.
Surprisingly, they are not that sensitive to humidity.
It is true that fiddle leaf figs grow in very humid conditions, but compared to a lot of other houseplants, they’re not as susceptible to low humidity.
Humidity and Houseplants
Here are the details to answer the question how much humidity does a fiddle leaf fig need?
Most houseplants are from the rainforest where the humidity averages between 75%-90% humidity, which is incredible.
Our homes are never going to be that humid, but some plants are more susceptible to humidity than others. In general, plants that have lower light requirements actually have higher humidity requirements.
When you think of things like ferns, African violets, and other plants with lower light requirements, they like humidity more than fiddle leaf figs that have very, very high light requirements.
How Much Humidity Does a Fiddle Leaf Fig Need?
The Best Humidity Level for Fiddle Leaf Figs
So how much humidity does a fiddle leaf fig need? Fiddle leaf figs love to grow in humidity conditions that are between 40%-60%.
High humidity is not going to hurt them, though they may become more susceptible to infections on their leaves like fungus or mildew.
How to Measure Humidity in Your Home
When you are looking at the humidity in your home, try not to assume the humidity level without properly recording it.
For example, I assumed that because I live in San Diego, which is in the desert and very dry, the humidity in my home would be low. I considered installing a whole-house humidifier and was really excited about it.
Before I went and spent a ton of money on a whole-house humidifier, my husband brought home a super simple humidity meter.
He suggested we double-check to see what our humidity actually is before making a large investment like a whole-house humidifier that we don’t actually need. This was helpful to figure out how much humidity does a fiddle leaf fig need.
Turns out, a normal summer day in our house reads around 60% humidity, which is great!
For about $10, I was able to confirm just how humid our house was.
How to Use a Humidity Meter
The first thing to do when you get your humidity meter is to place it next to your plants.
It does vary where you put the meter in your home. If you have it in the bathroom, you will find it will read very, very humid.
Check all the places in your home where your houseplants are and make any necessary adjustments based off of the humidity reader results. This will help as you figure out how much humidity does a fiddle leaf fig need
How to Raise the Humidity in Your Home
Once you figure out your humidity and if adjustments are needed, you will want to consider adding a humidifier to the room.
This can be something small like this diffuser, which is less than $20. With this particular one, you can add essential oils to it and run it all day.
I run these all day in my office as it is the driest room in my house.
This one can increase the humidity in the room between 5%-10%. So if you are on the border and your home is between 35%-40% humidity, placing this small humidifier in your room with your fiddle leaf fig can definitely help.
If you are in a situation where you need more humidity and your humidity reader is reading below 30%-35%, you will want to get a larger humidifier to help. This will considerably change the humidity in your home.
Other small things you can do to improve the humidity for your plants is to group them together. Grouping plants together makes a big difference in raising the humidity.
In my office, I have close to 12 plants together, which increased the relative humidity in the room without doing anything else. Another small change would be to shower with the door open or cook with the lid off of a boiling pot of water. These small tweaks make a big difference when it comes to the relative humidity in your home.
If you are currently propagating your fiddle leaf fig or propagating a monstera plant, the open containers of water will evaporate and increase the humidity in that small area around your cuttings. That is a neat little tip to just put a propagated container around your other plants to give the humidity a boost.
Photos of Fiddle Leaf Figs With Low Humidity
Can you tell how much humidity does a fiddle leaf fig need from looking at the leaves? One of the signs that your fiddle leaf fig is suffering from low humidity is the ruffling or bubbling of the leaves.
You will know it when you see it, but it is a texturization of the leaves due to low humidity. If they are right in front of a heater or furnace, they get too hot and too dry and begin to crack on the edges of the leaves.
Newer growth will also be more susceptible to low humidity and become shriveled or stunted.
Homes are generally between 30-60% humidity, but it will be helpful to double-check your home, see how you’re doing, and consider whether that is a cause of some of the issues that you’re having with your fiddle leaf fig. These are the best tips as you figure out how much humidity does a fiddle leaf fig need.
To learn more:
- Sign up for our free Fiddle Leaf Fig Care 101 Webinar or our free Fiddle Leaf Fig Course, and make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter.
- Download our free Propagation Guide
- 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!
- Join our Facebook Community and chat with other fiddle leaf fig lovers.
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.
