Fiddle leaf has skinny new growth
Plant: Fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata)
How long have you had the plant? 1 to 6 months
Concerns:
My FL’s latest 2 new leaves has grown straggly apart from the beautiful closely layer leaves before/below. What should I do to prevent future new leave shoots from getting so straggly n far apart?
Should I cut the top bare parts off?
Light Situation:
How do you determine WHEN to water? I wait for the soil to become about halfway dry
Describe HOW you water: I fully soak the plant, letting excess drain away.
What fertilizer (if any) do you use? I don’t use fertilizer
Darryl’s Analysis
The compact growth of the plant when you bought it grew that way because of the light levels at the nursery, which were likely 2000 to 6000 FC for most of the day. Realistically, your indoor space will never approach that level of light unless you live in a greenhouse.
If you want to try to keep as compact a shape as possible, then I suggest you cut off the current stem down to where the compact growth is, and use a grow light (e.g. Miracle LED bulb or Sansi 70W) placed at a distance so you measure at least 800 FC at the top of the plant, and keep that on for 14-16 hours a day.
Or you could cut that leggy piece off and place the plant as close to your largest window as possible – and accept the shape that the plant grows in that position
Learn how to interpret light levels so you can have a long-term enjoyment of houseplants – learn from my course.
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