Propagating Fiddle Leaf Figs- Part 2

 

For those of you who didn’t get a chance to read our last post on my attempt to propagate my fiddle leaf figs (Propagating Fiddle Leaf Figs- Part 1), you can find that link here.  That post explains how I got started with my fiddle leaf figs. The following post is the follow up to how my figs did and what worked/didn’t work.

I originally started with 2 fiddle leaf fig clippings. The larger of the 2 didn’t make it. The smaller one however, thrived. While they both sprouted root buds the smaller clipping kept growing into full long roots and the larger clipping didn’t make it past the buds. Slowly all the leaves fell off and we had to chuck that one. I treated both clippings exactly the same: same water, same sunny location, same plant food. The only difference I can figure is the size. Perhaps the larger clipping was too large to sustain the size of the clipping and continue to grow in just a bowl of water. Lesson learned: start with smaller clippings next time.

More on the smaller clipping now:

Almost a month after I put the clippings in water I had a couple roots and a handful of small root buds on the smaller clipping.

3 days later, I finally got around to planting the clipping in soil. I just used a generic brand soil/fertilizer combo and planted the little clipping in this small pot.

Once the clipping was transplanted to a pot, I moved it outside to my front porch. It was still under roof, but I kept it on the edge of the porch so it would still catch some water from a heavy rain and get good indirect sunlight and a tiny bit of direct sunlight during certain parts of the day. I transplanted it in early May and the rain around here didn’t hit hard until June, so I just occasionally watered it. I didn’t follow a schedule or test the soil. I probably watered it maybe 5-6 times for the first month- and about 3-4 of those waterings happened just in the first week and a half. I’m admittedly no plant expert, but I just figured this guy was used to living in water, so I didn’t want him to get too dry in the soil.

And I guess my logical thinking paid off (or maybe it was just dumb luck) because exactly a month after transplanting it, I had a NEW leaf!

I was so excited to see that little leaf poking up through the middle. Finally, I had some proof that this little plant was actually growing! It seems like the leaves on these plants come in pairs and a day or two after this leaf poked through we saw a second one.

We went from 4 (original) leaves to 6! These leaves popped through in early June (which I heard from a gardener friend is prime time for growing fiddle leaf figs). Shortly after these leaves popped up, the rains came and this guy got so much water he probably didn’t know what to do with it- or maybe he did, which I why (after literally not touching this plant for the entire month of June) we got 2 more leaves!

The new leaves are a lighter color than the original dark green ones. So you can really see how much has changed since I first cut this little clipping.

I’m planning to let this guy grow a few more leaves and then try him inside as a house plant and see how he fares. In the meantime, I checked our large outdoor mature fiddle leaf figs (the ones that I cut all these clipping from) and they have new growth too, so I figured now might be an opportune time to propagate a couple more clippings.

Here we go again! Happy propagating friends.