Whenever someone comes over to my house they exclaim, 

“That is the happiest fiddle fig I have ever seen!” 

And, it’s true. 

Our lil’ babe here was purchased when she was a mere 2.5 feet tall, costing us a meager $29.95 at our corner nursery.  

But, now? 

The ol’ gal is towering at 13 feet tall. Her head is resting against the top of our vaulted ceiling. If we had brought her home at her current size, we would have paid top dollar for the very same plant.  

But, alas, you too can purchase a little squirt and attain these same results by following my easy steps.

1)   Pick a good one.

Goes without saying, but ensure with your local nursery employee that you’re buying a healthy plant.  

2)   Find a nursery with a money-back guarantee.

My nursery has a money-back guarantee where if your plant comes home with you and dies within 30 days, they will replace it–no questions asked. 

I love this! The worst thing you could do is bring home some chem-sprayed plant that is on her way out and, despite all the love you put into her, watch all that money and time go to waste.

3)   Re-pot that ish!

Your fiddle fig will only get as tall as your ambitions (and pot) let it.  

I had to do a little bit of convincing in order to persuade my husband to allow me to get a pot the size, and weight, of a small child; BUT, I am SO happy that I did! 

Re-planting the fig into an established pot, rather than confining it to the plastic container it came in, gave the roots plenty of space to spread out. 

DO:

Start at the base of the pot by first, adding a layer of gravel; then, bark; and, finally, add a good layer of rich soil. Now, replant your fig into the pot, filling sides with soil you do not cover the exposed roots on the top as this may smother the plant.  Fiddle figs are a fickle little fannies.

4)   Water much? 

I am pretty sure that most people can’t keep their fiddles alive because they are drowning them. 

Which is no one’s fault! 

The fiddle fig’s irrigation is a finicky situation and I have the solution. 

DO:

Feel the soil to see if it’s dry to the touch, making sure it’s NOT completely dried out. Then, fill in one of these Japanese water pots with 3.5 cups of water. Feed yo’ girl. Say, “thank you.” And, repeat in another 4-5 days. 

The trick is to have well-drained soil without keeping it saturated. That’s what the gravel base on the bottom of the pot provides 🙂

5)   Let there be light.

   Fiddle figs rely upon a bright room. 

HOWEVER, be wary of the following enemies: 

• direct baking hot afternoon sun
• drafts from air conditioners and open doors
• low humidity environments

6)    Fish and poop you say?

The best kept secret to supplementing Arnold Schwarzenegger-like growth for your fiddle fig is:  

A mixture of one capful of fish and poop fertilizer + a gallon of water that is poured into the pot once a year. 

We did this after we repotted our plant into the bigger pot and I swear it grew 5 feet in just 3 months! Since the leaves are pretty permanent, you can look at them like a histogram of the plant’s health.  If you go down the stalk you can even see the giant paddle leaves that changed in size after we fertilized. The name of the product I use is Fish & Gauno. 

A little stinky fish and poop does a fiddle fig good. 

Can’t wait to hear how your fiddle figs blossom to new heights! 

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