The fiddle leaf fig tree features multiple branches and unique foliage. The foliage makes it a popular ornamental tree for anyone looking for an indoor plant. The tree can provide an attractive décor for living spaces and allows you to decorate the indoors with plants.
But when the foliage at the top matures, they become heavy and make the trunk unstable. This could result in a leaning fiddle leaf fig tree. You must try to thicken the trunk when the tree leans on one side.
Luckily, there are several things you can do to strengthen the fiddle leaf fig tree. They include wiggling and fertilizing it, among others.
Keep reading to learn how to transform your skinny trunk into a healthy fiddle leaf fig trunk.
First Things First: Why is my Fiddle Leaf Fig Tall And Skinny?
Your fiddle leaf fig might get too tall and skinny due to insufficient light, causing it to stretch towards the light source.
It may also be due to a lack of pruning or support, causing the plant to grow upward instead of outward.
To encourage a fuller and more compact growth, move the plant to a brighter spot, prune back tall stems, and provide support if necessary.
How To Strengthen Fiddle Leaf Fig Trunk
The best ways to thicken a trunk of a fiddle leaf fig tree include pruning, wiggling the trunk, and exposing it to more sunlight. These actions help it to create more foliage and make the trunk strengthen. They also support and stabilize the tree. However, do not expose it to direct light for long.
Why Should You Shake Your Fiddle Leaf Fig?
You stimulate the trunk cells when you wiggle or shake the fiddle leaf fig tree. It makes the process of cell division set in, which in turn starts to thicken the trunk.
But wiggling the trunk is a delicate process, so utmost care is necessary. Ensure to wiggle the tree regularly and place it near a window or door where it can receive natural light.
Do The Roots Of A Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Weaken When You Wiggle It?
Wiggling the wiggle fiddle leaf plant will not damage the roots if the plant is mature and healthy.
However, you may still need to exercise caution because the fiddle leaf fig tree is weak. Also, you will damage the roots if the plant is young or unhealthy.
Should I Shake my Fiddle Leaf Fig?
Shaking the fiddle leaf fig tree kicks the plants’ hormones and increases its growth rate. Also, when you shake fiddle leaf fig, it creates some stress response that signals the cells to divide. It aerates the roots and further helps the plant to grow.
Besides aerating and kicking in cell division, shaking the plant removes diseases and pests clinging to the tree.
Tall Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree: Strengthening And Thickening The Trunk
There are many ways to thicken fiddle leaf fig trunk. You may wiggle it or give the main trunk a shake that mimics the natural wind.
Also, you may need to expose it to more sunlight to help create foliage to stabilize and support the tree.
An indoor fiddle leaf fig tree may have a weak trunk, thus making it unstable. So wiggling it a couple of times a day will support the foliage and make it appealing.
It fosters resilience and strengthens the trunk. It makes the foliage grow, which further makes it strong.
How to strengthen fiddle leaf fig trunk
Here’s how to make fiddle leaf fig trunk thicker;
Set a Clear Goal
Coming up with a goal of what you want to achieve by the end of the process is vital.
Therefore, if your goal is to transform the pencil-like leaf fig tree into a strong trunk. You should provide an environment that makes this happen.
Provide the Right Environment
The indoor environment where you will place the fiddle leaf fig tree matters. It determines whether the fiddle thickens or not.
So ensure you place it in a bright room with dappled sunlight. Also, you must plant the tree in well-draining soil and add enough fertilizer.
If the room does not receive enough sunlight, take it outdoors for a few hours to aid the photosynthesis process. Photosynthesis enables the plant to make food for growing and repairing damaged parts.
Mimicking Nature
Nature beautifies the world and can be inspiring if you take good care of it. So providing a natural environment is essential for the fiddle leaf fig tree.
It enables it to remain healthy and will eventually thicken the trunk. One of the things you can do is mimic the wind.
Thus, wiggling the trunk twice or thrice a day could help the plant. So ensure to remove the stake supporting stick before swinging it for about 3 minutes.
But to get the best results, ensure the wiggling and shaking is strong, the same way the wind does. It frees the plant from pests and other invasive plants.
Support The Plant
You will need to provide support to allow the plant to remain upright. You may do this using a stake to hold the tree in an upright position.
The Effects
Providing the plant with food and the right environment helps the stem to grow thicker. Also, it helps it grow foliage weight which makes it disease resistant. With such foliage, you do not need to provide external support.
Regular Exercises
Exercises are meant to disturb the plant’s normal functioning. It includes using external support like a stake to hold it upright. It may also include wiggling the tree to trigger the strengthening mechanism.
Come Up With A Schedule
Taking care of the fiddle leaf fig tree entails disturbing its normal functioning. It includes supporting the plant with the stake and wiggling it twice or three times a day.
How to make fiddle leaf fig grow taller?
You can strengthen the fiddle leaf fig tree by watering, fertilizing, and wiggling it. You will also need to expose it to sunlight, improve airflow and maintain good drainage.
Water the Plant Regularly
Watering the fiddle leaf fig plant regularly is vital since it keeps the leaves glossy. Besides, it helps the trunk to remain strong.
Water fills the cellular structure, so when you water the fiddle leaf fig tree often, it becomes stronger and healthy.
Fertilize the plant
Fertilizer provides the nutrients plants need to grow. It could also make the trunk grow thicker and more energetic.
Thus, ensure to fertilize the plant every two weeks or once per month. However, ensure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Expose the Tree to Sunlight
FLF needs light for photosynthesis. So exposing it to enough light helps the leaves to grow faster and support the trunk. If the leaves are an inch away from each other, it reduces the chances of fiddle leaf fig leaf bending or growing lanky.
Placing the tree in front of the window enables it to receive maximum sunlight. If you add formulated fertilizers, it helps to shorten the intermodal distance.
Sunlight makes the plant to grow a thick stem. But if it is impossible to place the plant before the door, consider supplementing the light with grow light.
Wiggle and Shake the Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree
The shaking and wiggling FLF trunk mimics the wind. If you can do it three times a day, it could help to strengthen the trunk.
Improve Airflow
When grown outside, an FLF learns how to withstand the force of the wind. It adapts to the wind by strengthening its trunk and growing the stem.
But if the plant is indoors, it may not get exposed to enough wind, so the stem could grow weakly. But you can improve airflow by taking the plant out often.
Do Not Remove Lower Leaves
Sometimes, you will be tempted to remove the leaves on your FLF to make it have a tree-like shape. However, this is not the right thing to do because the leaves provide the trunk with the nutrition it needs to grow.
In addition, it helps to strengthen the plant. So leaving the leaves on the trunk as long as possible can help thicken the stem and make it strong.
Optimize The Pot Size
Having a spacious pot is necessary if you want your fiddle leaf fig plant to grow. The bigger the pot, the better since it provides enough space for the roots. So make sure you go for the best pots for fiddle leaf figs.
So ensure to give your FLF tree as much space as possible. But the best way to do this is to change the pot size as the plant grows.
Ensure the Drainage Is Working Well
The fiddle-leaf fig tree thrives when planted in well-aerated soil. As such, planting it in a well-drained soil is vital since it helps to improve aeration.
About Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree
FLF trees could be a perfect accent to your indoor spaces. But they thrive well in spaces that receive plenty of sunlight. The tree can be anchored on the wall or fixtures to support branches and foliage.
Additionally, the tree thrives in a mild and warm climate. If the temperatures get below 65 degrees Fahrenheit, it will not grow. This is the reason why it is grown indoors.
So providing the right environment and taking good care of the tree will help it grow. Besides, it enables it to mature into a resilient tree. The tree needs a lot of airflow and air circulation to thrive.
Providing the right environment makes the tree spread widely and could grow and take up a lot of space.
But exposing it to extreme sunlight burns the foliage. Besides, if you don’t fertilize and keep the soil around the roots aerated and damp, it may not thicken.
Troubleshooting Fiddle Leaf Fig For Problems
The plant will develop issues if you do not provide the right conditions. Also, it may grow thin and may shed off the leaves. In some cases, the tree may look unhealthy and weak.
So troubleshooting your FLF tree could help you identify and sort out the problem before it becomes severe.
Firstly, check for fiddle leaf fig leggy signs. If it is leggy, it means that the tree does not get enough sunlight. Also, if the temperature fluctuation is high, it may affect the tree. Thus, consider repositioning the tree or moving it to another place when it drops leaves.
Too much water may also affect the tree. So ensure the soil around the trunk is dry before watering the tree again.
When you notice your FLF struggling, it could be a victim of root rot or bacterial infection which is always caused by overwatering. Too much water makes the root rot, makes spots appear, and the plant may wither.
Related Read: Fiddle Leaf Fig Multiple Stems
FAQ
Why wiggle the fiddle leaf fig?
When you wiggle the trunk of an indoor tree, it replicates the wind . This helps the plant build resilience as it would in an outdoor environment. Wriggling subjects the trunk to the rigour you would get in an outside environment. It makes the tree stem thicken and become stronger.
What conditions are the best for indoor fiddle leaf fig
An indoor fiddle leaf tree thrives in a warm environment and well-draining soil. However, ensure the soil is damp but not too wet. Also, it may be necessary to position the fiddle leaf fig tree in a sunny location.
Why would the fiddle fig leaf refuse to flower?
Fiddle leaf fig plants may refuse to flower if you overwater them. Similarly, if the drainage is not adequate, the plant will not flower. Therefore ensure the pot has adequate holes to allow the soil to drain properly.
How does one fix a leggy fiddle leaf fig?
A tilted or leggy leaf fig tree tells you that the plant lacks sunlight. So you need to place your leggy fiddle leaf figs in the sunniest spots. However, this does not mean that you leave it under direct sunlight since doing so could scorch it.
Does wiggling the fiddle fig leaf tree make the roots weaker?
Wiggling the fiddle leaf fig tree for two minutes every day for two weeks will help to make its trunk thick. Start shaking it gently before increasing the intensity to get the best results. If a stake supports the plant, wiggle the tree with the support.
Healthy Fiddle Leaf Fig Trunk Again
Growing a fiddle leaf fig plant indoors is fun and could greatly benefit your family. The plant removes chemicals like formaldehyde, benzene, and ammonia from the air.
Thus it will not just beautify your indoors but clean the air. Also, fiddle leaf figs promote physical health and will boost the mental well-being of members of your family.
Therefore, ensure you water and fertilize the plant often to strengthen it and ensure your healthy fiddle leaf fig tree looks attractive.
Other Interesting Read: Best Low Light Indoor Plants
