Menu
You might not have needed to clean your fiddle leaf fig yet if you’ve owned it for less than a year. However, your fiddle leaf fig is probably choking on dust and grime after a year. Cleaning the leaves to get rid of dust is necessary to keep it healthy. However, how should fiddle leaf fig leaves be cleaned?
People, photosynthesis. Because they need both light and carbon dioxide to survive, fiddle leaf fig trees are unable to acquire enough of either when their leaves are covered with dust. The plant’s leaves serve as both its skin and lungs, therefore maintaining their cleanliness is essential. Your tree will eventually cease growing and die if it is covered with dust.
Just eight months after his last wash, look at how filthy this poor plant is. The lower leaves are more dustier than the upper ones, as you can see.
The leaves of your fiddle leaf fig tree can be cleaned in three different ways. The size of your plant, your location, and your access to the outdoors will all influence the ideal technique for you. Use only water to clean your fiddle leaf fig plant because any residue might block its pores and make it more difficult to keep clean over time.
Taking a fiddle leaf fig tree outside and using a hose to rinse it off is my favorite way to clean it. To get rid of all the dust and debris, you should really give it a good soak. After that, you can leave it outside to dry for an hour or two, but be careful not to leave it in the sun or forget about it overnight. Additionally, soaking the root ball can assist restore the soil’s dispersion and address any issues that may be causing the soil to shrink back from the container.
Problems with this approach: It may not be able to securely move your plant outside if it is really big or heavy. You may roll a large fiddle leaf fig outside by keeping it on a rolling stand. Naturally, you might not have a hose or an outdoor space at your disposal. Alternatively, you might reside in an area that is too cold for this approach to be effective.
Putting your fiddle leaf fig in the shower and spraying it off is the second simplest way to clean it. You should start by getting rid of any ornamental containers. Use water that is at room temperature, not too hot or cold. To get to the lowest leaves, you might then need to turn your tree in the shower and slant it slightly sideways.
You should let your plant soak for a few hours after cleaning it. Because the soil will be thoroughly drenched after the shower, be prepared for your plant to weigh more. To return it to its home, you might have to wait till it dries out a little.
Drawbacks of this approach: If you have a water softener, you should avoid completely soaking the soil around your plants because the salt from the softener can harm them. Depending on the size of both, it could be difficult to get your plant in and out of the shower. Lastly, once you give your plant a shower, you’ll want to have a towel on standby to clean up any excess spray.
You could be better off spraying the leaves and wiping them down with water and a soft cloth if your plant is too big to carry outside or put in the shower. Avoid the temptation to use any extra ingredients or oils that can clog the plant’s pores because anything other than basic water is bad for your plant.
To prevent damaging your plant, you might wish to use a spray bottle of distilled water if your water is extremely hard or you have a water softener. We’ll use a fresh washcloth and the tiny spray bottle. Clean your plant by spraying each leaf, wiping it lightly, and then repeating the process. Each leaf might need to be completed two or three times.
Cons of this procedure: This is my least favorite method because wiping every leaf can harm your plant. Additionally, cleaning the undersides of your plant’s leaves is impossible, and this process takes a lot of time. Finally, because the soiled spray water will fall down around your plant, I find it to be clumsy and messy. To protect your floor, you might wish to place a towel underneath your plant.
