First let me start by saying I have a black thumb, usually what I buy in terms of planting dies quicker than you can say boo. I don’t know what it is with me and I would be upset with myself but I have managed to keep a baby and a toddler alive for 2.5 years so I’ll just keep telling myself that.
I have been wanting to add a piece of greenery to our home for quite some time, most especially during this long grey winter, and have been seeing fiddle leaf figs all over my favorite blog and instagram feeds. There is just something about them, they have the perfect color green and durable leaf to stand out in a crowd and happen to look irresistible in a basket.
So I bit the bullet and took a drive to e in Darien, Connecticut. If you’ve never been to Nielsen’s, you have to go! It’s fiddle leaf heaven with so many other wonderful plants and flowers to choose from. The staff is spot on with identifying their customer’s wishes and needs, and they take the time to explain how to care for the plants and lake them last, they’ll even make a house visit if you’re in dire need! I worked with Michele and we chatted for almost an hour on the subject of my new fiddle leaf so let me fill you in…
Oh! Important! I don’t want to forget to mention that Nielsen’s will take 10% off your fiddle leaf fig if you go in this week and mention “Pure Joy Home”. They range in price from about $85-$150 for the trees and less for the bushes.
Now, onto the care…These plants need to have a moderate amount of indirect light for about 4 hours per day, minimum. I chose the sunniest room in our house and put the tree in the far corner away from the window to keep the light indirect. I also put it in a place that does not get drafty from the front door or by any heat/air conditioning vents. Normal indoor room temperatures between 65-75 degrees are fine.
Watering. Michele told me the biggest problem with these plants (and most plants for that matter) is over-watering. We tend to finish off whatever’s left in our water cups and add it to the plant for a little snack here and there whenever we please (or is that just me??) but this is a no-no. The water pools up at the bottom and rots the roots. I purchased a water meter (also sold at Nielsen’s) for $10, it looks like a meat thermometer that you can insert into the dirt to tell you how moist the soil is. It ranges from 1-4 and you want to keep the plant at about 3-4. You also have to let the soil dry between watering so I’m giving mine about 3/4 of a gallon every week. You also have to water all around the plant base. Basically pour the water in circles a couple inches away from and around the root (never knew that). THEN this is important, when the water pools at the bottom (you will have to buy a shallow plastic bowl to keep your basket from getting wet) you have to empty it to avoid rotting the roots, so like one hour after watering.
I’m so excited to finally have one of these beauties, I feel like it’s a new member of our family. I walk by it and smile and always have to touch its leaves. We’re still working on a name, “Figgy” is high up on the list…
So if you’re in the area and have been wanting to take the plunge into the plant life arena, I HIGHLY recommend a visit to the experts at Nielsen’s.
