How to Prune a Fiddle Leaf Fig? (Avoid These Common Mistakes)

Do you need help pruning Fiddle Leaf Fig plants? Or how to have a tree-like or a bushy plant? Maybe you don’t know how to prune a Fiddle Leaf Fig, what is the best time to prune or how to notch a Fiddle Leaf Fig? Perhaps you’re unsure if you should cut off yellow or brown leaves? You will learn everything you need to know about trimming and pruning Fiddle Leaf Fig plants and after-pruning plant care in this article.

Fiddle Leaf Fig trimming is the removal of plant’s parts to change its size and shape, and maintain or improve growth. Pruning and trimming help keep Fiddle Leaf Fig plants healthy and attractive. They’re often an important part of a long-term maintenance strategy for both young and established plants.

Yes, you can trim a Fiddle Leaf Fig. Trimming and pruning are common practices in houseplant maintenance, in the below listed situations:

• for aesthetic purposes – to encourage new branches to grow or keep growth under control
• in case of diseases
• in case of overwatering
• for propagation

No, Fiddle Leaf Fig plants don’t necessarily need pruning if they’re healthy. Fiddle Leaf Fig pruning can be done if your plant suffers from a disease. In this case, all infected or diseased parts of Fiddle Leaf should be removed. You can also prune when you want to propagate a Fiddle Leaf Fig, to take a cutting. You can also prune when you want to alter their shape and size.

To prune your Fiddle Leaf Fig plant, follow the steps below:

• Prepare tools – To begin with, use a sharp pair of pruning shears. Always clean them before use. Wipe, spray, or dip blades in rubbing alcohol to prevent infections.
• Plan – Before you start pruning a Fiddle Leaf Fig, make a plan. Would you like a classic tree shape or do you prefer a bushy look? Do you want to encourage branching or make the plant less tall? Are there any dead or diseased leaves that must be removed? Once you access the health of your Fiddle Fig and decide on the shape, move on to the next step.
• Prune – Start by trimming all the unhealthy parts you marked for removal earlier. Proceed to remove some of the crowded branches. In case they’re crossing and impeding each other’s growth, address some parts to make more airflow. How to prune Fiddle Leaf Fig trees and where to make a cut? Trim the parts just above a node. This is a spot on the stem where leaves attach and this is where new branches will grow. Pay attention not to crush or damage the stem. If you’re pruning a branch, try to cut about half an inch from the trunk as this will allow the plant to heal without risk of infection to the main trunk.
• Besides pruning for health reasons, another reason has to do with aesthetics. You may want to alter the look of your plant. Remove all growth that doesn’t fit into the shape you desire. For tree-shaped Fiddle Leaf Fig plants, remove lower leaves and branches. To achieve a bushy look, and encourage Fiddle Leaf Fig branching, trim the top part of the plant. Also, remove any unsightly growth that’s disturbing the balance in Fig’s shape.
• Plant care after pruning – Fiddle Figs require lots of light for healthy growth. After trimming and pruning, place your Fig in front of the brightest window in your home. If healthy, your plant should grow two branches below the cut. Consider using grow lights if your Fig plant isn’t getting plenty of natural light in your home.

To prune an overgrown Ficus Lyrata, decide on the shape and size first. Once you’ve figured out how you want the Fiddle Fig to look, go ahead and prune it. You’ll want to remove any growth that doesn’t fit within that ideal shape and size. If the plant is too tall, trim the top part. If it grows unsightly branches, remove them until you’re happy with how your Fiddle Leaf Fig looks.

Prune a dying Ficus Lyrata by removing all the dead parts. In case the plant is dying due to overwatering, prune dead leaves first and all the stems and branches that are soft. If the problem comes from diseases, any diseased parts of the plant should be pruned too. Cut back as much as necessary to remove all infected parts. Use a sharp pair of pruning shears and sterilize them to prevent new infections.

To prune a leggy Fiddle Leaf Fig, use a sharp pair of pruning shears and cut back until you get rid of leggy parts. You can also go for a technique called “notching”. Instead of removing empty parts of the tree, you encourage new growth in places that have no leaves. To notch a Fiddle Leaf Fig, pick a spot where you want new branches to grow. Locate a node and make a cut above it. You’re not cutting off but simply making cuts in a stem. The goal is not to lose branches and leaves but to get more growth within the existing structure of your plant.

For pruning a Fiddle Leaf Fig bush into a tree, remove the bottom leaves. Before you prune for aesthetic reasons, make sure that your Fiddle Leaf has plenty of green, healthy leaves remaining. Only remove the bottom leaves if you’re sure there are enough leaves left for the plant to grow healthy.

Where to cut a Fiddle Leaf Fig depends on the reason you want to prune your plant. When propagating, only cut a stem from 2 to about 8 inches long. For adjusting size and shape, cut growth that doesn’t fit within your ideal shape or height. If you’re pruning to remove a disease, cut off all parts that are infected.

How far back you can cut a Fiddle Leaf Fig depends on the reason you’re pruning your plant:

• When you want to take a cutting – Aim for 2-8 inches long cuttings. You’ll get smaller cuttings for small plants and bigger cuttings for established Fiddle Leaf Figs.
• When a disease occurs – Cut as far as you need in order to remove all diseased parts.
• When the plant is overwatered – In the stem is soft due to too much moisture, you’ll want to prune all the soft tissue. Keep going until you get to hard tissue. Cut back as far as necessary to remove all soft tissue from the plant.
• Another less common example of pruning Fiddle Leaf Fig includes cutting the plant all the way to the ground. This pruning method can be useful for experienced plant owners, especially in outdoor gardening. Cutting the entire Fig should encourage vigorous new growth. It can rejuvenate the plant in case it is too leggy or only has the leaves in its top section. However, inexperienced plant parents should steer clear of this technique.

In case you’re wondering – “Can I cut a Fiddle Leaf Fig in half” – the answer is yes. You can cut a Fiddle Leaf Fig in half if you want to make it shorter or have it branch out.

Yes, you can cut the top off Fiddle Leaf Fig plants. Pruning Fiddle Leaf Fig from the top is usually done when the plant becomes too tall. The best look is usually achieved by keeping the top of the plant about 10 inches below the ceiling. Any growth above this height can be pruned. If you’re not sure how to prune the top of Fiddle Leaf Fig, there’s good news. You remove the top of the plant by using a sharp, sterilized tool and cutting the parts you find unsightly.

Yes, you can cut the stem of your Fiddle Leaf Fig. You can propagate the stem and the cut will stimulate new growth below the cut.

The best time of year to prune a Fiddle Leaf Fig is any time of year. Unlike outdoor plants that are usually pruned in spring, early summer, indoor plants can be pruned, trimmed, repotted, and propagated anytime.

When your Fiddle Leaf Fig gets too tall, you can trim it to maintain the desired height. If you’re wondering how to keep Fiddle Leaf Fig from getting too tall, you can do so by regular pruning. Once you figure out how tall you want a Fiddle Leaf Fig to be, simply remove any growth above the desired height.

To get your Fiddle Leaf Fig trees to branch, prune them regularly. Fiddle Leaf Fig pruning will encourage branching. Healthy Fiddle Leaf Figs that receive a sufficient amount of light will grow multiple branches if you prune them correctly.

To notch a Fiddle Leaf Fig, first decide where you want new branches to grow. Then find a node that is directly above where the desired branches will be. Once you’ve located the node, make a rectangular cut above it. Make sure the cut is wider that the node. Regarding the depth of the cut, you should remove the bark and cambium. Then just be patient. It can take several weeks or even several months for a new shoot to start growing.

Take a look at the below video of Rubber Tree notching. The principles of Fiddle Leaf Fig notching will be the same.

How does notching Fiddle Leaf Figs work? A growth regulator auxin is what forces lower buds on a stem to remain dormant. Auxin flows from actively growing shoots downward in a plant. When we remove the bark and cambium above a node, we’re preventing auxin from reaching the node below the cut. This enables dormant buds to start growing.

Imagine a shallow stream of water. If you put a large rock in the middle of the stream, the water will start flowing around the rock. The notch we’re making is the rock. The stream is the stream of auxin. The same way water would flow around the rock, auxin will flow around a dormant bud. Which makes it possible for a new bud to start growing.

It can take anywhere from several weeks to even several months for notching to work on Fiddle Leaf Figs. If you notch the plant during its dormant season, you might need to wait several months to see new shoots.

There are several reasons why notching on a Fiddle Leaf Fig isn’t working:

1. The cut is not wide enough
2. The cut is too shallow
3. It’s too early

The cut has to be wider than the node itself, otherwise auxin will continue blocking the bud from growing. Try to go for 1/8-1/4″ wider than the petiole.

The cut has to be deep enough. You need to remove the bark and the vascular cambium layer beneath it to stop the flow of auxing and enable dormant buds to grow. If you aren’t succesful in removing cambium, use a knife to scrape of the remaining tissue until you reach the sapwood.⠀
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It can take a long time for new shoots on Fiddle Leaf Fig to grow – even 6 or more months. Fiddle Leaf Figs grow relatively slowly.⠀

You shouldn’t cut the healthy bottom leaves (lower leaves) and branches off your Fiddle Leaf Fig. It can be done in case you want to alter the shape and achieve a tree form, but make sure the plant has a lot of healthy leaves remaining. You can also remove the bottom leaves when you are dealing with sick leaves, a disease, or brown spots due to overwatering.

To remove dead leaves from a Fiddle Leaf Fig, first prepare a sharp pair of pruning shears. Sterilize pruning tools with rubbing alcohol before use to prevent infections. Assess the plant’s health to identify which leaves are dead and need removing. Leaves that are brown, dry, and crunchy are dead. You should cut them at the petiole, close to the main trunk. After cutting off dead leaves, dispose of them.

If the brown leaves are diseased or dead, yes, you should cut the brown leaves off your Fiddle Leaf Fig. Sick leaves may spread infections. And dead leaves do not do anything for the plant. They are just unsightly, so it’s safe to remove them.

If the leaves only have slight brown sport and you’re sure it’s not a disease, you don’t need to remove them. It’s just an aesthetic issue.

No, you should not cut yellow leaves off Fiddle Leaf Figs. Those leaves are still alive and contain nutrients. As a leaf becomes yellow, the plant moves mobile nutrients from it to other parts of the plant. These mobile nutrients are lost when the yellow leaf is removed. That’s why you should let nature take its course – once the nutrients have been moved to the part of the plant that needs them the most, the leaf will turn brown and fall off. When this happens, you’ll know that your Fiddle Leaf plant has used all the nutrients from it.

However, if you dislike the look of the yellow leaves, and your plant has plenty of healthy green leaves, it’s safe to cut off yellow leaves.

Yes, you can safely prune Fiddle Leaf Fig in winter. You will most likely not get new growth until spring, but you can still prune.

Yes, you can prune a Fiddle Leaf tree in summer. Summer is it’s growing season and the plant should be actively growing during that time. It can still sometimes take a few weeks or months to see new growth, so be patient.

Yes, you can prune the roots of your Fiddle Leaf Fig. Pruning Fiddle Leaf Fig roots can be beneficial if some parts of the root system are dead, diseased, mushy, smelly, etc. You can also trim the roots if the plant has outgrown its current pot and you don’t want to repot it into a larger pot. Just bare in mind that pruning healthy roots is stressful for the plant. By removing roots, you’re removing some of the food reserves of the plant.

Let me know if you need any help, drop your questions in the comments below.