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Not all popular indoor plant add up from Central and South America , even though it often seems that way .
A perfect object lesson is the West - African violin - leaf Libyan Fighting Group ( Ficus lyrata ) , which can reach about 50 ’ invertebrate foot marvellous alfresco but is more often develop as a houseplant due to its intolerance of temperature below 50 ° degrees Fahrenheit .
However , there are a few key factors to keep in mind when growing a fiddle - folio , as the plant wo n’t get to its full potential in US climate .
One of these element is right fecundation , which will help ensure you have a full , sound works for many years .
What Is The Best Fertilizer For Fiddle Leaf Figs Indoors?
Fiddle - leaf figshave large foliage , so proper fertilization can be essential to hold your plant happy and healthy .
Choosing the proper plant food belong beyond simply grab something with the proper NPK ratios .
The Best NPK Ratio
When choose a fertilizer , the first thing most people deliberate is the NPK ratio .
This is important because of these three nutrient :
These nutrients affect almost every look of a plant ’s growth , although each of the three also has a key benefit and drawback .
Nitrogen is essential for healthy leafage , but too much can become toxic to the industrial plant .
Phosphorus mainly further blooms but somewhat benefits leafage ontogenesis in non - flowering plants , although too much will result in a atomic number 19 insufficiency .
K affects plants much like people , all-important for strong bow and a healthy resistant system of rules , but it ’s a very slight nutrient that easily leech out of the soil .
That sound out , violin - leaf figs take a 3 - 1 - 2 NPK ratio .
look at what these nutrients do , it ’s easy to see why this ratio is essential , and you may use any fertilizer in multiple ratios ( such as 6 - 2 - 4 ) as long as you cut it properly .
You ’ll also want to ensure the plant food provides macro instruction and micronutrients such as :
Fiddle - folio figs are more tolerant of atomic number 17 than most plants , and fertilizers contain this chemical will be hunky-dory .
However , you should still stave off tap body of water as it incorporate harmful mineral salt and flouride .
Soil pH And Fertilizer
permit ’s break for a moment to babble out about soil pH.
This is n’t commonly discussed when discuss fertiliser , but it does have an effect .
PH level are separate into a power point system , with every 5 - 10 decimal point equating to a unlike level .
Anything below 4.5 is considered highly acidulous ( think lemons , stomach acid , etc . ) and will in a flash toss off most plants .
Meanwhile , anything above 9.1 is considered powerful alkaline ( such as ammonia and the mineral calcium oxide ) .
Most plants , admit fiddle - leaf figs , grow in a pH ambit of somewhat acid ( 6.1 to 6.5 ) to inert ( 6.6 to 7.3 ) .
But what does this have to do with fertilizer ?
If a plant is in soil that lacks the right pH range , that plant life ’s roots wo n’t be able-bodied to absorb and sue nutrients expeditiously .
Thus , if you allow your fiddle - leaf fig ’s grease to drop below 6.0 or get high-pitched than 7.0 , it may show signboard of malnutrition .
If you hump you ’re using the proper amount of fertilizer , attempt to do a pH test on the dirt before you alter dosages , or you could cease up doing more trauma than good .
Why Is Slow-Release Bad?
Another important retainer when take fertiliser is using a liquid - soluble or slow - firing pattern .
A big percentage of site out there suggest using dumb - discharge granules , but this is actually bad for your works in the foresightful run .
In world , these sites block to mention that each nutrient has a different speed for breaking down , so at any given metre , your fig is have a burst of one nutrient while engender little to none of another .
Of course , the big merchandising ploy for these fertilizer is that they save clip , but they really end up causing you more work because you ’ll have to append the plant to make up for these imbalance .
The Advantages Of Liquid-Soluble Formulas
Sure , you have to provide liquidness - soluble fertilizers more often , but you wo n’t even comment .
How is that possible ?
Liquid fertilizers are adulterate in water , which intend you ’ll be using the fertilizer in place of a normal watering session .
to boot , the nutrient are dissolved in water system , which means they absorb the soil more quick and make it easy for the plant ’s rootage to engulf and process .
A third advantage is that you may thin these fertilizers to different strengths as needed , so it ’s well-off to adjust if your pant is getting too much or too picayune .
This can be an even greater bonus if you like to make fertilizer tea leaf , such as manure or eggshell tea , which can be swell for supplement specific nutrient .
at last , melted fertiliser have a much low-down risk of get chemical burns to your plants as long as you do n’t get any directly on the plant itself .
How To Fertilize Your Fiddle-Leaf Fig?
How often you fertilize can depend on the brand itself , but there are some canonical principle you’re able to follow , adjusting as involve .
Most liquid - soluble convention can be give once per month during spring and summertime .
Be sure to abridge back as temperatures start to cool off in the declination , as the plant will be go bad sleeping so that it wo n’t be eating , and any added fertiliser may toxify the soil .
Always come the statement on the parcel since each brand can have slightly different quality .
you could always adjust the dosage as needed for a particular works .
take note that a couple of fiddle - leaf fig - specific plant foods are meant to be used during every watering ( during the grow time of year ) .
If you are n’t already using the soak and dry method acting of watering , now ’s a upright time to switch , as this method prevents over and underwatering and ensures you get just the right amount of fertilizer .
Begin by stream lento and equally so that the soil absorbs any water at the same rate you ’re pouring it .
figure out your way around the batch , getting all the soil but ensure you do n’t get the plant itself wet .
Continue water until you either see moisture seeping from the pot ’s drain holes or the soil is no longer absorb at the same rate you ’re pour .
