Happy National Tree Day!

To celebrate National Tree Day, I thought I would show you how I propagated my Fiddle Leaf Fig tree. It was much easier than I thought it would be.

First, a little history. When I started doing antique and vintage shows back in 2016, it was right in the middle of the Fixer Upper craze. Fiddle leaf figs were the coveted live decor plant for farmhouse homes. At the Vintage Market Days of Mobile, there was a vendor selling the trees. So of course, I bought two!

I brought them home and watered them sparingly for a month or so before I forgot for a few weeks. The result was that I lost one of the trees to my own neglect. I vowed to protect the other. I did ok. Of course, we lost a few leaves from time to time from over and under watering. But she is still alive today. My goal is still to make her again as beautiful as the day I brought her home.

Sometime last year, I noticed that the shape of my fiddle leaf fig tree was quite wonky. There was one long shoot veering off in one direction. I thought that propagating a few of the stems would 1-help regain the lovely shape of the tree and 2-provide another tree for another room! So I gave it a try!

Steps to Propagating a Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree

I had heard that you could either insert it into some soil or put it in water to root. I’ve had great success rooting gardenias in water so I decided to give that method a try.

I selected the top portion of a healthy sterm no more than 3 leaves. This ensured that the new cutting would not expend too much energy in keeping too many leaves healthy. Rather, the energy is directed toward root growth.

I cut off the top section of a small branch with sharp scissors and simply set it into a jar filled with tap water. I set it near a window that received good steady light but not direct light. If you are propagating directly into a dirt filled pot, some people will dip the cutting into a rooting hormone which promotes growth.

I checked the water level weekly and in a few weeks there were new roots!

I waited until there were many roots and transplanted her to a pot. The process was simple. Just set her into her new pot and set her in a spot that gets good light throughout the day.

Here she is today.

Do you see the wrinkling at the end of the leaf on the right and the brown edge of the bottom leaf? These are signs of under watering. I still have to be a bit more attentive to my plant but she is doing well despite my occasional neglect.

I haven’t moved her from this location and she continued to slowly grow additional leaves. I believe if I move her to a window with more light, she will grow more quickly. I also need to polish up those leave and keep them dust free. But, I’m happy with the slow and steady growth.

An Alternative to Live Plants

I recognize that all people are not plant people. So here are some options that are sure to succeed…faux plants! Like live plants, they come in a variety of sizes and shapes to fit your space precisely.

Here is the link to my Amazon shop where I link all of my favorite garden plants including some Fiddle Leaf Figs:

Shop At Blu Amazon Shop

So, if you love your plants and want to have them in every room but don’t want to incur the expense of buying so many new plant…propagate them!