A fiddle leaf fig stem turning brown is not a problem that you should ignore. In fact, it is a huge red flag that your fiddle leaf fig needs your help. Brown stems are usually not healthy stems, and they typically cannot support the weight of the fiddle leaf fig’s foliage. This increases the chance of the stems bending and breaking off the plant.
Improper watering is usually the reason why your fiddle leaf fig stem is turning brown. This could be due to watering the plant too much or growing the plant in the wrong soil. Making sure to only water the plant when the soil begins to dry out will go a long way to preventing brown stems.
In most cases, you should water the fiddle leaf fig once a week. Remember, however, that this timeframe can vary from one plant to the next.
For example, larger plants typically require more water than smaller plants. The best way to determine whether or not the fiddle leaf fig needs watered is to insert your finger one to two inches into the soil.
If the soil feels dry, go ahead and water the plant. If, however, the soil still feels damp, wait another day before checking the soil dryness again.
What Causes Fiddle Leaf Fig Stem To Turn Brown?
The stems of the fiddle leaf fig need to be able to support the weight of the plant’s large leaves. If it cannot, then the stems will begin to lean and eventually break. Brown stems are not healthy stems, which means they are usually weakened and potentially diseased. And no one wants a weakened or diseased fiddle leaf fig. Thankfully, there are things you can do to prevent your plant from developing brown stems.
Overwatering is the leading cause of fiddle leaf fig stems turning brown. The overwatering could be caused by too much watering or compact soil. Other potential causes include root rot and bacterial infection. Giving the plant its ideal growing conditions is the best way to prevent these problems.
Overwatering
Overwatering is by far the most common cause of a fiddle leaf fig stem turning brown. The best way to determine if this is the cause of the problem is to look at the soil. Does it feel overly damp and/or soggy? If so, then you know that the plant has been overwatered.
The first thing to do is to immediately stop watering the fiddle leaf fig. Don’t start watering again until the soil starts to dry out.
If, after a few days, your plant doesn’t begin to improve, more drastic measures may be needed. This will require removing the entire fiddle leaf fig from its pot and getting rid of all the soil.
Once the soil has been removed, examine the fiddle leaf fig’s roots and snip off any that are brown, black, damaged, dead, or rotten.
The final step is to replant the fiddle leaf fig in a sanitized pot with fresh soil. Lightly water the soil and then set in an area where the fiddle leaf fig will receive bright sunlight. Don’t water the plant again until the top 1 to 2 inches of soil feels dry.
Compact Soil
Compact soil causes overwatering, since the excess water cannot drain properly. This means the roots stay soggy, which is exactly what overwatering does.
Fiddle leaf figs grow best when they are living in soil that is light and airy. A good mix for this plant is 2/3 peat and 1/3 perlite. If you don’t want to mix your own, a good commercially available peat-based potting soil amended with some perlite works well for the fiddle leaf fig.
Root Rot
Root rot is caused by watering the fiddle leaf fig too much or growing the plant in compact soil. When either of these situations occur, the roots of the fiddle leaf fig stay soggy, which is the perfect environment for root rot to form.
Root rot is a potentially dangerous disease that is hard to treat and can kill the plant. The only good thing about root rot is that it can be easily prevented by making sure the plant gets the right amount of water and is growing in well-drained soil.
Bacterial Infection
Bacterial infections are another cause of the fiddle leaf fig stems turning brown. It is typically caused by improper watering techniques or not keeping the plant free from leaf litter.
The article owner is Plants To Trees dot Com and this article was first published on March 4, 2023.
When you water the plant from above, you run the risk of potentially splashing the soil up onto the leaves and stems. While this may not seem like a big deal, when you consider that various pathogens can live in the soil and when they come in contact with the stems and leaves, they can infect the plant.
Watering the fiddle leaf fig near the base and not from above will prevent bacterial pathogens from infecting the plant.
Not keeping the soil of the fiddle leaf fig free from plant debris, such as fallen leaves and stems, can also lead to bacterial infections that cause brown stems. Leaf litter creates an ideal environment for pathogens that are just waiting to infect your fiddle leaf fig. Thankfully, you can help to prevent this by keeping the area around the plant clean and disposing of any fallen leaf litter as soon as possible.
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PlantsToTrees.com is the owner of this article and we first published this on March 4, 2023.