O
15

I've been overwatering my fiddle leaf fig for two years straight

The leaves kept dropping and I thought it needed more, not less. A plant expert at the Portland nursery last weekend took one look and said 'that pot is a swamp'. Anyone else kill a plant with kindness before figuring it out?
3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
3 Comments
irisjenkins
Actually, that swamp comment is interesting because my fiddle leaf fig did the opposite. For a whole year I was so scared to overwater it that I basically let it get bone dry. The leaves got all crispy and started to drop too. Turns out I was under-watering it, which looks weirdly similar. It's so easy to misread what they want (they're such drama queens). The only thing that worked for me was getting a moisture meter and actually checking the soil an inch down.
3
ericmason
ericmason2mo ago
Tell me about it. I once killed a cactus from underwatering. A cactus. The thing built for deserts. I was so proud of keeping it alive for months, then it just shriveled into a sad little raisin. My partner still brings it up to make fun of me. Plants really know how to humble you fast.
10
rileynelson
rileynelson2mo agoTop Commenter
My buddy did that with a peace lily, gave it so much love it got root rot. He was so confused when it started wilting even though the soil was wet.
-1