drdawg said: @DebbieC, you've got multiple issues and solutions here, Debbie. A significant issue is your lack of time for outside growing. I've grown and propagated Fiddle Leaf Ficus by the 100's and I was never successful in rooting cuttings this time of year. I found that the best way to propagate these leggy limbs was by air-layering them. That resulted in almost 100% success. But air-layering will take at least a month (and possibly twice that because of your Canadian location). If you want to have multiple plants from this awkwardly growing tree, you'll need to air-layer every limb, cutting the tree back to that lower growing stem when you've air-layered all that you want.
If you don't care about propagation, you can simply cut that bare, leggy stem back and grow the lower leafed-out stem. You can try to root those cuttings or just trash them.
It appears to me that this tree got too much sun on those lower leaves. Fiddle Leaf needs bright light to do well, but if there is sun, only allow early morning or very late afternoon sun on this tree. Fiddle Leaf Ficus can be acclimated to full sun, but that's a slow process and unnecessary where you live.
Here is a group of air-layered plants that I've just potted up.
« Return to the thread "Ficus Lyrata rejuvenation suggestions please!"
« Return to Houseplants forum
« Return to the Garden.org homepage