our fiddle leaf fig: the 6 month mark

It's been about 6 months since our pretty fiddle leaf fig came to live with us and I am happy to report it is doing very well! I did ALOT of research on this plant, and others, before purchasing. Since I've never really had a green thumb I didn't want to make the investment in a big houseplant if it was just going to die (because it was definitely not what I would call cheap!). SO- I thought I would share what I've done thus far to keep this pretty alive.

Initially, I used this post and this post as a guide. I also talked pretty extensively with the gardeners at Southwood (where I purchased from) about their care tips. They told me pretty much the same things as the websites I looked at. Something that freaked me out before buying was this plant was listed as 'toxic' to pets. But after talking to the professionals, I felt it would be ok at our house. Daisy doesn't have a chewing problem and doesn't just stand there and lick the thing, so she's never been bothered.

ok- my tips.
1- Don't over water. I think I took this way too literally initially and almost killed the thing because I didn't water it for about a month when I got it. But thankfully, it rebounded well. I now water it every Friday morning, 6 cups of water. I do make sure the soil is pretty dry before I water and have skipped weeks here and there.

2- Get plenty of sunlight. Mine gets a lot of indirect sunlight throughout the day- it lives by a west-facing window.

3- I dust the leaves about once a month. Just like anything else, leaves can collect dust and that will not allow it to soak in the sunlight it needs. So ya, dust the leaves. I just use damp paper towels.

4- I've read differing reviews about rotating the plant so different sides get the most sun. I've rotated it here and there and it seems to do well with it.

5- I've only 'pruned' one branch. After extensive internet searching, I found that 'pruning' basically means 'cutting'. Who knew!? So ya- I did that to one of the limbs when it shot WAY out and started to droop down. It's done great after I pruned it. Stayed the length I wanted and has continued to grow leaves.

That's it! Yay for me not killing it!