Rant: my fiddle leaf fig dropped 6 leaves in a month until I figured out the watering trick

Wendy Henderson · 2026-10-23T10:20:04.012406+00:00

I keep my fiddle leaf fig by a south window in my apartment here in Denver and for about 4 months it kept dropping leaves, one or two at a time, until I was down to just 5 leaves on the whole plant. I tried watering it less, then more, then moved it away from the vent, and nothing helped. Then a guy at a plant swap in Capitol Hill told me to stop watering on a schedule and instead stick my finger 2 inches into the soil and only water when it feels dry down there. Turns out I was drowning the roots because the top inch would dry out fast but the bottom stayed wet for days. Six weeks later it has 3 new leaves pushing out and I feel dumb for not trying this sooner, does anyone else go by feel instead of a calendar for their big leafy plants?

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Rant: my fiddle leaf fig dropped 6 leaves in a month until I figured out the watering trick | Botany Lovers - Vivisector