Ficus lyrata or the fiddle-leaf fig is a flowering plant species belonging to the mulberry category. Pronounced as FYE-Kuss lye-RAY-tuh. Ficus lyrata is native to the Western African forests stretching from Western Cameroon to Sierra Leone. Ficus lyrata is also found in the forests of Liberia and Gabon, where it is primarily domesticated as a household ornamental plant. Ficus lyrata belongs to the family group Moraceae and genus Ficus, and it has also gained recognition of the Royal Horticulture Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
Some of the characteristics of Ficus lyrata include the vibrant and luscious leaves that are obovate shaped with a width length that ranges from 30cm for a developing plant to 50cm for a fully developed plant. Depending on the available factors of growth in the soil, the leaves’ color ranges from usual green to dark green, and they are often leathery when felt and shiny, thus making them the perfect ornamental plant.
Due to its wide leaf width, it is well-veined, and its trunks are thick to ensure the large leaves are appropriately housed. Unfortunately, they are not fruit-producing plants but can produce figs 2.5cm-3cm wide when grown in the African rainforest. These figs do not grow when Ficus lyrata are grown as ornamental plants in the home because the wasps responsible for pollination are only found in these forests.
Ficus lyrata’s growth requires lots of unfiltered sunlight that is moderately supplied. Too much or less supply of sunlight can stunt its growth. It also needs a well-aerated, well-watered, nutrient-filled, and well-drained soil to grow correctly. In the wild, Ficus lyrata growth is immeasurable as it can tower as high as 30m, while in the home, it can grow as high as you want it as long as proper pruning is involved.
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Why prune Ficus lyrata
Pruning Ficus lyrata is crucial as it has loads of benefits to the plant and the owner. As with every living organism, some parts of the plants do not receive proper nutrients, hence causing them to be damaged. Although these plants are damaged, they still leech on the available nutrients the roots supply. With appropriate pruning, leaves with total or slight damages can be cut off immediately. Leaves with brown spots, holes, insect bites, and any traces of diseases are removed to avoid a total plant infection.
Ficus lyrata are known for their extreme height and can grow as high as 30m. To avoid an overpowering or overshadowing plant in your home, pruning your plant will help prevent it. Cutting unnecessary leaves and vestigial parts allows the plant to grow more compactly, fuller, and stronger.
Plants can get the desired shape their owners want. If a plant’s shape does not suit the décor, pruning can give it the desired shape.
What is pruning
Pruning is a cultural practice of removing selected parts of plants which may be stems, branches, roots, for various reasons aimed at facilitating growth to the plant. Often, pruning was targeted to remove dead, decayed, damaged, or vestigial parts of plants. Depending on the reason for the pruning, there are several subcategories of pruning.
Thinning is a form of pruning that involves the complete removal of an entire part plant to encourage the formation of new growth parts. It is often applied to dead plants and roses to trigger the dormant cells to open up. Topping involves more adverse removal than thinning, and it removes a huge chunk of a big plant or tree and often trains trees for future pollarding purposes.
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Benefits of Pruning
To promote growth
The removal of excess parts allows the roots to supply nutrients to the needed parts hence promoting growth. For parts whose growth rate is in dormancy, pruning activates the cells to grow.
To avoid nutrient wastage.
There are some parts of a plant that have no function but exist. They do not partake in the everyday duties of the plant, but they receive equal nutrients; these parts are called Vestigial parts. They are known to be the weed-like part, and their existence leads to competition for space, nutrients, and water with the necessary parts. When the unnecessary parts are removed, the wastage of nutrients will be reduced.
To avoid the spread of diseases.
Ficus lyrata plants are known to easily spread diseases. Once any leaf stalk has any presence of diseases or damage in the form of the withering of the leaves or brown spots, it spreads rapidly to the other parts.
Types of Ficus lyrata
There are different sub-species of the plant Ficus lyrata, and they include:
● Ficus lyrata’ Suncoast’, a variant that tolerates any form of cold temperature
● Ficus lyrata’ Compacta’, a variant known for its fragility and slower growth rate
● Ficus lyrata’ Variegated’, a variant with yellow ends unlike the regular total green leaves
● Ficus lyrata’ Bambino’, a variant mutated with another bamboo-based plant with 13-18cm width.
Tips to prune
Use sharp and sterilized tools.
It is best to use new pairs of shears or well-kept shears to prevent rust on the open plant wood, dirt, hagged cutting, and stress on the horticulturist’s hands.
Plan ahead before making a cut and prepare the tools nee
Notching Ficus lyrata.
Notching is a method of creating an artificial branch on a plant. It is done by making a small cut on the plant’s trunk, forcing the plants to create a branch for the cut trunk without taking away any height.
Should you notch?
Notching depends on the individual’s choice and the plants’ look. Does your plant only grow upwards towards the sky and have little to no basal balance? If so, then notching should be done. If otherwise, there is no need to notch your plant.
Tips to notch
To create a perfect notch cut, the cut width should be one-third of the stem’s circumference, and its depth should also be one-third of the tree’s depth.
Ensure the cutting or incision is made directly on the plant’s nodes. They are ball-like to feel and sometimes protrude out.
The cut should be made with a sharp and sterilized knife to avoid infections of any kind.
Pinching Ficus lyrata
It involves removing the main stem, thereby forcing the plant to regrow two main stems from the leaf nodes that have been pinched.
Should you pinch?
Pinching is mainly recommended for scanty plants. If the plant only grows on a stem with few attached branches, pinching may be recommended to grow new stems that will eventually house new plant branches.
Tips of pinching
Ensure the pinching is done close to the leaf nodes to increase the chances of regrowth. Also, the pinching shears should be as sharp as possible and sterilized to avoid transferring diseases to the new regrowth.
Should you deadhead?
Deadheading Ficus lyrata is not necessary as this species of fig plants do not produce any flowers rather figs. These figs are only produced in the wild—Rainforest and not in residential homes.
Why do Ficus lyrata branches need trimming
Ficus lyrata branches need trimming to promote more branch growth, remove vestigial branches, remove damaged or infected parts, and ensure balancing as most plants grow lopsided.
When to trim
The best time to trim Ficus lyrata is during Spring, as the sunlight rays and environmental conditions are perfect for healing after pruning. Although any other season is suitable, the spring season is recommended to ensure more growth and be on the safer side to ascertain the regrowth.
Tips to encourage growth
Watering: The soil should be moist with water and not flood to the root part during water. Ensure the soil is visibly dried out before watering again; give at least three days’ intervals between each watering session.
Soil: Ficus lyrata grow well without the need for additional growth materials like fertilizers. They perform well on normal soils, making them the perfect plant type for busy individuals.
Nutrition: An NPH fertilizer with high nitrogen content, if need be.
Sunlight: Ficus lyrata needs sun rays; this is far more important than supplying direct sunshine. They need filtered and indirect rays to grow, which is ironic for a plant that can withstand any soil condition.
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Summary
Ficus lyrata is an air-cleansing, leathery, and glossy ornamental plant that grows in Western Africa known for its beauty. It requires fair requirements for growth and can be maintained easily, although a little poisonous (toxic sap) when ingested; it also requires moderate attention.