Violin fig, Ficus lyrata – care and cutting

The Latin name shows that the violin fig belongs to the ficus family. But it is also a mulberry plant. Originally this comes from Africa, more precisely from Cameroon and neighboring countries. The violin fig usually grows upwards with only one shoot (trunk). That can look very good. But if you like it more bushy, it is best to plant two or three plants in a container, which can also be cuttings of the mother plant that you have grown yourself.

Violin fig – care

Ficus lyrata was a bit out of fashion, but has been enjoying great popularity again for several years. It is actually a very beautiful plant. However, you have to take good care of them, otherwise the lowest leaves will be shed and the plant will become bald from below. That doesn’t look that great. This usually happens when there is too little water or too few nutrients, but it can of course also have other causes, e.g. drafts or pests. This can be remedied by cuttings that you have grown yourself or by offspring that are grown from seeds and that are also planted so that the violin fig is tight again at the bottom.

Caring for the violin fig is actually not difficult. The right location and the right amount of water are decisive. Drafts and cold feet are not tolerated. One problem has already been solved with underfloor heating. Drafts can be avoided by placing the container and the plants in a corner of the room, but in a bright light, necessarily near the window. The plant does not necessarily have to stand directly at the window, but the lighter its place, the more advantageous its growth and developing shape. If there is too little light, the distance between the individual leaves becomes longer and longer, the trunk shoots up, becomes unnecessarily bare and unsightly.

In summer it is beneficial to spray the leaves and the entire plant regularly. The leaves must be freed from the accumulating layer of dust from time to time. Simply wipe with a slightly damp cloth. Then the leaves shine again. The plant likes high humidity. This is usually the most difficult point when cultivating the violin fig.

location

A suitable location is the be-all and end-all of care. It has to be bright, preferably with morning and evening sun. The plants don’t like bright midday sun at all. In summer they can also be put outside, but then only with less sun. Avoid drafts at all costs! In general, the violin fig doesn’t like to be constantly moved around.

  • Light to partially shaded, the lighter the better the plant will develop. It becomes more compact.
  • No permanent blazing sun, just behind the curtain
  • Also looks pretty good under artificial light, but not exclusively!
  • Not below 15 ° C
  • Underfloor heating is ideal as it eliminates unwanted cold feet. Because of their size, the planters are usually on the floor anyway.
  • A bright corner of the room is suitable to avoid drafts.

Plant substrate

The violin fig does not have such high demands on the plant substrate. Simple potting soil is suitable for young specimens and potted soil for older plants. It is beneficial if sand or perlite are mixed in so that the substrate is nicely permeable. Otherwise, a mixture of garden soil, compost and peat will also work.

  • Potting soil
  • Potted plant soil

Plant and repot

During my research I have read repeatedly that the violin fig is ideal for hydroponics. I am a big advocate of planters with an irrigation system, because most plants benefit from being in the ground instead of in the globules or seramis that belong to Hydro. I can also imagine that these vessels are beneficial for Ficus lyrata. The plant always takes exactly as much water as it needs at the moment. Just keep an eye on the water level indicator. It shows exactly when fresh water is needed again. However, I would recommend not using any of the tall, narrow vessels, but rather a completely normal one. The violin fig alone strives to great heights.

  • Hydroponics is ideal
  • Repot in spring
  • Older specimens need to be repotted less often.
  • Do not fertilize for 6 to 8 weeks after repotting, commercially available soil contains sufficient fertilizer.

Watering and fertilizing

When watering, be careful not to use too much or too little water. The finger test is a good way to find out when water is needed again. Simply stick your finger in the soil and feel whether the substrate is already dry or still damp and if so, how damp (wet?). When fertilizing, be careful not to use too much fertilizer, as this will make the spaces between the leaves unnecessarily long. The plant perished.

  • Just a moderate amount of water.
  • The need for water increases in summer.
  • The immersion method is ideal, i.e. immersing the pot in water until no more air bubbles rise
  • Difficult with large plants
  • Drain excess water.
  • Do not dive again until the soil is dry.
  • Avoid waterlogging at all costs, as well as drying out the bale!
  • In the case of soil culture, fertilize once a month according to the instructions during the growing season in summer
  • Slow release fertilizer is the method of choice for hydroponics. There are special fertilizers that are put into the hydro reservoir.
  • Do not fertilize in winter.

To cut

Cutting is usually not necessary. But you can simply cut off the plant, especially when it has grown too big. The resulting shoots can be used for seedlings.

Overwinter

When the violin fig is overwintered, a light and slightly cooler location is recommended. There is significantly less watering and no fertilization. The room should be ventilated regularly.

  • Hell
  • Temperatures between 12 and 15 ° C are ideal.
  • Wintering the living room usually also works.
  • Check for pests regularly
  • Water significantly less, but don’t let it dry out!
  • The cooler the temperature, the less water you use!
  • Do not fertilize!

Multiply

The violin fig can be propagated by sowing, head cuttings and mossing. It’s easy to cuttings. Mossing is beneficial when the plant has grown too big. Sowing is usually not a problem either.

  • Head cuttings from soft shoots
    • Stop the milky juice after cutting by placing the cut in warm water.
    • Then let it dry up slightly.
    • Put in a mixture of earth and sand (1: 3), pour in and cover with foil.
    • Floor temperature high, between 25 and 30 ° C.
  • Abmoosen
    • Cut a gap in the trunk at the desired separation point, diagonally, from bottom left to top right, approximately to the middle of the trunk diameter.
    • Put a small stone in the gap so that it stays open.
    • Moisten the spagnum moss and place it around the cut. Tie it all around with a bag or cling film and keep it moist.
    • Roots will form in about 4 weeks. Then it can be separated and replanted.
  • Sowing – completely normal, without any special features

Diseases and pests

The violin fig is actually a very robust plant. Illnesses are rather rare and mostly due to poor care. Leaf waste mostly comes from drafts or waterlogging. When waterlogged, the leaves fall from the bottom up. You have to pour significantly less. If the earth smells unpleasant, you must repot. Brown leaf margins usually appear when the ball is dry.

  • Spider mites and thrips, especially when overwintering – both can be showered.
  • Often also scale insects. These are often difficult to see, the camouflage is too good. They should definitely be removed. Only systemically acting agents that are absorbed by the plant and thus passed on directly to the pest help. External agents do not work (just collect them, preferably with a toothpick). The shield protects the pests.

Conclusion
The violin fig is an interesting houseplant as long as it grows nice and dense and doesn’t shoot out without forming enough leaves. The large, shiny leaves are particularly beautiful. Caring for it is actually not difficult. It is more difficult to get an evenly growing plant. Many of the violin figs that I know I would not describe as beautifully grown. They live, look reasonably healthy, but rather shot, spirrlig and lonely with their one instinct. Well, most of the time it is said that it is easy to cultivate a violin fig, but it is not that easy, at least if you make demands on the beautiful appearance of the plant.

Kira Bellingham

I'm a homes writer and editor with more than 20 years' experience in publishing. I have worked across many titles, including Ideal Home and, of course, Homes & Gardens. My day job is as Chief Group Sub Editor across the homes and interiors titles in the group. This has given me broad experience in interiors advice on just about every subject. I'm obsessed with interiors and delighted to be part of the Homes & Gardens team.

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