Okay, so I wanted to try something new in my little indoor garden, and I heard about this plant called “Ficus lyrata,” but everyone just calls it “fiddle leaf fig.” I found this one type called “lyrata standard” and thought, “Why not?”
First, I went to a few local nurseries to see if they had it. Found one, but man, it was more expensive than I thought! Turns out, these guys grow slower than other plants, so the nursery folks spend more time taking care of them, which means higher prices for us. Fair enough, I guess.
- Bought a decent-sized lyrata standard.
- Checked for any bugs or weird spots on the leaves – all clear.
- Got a new pot that’s a bit bigger than the one it came in, ’cause I read they like some room.
Then came the fun part – planting it! I mixed some regular potting soil with this stuff called perlite to help with drainage. I heard these plants don’t like sitting in water. Carefully took the plant out of its old pot, loosened up the roots a bit, and placed it in the new pot with the fresh soil mix. Gave it a good watering until I saw water coming out the bottom.
Now, the waiting game. I placed it in a spot that gets bright light but not direct sun. I also made sure there was no draft – apparently, they don’t like that either.
Watering and Care
From what I’ve gathered, watering is key. Too much and the roots rot, too little and the leaves drop. I’ve been sticking my finger in the soil, and if it feels dry a couple of inches down, I water it. Oh, and I also mist the leaves every now and then ’cause they like humidity.
It’s been a few weeks now, and my lyrata standard seems to be doing okay. I even noticed some new leaves growing! I also read somewhere that these plants are good at cleaning the air, which is a nice bonus. And it said in the study I read that fiddle leaf figs can get pretty big, which means they breathe more than smaller plants, so they’re even better at cleaning the air.
I’ll keep an eye on it and see how it goes. Maybe I’ll give an update in a few months. So far, so good, though! It’s actually pretty cool watching something you planted grow and do its thing. Makes the whole place feel a bit more alive, you know?
