How to Repot a Fiddle Leaf Fig: A Step-by-Step Success Guide

The fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) is a tricky houseplant with huge payoff. Known for its massive fiddle-shaped leaves and dramatic stature, this West African native can grow to enormous heights even indoors. (I have a family member whose fiddle leaf fig is 9 feet (2.7 m) tall and still growing!) If you want yours to get that big, or just want to avoid the dreaded leaf drop, you need to master the art of repotting.

When Should You Repot Your Fiddle Leaf Fig?

Experts are all over the map when it comes to repotting a fiddle leaf fig. Some suggest doing it once a year, while others say every other year. Then there are those who say to wait until the plant tells you it's time.

I'm in the latter camp. Fiddle leaf figs like to be a bit root-bound, and also don't like their roots to be disturbed too much, so repotting more than necessary could lead to big problems. Here are some signs your plant is actually ready for a bigger home:

• Visible Roots: Roots are crawling out of the drainage holes or circling the top of the soil.
• Stunted Growth: The plant has stopped producing new leaves during the spring and summer.
• Water Issues: Water runs straight through the pot without being absorbed, or the plant wilts just a day or two after watering.

While it's impossible to predict when your fig will start giving you hints, you should try to repot in spring if at all possible. This is the start of the active growing season, and repotting now gives the plant the most energy and time to recover from transplant shock.

Step-by Step Repotting Guide

1. Choose the Right Container

Fiddle leaf figs are very prone to root rot, so keeping the container free from moisture is crucial. That means the pot you choose should only be one size larger than its current one. Too big a pot means too much excess soil that can hold moisture and drown the plant's roots.

It's also essential that you pick a pot with drainage holes. If you have your heart set on a beautiful container with no holes, you can still use it as a cachepot. That means you plant your fig in a well-draining plastic container, then slip that inside your decorative pot. To keep your fig from sitting in standing water, place a few wine corks in the bottom of the cachepot first – your actual container will ride high and dry on top of them.

2. Prepare the Plant

Water your fiddle leaf fig 24-48 hours before repotting. Moist roots are more flexible and less likely to snap during the move.

3. Remove and Inspect

Turn the pot on its side and gently slide the root ball of the plant out. If it’s stuck, run a butter knife around the inside edge.

Check for mushy or black roots – these are signs of root rot and need to be dealt with. Cut them away, making the cut well above where the root starts to look healthy again. Large pruning shears can be unwieldy and may nick nearby roots. Instead try a set of small pruning snips like these from Amazon.

4. Move to the New Pot

Fill the bottom of your new pot with well-draining potting soil. If you want to be safe, you can get soilless potting mix specifically designed for fiddle leaf figs on Amazon. Otherwise, you can use regular well-draining houseplant potting soil like this from Amazon with some perlite mixed in.

Add enough soil to the pot so that when you set the root ball on it, the top of the root ball reaches about 1 inch (2.5 cm) below the rim of the container.

5. Fill and Water

Fill the empty space of the pot with more soil, trying to keep the plant as centered as possible. Do not bury the stem of the plant any higher than the top of the root ball!

Tamp down the soil lightly, and water thoroughly until it flows freely from the drainage holes. If you're going to put it in a cachepot, let the water drain thoroughly first.

And that's it! You've successfully repotted a fiddle leaf fig. Keep a close eye on it and watch for signs of shock.

Repotting Essentials