Soil for a fiddle-leaf fig

Soil for a fiddle-leaf fig

1. 01

   Best soil mix

   Use a peat-free, loam-based houseplant potting mix. Mixing in some fine bark chippings makes it more open and helps it drain. There is no single correct ratio of bark, coir, perlite or grit.

   The container should drain freely while the medium remains capable of holding some moisture. Avoid a pot or mix that leaves Ficus lyrata waterlogged. Do not leave a saucer full or force the root ball completely dry.

2. 02

   Match the mix to the pot and setting

   This advice is for Ficus lyrata in an indoor pot. It can also grow under glass or outdoors in frost-free climates, but indoors, base your choices on the roots in the pot and how fast the mix dries.

3. 03

   Soil pH

   Ficus lyrata tolerates acid, neutral or alkaline conditions, so any ordinary potting mix pH suits it. There is no need to chase a narrow meter reading.

4. 04

   When soil alone is not the problem

   Pot size, root fill, light, temperature and watering history decide whether the mix is working. Check those before you change the soil.