Fiddle Leaf Fig Leaves Crispy & Brown [3 Reasons + Solutions]

It’s very natural to be worried when your fiddle leaf fig leaves are crispy and brown and look rather ugly. And this becomes even more problematic when the brown portion keeps expanding gradually. 

  • Wrong Kind of watering
  • Low Humidity &
  • Improper sun exposure 

These are the top 3 reasons that are behind your fiddle leaf fig leaves turning crispy. Now, the thing is, if you can trace back the actual reason why the leaves are turning brown then deciding the treatment or action will be easier for you. 

Otherwise, you may choose the wrong treatment and end up hurting your fiddle leaf figs especially because they are very sensitive to water and sunlight. 

The good news is, in this article, we have discussed all these reasons and their solutions in detail and it will help you to figure out how to revive your fiddle leaf figs back to lush green.

So, without making any delay let’s get down to business–

Why Are My Fiddle Leaf Fig Leaves Turning Crispy?

1. Wrong Watering

When it comes to watering your fiddle leaf figs are very sensitive. They are tropical plants so they need an ample amount of water all the time. Whenever they are under-watered their leaves quickly turn brown, droopy, and crispy. 

Another interesting fact is that too much water can also lead to brown and crispy leaves on your fiddle leaf figs. 

Because when your plants are overwatered they will fall victim to root rot and as a result, the roots won’t be able to supply them with enough water and nutrients. Hence the leaves will turn brown and crispy. 

For overwatering, the browning can happen at any place near the edge or in the middle of the leaf and sometimes even on the stems too. 

Here, a distinguishing fact is the overwatered fiddle leaf figs have darker brown spots than underwatered ones. 

Control Measure

Water them regularly about once every week and don’t let the soil stay too dry for long periods. The most common rule is to water them when the top two inches of the soil surface become dry.

And when you water them make sure the watering is deep enough to support the needs of the plant and the water reaches the depth of all of the root balls. The next step is to make sure all the excess water gets drained out of the pot quickly. 

If you have overwatered them already then you have to inspect the roots for fungal root rot. It’s very important to check for this because root rots can kill your plant within a few days. 

If the roots look mushy and slimy with a foul smell spreading from them, you have to get the plant uprooted and cut off the rotten part of the root and then repot the plant in a newly prepared houseplant potting mixture.

Sometimes even after watering the fiddle leaf figs correctly root rot can still happen because of the poor soil condition. Make sure you use a good houseplant soil mixture that has enough perlite mixed to facilitate better drainage. (our pick: Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix)

And don’t forget to choose a pot that matches the plant size and has enough holes in the bottom to seep out excess water. Once the water balance is established the brown spots will slowly fade away. 

2. Low Humidity

As we know that fiddle leaf figs are tropical plants so naturally, they love warm weather and highly humid conditions. If your fiddle leaf figs are facing dry air and relative humidity is lower than 60%, it can cause the leaves to turn brown and crispy. 

You see, the humidity inside our house is usually less than the outside environment so when we keep it as a houseplant it doesn’t always get the amount of humidity it needs. So, it’s very frequent for the houseplants to get their leaves brown and crispy around the edges.

Control Measure

To treat the brown leaves you have to increase the humidity around your fiddle leaf figs. For this, you can get a humidifier installed in the room near your houseplants so that it will keep the humidity of your room at your desired level.

Make sure you keep them away from any air vents, air coolers, heaters, and even from the windows that pass hot breezes during extreme dry spells. This is because the dry wind can reduce the humidity and evaporate moisture from the leaves more rapidly. 

If you suspect your plant is getting dry air from somewhere then you have to change the location of your fiddle leaf fig. 

You can use a small pebble tray partially filled with water and put it under your plant pot. In this system, whenever the humidity is low the plant will use the water in the pebble to increase the moisture in the air. 

You can also keep some of your similar houseplants grouped in one place. The plants will share their moisture with each other naturally.

Also, you can mist your plants to increase the humidity every day for a few minutes. But if you mist them too much your plant can become susceptible to many fungal and bacterial diseases.

3. Improper Sun Exposure

We know that fiddle leaf figs enjoy a good amount of sunlight but if they are exposed to bright and direct sunlight for too long it burns down their leaves. As a result, the leaves get brown patches or spots on them and also become crispy and brittle.

Usually, the burnt patches are mostly seen around the edges but it can even spread to the whole leaf area. Sometimes your plant leaves can even have a yellow diffused circle around the brown spots too. 

Control Measure

If your plants have some signs of sunburn then immediately transfer them to some place where the sunlight doesn’t come directly but don’t keep them in total darkness.

Normally, it will be best if you keep your fiddle leaf figs beside a window where the sunlight is filtered through a curtain or screen. Always remember that your houseplants need bright but indirect sunlight in most cases. 

But in all cases, you have to make a balance. Because if you keep your fiddle leaf figs in the dark for too long, the leaves will first turn yellow and then gradually brown. 

Make sure your plants are getting 5-6 hours of bright and indirect sunlight every day. If your fiddle leaf figs aren’t getting proper sunlight then they will easily fall victim to root rot as the moisture in the soil will not evaporate like usual. 

If you wish to put it under the direct sunlight you have to do it slowly.  Start by exposing it to a few hours of morning sunlight that is gentle. And then slowly increase the time every day little by little and see how it adjusts. 

However, no matter how much you adjust them to the direct sun, a heat spell of over 38° C can easily burn down the leaves very badly and even kill them if the duration is too long. During this kind of weather try to keep them away from the sun. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Will My Fiddle Leaf Fig Brown Spots Go Away?

Sadly the brown spots of your fiddle leaf fig won’t go away even after they have recovered. Though new green leaves will grow once they are properly treated. So, it’s better if you cut off the brown leaves from your fiddle leaf figs. 

Should I Remove Dry Fiddle Leaf Fig Leaves?

Since the dry leaves will not turn back to green it’s best to get rid of them. By removing these you will increase the beauty of your plant and the pressure on your plant supplying food to these dry leaves will be reduced as well.

Are The Egg Shells Good For Fig Trees?

Ground and powdered egg shells are very nutritious for the fiddle leaf figs. It provides them with salts of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and sodium that help the plant to grow more vigorously and protect them from many diseases.

Conclusion

Brown and crispy fiddle leaf figs really become a concern especially when the brown spots continue to occur. And you obviously need a permanent solution for that. If you have followed through the article you must have found out what steps are to be taken to get rid of the brown and crispy leaves. 

Sometimes just having a correct watering schedule and the humidity level will do the trick for you. I hope this article was able to help you understand the reasons that caused these problems and provided the easiest solution for you as well. 

But if you still have any questions related to the fiddle leaf figs or any other issues you are having with them please share them with us in the comments sections and we will reach out to you as soon as possible.

James Rivenburg
James Rivenburg
James Rivenburg

James Rivenburg is the founder of plantandpest.com, a passionate gardener with valuable experience and knowledge gained through trial and error. The website has a large community of followers who trust his tips and techniques and have succeeded with his advice. He is always Committed to helping others create a beautiful and healthy garden.

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