Rant: My friend in Portland said I baby my fiddle leaf fig too much

She told me I should just let it drop leaves and adjust to my apartment's lighting instead of rotating it every week. At first I thought she was wrong, but after three months of doing it her way the thing actually grew two new leaves, so maybe I was the problem. Anyone else have a plant buddy who gave advice that stung but worked?

4 comments

4 Comments

dylan_brown301mo ago

Kind of like when you try too hard to make a relationship work or force a friendship. Sometimes backing off and letting things breathe is what actually fixes it. Same with plants, people, probably everything really.

nguyen.blake1mo ago

Totally read something somewhere that said plants actually like a bit of neglect, that overwatering and over-caring is way more common than people think. Sounds like you found your plant's sweet spot by just backing off a little. That tough love from your friend was probably the best thing for that fig, even if it hurt your feelings at first. It's wild how we think we're helping when we're actually just getting in the way of what the plant naturally wants to do.

river9521mo ago

Double down on that neglect lol, fiddle leaf figs are dramatic but they bounce back if you just leave them alone.

murphy.tessa2d ago

Rotating a plant is just basic common sense, not babying it. Your friend's advice just got lucky this one time, doesn't mean it's the right way to care for something.