caring for and propagating fiddle leaf figs

My friend found a fiddle leaf fig (ficus lyrata) for a great price at Home Depot this past weekend and blogged about it here. Who knew! Never seen them at our HD before and the price was 1/3 of what we paid for ours several years ago at nursery nearby.

Our fig tree sits next to a northern exposure window so it reaches a bit to get the light. It came with a tangle of gorgeous leaves when we purchased it and dropped them slowly to find its right size for the conditions of the room. 

I have been propagating them the last few years which is quite easy. 

This is one I rooted and potted this year, very happy in a southern exposure window. On its way to becoming a tree because I placed just one branch in the soil. If I wanted a shrub form, I could have placed several in the pot. (The snow melted last night, windy and warm today.)

I just root in a glass of water for several months and freshen the water weekly. I have placed three in this glass. Activities like this make getting through the winter more enjoyable!  Here is the thing about caring for fiddle leaf fig trees. They do not like constant moist soil. They like to dry out. Let them dry out completely before watering. This means do NOT water each week. I think I must water just two times a month. It is on its own schedule. The baby plants I am growing do get a bit more water because they are in a sunnier location and dry out faster. Best way to know is to put your finger down onto the soil and feel for dryness. A sign that you are watering too much is brown edges on the leaves.

Bulb update- the second stalk of the white amaryllis bloomed and its sibling is finally inching up.

What about you? Is there a ficus lyrata in your house?