Sunlight is one of the most important factors for plant life. Sunlight helps plants to photosynthesize, circulate air and remove excess water from the air. So any plant needs direct or indirect sunlight every day.
Fig trees are the same, they need sunlight every day to grow and develop well. However, the leaves of the fig tree are very susceptible to burning and drying if exposed to too much direct sunlight every day. So many people began to question the recovery status of these leaves.
What are the symptoms of fig leaves when they are burned? Can fiddle leaf fig recover from sunburn? Let’s find out detailed information about the manifestation and how to recover the leaves in this article.
What Are The Symptoms When The Fig Leaves Are Burned?
The fig tree is native to the tropical regions of Africa. So fig trees are plants that need sunlight every day to grow best. However, the leaf area of ​​the fig tree is very large so they are very susceptible to sunburn if exposed to direct sunlight for many days.
Normally, many people have the habit of placing pots near the window to receive sunlight every day. However, this location can be harmful to plants in the afternoon. Because the intense sunlight hits the plants for many hours continuously.
The most obvious sign of sunburned fig leaves is the appearance of light to dark brown spots or patches on the surface of the leaves. Therefore, you need to watch for some signs of leaf burn to find ways to restore the fig tree.
White spot: If you notice white spots on fig leaves, they are early warning signs of sun damage. These white spots will turn brown, dry, and crumble. Therefore, you need to pay attention to the white spots on the leaves at this early stage because the recovery of the fig tree will depend on these factors.
Brown dust and fading: Leaf burn can also manifest as tan or brown dust on the leaves. You can see brown or brown dust in different places on the leaf surface. Mostly brown or white spots will appear on the upper surface of fig leaves. Because sunburn will occur with surface areas exposed to direct sunlight. Therefore, sunburn rarely occurs on the underside of fig leaves.
Sunburn spots tend to change the color, dry, brittle, and crumble creating holes in fig leaves. In particular, sunburn on the edges of the leaves is also very common. So, they will curl up and fall off after a few days or a few weeks depending on the severity.
Can Fiddle Leaf Fig Recover From Sunburn?
A fig tree can recover or not depending on the actual sunburn condition of the leaves. If the leaf burn is only on a few leaves and hasn’t affected the trunk yet, the fig tree can fully recover in a few days. It’s a good idea to move the pot to a shady location to allow the plants to rebalance over a few days.
Burnt fig leaves may not be able to recover and should be removed if the condition is severe. If all the leaves of the fig tree are burned, it will affect the health of the trunk, so the tree may also die from sunburn.
You need to remove sunburned leaves that have no chance to recover. Because the fig tree will waste energy to keep these leaves alive while the energy needs to be focused on other healthy leaves. Fig tree not having enough energy will harm overall health and create conditions for pest attacks.
Read more: Bottom Watering Fiddle Leaf Fig: Should Or Should Not?
How To Save Burnt Leaves?
First, you need to move the pot to another location to avoid direct sunlight. You should not move into a location with complete shade because the fig tree may go into shock from the sudden change in habitat. Instead, you should move the pot to a location near the old location without direct sunlight. The indirect sunlight, and a humid environment will be a ideal choice for fig trees.
Next, you should prune leaves that are sunburned and have no chance to recover. Water the plants because they are in dire need of water to soothe the wounds on the leaves. You can also mist continuously to provide moisture on the leaves temporarily.
You should not remove more than 30% of the leaves on the fig tree because it will also affect the overall health of the plant. If you prune too many leaves in one go, it will affect the overall health of the fig tree. Plastic will also flow along the wound, from which insects and pests will easily attack these wounds and harm the health of the fig tree.
What Kind Of Sunlight Is Best For Fig Trees?
As you know, fig trees are native to the tropical forests of Africa. Therefore, they will grow and develop best in direct sunlight for 6-8 hours a day. However, a fig tree cannot tolerate intense afternoon sun.
What’s more, if your fig tree is used to living indoors with mild sunlight when it is brought outdoors in strong sunlight, it is very susceptible to leaf burn. If you want to move potted plants from indoors to out in the garden, you need to give the plants time to acclimate gradually rather than placing them directly outside right away.
Most fig trees today are grown in greenhouses or gardens. So, they are not used to direct sunlight for many hours outside in harsh environments. Ideally, you should place the fig tree near a sunny window and face east or south. In these locations, it will receive mild sunlight in the morning and avoid intense midday and afternoon sun.
If you want to grow your fig tree outdoors, you should also find a spot that gets shade in the afternoon to give the plants time to relax and rest at the end of the day. You should water the fig tree sufficiently on hot days to ensure the health of the plants.
Summary
A fig tree is a plant that prefers direct sunlight for 6-8 hours a day. However, this plant only likes mild sunlight in the morning and does not tolerate intense sunlight in the afternoon. Therefore, if you put the fig tree under strong sunlight for a long time, it will be very susceptible to sunburn.
The recovery of the fig tree will depend on the degree of sunburn of the leaves. If the fig tree has a few sunburned leaves, the tree will recover in just a few days. However, if the entire leaf is sunburned and affects the overall health, and the plant is difficult to recover or slowly dies.
Therefore, you need to detect early symptoms such as white spots, brown spots on leaves, or blackened and curled edges. Move the potted plant to a partially shaded location, remove burned leaves, water fully, and mist to provide temporary moisture. Then you should let the fig tree relax after a few days to rebalance.