7 Best Soils for Fiddle-Leaf Figs in 2024: Reviews & Top Picks

Fiddle-leaf figs are beloved plants known for their thick, glossy leaves and notoriously picky nutritional needs. It can grow up to 10 feet tall indoors, while specimens in Africa (its native habitat) have been known to grow up to 40 feet tall. Choosing the right soil can be very tricky because fiddle leaf figs need well-draining soil with organic matter to flourish. In this article, we review the very best soils you can buy for your fiddle leaf fig and where to grab them.

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The 7 Best Soils for Fiddle Leaf Figs

1. Leaves and Soul Fiddle Leaf Fig House Plant Soil – Best Overall

Specifically designed to nourish fiddle leaf fig plants, this potting mix from Leaves and Soul contains a healthy mix of sphagnum peat moss, sawdust, pine bark chips, and coarse sand. The peat moss creates an organic-rich environment while not allowing too much moisture in the soil at one time. The pine bark chips create air pockets in the soil, which combined with the coarse sand, allows for very well-draining soil. The sand also serves to anchor the plant’s roots in the soil and prevent mold from growing. This is the best overall soil for fiddle leaf fig plants, although it’s not great for seedlings because of its inconsistent texture.

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2. Miracle-Gro Houseplant Potting Mix – Best Value

Miracle-Gro’s houseplant potting mix provides the best value for your money, with high-quality ingredients like perlite, peat moss, and coconut coir. Coir helps regulate moisture and improve retention alongside the wetting agent, while peat moss also helps to regulate moisture and feed the soil. Fertilizer helps further increase the number of nutrients absorbed by your plant’s roots. This is a great budget soil for fiddle leaf figs, but it does not contain sand or other agents to anchor a plant’s roots. As a result, your plant will be more susceptible to molding roots.

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3. Gardenera Fiddle Leaf Fig Houseplant Soil – Premium Choice

If you’re looking for a premium soil blend for your fiddle leaf figs, Gardenera’s specially designed soil blend contains everything your plant needs. It has perlite and peat moss to enrich the soil and create a nutrient-rich environment, plus New Zealand bark chips and coco chips to help your plant retain more water and so the roots can dry out in between waterings. The product is available in several sizes and is good for up to 6 months. It does run a bit more than your typical soil, however.

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4. Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm & Citrus Potting Mix

This mix from Miracle-Gro is designed for cacti and tropical plants that need well-draining soil in order to prevent root rot from excessive moisture. It has a mix of perlite and sand to enrich the soil and prevent soil compaction, which also promotes water drainage. The sand also helps to anchor fiddle leaf fig plants, which have a habit of falling over in weaker soil. The unspecified forest products in the soil are gritty and woody, which improves drainage even further. Unfortunately, the soil mix seems to attract ants and other insects, so you may need a pesticide.

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5. Superfly Bonsai Succulent & Cactus Soil Mix

Technically designed for cacti and succulents that need well-draining soil, this mix from Superfly Bonsai has everything that a fiddle leaf fig needs as well. Pine bark and two kinds of clay balls (akadama and haydite) promote drainage, and the pine bark creates air pockets to help water drain. The unusual addition of pumice helps your plant’s roots retain more water and dry out in between waterings. The major downside of this soil is that it’s expensive, but there are multiple sizes available to customize your order.

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6. Perfect Plants Fiddle Leaf Fig Soil

This soil from Perfect Plants contains coconut coir to regulate water intake for your plant’s roots, plus perlite and pine bark to promote soil aeration and drainage. As if that’s not enough, it also contains slow-release fertilizer to further enrich the soil to ensure your fiddle leaf fig flourishes. The soil was made with fiddle leaf figs and other ficuses in mind, and it’s both light and airy. The major downsides of this product are that it’s expensive and some users mention inconsistent quality control.

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7. Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Food Soil

Perhaps the most environmentally friendly choice on this list, this Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Food Soil contains high-quality and sustainably sourced ingredients that will help your fiddle leaf fig plant grow. The wood biochar and green compost will provide tons of nutrients to the soil for your plant’s roots, while the coconut coir and bark chips help regulate water levels and prevent your plant from developing fatal root rot. As an added bonus, the packaging is made from 100% recycled material. The main con of this soil is that it lacks structural agents like sand to anchor the plant’s roots, so they may be more vulnerable to strong winds.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Pick the Best Soil for Fiddle Leaf Figs

Fiddle leaf figs are a very rewarding plant to grow, but their idiosyncrasies make them tricky to deal with. You have to tailor your approach based on their unique needs—namely, water retention and drainage. The most common ingredients used in some of the soil blends above help to deliver on all your plant’s needs, so you should check out a bit about them as well. Let’s dive in.

Water Retention

Ironically, fiddle leaf figs need water, but not too much at once. This makes ingredients like coconut coir great for fiddle leaf figs, retaining some moisture and releasing it in trickles. This helps to not overwhelm the plant’s finicky root system. Perlite also helps aerate the soil, which lets water flow freely in the roots and soil.

Drainage

Fiddle leaf figs are prone to root rot and other types of molds, which can be fatal if left unchecked. Compounds like perlite, wood chips, sand, and clay can help break up compacted soil and ensure water doesn’t stagnate around the fig’s roots. The saying goes that fiddle leaf figs don’t like wet feet, referring to their roots. They need to dry out between waterings, and aerating agents are critical.

Commonly Used Ingredients

Some of the most common ingredients that you should look for when searching for soils for your fiddle leaf fig include:

Conclusion

Fiddle leaf figs might be intimidating to grow, but they’re not that difficult. Simply use one of the soils on this list of reviews, like the Leaves and Soul Fiddle Leaf Fig Houseplant Soil, or if you’re on a budget, try Miracle-Gro Houseplant Potting Mix. Allow your fiddle leaf fig’s roots to dry out in between waterings and watch out for signs of root rot!

• See also: How to Make Potting Soil for Fiddle Leaf Figs — 7 Simple Steps

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Featured Image Credit: rolkadd, Shutterstock