Red Spots on Fiddle Leaf Fig – Causes and How to Fix? (Edema)

Have you observed red spots on the fiddle leaf fig? If yes, then you might get worried. In my gardening career, I used to face this issue as well as leaves turning yellow but then I came up with some solutions that helped me in fixing the issue. I have also faced yellow spots on the Fiddle leaf fig. This article will be discussing the issue of red Spots on Fiddle Leaf Fig. The red spots on fiddle leaf fig plants are a clear indication that the plant is not okay. The weirdly-looking leaves are bizarre for gardeners as well as gardening.

Quick takeaways:

• These spots look scattered on the leaves surface of fiddle fig plants. This condition is called edema.
• This disorder is mostly seen in houseplants.
• There are various causes of red spots on fiddle leaf fig leaves such as poor drainage, less supply of sunlight, lack of nutrients, temperature stress, humidity-related issues, and many more that came up with some solutions too mentioned below.
• The new leaf growth indicates that the plant is healthy. But the plants under stress start to get an infection and unwell.
• The edema on fiddle leaf fig plants is seen when the plant is having moisture stress.
• Other than this, there are many reasons like spider mites, fungal infections, etc.

Let’s get to know all of them and how to fix them.

Causes of Red Spots on Fiddle Leaf Fig leaves

1. Improper moisture

The red bumps or red spots when occurring on the fiddle fig plants mean the edema has occurred. The moisture stress happens due to overwatering. Other than this leaf cells start to get stressed and burst due to excess water when the roots absorb too much water.

The young small leaves mostly show this issue as the cells are immature and tiny making the small leaves. The cells burst due to swelling and less transpiration.

2. Poor drainage

The fiddle-leaf fig plants often show spotted leaves if the soil has poor drainage. Edema in these plants is witnessed when the water is standing around the roots, the roots are forced to absorb much of the water.

3. Spider mites

The attack by the spider mites can also be a cause of the fiddle leaf fig plants showing tiny red spots. The spider mites are identified by the signature webs they form over the leaves.

When you see such tiny webs that means the spider mites are the culprits that could be making your plant weak and causing red spots on them.

4. False spider mites

The spider mites and false spider mites are responsible for red dots on the leaves of fiddle figs. But the false spider mites don’t usually leave their webs on leaves.

The false spider mites are seen on the lower surface of the leaves. They are orange to red-colored mites.

5. Bacterial or fungal infection

The bacteria when occurring in the fiddle leaf fig plants bring out the red or brown spots on the leaves. The bacterial infection doesn’t seem much but occurs when the plant is under stress. The margins of leaves will start to show spots as well in the bacteria infection.

The root when it occurs can be due to fungal infection or bacterial infection. The fungal growth has to happen if the water is standing around the roots. The fungal infection also leads to spots on the leaves. 

6. High humidity

High humidity is when the water droplets are already more in the air.

The humidity is needed by fiddle leaf fig but when humidity exceeds 60% then the leaves fail to transpire much due to the already high water content in the air. Too much water in the leaves then leads to edema.

7. Less light

Again if the light is too low it will affect the transpiration in the leaves of fiddle-leaf fig plants. Just not this, photosynthesis will also affect the photosynthesis rate.

All this leads to a reduction in the chemical process of plants, making them weak and more prone to getting infections and diseases. 

8. Low temperature

The low temperature makes the air too cold for the fiddle leaf fig pants like the temperature below 60 degrees. The transpiration gets low and can freeze the water in the leaves leading to edema probably. 

9. Nutrient-deficient soil

The soil if not have enough minerals sometimes, or with less fertilization, edema can occur. The red spots on the leaves start to occur as the plant is weak, not getting many nutrients, and is more susceptible to disorders and harmful agents. 

How to fix red spots on the fiddle leaf fig plants?

1. Water when the soil gets dry

The soil needs to be checked before watering. If the soil looks dry or feels dry to touch about 2 to 3 inches below the soil surface, then you should water the plant.

The wet soil if watered loses its quality and roots get unable to absorb the nutrients. Avoiding overwatering will keep the edema from the fiddle dogs at bay. 

2. Well-drained soil 

The soil must have good drainage which means water should run freely through the water. The soil staying mushy or soggy will affect the roots and plants. Root rot is commonly seen when the soil is wet for a long time.

The bacteria will attack the weak plants that didn’t get enough nutrients from the soggy soil. Add some sandy soil as it has good drainage. The pots if used should have enough drainage holes. 

3. Get rid of pests if any 

The pests when attacking the plants will suck the sap out of your plants. The plants will get weak as the nutrients will get sucked by them.

The pests if any need to be taken out as soon as possible. You can manually remove the pests or you can use organic pesticides or neem oil to get rid of pests. 

4. Check humidity and aeration

Too much humidity can lead to edema in the fiddle fig plants. You must check the relative humidity if it’s not too high or you can check if there are any water droplets on the surface of the leaves.

Try to maintain the humidity between 35-60% to prevent edema on fiddle figs. 

Don’t overcrowd the plant and create a proper ventilation source to give them proper aeration and not let the fungus grow near or on the plants. 

5. Repot the plant 

If the soil has developed mold, then try to change the soil. If the soil even after tilling does not show good drainage then modify the soil or simply get good quality clean soil.

Now if the plant is potted make sure that the pot size is suitable for proper drainage and root growth as well. Repot the plant in a pot with good drainage holes and potting mix containing sand as well. 

Footnote of the context

The watering stress is the lead cause of edema in the fiddle leaf fig plants. The fiddle leaf fig plants are sensitive to sudden changes making sure that they get optimum temperature and light. The red spots on the fiddle leaf fig plants are seen due to many reasons but edema is one of those causes. We have given all the details to get rid of and prevent edema. Other than this, the red spots after some weeks vanish by themselves if not taken all the good measures to bring the plants to normal condition. We hope you like the article.

Happy planting!