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How We Care for Our Ficus Audrey

All about our Ficus Audrey and the steps we follow so that she thrives!

Ficus Audrey tree in the corner of our playroom, next to the play kitchen | via Yellow Brick Home
planter (similar) | art | faux fur

Anytime our Ficus Audrey makes an appearance on Instagram, my inbox fills with: Wait! What is that tree! I’ve been getting this a lot lately, so I wanted to share more about Audrey on the blog, including how we take care of her!

Audrey’s Back Story

We purchased Audrey from a local (Chicago) nursery over the winter. We were told that she loves sunshine and hates drafts. We were warned that she will probably lose a lot of leaves once transported, but don’t freak out, they said! We were promised that she was pretty easy to care for, once we figured out the watering routine – not too much, not too little. I mean, no pressure, right?

But now that it’s been about 9 months and she’s exploding(!) with growth – like, she’s grown 6″ in some areas! – we feel confident enough to share what we’ve been doing to keep her healthy.

Close up of our Ficus Audrey | via Yellow Brick Home

How We Have Audrey Potted

Audrey lives in the playroom, near the large window at the front of the house, away from furnace vents. She receives sunlight through the window all day long, and she really seems to love it. There was no trauma during the move from the nursery to our home; she dropped no leaves!

Ficus Audrey next to the play kitchen in our playroom | via Yellow Brick Home
planter (similar) | art | playroom reveal

Ficus Audrey trees prefer to be root bound, so for now, we kept her in her plastic pot, and I dropped her in a larger ceramic pot. Some bubble wrap around the sides keeps her in place, and decorative moss on top means that no one is the wiser! The pot-in-a-pot technique also assists in drainage.

Close up of how we have our Ficus Audrey potted | via Yellow Brick Home
dried moss | planter (similar)

Audrey’s Watering Schedule

I water most of the plants in our home once a week, and I’ve learned that Audrey is no exception. After first sticking my finger in the first few inches of soil and confirming she’s bone dry, I give her about 3-4 cups of water along with a few drops of this fertilizer for her current size. I’ll also mist the leaves while I’m at it.

Close up of leaves on our Ficus Audrey | via Yellow Brick Home

Keeping Audrey’s Leaves Healthy

If I notice yellowed leaves, I’ll scale back on watering for the week and pluck the yellow leaves off. I can tell they’re ready to go because they fall right into my hand! This is rare to see, but it happens from time to time. I haven’t experienced dry, crunchy leaves, but if I did, I’d give her a drink.

A yellow leaf from our Ficus Audrey | via Yellow Brick Home

Audrey’s Bath Schedule

Every 1-2 months, we give Audrey a bath! I learned this tip from a reader, Kathy, in the comments of this post, and I’ve never looked back. I bring Audrey into the shower and use the hand sprayer to soak the soil and allow her to drain thoroughly. While I’m at it, I’ll rinse her leaves and give them a wipe so they can soak up the sun. Think: Dusty leaves hinder a plant from photosynthesizing!

Giving our Ficus Tree a bath in our primary bathroom! | via Yellow Brick Home
Giving our Ficus Tree a bath in our primary bathroom! | via Yellow Brick Home

And… that’s it! Once she’s had a chance to drain, I’ll bring her back to the larger pot, re-stuff the bubble wrap and put the moss back on top.

Close up of how we have our Ficus Audrey potted | via Yellow Brick Home
Ficus Audrey next to the play kitchen in our playroom | via Yellow Brick Home
​​​​​​craft table | ​kitchen | print + frame | light

So, In a Nutshell…

  • Place her near a sunny window, away from vents
  • Water, fertilize + mist weekly
  • Pluck any yellow or dry leaves
  • Fully soak her in the tub (with a hand sprayer) every 1-2 months
  • Dust + clean the top layer of leaves every 1-2 months

We’ve noticed that some of her roots are starting to creep out of the bottom of the pot, so we’ll repot her this spring! Repotting always makes me nervous, but I’ve already started reading up on tutorials. (Hi, I’m a planner.) I hope this was helpful, and I’m always open to receiving more tips to make sure our girl stays happy!

PS: Here’s a full room view of our playroom and these are the houseplants we love.

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  • Jennifer Laura Living8.30.21 - 12:58 PM

    Such great tips! I haven’t managed to keep much alive indoors yet, but maybe this will give me the confidence! ReplyCancel

  • Bridget8.30.21 - 2:54 PM

    Are these type of plants safe for cats?ReplyCancel

    • Kim8.30.21 - 3:38 PM

      It CAN be if enough is digested, so probably best to avoid if you have a cat that might leap or climb. If your cat doesn’t leap or clinb, this might be a good bet since the leaves are so high off the floor! You know your cat’s habits best, so it might be worth talking to your vet or a local nursery to see if they have input as well.ReplyCancel

  • Lindsay8.30.21 - 10:20 PM

    Thanks for this post about your beautiful Audrey.  I’d like to know more about the light she gets.  Do her leaves ever get direct sun through that window?ReplyCancel

    • Scott8.31.21 - 1:00 PM

      Hi Lindsay! The big triple window faces West, so she gets 4-5 hours of intense direct sun every day. It seems to be just what she wants. Hope this helps!ReplyCancel

  • Kathy8.31.21 - 10:10 AM

    I’m so glad your tree is thriving! With this under your belt, you guys could probably keep a fiddle leaf fig alive! The care is similar, and they will also appreciate the bath haha.ReplyCancel

    • Scott8.31.21 - 1:02 PM

      Yes! Their care is very similar. We’ve never had a FLF, but we feel like we could handle it!ReplyCancel

  • Kristin Robinson8.31.21 - 1:41 PM

    This is probably a dumb question, but do you water through the moss? Or lift it up each time you water? Thank you for your help!!ReplyCancel

    • Scott8.31.21 - 1:57 PM

      Not a dumb question at all! The moss sort of forms together to combine into one large piece, so we just simply lift it off prior to watering. If we’re just doing a simple top-off water, we’ll pull the moss up slightly and use a narrow tip watering can. Hope this helps!ReplyCancel

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