You may or may not have included fittonia (fit-TOH-neeuh) in your houseplants before, but there’s little denying the attraction to the green leaves of these tropical plants.
The common name includes nerve plants; the two most common types seen at your local nursery are Fittonia albivenis and Fittonia argyroneura.
These beautiful perennials are known as the mosaic plant or painted net leaf, feature pink, red, yellow, or white veins along with their green foliage, and are known to produce small white or off-white flowers.
But whether you own one of the Big Two, a cultivar, or one of the three Fittonias that have not yet been determined to be either a Fittonia variant or a distinct species, there’s one problem that’s easy to run into – leggy growth.
What Makes My Fittonia Leggy and How Do You Fix It?
You may be wondering, why is my fittonia leggy?
Fittonias only develop new growth at the stem tips, so it’s very easy to end up with a leggy plant accidentally.
Infestation of pests and insects does not play a role in why your fittonias are leggy. The simple things like lighting, feeding, pruning, and humidity levels are the main causes of this condition, but they’re thankfully all just as easy to solve as they are to cause.
Insufficient Fittonia Pruning
The problem with some plants is you can forget how quickly they can grow.
In most cases, this just means a little extra length to cut back.
Unfortunately, Fittonias only become bushier at the apex of each stem, so leaving one alone for too long may result in something that vaguely resembles a tiny palm tree.
However, it’s never too late to get this kind of leggy growth under control.
Have a look at each stem of your fittonia and decide how to prune fittonia.
This is where you’ll need to prune it.
Using sharp, sterile shears, snip the stem at this point.
New growth will form at the cut tip, allowing the plant to become fuller and more compact.
Tip: Instead of throwing away your leaf cuttings, consider using them for propagation.
Lighting
Another common cause of leggy Fittonias is low light conditions.
Direct sunlight can be harmful to a fittonia. Too much sun can scorch its leaves and cause it to dehydrate. A Nerve plant prefers low to medium light or bright, indirect sunlight and humid conditions
However, not enough light can cause it to become scraggly.
One easy way to tell if there’s a lighting problem is if the leaves are all bending in one direction.
This would suggest only one part of your plant is getting bright indirect sunlight, and you can remedy this by rotating the plant regularly.
Such bending may lead to one side of the plant becoming leggy if not addressed.
More importantly, you should check on your fittonia several times over a day to understand how much light it’s getting and when.
Ideally, the plant needs bright indirect light, which can equate to one of three scenarios:
- The plant is in a sunny window, protected by a sheer curtain, or right beside such a window.
- The plant is in a sunny spot but partially sheltered by the leaves of another plant to receive dappled sunlight.
- The plant is in a location that gets direct sunlight in the morning or evening but is in partial shade during midday.
You want your Fittonia to get around 5 to 6 hours of bright light daily in all three of these cases.
If the plant isn’t getting sufficient light, move it to a better spot. It can grow in lower light but its color may fade and growth will slow down.
Note that you may have to prune it back a little afterward to encourage healthier growth.
Tip: In more northern climates where the sun is less intense, you can use artificial lighting to augment an indoor Fittonia plant’s light supply, although it will still need access to actual sunlight.
Place close to fluorescent light or at a safe distance from metal halide or sodium lamps for the best results.
More on Fittonia Care:
Too Much Food
Finally, too much of a good thing is always bad, and fertilizer is no exception.
In the case of Fittonias, this excess food will encourage the plant to grow at a faster rate but at the cost of healthy growth.
Instead, it will stretch out and become a leggy nerve plant while becoming more sparse.
Pay attention to how much and how often you feed your fittonia.
A 5-5-5- NPK liquid fertilizer diluted by half is perfect. Apply according to the packaging instructions in between waterings and cutting back during its dormant months.
In the event, you believe you’ve been giving it too much fertilizer, cut back on how much you use and give the plant a pruning to reshape it to where you want it.
You may also wish to flush the soil on the next watering to ensure no excess fertilizer remains and skip the next feeding to get its growth rate back to normal.
Insufficient Humidity
The Fittonia plant thrives in high humidity, thanks to its rainforest roots.
Making sure it enjoys ample moisture is key to replicating its lush natural environment.
If things get too dry, you might notice leaf browning or wilting. Leaf Drop Leaf drop is usually the result of cold temperatures or drafts. Try to mimic the tropical conditions where this species naturally grows.
Regular potting soil with a peat-moss mix and a regular or shallow pot with several bottom drainage holes is ideal for the Fittonia.
To keep your Fittonia content, try misting it a couple of times a week, setting up a humidity tray, or finding a cozy, humid nook for it at home.
For an extra boost, consider introducing a room humidifier to create the perfect environment.
Seeing no changes?
If your Fittonia plant isn’t showing improvement with the mentioned methods, you might want to think about propagating it through stem cuttings to create new Fittonia plants.
Cut the stem a few millimeters above or below the leaf node to take the fittonia cuttings for propagating the plant.
How to Make Fittonia Bushy?
To make a Fittonia plant bushier, there are a few techniques you can try:
- Pinch back the tips: Using your fingers or a pair of sharp, clean scissors, pinch back the tips of the stems on your Fittonia plant. This will encourage new growth and make the plant bushier.
- Trim leggy stems: If you notice any long, leggy stems on your Fittonia plant, trim them back to just above a leaf node. This helps redirect energy to the remaining stems and promotes a more compact and bushier growth.
- Propagate from cuttings: You can also propagate Fittonia plants from cuttings. When you trim the leggy stems, you can save the cuttings and root them in water or moist soil to create new plants.
- Provide optimal growing conditions: Ensure your Fittonia plant receives the right care. Fittonias prefers moist soil but not overly wet conditions. They also thrive in warm temperatures and high humidity. Providing the proper temperature, humidity, and indirect sunlight can help promote bushier growth.
Remember to monitor your plant’s watering needs, as overwatering can lead to root rot.