I have this beautiful rubber tree for 1.5 years now. In the last 6 months, leaves are started to droop, turning yellow, falling off and became softer in texture.
I have a moisture meter and always only water when it’s showing low, there is drainage hole in the bottom with a layer of rocks. After couple months of loosing 50% of it’s leaves, I decided to try the last thing which is repot and change the soil. I used the Miracle Gro soil. I was hoping it will bring it back to life, two weeks now, the leaves started to turn yellow again and dropping again, this time it’s even faster.
I think what I will do next is to take it out of soil and check the root rot. I don’t know what to look for and did not check when I was repotting. Please help as I want to revive it!
Jkwaks
In my experience when it happened to one of my rubber plants, it turned out to be root rot! May be it’s the same! But you’re way more experienced because you have this plant for 1.5 years!
Qopperus
I would assume root rot. Probably a big pot was drying in some areas but holding onto moisture in others. I found a layer of rocks at the bottom did very little. I added a lot of perlite to my mix. It’s not too late, but you may be better off getting it reestablished and cutting off the tops. It will give you a different growth form (bushier top). Another thing to consider is the buildup of minerals and salts in the soil if it is a poorly draining pot (as I suspect). Over time your tap water may be hurting it, try rainwater or distilled water and flush it out well every few months. Time to repot for sure.
-I have this plant.
ktfdoom
I don’t think it’s root rot personally. I think it’s thirsty af
Deserted-mermaid
I would suspect there’s a few things happening here.
The soil looks very compacted, rubbers prefer well draining soil. I would do potting soil and you can add more perlite or orchid bark or even lava rocks or a combination of all the above.
You are over watering. You probably have been over watering from the beginning it was just taking longer to show / take effect. Rubbers like to really dry out and then have their soil completely saturated when it is watering day. Overwatering refers to the frequency of watering rather than the amount.
It most likely has root rot due to sitting in so much water. You need to repot, check the roots, cut off any rotting ones and repot into better draining soil. Also let it dry out, the soft droopy leaves are indicating that it is very wet
These moisture meters work ok for small plants where the needle can reach the bottom. I bet if you take out the soil when the meter is measuring dry you will find the root ball soil soaked. The best method to test for soil is either those soil sample needles that go all the way down and actually pull soil out for you to physically examine, or sticking your hand in dig a little and feel the soil.
Also, don’t put rocks in the bottom, contrary to what most people think, rocks don’t actually let that much water through but push the wet soil, so to speak, upwards. Use Leca balls for drainage or skip a drainage layer all together if the pot has drainage. If you’re worried about soil falling through there are mesh covers or you can just cut to size mesh like the screens and use that to keep soil in but water out.
Rubber trees are extremely hardy and come back easily from most everything. If you pull out the roots and find the bottom has completely rotted including the stem, you can still cut the top off, stick it in water, wait for new roots, then repot it.
Hope this helps
GreuDeFumat
Overwatered at it’s finest. Clean roots and repot, but seems a gonner
cavvypants
Soil isn’t drying out completely between waterings. You should also take it out of that plastic grow pot and put it in a clay pot with drainage hole at the bottom and a tray underneath. Grow pots (the plastic ones plants come in when you buy) should only be used temporarily. If you just plop a grow pot into a larger pot without drainage, then this will keep happening- even if you put rocks at the bottom.
_26king
Looks like over watering. You can report or you can risk it and place it in a brighter spot for a while to dry out
IpuUmma
Over watering!
Charming-Flamingo-24
Also get happy happy house plant food. It is amazing! I had a fiddle fig that was dying and it brought it back to life.
10 Comments
I have this beautiful rubber tree for 1.5 years now. In the last 6 months, leaves are started to droop, turning yellow, falling off and became softer in texture.
I have a moisture meter and always only water when it’s showing low, there is drainage hole in the bottom with a layer of rocks. After couple months of loosing 50% of it’s leaves, I decided to try the last thing which is repot and change the soil. I used the Miracle Gro soil. I was hoping it will bring it back to life, two weeks now, the leaves started to turn yellow again and dropping again, this time it’s even faster.
I think what I will do next is to take it out of soil and check the root rot. I don’t know what to look for and did not check when I was repotting. Please help as I want to revive it!
In my experience when it happened to one of my rubber plants, it turned out to be root rot! May be it’s the same! But you’re way more experienced because you have this plant for 1.5 years!
I would assume root rot. Probably a big pot was drying in some areas but holding onto moisture in others. I found a layer of rocks at the bottom did very little. I added a lot of perlite to my mix. It’s not too late, but you may be better off getting it reestablished and cutting off the tops. It will give you a different growth form (bushier top). Another thing to consider is the buildup of minerals and salts in the soil if it is a poorly draining pot (as I suspect). Over time your tap water may be hurting it, try rainwater or distilled water and flush it out well every few months. Time to repot for sure.
-I have this plant.
I don’t think it’s root rot personally. I think it’s thirsty af
I would suspect there’s a few things happening here.
The soil looks very compacted, rubbers prefer well draining soil. I would do potting soil and you can add more perlite or orchid bark or even lava rocks or a combination of all the above.
You are over watering. You probably have been over watering from the beginning it was just taking longer to show / take effect. Rubbers like to really dry out and then have their soil completely saturated when it is watering day. Overwatering refers to the frequency of watering rather than the amount.
It most likely has root rot due to sitting in so much water. You need to repot, check the roots, cut off any rotting ones and repot into better draining soil. Also let it dry out, the soft droopy leaves are indicating that it is very wet
These moisture meters work ok for small plants where the needle can reach the bottom. I bet if you take out the soil when the meter is measuring dry you will find the root ball soil soaked. The best method to test for soil is either those soil sample needles that go all the way down and actually pull soil out for you to physically examine, or sticking your hand in dig a little and feel the soil.
Also, don’t put rocks in the bottom, contrary to what most people think, rocks don’t actually let that much water through but push the wet soil, so to speak, upwards. Use Leca balls for drainage or skip a drainage layer all together if the pot has drainage. If you’re worried about soil falling through there are mesh covers or you can just cut to size mesh like the screens and use that to keep soil in but water out.
Rubber trees are extremely hardy and come back easily from most everything. If you pull out the roots and find the bottom has completely rotted including the stem, you can still cut the top off, stick it in water, wait for new roots, then repot it.
Hope this helps
Overwatered at it’s finest. Clean roots and repot, but seems a gonner
Soil isn’t drying out completely between waterings. You should also take it out of that plastic grow pot and put it in a clay pot with drainage hole at the bottom and a tray underneath. Grow pots (the plastic ones plants come in when you buy) should only be used temporarily. If you just plop a grow pot into a larger pot without drainage, then this will keep happening- even if you put rocks at the bottom.
Looks like over watering. You can report or you can risk it and place it in a brighter spot for a while to dry out
Over watering!
Also get happy happy house plant food. It is amazing! I had a fiddle fig that was dying and it brought it back to life.