A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The House Plant Forum What to do for my rubber tree plant...

I inherited this nice rubber tree plant from the previous owner of this house. It was quite healthy when I got it last summer but very clearly needed to be transplanted. I put it in a bigger pot last August with whatever soil I had around. It sprouted several new leaves and lost a few at the bottom, but seemed overall to be doing well. Then as winter wore on, it lost a few more leaves at the bottom, a few turned yellow and a few black. I turned it so it was getting better light, and I stopped watering it so much, and it seems to be levelling off here, but some of the leaves look like they're considering going yellow, and then there's the issue of the bottom of the stems -- they are defoliated and woody.

So I've read that pruning is a good idea, but I can't see exactly how I would do it. This plant has only two large stems with very large leaves -- one has five leaves and the other has twelve. There's just not that much to prune, and I'd hate to defoliate it further if in fact it needs some other kind of help. Alternately I could cut them down and do clippings, but is this a good idea? And if so, what exactly should I do with them?

(I've kind of done things on a whim with my plants, but my New Years Resolution is to make smarter decisions for them! So any help you can give me with this one would be great, thanks!)

When you repotted it does is have plenty of drainage?? and did you add new soils around the existing soil in the new pot?? Leave drop will sometimes happen after transplanting, When I bring mine in for the winter I usaully have a few leaves turn yellow and drop. You can alway cut off the stock growth and put it back in the same pot and it will root! the turning black could be from over fertilizing, or not using distilled water.Try to catch rainwater to use for watering. In the spring, I would change the soil completely, it could be the soil needed changing completely, Can you post a picture of it??

Maybe that's the thing, new soil. The soil it has is looking a little anemic and crusty. So I can just cut off at the bottom and stick the stems in new soil? Do I need to cut off a couple leaves for roots, or will it root from the stem?

As for the pot, maybe it doesn't have good enough drainage. It's a pot with a little space/contraption thingie in the bottom for draining, so that it drains into the bottom of the pot, not out of the pot. Is this not good enough, do you think? It was doing well until I got a little too good about watering it . Would it be okay if I'm more sparing with the water, or should I get a new pot with a hole in the bottom?

Thanks for your help! I'm going to figure out how to attach a picture.

I haven't yet got the hang of putting an image on here, but here's a link to it:
picture of my rubber tree

It does still look pretty good, but I want to catch a problem before it gets totally wrecked, you know? You can't see in the picture, but several of the leaves are starting to get a little yellow. I don't know if they're going to drop or not.

I'm thinking more and more that I should get it a new pot with better drainage. I'll also put it outside in the spring, but I'm in Anchorage, Alaska (can't remember the zone right off the top of my head) so that might not be until May. I'm sure it'll love that, though! Right now we have only snow, but I'll collect rain water when it warms up.

The lean has been there since I got it. I think it was leaning toward the window in the room where the former owners had it, but where it's at now it's in the middle of the room with windows on either side. Now it leans that way no matter which way I turn it. I wish I could put it directly in the window, but we have dogs, cats, and a toddler, and, well, it's in the best place where it can get some light and still be safe from destruction. I like the idea of getting it a stake, though. I'll have to do that when I get it a new pot.

Thanks again for your help! Yours is pretty amazing -- I'm hoping this one goes gangbusters like that when I get it better situated.

Get snow and let it melt it's still the same thing . Heyyyyyyy I've been to Anchorage , AL I was there years ago,, I have a pic when I driving up a small mountain there was an elk? moose? very near the road and I took a picture of it I hurried up and got back in the car too! Also took a bush plane ride, and went to like a flea market got some ivory carved hummingbird earrings, I still have them and that was almost 30 years ago,, Hmmm tellin my age now!

I believe once you set it outside, when the temps say above 55 at night give it fertilizer when you first put it out and add a little bit of sterilized sand to the soil you use, make sure you don't have a clip on water catcher because it doesn't drain out as well, BUt don't repot it NOW wait until spring when your ready to take it out, and change out the dirt completely,IF you do it now, you'll put it in shock and probably will have more leaf drop, cut back on the watering I only water mine good once every 2 weeks or so, IF you wait to repot in the spring DON"T fertilize it upon repotting wait a couple of weeks them feed it Do you have "Super thrive" there?? it comes in a bottle one drop per gallon, Great stuff I use it every spring for all perennials and houseplants to give it a push start and it has hormones plants love it! You notice how small the pot is that I have mine in?? I noticed how large yours was ~ you may want to go down a couple of inches in diameter .

WOW - both of your rubber plants look very healthy!

Diane - I cannot believe how tall yours is, and it's still standing upright!
I've never had such luck with any that I grew, and I've tried the numerous times, years ago, but finally gave up.

I always thought they had to be air-layered to produce another plant - do you really just stick the cut stem back into the pot? Maybe I'll have to give this plant another try soon!

Phoebekitty - I, too, lived in Anchorage from 1977-8.
I lived on Telequana Drive - near Earthquake Park - is that anywhere near where you are? I just loved it there, even met my husband there - he lived in Girdwood.

I still have a friend there - the one I went up to Alaska with - she lives in the hills just outside of town. My husband and I keep saying that one of these days we have to go back and visit - I'm sure everything is pretty different from back then!

Hi again --

angelblossom: You probably saw a moose...
Here's a link the view outside our front window on Friday: http://bp3.blogger.com/_YO9I1QzmVKQ/R8NWfYyxreI/AAAAAAAAASM/AESfc30wqjM/s1600-h/DSCN0025.JPG I wish I got a picture when she came up and looked in the window but the dogs were going nuts. Sorry I can't seem to upload a picture or link very gracefully. I think my browser is incompatible.

plants 'n pots: I'm in South Anchorage. Our house was built in the early seventies so it would have been some new subdivision out in the sticks when you were here! It's indeed different (I would imagine). We're even getting a Target soon! lol.

An update on my rubber tree -- I'm just holding tight for now like you suggested, not watering much, but I have been taking it down and putting it in the bright afternoon sun when it comes in the window. I know they don't like to be moved a lot, but it does seem to be haulting the leaf yellowing.

Thanks again for your thoughts!

Those rubber trees look nice. I just got one and have cats. Are they poisonous to cats?
We went to Alaska about 3 years ago on a cruise and our last stop was Anchorage where we caught a plane to come home. We ate Reindeer hot dogs on the courthouse lawn. Let me tell you, that was the best meal, bar none that I had the entire trip.
We love Alaska and hope to go back again someday.

they can be, but my cats don't mess with them.