If the leaves start to droop a bit, then you know your plant is very thirsty. Rubber trees like to dry out but they don't like to become bone dry. Another way to tell if your plant is really thirsty is when you're watering and the water runs out quickly through the soil.
Dip your finger about three inches into the soil. If your finger comes out mostly clean and dry, it's time for a drink.
Wilting Wrinkling foliage: This is a clear indication that your Baby Rubber Plant is dehydrated and in need of a good drink.
The summer is prime growing time for rubber plants. And this is thirsty work, so they need to be watered more. Ideally, the soil should be moist (not waterlogged) at all times. It'll also get peckish during the spring and summer too.
Visible signs they want water: dry soil, light pot, drooping leaves, softening of leaves and stems. The leaves will also feel somewhat thinner when they are thirsty.
The leaves may also appear yellowish, dry brittle, and dull. If the plant is droopy and dry, you can try to water enough to where the soil is damp, but not overly soaked or floating in water.
Signs Your Plants Need More Water
Check the soil with a trowel, at least 2 or so inches below the soil to be sure, not just the top. Stunted growth. Small leaves. They're producing less flowers / less fruit than usual, or no flowers.
A healthy rubber plant will happily boast beautiful, glossy, deep emerald green leaves. They're an extremely fast-growing plant, so you'll also know if your plant is healthy if it shoots up dramatically during its growing season!
Rubber plants like humid air and appreciate an occasional misting—especially during winter, when the air is usually drier. But if your home is on the dry side, your plant can learn to deal with it.
Yellow leaves and a heavy pot may be your Rubber Plant's cry for help—overwatering is often the culprit. Root rot can follow, turning roots into mush and sapping the life from your plant. Signs: Yellow leaves, root rot. Causes: Too much water, poor drainage.
Ficus Elastica thrives in bright, but diffused sunlight and requires watering approximately every 15 days for optimal growth, however Rubber plant can go without water for over a month.
Remove the yellow leaves to encourage new growth. It's a bit like weeding, but for your plant. Maintaining plant hygiene is also important. It's not just about looks - it can also help to prevent further yellowing.
But indoors their height tops out at 6 to 10 feet. With the right balance of sunlight, water, and care, they'll grow quickly and can live 15 years or more, with long-lasting benefits for you. Read on to find out just how low maintenance the rubber tree is and what you'll need to keep yours happy and thriving.
To make a rubber tree plant bushy, prune back the branches a few inches in late winter. This stimulates branching at the cut. Remove dead or damaged leaves anytime, but always wear gloves — the rubber plant's milky sap can cause skin reactions.
Rubber Plant Helps Purify Air
Rubber plant increases humidity within a room and prevents the pollutants and any other unwanted particles to turn into dust and harm your respiratory system.
Rubber Plants prefer a bright spot indoors away from direct sunlight - direct sun, particularly hot afternoon sun, can burn the leaves. You'll find Rubber Plants in different forms including those with dark green or dark purple leaves and variegated forms with leaves mottled white/green or pink/green.
Rotate your plant every so often to keep its growth looking nice and even, allowing every portion of it to receive light at some point!
Therefore, it is best to only water it when the upper soil is dry. To determine this, you can use the finger test. Insert your finger into the soil. When the top few centimetres feel dry, it is time to water.
WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH RUBBER? Rubber grows on around 14 million hectares worldwide. Similar to palmoil, the production of natural rubber has been associated with deforestation. Also loss of biodiversity and soil erosion due to monoculture cultivation are major ecological problems of rubber cultivation.
Remove dead leaves and branches at any time of year.
This will improve the overall appearance of the rubber plant, and keep the plant in good health. You can remove dead leaves in any season using your fingers. You may need to use a pair of pruning shears to snip off dead branches.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
With mild water deficiency, plants are usually slow-growing and stunted. Some plant leaves turn from shiny to dull at first signs of stress. Grasses, which are the first to show the loss of water in the landscape, will show signs of wilt.
Overwatering means yellowing leaves, a general feeling of flop (science calls it wilting!), fuzzy soil, and a pot that feels like it could double as a weight. Underwatering shows itself with crispy leaves, that same sad droop, and bone-dry soil.
Dry soil will immediately crumble when you press it hard. Soil with just the right amount of moisture will form into a ball but then crumbles if you continue to press it. Soil can get soggy after watering, but it should not remain that way for an extended period.