Brown holes are tips of rubber tree plant!

by Liana
(Nyc )

Hi there! My rubber tree plant has these browned tips with holes in them?? I just bought it about 3 weeks ago and it’s still in its original pot and soil. I’ve been watering it only when the top ~inch and a half of the soil is dry so it’s only been about twice in 3 weeks. The soil stays moist for quite a while.

I have it sitting about 3 feet away from a very bright eastern facing window. It’s 90% in bright indirect light but sometimes some direct light hits it for maybe a couple hours, but not even most days.

Also, this leaf at the very bottom just fell off (attached in pictures)

Should I repot it? Is it getting too much light? Is the watering off?

Thanks so much!!

Comments for Brown holes are tips of rubber tree plant!

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Jul 26, 2020

Perfect!
by: Jacki Cammidge, Certified Horticulturist

Your Ficus elastica looks great! As you just bought it recently, it will take a while for it to get established in your conditions.

I think the damage on the leaves (especially the bad one) happened before you got it - it looks like it got crushed during transit. There's nothing you can do about that. As long as there's enough green for the plant to survive on, they will gradually drop off and be replaced by new ones.

I would leave it in the same pot for another month or so, and repot it before the weather cools in the fall.

The watering sounds fine - reduce it in the winter, pick it up when growth starts in the spring. They don't like to sit in standing water - the soil needs to be fast draining, and the pot must have drainage holes.

These plants are so tough, generally nothing bothers them, and it looks healthy and good colour.

Keep in mind that these plants don't like to be moved around much. They'll drop their leaves if they don't like the conditions, and in the spring just before they send out new growth.

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