14 Reasons Why Rubber Plant Leaves are Falling Off and their Remedies
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Rubber Plant is dropping leaves due to rot-rot, pests infestations, insufficient light, salts buildup, nutrients deficiency, inconsistent watering, soggy soil, temperature stress among others.
Rubber Plants botanically called, Ficus elastica, are the easiest of the Ficus varieties for indoor and outdoor growing; they easily adapt to a wide range of growing conditions.
Ficus elastica grow best in bright light with 4-6 hours of sunshine, warmth of 15-280C, humidity of 50-55% and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soil coupled with monthly feeding in spring and summer. Learn how to grow and care for Rubber Plants.
If you fail to provide the right growing conditions for your Rubber Plant it will drop it leaves. We have herebelow discussed 14 reasons why a Ficus elastica may shed leaves and how to fix it.
14 Causes of Rubber Plant Dropping Leaves & Fixes
1. Root-rot Disease
Rubber Plants are prone to root-rot disease which is prevalent in soggy soil. The disease is characterized by wilted, droopy, yellowing leaves, corky swellings under the leaves and leaf loss.
How to Fix It
- Carefully slip the Rubber Plant out of its pot and inspect the roots; brown-black mushy roots indicate root-rot, trim them off.
- Treat the healthy roots with a fungicidal solution as instructed by the manufacturer.
- Disinfect the pot with the fungicidal solution or use a fresh pot to repot the plant.
- Use a pot with a drainage hole and well-draining soil to avoid waterlogging.
- Do not water the plant immediately; keep it dry for a few days before resuming watering.
2. Poor Quality Soil
Poor quality soil does not drain well and easily becomes compacted or soggy which negatively impacts the growth of the plant. Soggy soil can lead to rotting, yellowing, drooping and leaf drop.
How to Fix It
- Pot Rubber Plant in a loose, free-draining soil that is nutrient-rich. A blend of 50% potting soil, 30% peat moss or coco coir (for moisture retention) and 20% perlite (for aeration) is perfect for these plants.
- Regularly inspect the Rubber Plant between and underneath the leaves for these pests and take timely control measures.
- Treat the infested plant with neem oil or insecticidal soap as per the manufacturers' instructions.
- Maintain the plant properly pruned to get rid of their breeding and hiding ground.
- Ensure that the plants are healthy at all times by providing the right growing conditions.
- To increase humidity, set the pot on a wet pebble tray, use of a humidifier or group the plants together to discourage these pests.
- Cutback the bare stems to promote new growth and also encourage a bushy, compact growth.
- Position the Rubber Plant in a brighter spot where it will receive bright light with 4-6 hours of sunshine. A spot infront of a large, well-lit window which receives some morning or late afternoon sunshine is ideal for the plant.
- You may use a grow light if you do not have enough natural light in your home.
- Regularly rotate the pot to ensure that the plant absorbs enough light on all sides.
- Ocassionally clean the leaves by damp wiping with a soft cloth to increase surface area for light absorption.
- Do not feed Rubber Plant in fall and winter, to prevent fertilizer burn since growth is minimal at this time.
- Use chemical free water like rain water or filtered water to prevent buildup of salts in the soil.
- Leach out the excess salts regularly, by running a stream of water through the soil until it comes out through the drainage holes. Repeat the process several times to clear as much salt as possible.
- Feed Rubber Plant with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer in spring and summer. Ensure to follow the instructions on the label of the plant food.
- Check the bottom of the pot for roots growing through the drainage hole and repot the Rubber Plant into a pot one size larger than the current one.
- Confirm that the pot has a drainage hole and the soil is loose and well-drained. Use a heavy pot as the plant can become top-heavy and topple over. Check out these ceramic pots with a drainage hole on Amazon.
- Water the Rubber Plant thoroughly one day before repotting; a well hydrated plant experiences less shock and establishes much faster.
- After repotting, maintain the plant in the same location until it is well established before moving it to a new location.
- Pot Rubber Plant in a pot one size larger with a drainage hole and well-draining soil.
- Cut down on watering in fall and winter to maintain the soil slightly moist as growth is minimal at this time.
- Water the Rubber Fig liberally in spring and summer and allow the top 2-3 inches of soil to dry out between waterings.
- Decrease watering in fall and winter but do not allow the soil to dry out completely; maintain the soil slightly moist.
- Keep Rubber Plant away from sources of drafts like drafty winds, AC vents, open doors, hot surfaces, hot air vents and others.
- Maintain a warmth of 15-280C for optimal growth; a temperature that is comfortable for you is ideal for the plant.
- Water Rubber Plant with water that is at room temperature to avoid cold shock and eventual death of the plant.
- When you bring your Rubber Plant home, place it in a warm place in bright light with 4-6 hours of morning or late afternoon sunshine.
- Water the plant when the top 2-3 inches of soil dry out between waterings but do not allow the soil to dry out completely.
- If you need to move the plant to a new location in the home, gradually acclimate it to the new conditions.
- Cutback the Rubber Plant stem at the desired height to rejuvenate growth. New growth should sprout just below the cut into a new bushy plant.
3. Pests Infestations
Rubber Plant is prone to aphids, mealybugs, scale insects and spider mites which are more common in weak plants and in extremely dry conditions. They attack the new growth from where they suck the plant sap, causing dehydration which results in wilting, drooping, yellowing and leaf losss.
How to Fix It
4. Insufficient Light
Adequate light is needed for making food required for energy and growth. Too little light implies that the plant cannot make enough food. In an attempt to save energy for the vital functions, the plant begins to drop leaves.
How to Fix It
5. Salts Buildup
Accumulation of salts in the soil will cause the roots to die due to fertilizer burn. Therefore, thry cannot take up nutrients and water to the upper parts of the plant. This causes the leaves to wilt, droop, yellow, brown and fall off.
How to Fix It
6. Nutrients Deficiency
Underfeeding implies that the plant is not getting enough nutrients needed for growth and energy. Lack of nutrients in the actively growing tips causes nutrients to be withdrawn from the older lower leaves which begin to yellow, brown and drop off.
How to Fix It
7. Being Pot-bound
If the plant is pot-bound, the roots have filled the pot and there is very little soil to hold water when you water the plant. Therefore, there is no water for the plant to take up to the leaves. The leaves loss their stiffness, begin to wilt, droop, yellow and fall off.
How to Fix It
8. Repotting Shock
Repotting may cause the plant some shock. This may lead to some leaves wilting and dropping before the plant can adjust to the new growing conditions.
How to Fix It
9. Soggy Soil
Soggy soil reduces the oxygen concentration in the rootzone, causing the roots to die. Thus, they cannot take up water and nutrients needed for the making food. Lack of enough food causes the plant to shed some leaves, to save food and energy for the vital functions.
How to Fix It
10. Inconsistent Watering
Both underwatering and overwatering negatively affect the growth of the plant. Underwatering causes wilting, drooping, yellowing, leaf drop and eventual death of the plant. Overwatering results in soggy soil which causes rotting, yellowing, leaf fall and plant death if the situation is not corrected.
How to Fix It
11. Temperature Stress
Extreme temperatures; either too high or too low due to drafts will affect the normal functioning of the plant systems. Too high temperatures will cause excessive loss of water leading to wilting and leaf drop, too low temperatures result in reduced growth and leaf loss.
How to Fix It
12. Too Cold Water
Rubber Plant is a tropical plant where it grows in constantly warm temperatures through out the year. Watering this plant with too cold water will result in stunted growth and loss of leaves.
How to Fix It
13. Sudden Changes
Sudden changes in the growing conditions will result in leaf drop. This is likely to occur when you bring the plant home or when you move it to a new location in the home.
How to Fix It
14. Aging
As the plant matures, it loses the lower leaves leaving a bare stem with a crown of leaves at the top. Loss of lower leaves is a normal occurence in this plant.
How to Fix It
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