In case you hang around on Instagram today, you will notice crops of their prime, with terribly recent leaves, a sublime stand, unbelievable colours or uncommon options. It’s good to {photograph} them straight out from the plant nursery, but it surely’s nicer to have the ability to preserve them in ‘instagrammable’ situation. You realize it by now, my focus is all about serving to you take care of your favourite crops on the long term.
That’s why on this aricle I offers you a step-by-step rationalization of how I over-watered my rubber plant and the way I thankfully realized the problem earlier than it was too late. I hope all of the rubber plant mother and father on the market will profit from that!
In a rush? Scroll straight right down to see the care suggestions now.
THE RUBBER PLANT IS A HARDY SPECIES, NO NEED TO OVER-CARE

I used to be about to go on holidays and determined to water my rubber plant (Ficus Elastica) one final time. I am all the time cautious after I water my rubber plant as a result of I do know that it would not tolerate massive quantities of water very nicely.
At house, this plant remains to be potted in its unique plastic pot. However it’s positioned inside a bigger ornamental ceramic pot (as you possibly can see above) and overlaid with a thick layer of moss. So, the plastic pot is out of attain, and, due to that, I am compelled to water from above, which makes issues much more troublesome. My most well-liked watering method is to water from under as a substitute (soaking it in a tray) as a result of it is extra homogeneous and the plant can soak up simply what it needs earlier than I drain extra water away. Again to my story, I did not have a selection and watered with the content material of 1 massive glass and left for trip. I suppose that it’s the method that is utilized by a lot of you, so I assumed that it was price writing about it. Guess what occurred subsequent? Once I got here again two of the underside leaves have been feeling unwell and turned yellow. One yellow leaf dropped this morning after I moved the plant and the opposite one will comply with quickly, sadly. Undecided if I will have the ability to recuperate this leaf. Let’s analyze what’s occurred and study one thing:
THE STEP-BY-STEP OVER-WATERING DRAMA

- The soil was completely dry initially, however the plant was feeling wholesome.
- Planning forward for the vacation break, I watered from above, an excessive amount of without delay. The water consumption wasn’t homogeneous and the surplus water did not drain correctly.
- Roots on the backside of the pot needed to sit in extra water for a lot of days.
- The plant reacted to this by sacrificing the older leaves on the backside of the stem, in favor of the brand new ones (the massive leaves which are instantly connected to the primary stem of the plant are the oldest)
- I in all probability ought to have watered much less, extra evenly, or made certain to empty extra water correctly (see the soaking method which always proves to have higher outcomes).
- To repair the issue, I ended watering her for an extended time frame, minimize the useless leaves and let her be. I do know she will be able to develop on neglect and that I used to be being just a little over-caring along with her. She’s a grown-up, lesson’s realized!