Dying Rubber Plant

Hello,

I need some help. I have a rubber plant that I rescued when I moved into my flat as it was on the doorstep and looking quite dead.

I brought it in and it flourised and was really healthy. It was fine for about 3 years but recently started to look a little sick.

I started to give it a bit more water as it was winter and all my heating had been on and so I thought maybe it was a bit dry.

Now it has completey died (i think) all the leaves are gone and it only has a stalk left, it doesn't even have any green bits and both my housemate and boyfriend think it is dead.

I want to save it but I don't know how. Does anybody have any tips....

Should I give it fertiliser, or prune it.

I have moved it already to a lighter spot as it was in quite a dark corner.

Please help.....

 

Sounds like its dead to me, I think you might have overwatered it.
Scratch the bark low down the stem, if its green underneath it still alive.
If so, dont water or feed and let it get dryish before watering, keep it at room temperature and as much light as you can.

 

If the stalk is brown too, then sad to say it probably is dead!
If the stalk is green, I would upend the plant and look at the roots. If they look sodden and rotted, then not much hope. If the stem is green and the roots look fleshy, it just might shoot again... :(

[ 11. February 2006, 03:38 PM: Message edited by: Liz ]

 

If like Pete and Liz says there is any green low down on the stem then it might recover, if the rootball is still wet, tap it out of the pot and wrap the rootball in several layers of newspaper also standing it on newspaper until the excess has been absorbed......doesn't sound good though

 

*
I had a Monstera Deliciosa (Swiss cheese plant) many years ago that suffered the same fate. I rang a place (can't recall who, what or where) and they roared with (sympathetic) laughter and said that it was the most common problem they encountered. I'd overwatered it, you see!

BTW all the leaves fell off but I left it for a while - principally because I couldn't be bothered to throw it out - and it started growing leaves again but it always looked odd, this long twisted stick with leaves growing out the top!

[ 11. February 2006, 06:30 PM: Message edited by: michaelmasdaisy ]

 

I had a large monstera too and a litter of red setter puppies ate all around the bottom of it which killed it off (like bark ringing a tree but all the way around)I did manage to get the top foot or so rooted and that survived ok

 

Sounds a bit like overwatering I have done it in the past and will probably do it again.

 

Moral.

Put at least 1" of gravel/broken croc in the bottom of your pots and use free draining compost. Stand the pot on a pot saucer 3/4 filled with small (pea) gravel If the saucer looks wet then don't water, wait until it's barely damp or just dried. If you do feel the temptation, mist (not soak) the leaves instead.

Indoor plants also seem to like being stood outside occasionally on warmish rainy days for a bit of natural light and weather. It really gives them a boost.

[ 14. February 2006, 10:55 AM: Message edited by: frogesque ]