rubber tree catastrophe - December 7th, 2003 at 08:34 PM
My fiance moved in with me in late August and his beloved rubber tree has really suffered. It was huge and healthy at his old place, although right before the move he forgot to water it for a while and it did drop a few leaves. But now it's lost almost all its leaves--the big old ones go yellow and drop, and new clusters just wilt overnight. The bare branches--some of them 3-4 feet long--are shriveled. It's pathetic, and my fiance is heartbroken. The plant is in a big, well-drained pot and gets indirect southern exposure--not less than it had before, I don't think. We let the top inch or two of soil get pretty dry before watering. I was hoping it was just in shock from the move, but now I'm afraid it's a goner. Anything we can do? Should I trim off the withered branches? Try to move it to a sunnier spot? Fertilize it? It's near a light switch; could we be brushing against it too much (it got a lot of contact at the old place, so this seems unlikely)?
I'm an unexperienced gardener who typically practices benign neglect; any suggestions are much appreciated.
I'm an unexperienced gardener who typically practices benign neglect; any suggestions are much appreciated.