I've had this rubber plant for about a year now but its leaves have been falling and I've noticed browning of some leaves as well. Despite, leaves falling it has grown a new leaf. It was diagnosed with overwatering which I've worked on it for about 2 months now. Could I save my plant?
The plant looks healthy overall, which is great. Since it’s getting tall and leggy, I’d recommend pruning it to encourage fuller growth. You can cut just above a leaf or node on the main stem—don’t take off more than a third of the plant at once. Follow up with a balanced houseplant fertilizer to support new growth.
2 likesThank you so much! I will definitely look into pruning my plant.
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It is often called a Baby Rubber Tree. It’s actually a Peperomia Obtusifolia. It is a semi succulent so it has somewhat different needs than regular tropical plants. I’ve had the variegated version for several years and have propped many cuttings from it. The care I provide is loose airy soil (succulent soil), allow to dry out between waterings, and provide plenty of bright light. Mine gets a few hours of morning sun everyday. To me yours looks as if it is overwatered (as diagnosed), and is lacking light (stems are weak and leaves are spaced far apart).
Completely agree with Phil 👍. Especially with the obtusifolia variety of peperomias, they do great in cactus and succulent mix. I’d personally recommend Espoma’s Organic Cactus and Succulent mix if you’re looking for a pre-mixed soil brand to try. Been using it for a few years and my peperomias love it. And from my experience, I wouldn’t recommend Miracle Grow’s Cactus mix for this one, especially if you live in a more humid environment. It’s just not well-draining enough for this plant. I water mine every 11-14 days during this season, and use a bamboo/barbecue skewer to stick into the bottom of the soil to check if the soil is dry enough before watering. Peperomias are awesome plants, especially for beginners, once they’re in a proper soil mix for them, and I’ve found mine can enjoy a lower light north-facing windowsill and the longer lasting sun of a south-facing windowsill once gradually exposed to more light, so they’re great if you don’t have spaces that get lots of sun, but they definitely appreciate it too.
If you want to be extra cautious, you could check the roots for any rot from previous overwatering if you plan on repotting yours. I’ve also found that they enjoy being more snug in their pots and getting a little root-bound, so keeping it in a pot around 1-2 inches larger in diameter to the width of the root ball will help it from sitting in too much soil than it needs. A terra cotta pot with a large drainage hole and plastic pots with multiple drainage holes work well for this one. If you do find any root rot, feel free to come back and say so, and I’d be happy to walk you through how to treat it 😊
1 likeI'm hoping I can get it to thrive like yours. I will look into changing the soil as well.
1 likeI found out a couple years ago that not enough light will cause them to drop leaves. Overwatering can too tho.
1 likeCan yall help me ! 😩 what kind of pepperomia do I have. She’s glittery, purple under her leaves and I’m noticing stems are turning purple. Got her in February.
That doesn’t look to be a peperomia. It looks more like something akin to a callista repens to me. I’d recommend you make a post on the Plant Identification group to get some more answers. Hope this helps! 👍
1 likeWill do, Thanks!
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