Em :)
REDUCED rubber tree and curious if the damage/ light dots are a cause for concern before I mingle him with the rest of my plants!! š±š±
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REDUCED rubber tree and curious if the damage/ light dots are a causeā¦ | Pests, diseases and problems | Planta community
6 comments
- Matilda
The dots are just minerals from the water you use. Theyāll disappear with a wipe down
2 likes 
LadyTenorJDI also rescued a ficus from Loweās a few weeks ago (she was only $7, so I couldnāt leave her!), and she appeared to be healthy, except for a couple of dry leaves. Her soil was bone dry and she was definitely thirsty. I always (because I learned the hard way) quarantine new plants for a little while and treat for pests before letting them into my plant āneighborhoods.ā I suggest you do the same. I use a room that I leave plant free (my craft roomāI prefer not to have plants in there, except temporarily) to quarantine. As I mentioned, I learned to quarantine the hard way. I bought several plants from the orange store because they were 50% off. Luckily, only the new plants I brought in died, but I had to fight infestation on a few who were already in my house, and were infected by the new plants who brought infestation with them. Many times, plants are on clearance because they are infested (my expert sister warned me after I complained about the infestation I discussed above), but that is not always the reason. Iāve gotten great plants on clearance with no issues, including my ficus. I tried a few things when bringing home new plants, but what is working for me is to spray with my bio insecticide spray. I use Arber brand. I dilute with water as directed in a spray bottle and spray every inch of the new plant. I also pour the same mixture into the soil to kill any eggs or larvae that might be under the surface. I quarantine the new plants for 3 to 7 days (depending on species and gut feeling), and then I introduce them to their assigned areas among my other plants. Since Iāve done this, Iāve not had any infestations after bringing home new plants. The damage you see could have been pests or mishandling, but it appears to be old, so I donāt think it is a current pest issue. My other ficus (purchased full price, not the clearance one) had some broken leaves. They had āslitsā where the leaf was bent, perhaps from being dropped (who knows?), but as the leaves grew bigger, the skits/breaks widened into holes because of the leaf growth, but the plant is still doing well. The breaks look like the damage in your picture. This ficus was larger and more mature than others I see for the same price, and appeared healthy, so I took a chance and purchased her. Sheās doing great! Sheās the taller one on the right in the last photo, and the smaller one beside it is the clearance one I got at Loweās for $7. They both live outside on my screened lanai and are neighbors to my āoutsideā monsteras. I think your ficus will be just fine. Looks like itās in good shape for clearance!
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- Em :)
Wow your plants look amazing, Iāll quarantine for now while I find a treatment and keep my fingers crossed for her! Iāve not had an issue with pests before and sounds like I never want to risk it!!
1 like - Em :)
Iām glad the damage isnāt too serious as normally the shop I go to are pretty good!
1 like - Em :)
Youāre the best- thank you!
1 like - LadyTenorJD
You definitely donāt want an infestation! I lost 5 plants to infestationā¦ Your ficus is destined for greatness! Let me know how it comes along. š
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