---
title: "Rubber Tree Dilemma & Advice I was out of the country for 2 months,…"
description: "Rubber Tree Dilemma & Advice I was out of the country for 2 months, and my propagation system failed for my rubber tree, so it was bone dry and pretty limp…"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ/q778qpQC5oWQCfD5Jv0V5N"
community: "Pests, diseases and problems"
author: "PlantGuy"
published: "2026-04-12T09:24:43.281727Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/dVtx54k5vYiWztBtiMEX8QS7aIa5SBMbPLHazohbr6w/BY9Sjq3vQgO4Tk7foNZG0A.webp?size=large"
---

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# Rubber Tree Dilemma \& Advice I was out of the country for 2 months,…

_Posted by PlantGuy on 2026-04-12_

Rubber Tree Dilemma \& Advice

I was out of the country for 2 months, and my propagation system failed for my rubber tree, so it was bone dry and pretty limp when i returned. I added before and after pics for context.

I cleaned and checked the roots, they seem fine still. But it’s been ~2 months since i got back and the leaves are still droopy and the stem is still leaning a little. There is a new shoot which is good.

But i don’t know whether to cut the stem down to 2 inches and start over, or try propagate from scratch using the new shoot. Or simply keep monitoring.

Any advice?

![Attachment 1 of 2](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/dVtx54k5vYiWztBtiMEX8QS7aIa5SBMbPLHazohbr6w/BY9Sjq3vQgO4Tk7foNZG0A.webp?size=large)

![Attachment 2 of 2](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/dVtx54k5vYiWztBtiMEX8QS7aIa5SBMbPLHazohbr6w/tfohOL1zRt29AgM2mTqQmQ.webp?size=large)

## 8 comments

### Alfie’s garden commented on 2026-04-12

From my experience with these ficus trees, if roaches will be still around after a nuclear war, these plants would be next. I have “nuked” mine multiple times and they just keep on bouncing back. Give it some time and slowly give it more and more water and I’m sure it will slowly come around depending on the season.  
Just be cautious about planting in the ground, best to keep them in pots like you have done as root system can get out of control. Good luck!

#### PlantGuy replied on 2026-04-12

Thank you! So you are saying just leave it be and it may recover?

#### Alfie’s garden replied on 2026-04-13

Yes absolutely.

### Victoria Maddison commented on 2026-04-12

The plant is definitely not dead, I think the best thing you can do is just continue to take care of it like normal, don’t overwater or you might accidentally cause root rot. As for the droopy leaves, I don’t know for sure but I imagine it’s like when leaves start turning yellow, they might not return to normal perkiness. I would still leave them on there for photosynthesis, but you might have to wait for new growth to have perky leaves again. Good luck!

#### PlantGuy replied on 2026-04-12

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts 🙏🏼

### plantgeek commented on 2026-04-12

resume care as normal 🤷‍♂️ if it's not dying it's doing something! green means you're still in the clear, it's 100% not dead and can recover from here

#### Alfie’s garden replied on 2026-04-13

I inherited a 5’ one that looked brown and 100% dead in a pot with a root ball that was so root bound it was a solid mass that hadn’t seen water for a long long time. I left it in the pot and slowly gave it more and more water and within a month it started growing new leaves and returned back to a healthy green within 6 weeks. Totally amazing it recovered from such a poor dried out state, hence my “nuked” comment 😆

#### PlantGuy replied on 2026-04-13

Thank you!

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