We were asked to help diagnose the problems of this Ficus elastica Tineke and how she could be taken care of. If you have issues with one similar to this, continue reading to know more!
The info we’ve got about this plant
What is the scientific name or common name of your plant? Ficus elastica tineke
How long have you had your plant? 3 months
When does the sun enter the room where your plant is? The sun never enters directly into the room. It’s facing north
How far (in meters), roughly, is your plant of a window in that room? Near the window
How often have you watered your plant? 2 times per week
Have you been fertilizing your plant? Yes
Have you ever repotted your plant? No
What symptoms does your plant show? Frequent fall of leaves, which begin to turn brown and soft (lower part of the plant); The emerging of new leaves stopped.
Our analysis
If you read our blog post about this beautiful plant Ficus elastica, you will know that she needs lots of light to be happy. South or West-facing rooms are the perfect space to have her. In a North-facing window, even in the spring-summer season, it definitely is low light for her to grow healthy.
Regarding the watering routine, you are definitely giving her too much water for the light she is getting. Even in a south-facing window at this time of the year (Spring), watering two times per week could be too much. Read our blog post about how to water your plant properly to know more.
All the symptoms that you mentioned – frequent fall of leaves, which begin to turn brown and soft (lower part of the plant), and new leaves stopped growing – are typical of a bad watering routine (in this case, too much) considering the light conditions the plant is having.
Our recommendations
The first thing to do is move your plant to the sunniest room in the house. Feel the potting mix before you water your plant again, and only do it when you feel that is dried.
Just to set your expectations, the damaged parts of the plant will never be green again. Wait for new leaves to begin to emerge and as soon as you have a few more healthy leaves, you can cut the damaged ones off.
Ficus elastica Tineke is a great long-term plant – you can get past this problem! Good luck!
Plant Doctor help
Do you need help to know what’s wrong with your green mate? We are here to help you! If you’ll allow us to use your questions and photos in our content to help others (no personal info will be used), then fill out this form and we will do our best to diagnose the problem and suggest solutions within five business days.
