Spotted my rubber plant dropping leaves for months before I figured it out

Turns out I was overwatering by like double the amount it needed because I kept poking the soil and thinking it felt dry deeper down. Anyone else have a plant that hid its real problem behind fake healthy leaves?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugo_cooper17d ago

Yeah I had the exact same thing with a fiddle leaf fig. Thought it was getting too much light because the leaves looked fine on top but then they'd just drop off at the slightest touch. Drove me crazy for three months. Turned out I was watering it like a normal plant when it actually needed way less because the pot was too big for the root ball. Soil stayed wet near the middle for way too long. Now I just lift the whole pot to feel the weight before watering. Way more reliable than poking your finger in there.

phoenixgonzalez17d ago

You know, I used to think the finger test was the only way to go, but you're making a lot of sense here, @hugo_cooper. I had a peace lily that did the same thing and I never connected the pot size to the watering problem. That weight trick is something I'm definitely going to try with my bigger plants from now on.