Please do a Google IMAGE search using the words Ficus elastica oedema and compare your symptoms with some of the pictures to see if they match up. There's not really much to go on yet in the way of clues, but if the spots do match up and you find they are related to oedema, the cause is almost certainly over-watering. The spots would first have been wet lesions that you may or may not notice, turning brown & corky as the plant tries to 'seal' the injury. There are other possible causes, but I doubt they are light related. Photo-oxidation (sunburn) usually turns rather large patches of tissue silver before it turns brown, but usually the 'sunburned' areas will be quite large, perhaps palm-size or larger; and 'spots' aren't symptomatic of a light deficiency. If it's not oedema, and you can't provide a picture, an accurate description of the spots, including if there is a red/purple or yellow halo around them, would be helpful. Al

In an extremely high % of cases, necrotic leaf tips and margins are caused by over-watering, an excessively high level of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil solution, or some combination of the two. High root temperatures, nutritional imbalances, ammonium toxicity, and phytotoxicities (things poisonous to plants) like air pollution can also cause or contribute to the physiological disorder causing the symptoms. In most cases, the greatest amount of traction is to be gained from making sure your watering appropriately and flushing the soil of accumulating salts when you water. If you can't water appropriately w/o limiting normal root function or root health, you might want to take a look at the soil you're using. In any case, getting to the point where you can water to beyond the point of total soil saturation, so you're flushing the soil when you water, without having to worry the soil will remain saturated for an extended period, represents something of a breakthrough for the grower. When you find yourself at that point, it is much, much easier to consistently maintain your plants in a state of high vitality, which means you don't have the unsightly symptoms to remind you that the plant is being asked to tolerate something it's not genetically programmed to deal with. I'd start using a 'tell' to 'tell' you when it's time to water (see more below). I'd also keep learning more about how much impact soil choice has on your potential for consistent success. A General Overview (click me) Using a 'tell' Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support good root health, which is a prerequisite to a healthy plant. Watering in small sips leads to a build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor. In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water. Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'. One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue. Al

Elfin, you're variegated rubber is nice and red..I think they look so pretty when given lots of light and have the reddish hue. A west window should be fine..Both my green and variegated rubber plants are kept on the second floor in a south window which gets direct sun. I also noticed since placing in a brighter light, foliage grows closer together therefore it doesn't get spindly. The best route to go when a Ficus elastica is spindly is by air layering. Just cut a diagonal slit about halfway through the main trunk. Once cut, place wet spghagnum moss inside the slit, cover with plastic, then close plastic using ti's..Remove ti's about once a wk, mist moss thoroughly, reattach plastic w/ti's. It takes 6-8 wks for roots to grow..Once they do, cut under the slit, then plant in soil.. Most ppl air layer when rubber trees grow too tall, up and over the ceiling. Toni

Linda, your new Ficus has beautiful colors. Not only is it variegated, but contains red edging like green Rubber Trees has when placed in very bright/direct sun. Toni