Ficus Elastica: Please Help Troubleshoot & Transfer to Gritty Mix

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

Hi Everyone! I need some help with My Ficus Elastica aka Rubber Tree and hoping the community here could help shed some light and help me save my baby! I think it is suffering from sodium build-up and would like to understand what is going on and how to troubleshoot (if possible).

My Environment: I live in an apartment in Chicago (zone 5b). We have 4 seasons here, receiving snow and freezing temps in the winter and about 4 months of warm to hot weather in the Spring/Summer with our annual relative humidity averaging around 70% percent. My apartment has 3 large north-facing windows downstairs (medium-light with no direct sunlight) and 2 east facing skylights upstairs (med-high light, receiving some direct sunlight).

Background: I brought my rubber tree home in April of 2019. Soon after, I started watching Youtube videos on "indoor plant care" and "potting soil mixture for indoor plants", etc. After a couple of hours on YT, I thought (wrongly) I knew what I needed to do to help my plant thrive. I was determined to make my own soil using the "best" ingredients and made a mix of orchid bark, coco coir, perlite & worm castings, repot my plant, and flushed the soil with water. When my rubber tree started to rapidly decline I began to do some research and (thankfully!!) found Al's "Container Soils - Water Movement and Retention" discussion. At that point, I repot the rubber tree in its original nursery container using ~80% perlite to ~20% potting soil/bark mix while I set out to find the ingredients to make Al's Gritty Mix.

Fast-forward 5 months and my rubber tree is still in that 80/20 mix and up until recently, the plant has been fine. I was able to water it thoroughly every week and set it outside on the fire escape to receive direct sunlight a couple of hours every day.

I finally succumbed to buying Bonsai Jack's mix (which is great, just pricey) after watering like usual and then getting hit with a bunch of rainy grey days back to back. I ended up losing a couple of bottom leaves due to overwatering. The following week I skipped watering altogether and the next 2 weeks after that I watered in "sips" due to the forecast and in fear of overwatering.

Current Problem: 2 of the 3 stems have middle and bottom leaves that are curling inwards and drooping (have lost 2 leaves in the past 3 weeks so far) paired with wrinkly-looking stems. As a result of watering in "sips", I believe my rubber tree might be suffering from a salt build-up but I am not sure.

Does anyone know what might be the cause? What could I do to troubleshoot/? If the stems are wrinkled does this mean it is too late to save?

Transfer to Gritty Mix: I would like to transfer this rubber tree into the gritty mix and terracotta to get it ready for winter but am not sure how to do it safely to ensure my plant does not suffer any further. I am also new to planting in the gritty mix and am worried I am going to hurt the roots in the repot process. How do I repot without causing damage? How far down should the roots be when I repot? Do I need to water right afterward? Does the mix need to be soaked prior to repot? Will I need to fertilize and if so, how frequently?

Soil description copied from Bonsai Jack: "Our proprietary soil mix consists of 33% 1/4 Pine Bark Fines, 33% 1/4 Bonsai Block (calcined clay) and 33% Monto Clay (1/4 inch Turface) with a particle size of 1/4 inch for the absolute best soil ingredients for all acid loving plants including your succulents."

Misc: Are there any books/discussions/scholarly articles you could recommend to me that you feel I would benefit from? (house plants, container gardening, plants in general)

Sorry for the length of this post! If you got this far, thank you for reading! Any help is greatly appreciated.

Featured Answer

tropicofcancer (6b SW-PA)

4 years ago

I do not think you have to worry about root rot with the mix you (80 perlite + 20 potting mix). I suspect the opposite especially since a good proportion of the perlite seems to be on the large side. You have more like a cactus mix. Your soil is holding lot less water. Perlite has mostly floated upwards and the finer potting mix is settling to the bottom where it is retaining more water and less air.

You can flush it without any problems. When flushing water slowly and evenly and let 20-30% of the water flow out and do it 2-3 times in 10 minutes interval.

If it was my plant I would transfer to gritty mix. It is better if the mix is a bit moist but not soggy wet. After you done the transfer, water it really well. And you may need to water it a bit more often in the beginning. Start fertilizing weakly after a week or so. It will also help a lot if it gets more light - so your east facing window will be a better choice. Indoor light even directly through a window is lot less than what is outside.

To repot: First make sure you have enough mix ready. In a bucket mist/spray with plain water until it is moist. It will stay pretty moist for a few days. Prepare the pot - If it has large holes you will need a screen to prevent the mix from getting out of the holes. Any plastic or metal mesh will do. I often use the mesh from Michaels meant for art projects (plastic canvas or something like that) - https://www.michaels.com/plastic-canvas--7-mesh--clear--18-x-12-inches/D059202S.html I make square pieces at least 3 times as big as the holes. Carefully lay an inch layer of mix at the bottom so that the mesh does not move around when your adding more of the mix later.

Unpotting: Remove the plant, clear out existing mix as much as possible. It should be easy in your case. I often use a hose with mist or gentle spray setting to clear the last bits of soil. Bulk of the soil I remove using a root rake. But you can use a chopstick to rake out the soil as if you are combing hair. You goal is to untangle the roots. Keep a bucket of water handy to soak the roots once in a while to keep them wet during the process. You want to keep the roots wet throughout the process. If you feel tired or out of time leave the roots submerged in a bucket of water till you can get to it again. Do not worry nothing bad will happen. Take a picture of the roots after you are done.

At this point you need to root prune. Goal is to untangle again. Prune out thick roots that are excessively curved and going inwards. I take out most of the thick roots. I want them to uniformly fan out from the base of the tree and cut all random length roots so that I end with flat base. It is much easier to repot.

Into gritty: make a mound of soil in the center and place your plant on top of this central mound. Holding the plant in one hand pour soil a little bit at a time trying to fill all the gaps between roots first. A chopstick is again handy to push and jiggle the soil into the gaps. Keep doing it until fully covered. Jiggle the pot and the plant from time to time to let the soil fill in the gaps. Water really well after you are done.

Recently, I did a very a mature F. benghalensis (very similar to your plant). Here are some pics:

Before, in 511 mix.

My wife sawing the bottom tangle of roots.

After several washing and root pruning. Need sharp saws, pruners, etc. Check out the root rake in the foreground.

In gritty mix and soaking in water.

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Comments (19)

cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
4 years ago
I’ve never grown this plant (not that THAT had ever stopped me from giving advice), but I wish to compliment you on your depth of description. Someone will be along soon to give you advice that will answer your questions for sure, and I’m sure they will appreciate the chapter and verse.
De Villa
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you! I thought It was a little much lol but then thought the detail may be helpful.
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De Villa
Original Author
4 years ago
Elena
4 years ago
Others with more experience may show up with good advice, but in the meantime I'll ask you this: how do you decide when the plant wants water? Were you just watering weekly on a schedule? My plants vary a lot in how frequently they need water depending on temperature, sun exposure, humidity, growth rate, etc.

If you're not doing it already, check to make sure the plant is thirsty before you water. I do this a couple of ways. First I lift the pot to see if it feels significantly lighter than it did just after watering. Then I use a probe to see how moist the mix is. I use a wooden skewer, some use dowels or even pencils. Insert it all the way to the bottom of the pot, leave it for a few seconds, then remove and feel it.

Bone dry? Water now. Wet with soil clinging to it? Wait a few more days and check again. Cool and moist, but almost dry? Maybe water now, if it's sunny and the plant is growing well, maybe wait another day or two. When you do water, water until it flows out of the bottom of the pot and discard the overflow. Make sure the plant doesn't remain standing in any water.

If I were you, I don't think I'd repot right now, especially a stressed plant headed into a Chicago winter, unless it were an emergency (others can hopefully tell you more about whether this constitutes an emergency, but I don't think it does). I would water based on the above, maybe with a little weak fertilizer just to make sure the plant is getting what it needs since it's in such a lean mix, and then wait until next spring or summer to repot.
De Villa
Original Author
4 years ago
Hi @Elena!

For my rubber plant, I was watering it on a pretty routine schedule during the summer give or take a couple of days depending on a couple of factors: first I would check to see how wet/dry the soil was by using my fingers and feeling about 2 inches down, then I would lift the pot to see how heavy it was (the mix is 80% perlite 20%potting mix/bark - so it's pretty light as is), and finally I would simply look at the plant leaves and use them as an indicator (droopy=probably thirsty).

The salts and mineral build-up seem to be the most ailing element right now, aside from the soil composition, and I am freaking out in fear of root rot because I know I need to flush it but the soil is not built correctly. I was thinking of watering it all the way through to flush it and taking a hairdryer to the sides to help speed up the drying process and then wait to see how the plant bounces back. I also don't know how effective the hairdryer will be against a plastic pot. Any thoughts? Is there an "SOS" button on here? lol

Thank you for your suggestions and for taking the time to read & respond! I am going to use your dowel method from now on - - I have always felt like a couple of inches in the soil wasn't enough! That is the perfect solution :)
De Villa
Original Author
4 years ago
Hi @tropicofcancer (6b SW-PA)!!

Wow, look at the roots on your plant! Beautiful!! I will show these pictures to my plant to give it some inspiration! lol

Before I caught your post I read Don't Forget to Flush by @tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a) within the houseplant discussion board and flushed my rubber tree once and then again 15 minutes later. I was able to get it out of the pot and have it sitting on a towel and have been spraying the roots that are encircling the outside.

A couple of questions for you:

I need to run out and buy the screen. Should I leave the plant as is in the current soil and stick it back in the original pot (it's still pretty wet)? Or remove the soil and stick the bare roots in water?

If some reason I cannot find the screen or need to go to multiple locations, How long could I leave the plant like this?

How many inches of root do you think I should cut? The roots are about 6 inches deep and the surface is about 8 inches across.

Does this pot look big enough? It's an 8x6. The pot it was in before was an 8x8. Since I have the gritty mix, I know the pot size doesn't necessarily matter, but I am asking to make sure the roots have plenty of space to grow.

This is what it looks like:

Bottom:

Thank you soooo much for your help! This has been an invaluable source of information.
tropicofcancer (6b SW-PA)
4 years ago
Does not look bad though. I do not see much roots either.

Stick it back in the pot and get your screen first. Even a piece of window screen will do. Some even use those drywall mesh tapes. Personally I prefer the plastic canvas I linked before. It is stiffer with slightly bigger openings. I also use screens specifically sold as bonsai screens. They have slightly wider holes than the plastic canvas.

Does not look like you have many roots yet and so a slightly smaller pot should be OK. I usually give a all round hair cut to the roots so that they comfortably sit inside the pot with some space left all around. You may not have that many roots yet. And this not the best time to do a very aggressive root pruning. So just cut enough so that it fits.

Do you have place outdoors to keep this ficus?
val rie (7a - NJ)
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Hobby Lobby also carries the plastic canvas that you need to make the screens.

Just leave the plant in the old pot and soil until you come back. I have a foot-high ficus ginseng in gritty mix. It's been putting out new growth over the past 6 months and likes it very well. I take it to the sink and run water through it to saturation, a few times. I block the drain hole with my finger to make it faster and then release the hole and it drains very fast. I do this several times. I water it every 3 days. It has a few pebbles of fertilizer on the surface when I re-potted it when I got it. Mine is not getting enough light but is still robust. I will try to find a picture.
tropicofcancer (6b SW-PA)
4 years ago
In a pinch I would hesitate to make a screen out of those nylon mesh bags that they have for onions and garlic in the grocery stores. Just a thought for you.
gardenfanatic2003
4 years ago
I think your plant is drooping because it needs more water.

Deanna
De Villa
Original Author
4 years ago
Hi again @tropicofcancer (6b SW-PA) !

I cut a square of mesh from an onion bag I had, worked great, thanks! You were right, not much root development, so I made sure to trim only a little bit and was able to repot late Friday night.

I waited until Saturday morning to flush with water and then set it outside on my fire escape. Unfortunately, the fire escape is the only place I could leave my plants outside.

A couple of further questions:

When will it be okay for this guy to get direct sun again?

I haven't watered it since Saturday. When should I water next? Or better yet, does it need to stay moist while it is getting acclimated?

2/3 stems are slanted. Should I stake them straight up?

In one of the pics below, I circled the "wrinkling" that appeared on 2 of the stems while in the previous soil mix. Is this due to salt pulling water from the stems? How could I help the 2 stems recover from the trauma? Does this mean the roots will no longer take up water? Does this mean the roots are vulnerable to sunburn? Hypothetically, if I would have removed the bottom leaves, which were the first to show signs of salt/mineral trauma, would that have slowed down the traveling of the salt/minerals upwards? I am asking this because 1 of the 3 stems does not show any signs of wrinkling on its' stem. This stem also had a combo of more root development and fewer leaves. Not sure if there is a correlation there but I found it interesting and wanted to see if anyone could chime in with the science behind what is going on there.

In another picture below I circled I think is called the apical meristem (PLEASE correct me if I am wrong). This stem in particular is in the worst shape of the 3. I noticed the shealth was extremely crunchy and hard - - Is this also a result of the salt/mineral build-up? Or a nutrient deficiency perhaps? Or is it the surrounding environment that causes this in plants?

The plant doesn't have any signs of shock from the repot (yet). I am holding my breath but so far, so good.

I apologize for all of the questions - - I am just very curious! Thanks for reading all this if you have made it this far lol

roots:

roots cont'd:

my outside oasis aka fire escape:

close up after the repot:

What does the shriveling circled below mean?

too much of a slant here? Should I stake it straight up?

Crunchy apical meristem(?) :
De Villa
Original Author
4 years ago
Hi @val rie (7a - NJ) ! Thank you for the suggestion - - I ended up using the mesh from an onion bag. It worked pretty great but I am going to buy some of the plastic screens in the future for more stability.

I would love to see a picture of your ficus if you could find one! How do you like the gritty mix? Have you potted any other plants in the gritty mix?
tropicofcancer (6b SW-PA)
4 years ago
You should keep it consistently moist for the next 2 weeks at least. It will have to re-establish its roots. So check with a chopstick or dowel every couple of days. I would not hesitate to water it well every couple of days. I would not worry about the slant at all. It is better they grow away from each other so that there is enough light reaching all the parts of the plants. You may want to bring it in the night if the temp falls below say 60F in the night. Normally for a healthy plant I do not hesitate to keep ficus out till it gets around 50F or so in the night. The wrinkle on the stem is a sign that the plant suffered lack of water previously. And it could be either because the soil was dry or was too wet for too long. Either way the ability of the roots to absorb water is compromised.
De Villa
Original Author
4 years ago
Will do. Thank you so much for all of your help!
val rie (7a - NJ)
4 years ago

Hey De Villa.

Here is a picture of my Ficus in gritty after about 6 months. It is not growing fast but that is because it doesn't get enough light. It is still very healthy. For your plant because it is in gritty and the roots need to reattach to soil you should water it everyday. Later you can water it less once it took a hold into the soil.

I lost the picture of my Ficus when I first got it but it is on the forum so I can find it, just need to be using a computer because it will be easier. I think it is in some repotting thread maybe.
val rie (7a - NJ)
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Yes it's like I thought, this one hasn't grown much. I should put it under a grow light or something. Still made progress.. This was November 6th, 2018. I'd like to check on the roots one of these days to see the difference after a year.
tropicofcancer (6b SW-PA)
4 years ago
Good growth val. If you can give it some extra light. If it were mine I would prune the tips a bit to get some more branching too.
val rie (7a - NJ)
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Yes I am still trying to understand the pruning of indoor plants, especially the ones that have branches that come out the way the Ficus does. What I mean is how one branch comes out on one side of the trunk, then the next comes out on the other side but above it, etc. I read the Pruning Q & A but am still confused.

Also the timing. When to do it. I don't have a grow light for this tree and the lighting is poor so even though it looks healthy I don't know if it would hurt the tree to prune it now.

So @De Villa , how is your transplant coming along?