Question
Hi, I have a indoor rubber tree, that has come from my grandfather and I think I'm killing it. My grandfather is deceased for quite sometime now and I really want to get this tree growing again, it looks pitiful it has the main stalk and one little branch off of it with three wilty looking leaves when I got the plant it was awesome and now it looks really sad. The bottom of the main stalk that goes into the dirt the bark almost is peeling off and the stalk is really dark so I am thinking root rot but how do I stop it I don't water it very much and I have transplanted it in a bigger pot but I'm thinking the pot is to big? Please help me save this plant! I do give it plant food the schultz plant food but that doesn't seem to help!
Please please help me save this tree!

Answer
Hi Leslie,
  I just got back from being on vacation and found your question in our Question Pool and thought I may be able to help.

From what you are describing the plant may well be past being able to recover but I have found rubber trees can be very resilient and have been surprised at what I have seen them recover from.

First off check the bottom of the main stem near the soil line for stem rot. The stem should be hard, not soft or mushy. If the stem is soft and/or mushy you can stop right here and dispose of the plant. These plants do not recover from stem rot.
If there is no stem rot, go on to check the roots. Gently remove the plant from the pot. The roots should be crisp with the tips of the roots being a slightly lighter color than the rest of the roots. If there is root rot affecting only a small amount of the roots you can remove the roots affected by root rot. Using sharp clippers cut the rotten roots about 1 inch up into the healthy crisp part of the root. However if a large amount of the roots are affected by root rot then the plant cannot recover and you should dispose of it now.

So now if there is no stem rot or root rot there are a couple things you can do to try to save the plant.
You are probably correct that the plant is in too big of a pot. A big problem caused when plants are in pots that are too big is the soil stays too wet for too long and root rot develops. You should never repot a plant into a pot more than 2 inches bigger than the pot it was previously growing in. Repot the plant back into the same size pot it had been growing in before you repotted it.

Be careful not to overwater the plant. As a general rule allow the top 1-2 inches of soil to dry between watering then water just enough for a small amount of water to drain out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. Rubber plants are sensitive to fluoride, chlorine and other mineral deposits commonly found in tap water. I recommend using distilled water to water the plant.
It is likely you are over-fertilizing the plant as well. Healthy plants should be fertilized lightly (half strength fertilizer) about every 2 weeks during their active growth cycle (spring and summer) and should be reduced greatly during a plant's dormant cycle.
Fertilizer should NEVER be given to an unhealthy plant! Fertilizer will not ' cure' an unhealthy plant and will actually cause more harm.

Place the plant in a place where it will get medium, indirect light and is free from drafts.
Hopefully this plant will recover.

  Good Luck
       Tracy