Ficus elastica , more normally known as the rubber tree , is a tropic - looking plant that thrives outdoors only in very warm climates , include U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 10 and 11 . Gardeners living in cooler areas frequently enjoygrowing rubber treesas houseplants , however . Although serious plague or wellness trouble are n’t associated with this undemanding evergreen plant , you should still keep an optic out for a few minor works diseases that might affect your specimen .

Anthracnose

Step 1

India rubber trees occasionally brook from anthracnose , a fungal disease that boom in moist growing conditions . Anthracnose initially causes greasy - looking , yellow spots to take form on leaf and tan or ruby-red - brown sores to seem along the major veins . The septic plant tissue paper usually pass , causing the affected leave-taking to curl up or become malformed . untimely leaf drop frequently occurs with terrible anthracnose infections .

Leaf Spots

Rubber trees pull in few bacterial pathogen , but occasionally constrict Xanthomonas leafage spot . The bacterium enters the plant through injury or the plant ’s natural breathing pores , called stomata , and then spread throughout the plant tissue paper . Early symptom include bantam , water - soaked spots appear on the leaves . These spots apace enlarge and merge , sometimes train irregular , hopeful yellowish border near the leafage edges . Cercospora leafage spot disease cause very small , slightly raised , dark light-green or red bit to recrudesce on the undersides of leaf . These spots typically have white-haired centers and distinct yellow halos . Heavily infected leaves often shrivel up and reverse brown or chickenhearted . Any character of hard leaf spot transmission can stimulate your rubber tree diagram to lose its leaves too soon in the mature time of year .

Blights

Like other Ficus species , rubber trees sometimes attract the fungous pathogen that cause blight disease . southerly blight , also called crownwork rot or southern stem rot , attacks plants just beneath the filth credit line , make the rubber tree diagram ’s crown to rot and the leave to yellow , wilt , crash and even choke . Humid weather promotes a white , cottony ontogenesis that broadcast across the filth and stem . Botrytis blight attacks the works ’s leave , causing big , flabby , brown - colored spots to forge on the foliation . The touched leaves oft develop a level of grey mold after stretches of cool , moist atmospheric condition .

Chemical Preventative Methods

Rubber Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree disease can be unmanageable to control once established , so a preventive approach is typically your ripe alternative . Start treatment on outdoor plants when your local weather prognosis anticipate a recollective stretch of blotto , rainy weather , and get spray houseplants as presently as you spot disease symptoms . Repeat applications every seven to 10 days until the shape no longer favour ficus diseases . Spraying hefty rubber Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree leafage with a mancozeb - based antimycotic agent can help oneself foreclose anthracnose , blights and fungous leaf post diseases . Combine about 3 teaspoons of mathematical product into 1 gal of H2O , mix well in a handheld sprayer and enforce until the foliage glistens with moisture . Using a Cu - base antibacterial drug often shape in effect as a preventative measuring against bacterial leaf berth . commingle between 1/2 to 2 smooth ounces of product into a gallon of water . Thoroughly spray the tops and bottom of condom tree leave for the best termination .

Considerations

Rubber trees boast thick , leatherlike , glossy leaves that reach up to 1 foot long . Although the alien - looking foliage lends a tropical touch to your home environment , the foliage transude a whitish sap that can make breadbasket upset and skin annoyance if ingest or touched . Avoid job by place your rubber tree in an area away from young kids and pets . Always carefully read and accompany the applications programme instructions and safety precautions on a fungicide or bactericide intersection ’s label .

References

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