With their improbable stems and large , deep green leaf , rubber plants can be a spectacular accession to any home . Rubber plant are broadly speaking easygoing to maturate , but just like other plant life , they are not invincible !
One of the most common issue in golosh plant is the coming into court of clean spots on their leaf . It is an indication that there is a trouble that you need to address immediately .
Oedema , powdery mould , suntan , and pest plague can all cause snowy position on rubber flora . They can also indicate malnutrition , disease , fertilizer issue , or freeze price . They could , however , be nothing more than debris that can be pass over away !
In this article , I ’m going to walk you through the causes of white-hot spots on your rubber plant and how you could address each to fetch back the health of your endeared houseplant .
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How to Identify White Spots on Rubber Plants
As the leave of rubber plants are obscure green in color , you may think that it is easygoing to recognise any white-hot spots .
However , berth start as little and can begin to germinate at the undersides of leaves , which is not unremarkably noticeable .
As such , it is crucial to examine your plant cautiously for former signs of white smirch .
Look for light grey to white powdery outgrowth shape on the open of the shoots or leaves , as these can be powdery mould .
Meanwhile , if you ’re seeingbrown leavesor white - same corky growths , you may be deal with oedema .
Thick , cotton - type wax on plants , on other hand , can mean your rubber plant has been infested with mealybug .
Let us now delve deeper into the causes of white spot and how you’re able to cure each .
Why Does My Rubber Plant Have White Spots?
Oedema
Container - grow rubber plant require frequent watering , combine with humidity and cool temperatures , which can result in edema .
Oedema is a experimental condition due to physiologic upset in the water balance of your plant .
This hap when the roots absorb water system faster than a plant can transpirate through its leaves .
Too much water creates pressure that cause the cells in the leaves to expand and burst .
When this happens , piss - soak berth appear to be swollen country ( looking like blisters ! ) on the cuticle of the leave .
These blister - similar region then erupt and result in tan , brown , or even white patch on the leafage .
What ’s concerning is that if this condition continues , the leaves rick yellow and eventually hang off the root word !
As oedema unremarkably happens due to reduce transpiration on the surfaces of the leaves and a high level of land moisture , you need to cut back on water your safety plant .
This is especially true during cool temperatures in the recent wintertime . It ’s also important to promote higher transpiration by restrain your humidness low .
you’re able to do this by displace your rubber works away from your other houseplants , as placing them together promotes humidity .
Doing this also improve air flow . you may also improve strain circulation by dress your rubber flora .
Lithocysts
You will rule Lithocysts on your arctic plant leave at some point . It is identical to lily-white spots on your leaves . The interesting part isthat it is not harmful to plant .
The ashen spots or the crystals you see are calcium carbonate which is an appendage of the cell paries of leaf . It is a natural process of your rubber flora , so do n’t panic about it .
Powdery Mildew
Just like other plants , your rubber plant can draw powdery mildew fungal pathogen that manifest as white spots , negatively affecting its growth .
Powdery mildew is a common disease of plant worldwide . As the name suggests , this disease causes “ powdery ” or talc - like ontogenesis on works .
Powdery mould is triggered by different fungal metal money . When the fungus take over your synthetic rubber flora , you ’ll observe a layer of mildew with many spores form on the top of its leaves .
These spores spread out to other parts of your plant and may transfer to other houseplant . mellow humidity levels combined with scurvy wet favor powdery mildew .
This disease flourish in warm , dry climate and impress plants in suspect domain . Powdery mildew can leave in stunted plant emergence .
The powdery mold disease can be divided into three stages :
For the treatment of fungous disease . Here are the fungicide I recommend :
Sunburn
Rubber plant can boom in areas of your house that have bright light , but not verbatim sun .
When you bring out your industrial plant to the heat energy of the sun , it will develop white office cause by erythema solare .
This is especially true if your plant has been growing in an field with muted lighting and you all of a sudden move it to a spot that is directly strike by the sunlight .
Grow your gumshoe flora in a bright daub that gets collateral brightness . you’re able to still place your plant life in your windows , but ensure you are filtering the sunshine .
you could trickle sparkle through the purpose of windowpane treatment such as sheer pall or combi blind .
Pest Infestation
caoutchouc plants can pull in the common houseplant pest — wanderer mites , ordered series , aphids , and mealy bug .
These pest typically attack tender foliage located at the top of the plant and suck nutrient - containing tomfool from the leaves .
Other pests , specifically cottony cushion plate and mealybugs , do white spots by leaving a cotton plant - like appearing on the aerofoil of leaves .
If your works is infested with spider soupcon , you could criticise the pests off using a weewee hose . Insecticidal max and neem oil can also be effective in removing this pestilence .
For musical scale insects , which can be tolerant to chemical pesticide , your good weapon system is scratch alcohol . Wipe scale off using cotton plant swabs soak in rubbing alcohol .
If aphids have infected your pencil eraser plant , you could splosh them with your digit or simply prune the infested areas .
you may also kill aphid by spraying them with liquid soap . For mealybug , you’re able to shake the plant to strike hard the pest off or spray them with water .
Lack of Nutrition
As is the showcase with human being , nutrient deficiencies can cause serious fuss for rubber plants also .
When plant lack nutrient , they can not properly invent significant particle , such as chlorophyl , protein , and lipoid , among many others .
This can result in scrubby growing , susceptibleness to unlike disease , and in weather call chlorosis or necrosis .
In rubber plants , the development of white spots , along with other symptoms , is among the telltale signs of alimental deficiency .
Here is a table showing the different eccentric of nutritious deficiencies on plants and what you may do to plow each :
Deficiency symptom : farewell of unseasoned plants are chlorotic , with the yellowing starting at the veins . As the deficiency gets bad , greensickness turns white . In some example , veins may also lose their green color .
Solutions : Add Iron chelates on the grunge or mix them with water and spray on the plant life ’s surfaces . Iron chelates are constitutive molecules that are readily available and suit for plant use . Another option is to give the works seaweed fertilizer .
Deficiency symptom : fresh leaves have necrotic tissue . They are also brittle and irregularly shaped .
solution : Add lime to the stain of your rubber flora . you’re able to also simply crush some shell and add these to the soil . Eggshells do not only advance calcium ; they can also aerate the soil .
Deficiency symptom : Older farewell are chlorotic ; you ’ll see the yellowing begin at the edge of the leave . The works look sick . Other than yellow , purplish pigment may also develop on leaves .
Solutions :
want Symptoms : The works is severely stunted . Foliage is dark green . You ’ll also discover wilt in old leaves .
Solutions : Add fertilizer with copper sulfate or copper oxide to the soil .
lack Symptoms : Similar to iron inadequacy , there ’s yellow that starts at the vein . But it ’s not as prominent or distinct as is the case with deficiency of iron . You ’ll also notice that the portion of the plant are not growing in their stock size .
answer : Treat manganese deficiency by adding Zn chelates to the land . you may also add fertilizers with Zn sulphate , which has higher zinc content .
Diseases
While there are no serious trouble associated with rubber plant , it is important to still keep an eye on plant disease that might affect the foliation .
Rubber plants can attract fungal and bacterial pathogen that can cause leaf spots .
If you ’ve noticed some loose spots with a glowering flange on the leaves or some tiny , piddle - soak spots , yourrubber works may be suffering from bacterial leafage post .
A uncouth leafage spot disease among rubber plants is Xanthomonas , which is because of bacterial plant pathogens that use wounds or natural opening move , like stomata , to enter plants .
As there are no uncommitted bactericides that can battle Xanthomonas pathogen , cultural method are your best stamping ground to keep your rubber plant .
urine is the medium that transmits the bacteria , so apply a trickle irrigation scheme or a microjet to irrigate your works .
Water in midmorning so the works can dry before the evening .
When it comes to preventing disease among houseplants , sanitation is fundamental ! Always disinfect the tools that you practice when pruning .
ensure that you store your novel passel in clean , sanitised area .
you’re able to disinfect tools and potting containers by submerging them in a 1:3 ratio of bleaching agent to irrigate for a minimum of 10 minutes .
you could also use pesticides as a elemental defence to forbid the disease on the flora .
Fertilizer Problem
Rubber flora do not call for much plant food , but they can benefit from regular feeding throughout the growing time of year .
Fertilizer helps bring forth and maintain the big , glossy leave-taking of your condom plant life .
Overfertilizing your rubber industrial plant , however , can harm the foliage , as is the case with other houseplant .
Overfertilization can cause a buildup of SALT in plant , which can burn their young theme .
When this bump , the plant will not be able to absorb nutrient and water . This results in burn or scorched leaves and stunted increase .
For rubber plant , a preindication of fertiliser problem is the development of white spot on their leaves .
cure your overfertilized rubber industrial plant by following these steps :
Prevent overfertilization by applying fertilizer only during the growing time of year .
Plants , including your condom plant life , go into dormancy during winter , so do not fertilise them during this season .
Use water supply - soluble fertiliser for your India rubber industrial plant and apply it only once a month .
Plants can make it better with less fertilizer than more , so it ’s ok if you ’ve missed feeding your plant for a calendar month or two .
Frost Damage
hoar can cause annihilative scathe to your rubber works . As the water in the plant freezes , it expands and split the cells open .
flora ache further equipment casualty due to dehydration when the temperature warms up .
For rubber industrial plant , frost or cold damage can certify through livid spotlight on their leaf surfaces .
Frost - damaged plant are susceptible to insects and diseases , so if you desire to vivify your industrial plant , you require to act as fast .
Move your plant away from direct sunlight , as the extra sun can make the condition of hoar - damaged plant worse .
have the plant lie and resist prune frost - damaged share of your industrial plant . Trimming leaves before your plant recovers can further damage it .
Keep the dirt moist but not saturated with water and avoid fertilizing the plant unless it ’s actively growing .
Protect your plant from freezing condition by address them with plastic sheets , drib cloths , bed sheets , or even blankets . ( Source : University of California )
utilise bet to keep plastic and other materials from touching the farewell of your plant .
you could remove the coverings the following day , but only if the temperature has risen .
Another elbow room to raise warmth is through the use of artificial brightness . Place a 100 - James Watt lamp in the interior of your rubber plant to shield it from frost harm .
Dust on Leaves
As I have discussed in this clause , white spots on the leavesof your rubber plant can have several cause .
In some instances , however , white spot are simply dusted on your leaves ! Your India rubber industrial plant ’s big leaves can easily take in dust because of their grownup control surface area .
Take your rubber works outside and use a water hosiery to scatter it off . you may also use baby wipes or cotton fiber swab with alcoholic drink to wipe the dust .
This is especially effective if the grime on the leave is a little thick .
You May Also Enjoy : Why Is My Rubber Plant Dying ?
Final Words
There are many different causes of white spots on the leaves of rubber plants . But despite these , they are really easygoing to produce !
If you follow the right cultural practices and provide an surround favorable to their optimal growth , you ’ll have a beautiful flourish rubber plant life that enlivens your keep space .
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