Do you have a GreenThumb?

I have a ton of gardening books, so I hunted it up about it's care and all that. Watering: do NOT overwater. Too much makes it rot and lose leaves. (I have a simalar plant, and I only water it a little bit every couple of weeks in the winter, and once a week a little bit in the summer months... otherwise it drops it's fleshy leaves like crazy. I almost killed mine from overwatering!) Sunlight: keep it out of direct sunlight. "The rubber tree can successfully survive without light, and it's one of it's charms" Sunlight will scorch the leaves. (If it is getting too much sunlight, that might explain the black spots? Otherwise, it might be a fungus) If you summer it outside, it has to be in shade all of the time. To encourage new growth, cut a few inches off the top of the plant just above a leaf joint (once a year.) That encourages new leaves and growth and keeps it from getting spindly. Bugs: Mealy bugs and 'scale' like to nest in rubber trees. Keep the leaves and plant cleaned and it will keep the pests off. (I use a couple of dots of dish soap in water and a soft cotton rag to clean mine. It does seem to keep the bugs off.) Never put any kind of oil on the leaves (some people shine them with salad oil, etc), oiled leaves can't breathe even though they may look pretty lol. Repotting: If the roots are coming out over the pot, it probably does need repotting. Only go up one pot size. (Think of the pot as getting a child new shoes, you only go up a size at a time.) Good luck Marcy, hope this info helps some!

it seems that you do not have much of an idea on this plant. even if you get respones on it, i would suggest you to replace it with some other plant that you have knowledge on.

i would like to believe i do have a green thumb. i had tomato garden before and thinking of having it again some time. There is this sense of satisfaction to be able to raise plants and making them grow. I would like to be sorrounded with plants and trees and be with nature.