How Often Should You Water a Rubber Plant?

The short answer: water your Rubber Plant when the potting mix has partly dried out, not on a set day. Rubber Plants generally dislike sitting in wet soil, and how quickly the mix dries depends on pot size, soil, light, temperature, humidity and the season.

How often should you water a Rubber Plant?

There's no exact number of days that suits every Rubber Plant. Most prefer the potting mix to dry out partly before they're watered again.

Your Rubber Plant may need water more often with:

• More light
• Warmer temperatures
• A smaller pot
• A faster-draining potting mix
• A larger, leafier plant

It may need water less often in:

• Winter or cooler conditions
• Lower light

Why there isn't one fixed watering schedule

Conditions inside your home shift through the year, and your plant's water use shifts with them. A routine that suits summer can leave the roots sitting in wet soil over winter. Checking the moisture in the potting mix lets you water when your plant actually needs it.

Signs your Rubber Plant needs water

• Potting mix that feels dry below the surface
• A pot that feels noticeably lighter
• Leaves that look slightly droopy or less glossy and firm than usual

Leaf changes can have lots of causes, including light, draughts or being moved, so check the soil before assuming it's thirst.

How to check the potting mix

The top of the soil can look dry while moisture remains deeper in the pot, especially in larger pots. Check below the surface, near the root zone, or feel the weight of the pot rather than relying on how the top looks.

How to avoid overwatering

• Check the moisture before every watering
• Water thoroughly, then let excess drain out of the bottom of the pot
• Empty any water left in the saucer or cover pot
• Use a pot with drainage holes
• Water less often in cooler months and lower light

Common Rubber Plant watering mistakes

• Overwatering, or watering again while the mix is still wet
• Watering on a fixed schedule
• Letting the pot sit in water
• Only checking the surface of the soil
• Giving tiny amounts of water too frequently
• Ignoring changes in light, temperature and season

Yellowing or dropping leaves and soil that stays soggy can be associated with overwatering, though these symptoms can have other causes too.

Can Sustee help with Rubber Plant watering?

Sustee is a simple moisture indicator that sits in your plant's potting mix. It changes colour according to the moisture level around the indicator:

It's a handy way to see what's happening below the surface, so you're less likely to water your Rubber Plant before it needs it.

SHOP SUSTEE

The simple way to water your Rubber Plant

Your Rubber Plant doesn't need a strict watering schedule. Check the moisture in the potting mix, water thoroughly when it needs it, and let excess water drain away.

SHOP SUSTEE