Why does my rubber plant have leaves falling off?

On a rubber plant this is leaves falling, many in a week or two, often green or with a darkened patch rather than yellowing first. They can come from anywhere on the plant, and the stem is left with a few leaves at the tip.

The most likely cause, as the entry says, is cold, a draught, or a sudden move to a darker room. The Royal Horticultural Society says most ornamental figs must be kept above 10 to 13 degrees and away from draughts and sudden changes, and lists low winter temperatures, low light, too much fertiliser and cold draughts as reasons for leaf drop. The entry puts this plant's minimum at 12 degrees.

To confirm it in a minute, ask what changed in the last fortnight: a move, the heating coming on, a window left open, a spell of cold. Stand where it stands and feel for a draught. Then push a finger into the compost to 3 or 4 cm. The entry notes that overwatering and cold both make leaves fall and are easy to mix up in winter: damp compost points to the water, and dry compost in a chilly room points to the cold.

Two other causes are worth ruling out. Watering at either extreme, as the NC State plant toolbox says, with a sodden pot or one dry for weeks. And feeding: the RHS names too much fertiliser as a cause, and the entry stops feed in winter because unused feed builds up as salt.

Leaf drop does not stop the moment the cause is removed. A plant shedding for a change of place or temperature loses what it cannot support and then stops, so allow some weeks. The first new leaf at the tip in the growing season shows it has settled. In winter, expect nothing new until spring.

What this plant wants

The fix

Keep it above about 12 degrees, away from doors and winter windows, and settle it in one spot with steady light.

Read on

Leaves falling off

The same sign on any plant, with the causes in the order they are likely.

Rubber plant care

Light, water, feeding, repotting and the rest of the entry.

Check it in the diagnoser

Opens with the plant, the part and the sign already chosen.