Hello again - the frequency with which I post here makes me think I'm a bad plant mom. 🤷🏻‍♀️

My tineke plant has rust-colored patches on the leaves (mostly on the new growth). There are small bumps on the underside of some leaves as well.

Any ideas as to what's going on with this guy?

Can your small bumps be scraped of easily with your fingernail? Then assume scale insect. If not, then I don't know. The rust colored patches appear to be something else unless they appear in concert with the bumps.

leafypete said:Can your small bumps be scraped of easily with your fingernail? Then assume scale insect. If not, then I don't know. The rust colored patches appear to be something else unless they appear in concert with the bumps.

Hi Pete - yes they can be scraped off. The damage seems to be only on the new leaves.

I'm not sure what to use to get rid of the problem. Rubbing alcohol?

For non-orchids I spray the areas with isopropyl alcohol every 2 days for a week. Do not drench the soil, but a little spray on top doesn't hurt these plants.

leafypete said:For non-orchids I spray the areas with isopropyl alcohol every 2 days for a week. Do not drench the soil, but a little spray on top doesn't hurt these plants.

Thanks I'll try it. I tried cleaning with a 10% bleach solution once and it killed off all the leaves. Hopefully alcohol will be more forgiving.

You do not have scale. The white stuff is dried sap which has oozed out of wounds.
How do you determine when to water?
Does the pot have drain holes?
Does water come out of the bottom when you water?
How close to a light source is the plant?
Is it a window or a grow light?
If a window, which direction does it face?
Are there curtains, blinds, or sheers on the window?

As you can tell by the questions, the issue has to do with light and watering.

CalPolygardener said:You do not have scale. The white stuff is dried sap which has oozed out of wounds.
How do you determine when to water?
Does the pot have drain holes?
Does water come out of the bottom when you water?
How close to a light source is the plant?
Is it a window or a grow light?
If a window, which direction does it face?
Are there curtains, blinds, or sheers on the window?

As you can tell by the questions, the issue has to do with light and watering.

Wow! Sap... would've never guessed! How are there open wounds though?

-I water when the top few inches feel dry
-I water about once every 1.5-2 weeks
-the pot does have drain holes
-yes sometimes water comes out after watering
-It is 3 feet from a NE facing window
-there are sheer curtains during direct light times, and no curtains the rest of the day for indirect light

What changes need to be made?

The wounds are from shipping/moving. As you know, their leaves are very stiff so they tend to break/crack rather than bend. After taking a closer look at pic 7, it looks like there are a few mealybugs around the wound (they take advantage of the easier access to sap). You should be able to wipe them off with a damp cloth, then watch for any new ones.

The main thing I can see is that water needs to come out the bottom every time you water. Is it directly in front of the window or off to the side? If it is to the side, is it on the more Northerly side or more southerly side? it would prefer the North side - it has a more Southern exposure. Although Rubber trees are somewhat low light tolerant plants, Tineke is less forgiving in most respects.

I haven't moved the pot at all, and the wounds are mostly on the new leaves, so it's odd that they're damaged.

Oh no- mealy bigs?!! Eww! I haven't noticed bugs moving - Could it be scale?

Yes water does drain out of the bottom. The pot is 3 feet away from the window, with north-eastern light. Sounds like I need to move it closer to the light. :)

Thanks!

CalPolygardener said:The wounds are from shipping/moving. As you know, their leaves are very stiff so they tend to break/crack rather than bend. After taking a closer look at pic 7, it looks like there are a few mealybugs around the wound (they take advantage of the easier access to sap). You should be able to wipe them off with a damp cloth, then watch for any new ones.

The main thing I can see is that water needs to come out the bottom every time you water. Is it directly in front of the window or off to the side? If it is to the side, is it on the more Northerly side or more southerly side? it would prefer the North side - it has a more Southern exposure. Although Rubber trees are somewhat low light tolerant plants, Tineke is less forgiving in most respects.