Is my rubber plant asking to be moved? And other plant-related questions...

[IceIceBabyBump]

I bought a little rubber plant a few weeks ago (an elastica robusta if that makes a difference, picture attached).

I put it up a corner on the landing. It's light up there but not 'bright'. You could read a book up there without a light on.

In the weeks since, the 'top' leaf has moved and is now almost vertical and the little red shoot has kind of dulled a little bit.
My first question: Is this little guy telling me he needs more light?

If so, I'll move him but the only place I have for him is in a bigger pot. But I read online that rubber plants like their roots to be compact.
So my second question: will moving him to a bigger pot make him sad? Or even kill him?

If I do move him, the spot on my landing will be bare.
My third question, then: What could I get to replace the rubber plant - a plant that can tolerate a less-than-bright position in a landing corner?

I did have a parlour palm there but she's gone all scrawny and limp (picture attached).
So my final question to you lovely houseplant aficionados: Is there anything I can do to rescue my parlour palm?

The palm wants watering less often and I think that's a new leaf on the rubber plant.

Yes, I think its a new leaf on the rubber plant.

It's been there since I bought him but hasn't moved or changed and looks less red than it did.

I thought I'd under-watered the palm actually. I kind of neglected her for a while. What should I do with her? Just leave her to dry out? Repot her? Trime her?

Is the pain's compost wet/dry/damp? When was it last watered? Do you water from the top or the bottom?

Did you re-pot the rubber plant after buying it? Don't rely on the compost in the original pot, but yes, they do like constriction so re-pot in the same one - washed out thoroughly.

The red bit is the new leaf. Rubber plants are very tough, but I'd always opt for indirect bright light for safety.

I've just started with them indoors as, living in Melbourne, they grow very well outside - as tall as a house!

I wish there was a service where someone knowledgable comes round to your house and positions all your plants exactly where they’ll thrive.

The palm will need lots of light but not in direct sunlight. I have one in our extension room that has patio doors, side and roof lights and it's thriving. It also gets a feed once a week. Let the compost dry out a bit before watering

I last watered the palm last feed, with a but of feed too. I watered from the top.

The soils still a little damp. I've moved her to the kitchen which is brighter so hopefully she'll recover!

As for the rubber, to move or not to move?

@GorgeousLadyofWrestling There is a local plant shop by me which offers this exact service! It's a fabulous idea isn't it?!

I just would like to know how you sex your plants? 😁

I've bought those sticks of feed that last a month. They've worked wonders on the palms. I put my plants on the draining board in the summer with a bowl underneath water the plant leave 15 minutes then back in place.

There was a rubber tree plant at work I used to give it the dregs of my bottle of Perrier because it was a sad specimen. It went mad, new leaves, grew taller.

Are the roots poking out of the bottom of the pot, if so bigger pot with potting compost

The rubber plant looks fine, do not repot. And don’t move it. Plants need to acclimatise to their new home for quite a while.

Plants go into shock when the first come home, and the worst thing you can do is immediately repot it. The new leaf has probably gone into shock too, it may die (sorry!) but I think it’s fine where it is.

Rubber plant-Birgitta but indirect light.

Google says

To sum up, bright, indirect light is bright enough to cast a shadow—though not a dark, clearly defined one—and to read by. It can be found near north- and east-facing windows or shaded south- and west-facing ones, as well as a few feet back from unshaded south- or west-facing windows.22 Oct 2021, Bobvila

I was going to say the parlour palm might need less light.

A lot of house plants are rainforesty type plants that have evolved to live under the shadows of big trees.

This is what I plan to do when I retire. However I mostly kill plants so far so I have 15 years to brush up my skills!

I agree that plants go into shock when they are brought home from a garden centre or supermarket. The environments of both are not conducive to the plants. All the indoor plants a put together, in cold bright conditions, or sometimes with no natural light.
If I’m buying a houseplant I always take a bag to put it in, as transferring from the warm to the cold then warm home can shock it.

Thank you everyone.

The roots are poking through a little bit, yes, so he might need a slightly bigger pot now. But I won't move him. Thank you!

@Tockomtele LOL. I don't know, I just kind of get a vibe as to whether they're boys or girls when I first meet them.
It's very presumptuous of me. None of them have told me their pronouns so maybe I'm running around misgendering my plants all over the place.
#Literal Violence

Do it. The lady who runs our local plant shop is always busy with home consultations. She runs a plant studio as well which does tonnes of stuff (i.e. its not just a shop). She does it full time, but you could easily scale back and just do some bits in your retirement - out of a garage or outhouse maybe?

As a pp said, they live in dappled shade in the wild. So it sounds OK where it is.