Rubber Plant Hydroponic Growing Method and Aftercare Tips
The rubber plant is surely familiar to everyone; it is a fairly common plant in daily life, and it can be seen in many parts of our country today. When growing rubber plants, the most commonly used method is soil culture, but in fact rubber plants can also be grown hydroponically, and the hydroponic method is very simple. Let's learn about it together below!
Rubber Plant Hydroponic Growing Method
1. For hydroponic growing of rubber plants, choose a small soil-grown plant with a good shape and grow it in water using the root-washing method. Old roots are not easy to rot and can adapt to the hydroponic environment fairly quickly.
2. You can also take vigorous growing shoot tips from May to September, remove the basal leaves, let the cut dry, and then insert them directly in water for propagation. Because the crown is rather heavy, it is best to add ceramsite to the container, which both helps stabilize the plant and aids rooting.
3. Remember to change the water once every two or three days at the beginning. After rooting, the frequency of water changes can be reduced. Once a suitable amount of aerial roots has grown, it can be transferred to a flowerpot for soil culture, where it will grow more robustly.
Precautions for Hydroponic Growing of Rubber Plants
Hydroponic rubber plant cuttings root in 1 to 1.5 months. In winter, the room temperature should not be lower than 5°C. If the room temperature is too low, you can wrap the rubber plant in a plastic bag, tie it tightly at the bottom, and place it in a spot with sunlight; it can basically overwinter safely.
Aftercare Following Hydroponic Growing of Rubber Plants
1. Rubber plants like a warm and humid environment. The most suitable temperature is 22-32°C, and the overwintering temperature is around 8°C. They are strongly shade-tolerant, and hydroponic and soil care methods are basically the same.
2. In the early stage of hydroponics, change the clean water once every 2-3 days, and after about two weeks water roots will gradually grow. When the plant gradually adapts to the hydroponic environment, move the container to a spot with ample sunlight and add a few drops of nutrient solution to the water. After rooting, change the water once every two weeks and replace the nutrient solution.
3. Clean the container regularly. Bacteria easily breed in hydroponic containers, so while changing the water, clean the inner walls of the container. Clean the rubber plant's roots once every two months and prune old roots.
How to Prune a Rubber Plant
1. Pruning season. When pruning a rubber plant, heavy pruning is generally done in winter, cutting the branches back substantially; this means cutting the upright, strong branches off from the base. In summer, the growth of side branches is generally controlled, restraining the strong and keeping the weak, to adjust the tree's vigor. Follow the principle of pinching the tips of strong side branches, heavily pruning thick branches, and lightly pruning thin, weak branches, to encourage faster plant growth. When pruning in summer, be careful not to prune on rainy days, as this easily causes wound infection.
2. Pruning height. When pruning a rubber plant, be careful that the cut is smooth and the stub height is 1——2cm; it should not be too high or too low. When pruning, be careful to emphasize the main trunk and main branches, thin out overly dense branches, and do a good job of bud removal. This reduces unnecessary side buds, gives a better plant shape, and makes nutrients more concentrated.
3. Pinching. When the rubber plant grows to 30-50 cm tall, cut off the top leaves and tender buds. Usually the 2-3 side buds near the top sprout very easily; after the side branches grow out, the tree shape becomes cup-shaped or Y-shaped, and pinching is extremely easy.
4. Pruning and aftercare. After pruning a rubber plant, be careful to protect the plant. First is the cut, where a lot of sap will flow out; avoid excessive sap loss, which could lead to infection. Generally, just apply some plant ash to the wound. The cut branches can be used for cuttings propagation, which is relatively simple; generally, by maintaining temperature and suitable humidity in a semi-shaded environment, they will root in about half a month.
When growing rubber plants hydroponically, be sure to choose a suitable container and also do a good job of disinfection. In the later stages of hydroponics, aftercare needs to be strengthened, and adding nutrient solution appropriately is also very important. Once a rubber plant has grown to a certain extent, it needs to be pruned, so as to ensure its growth.