How to care for a potted rubber tree? A detailed guide to the latest care methods

The rubber tree is a large tree species in the genus Ficus of the Moraceae family, also known as the rubber plant, Brazilian rubber, etc. It has high ornamental value and is a famous potted foliage plant, extremely suitable for indoor beautification. Small and medium-sized plants are often used to beautify living rooms and studies, while medium and large-sized plants are suitable for placement on both sides of the entrance halls and in the center of lobbies of large buildings. Now let's take a look at how to care for a potted rubber tree!

Growth habits of the rubber tree

The rubber tree is native to Brazil and is now widely cultivated in the tropical regions of Asia. It is cultivated in Taiwan, China, southern Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and southern Yunnan, with more planting in Hainan and Yunnan. It likes a hot, humid environment with plenty of sunlight. The suitable growth temperature is 20-25°C, and it avoids direct sunlight. It can also tolerate shade but not cold, with a safe overwintering temperature of 5°C. It tolerates dry air. It avoids clay soil, does not tolerate poor and dry soil, and prefers loose, fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil.

Propagation methods of the rubber tree

1. Cuttings: The cutting time is in late spring and early summer, and it can be combined with pruning. The cuttings mostly use the semi-lignified middle branches of 1-year-old growth. They are inserted into a cutting bed with plain sand or vermiculite as the substrate. After insertion, keep the cutting bed at high humidity, but do not let it become waterlogged. The suitable temperature is 18-25°C. Frequently sprinkle water on the ground to increase air humidity, and do a good job of shading and ventilation. Roots will form in about 2-3 weeks.

2. Layering: Choose 2-year-old branches of appropriate size, well developed and full of tissue. Make a light ring-shaped girdle about 1 cm wide at the part where soil is to be wrapped, and apply 30-50 ppm naphthalene acetic acid solution. Then use wet soil or a moss mixture or water-saturated vermiculite to wrap the girdled part, tie it on the outside with plastic film, tie the lower end tightly, and leave an opening at the upper end to allow ventilation and watering. Layering in June will produce roots in July-August, and after rooting they can be cut off and potted.

How to care for a potted rubber tree?

1. Soil: The rubber tree prefers loose, fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil and does not tolerate poor soil. The potting soil can be a mix of leaf mold, garden soil and river sand at 1/3 each, with a small amount of cake fertilizer added as base fertilizer. Usually it needs to be repotted once every 2 years.

2. Temperature: The rubber tree likes a high-temperature environment, so it grows fastest in summer and autumn. The ambient temperature should be kept between 20-30°C. When the ambient temperature is below 10°C, the rubber tree is basically in a state of stagnant growth. The overwintering temperature should not be lower than 5°C.

3. Light: The rubber tree likes strong direct sunlight and also tolerates shady environments. However, during cultivation, it should receive no less than 4 hours of direct sunlight every day. If conditions permit, it is best to ensure the plant can receive full sun.

4. Fertilizing: The rubber tree likes fertilizer, but avoid nitrogen fertilizer. When there is too much nitrogen fertilizer, the stem nodes grow excessively, the leaf spacing widens, and the plant shape becomes unattractive. During the growing season, young plants should be given a topdressing of fermented 10-fold liquid fertilizer mixed with an equal amount of 500-fold potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution once every 20 days, or 1000-fold “Huaduoduo” general fertilizer twice. For established plants, to control height, apply mixed liquid fertilizer once every 2 months during the growing season.

5. Watering: The rubber tree likes moisture but avoids waterlogging and does not tolerate drought. In spring and autumn, the potting soil should be kept moist, and water should often be sprinkled on its leaves and surroundings to increase air humidity. In summer, the rubber tree needs a large amount of water and should be watered every day to keep the potting soil moist, while also increasing the frequency of sprinkling. When the temperature is lower in winter, it is better to water so that the potting soil is on the dry side of moist.

6. Pruning: In spring, prune together with moving the plant out of the shed. Remove the forked branches, inward-growing branches, dead branches and thin weak branches inside the crown, and shorten the runaway branches that protrude from the crown, so as to keep good ventilation and light penetration inside the plant and maintain a rounded tree shape. If the crown is too large, the outer branches can be shortened as a whole. During the growing period, remove overly dense branches at any time and shorten long branches.

Precautions for the rubber tree

1. The suitable growth temperature for the rubber tree is 25-30°C. In winter, if it is below 3°C, the leaves will turn yellow and fall off, so in winter it should be placed in a sunny spot indoors and the room temperature should be kept above 10°C. When it exceeds 35°C in summer, the plant should be moved to a cool, ventilated place for care, and water should be sprayed in a timely manner to lower the temperature.

2. The rubber tree is a plant of the Moraceae family, and the whole plant contains latex. Therefore, after each pruning, immediately seal the cut with clay or apply charcoal powder, so as to avoid excessive sap flow causing dehydration and death.

3. During the seedling stage of the rubber tree, it is necessary to regularly turn the direction of the pot to avoid the plant growing toward one side, which would make the plant shape lopsided and affect its appearance.

4. After the rubber tree becomes an established plant, as the roots grow larger, the soil becomes compacted, hindering soil aeration and causing the rubber tree to turn yellow, and in severe cases it may die. It is advisable to repot once every spring before new buds grow, and loosen the soil once every 15-20 days until it returns to normal growth.