How to Grow a Rubber Plant: Care Methods and Precautions

The rubber plant is a well-known potted foliage plant, also called rubber tree, Brazilian rubber, etc. It is a large tree of the Moraceae family, genus Ficus, with high ornamental value, and is extremely suitable for indoor beautification arrangements. Small and medium-sized plants are often used to beautify living rooms and studies, while medium and large plants are suitable for placement on both sides of the entrance halls and in the center of the lobbies of large buildings. Now let us take a look at the cultivation methods and precautions for the rubber plant!

Growth Habits of the Rubber Plant

The rubber plant 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 high-temperature, 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 clayey soil, does not tolerate poor and dry soil, and prefers loose, fertile, well-drained slightly acidic soil.

Propagation Methods of the Rubber Plant

1. Cutting method: The cutting time is in late spring and early summer, and it can be done together with pruning. The cuttings mostly use one-year-old semi-lignified middle branches, and the wounds should be sealed promptly with clay or plant ash. The length of the cutting is based on retaining 3 buds. Cut off the lower leaf, bring the upper two leaves together, and tie them with thin plastic rope. Then insert them into a cutting bed with plain sand or vermiculite as the substrate. After insertion, keep the cutting bed fairly humid, but do not let water accumulate. 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 can form in about 2-3 weeks.

2. Layering method: Choose appropriately sized, well-developed, firm two-year-old branches. At the part where soil will be wrapped, make a light ring cut about 1 cm wide, and apply 30-50 ppm naphthalene acetic acid solution. Then use wet soil or a moss mixture or fully water-absorbed vermiculite to wrap the ring-cut part, wrap the outside with plastic film, tie the lower end tightly, and leave an opening at the upper end to allow air and water. Pay attention to care. Layering in June will root in July-August. After rooting, it can be cut off and potted.

Cultivation Methods of the Rubber Plant

1. Temperature: The best temperature for the rubber plant is 20-25°C. It can even grow well above 30°C, but in winter, if the temperature is too low, the rubber plant will produce a large number of fallen leaves. Its cold resistance is very poor, and northern regions of China need to overwinter it in a greenhouse.

2. Light: It is indeed true that sunlight is the food of plants. In the cultivation methods of the rubber plant, sunlight is also a treasure. Giving it sufficient sunlight will let it grow vigorously. From May to September, provide appropriate shading.

3. Fertilization: The presence of fertilizer is like calcium supplementation, strengthening its “health.” In the cultivation methods of the rubber plant, fertilization is also one of the key points. It can reduce the occurrence of markings and make the leaves brighter. Simply using nitrogen fertilizer is enough, and remember to stop fertilizing in winter.

4. Pruning: When spring arrives, it is time to prune the rubber plant. Cut off the forked branches inside the crown, inward-growing branches and thin weak branches, to maintain internal ventilation, good light transmission and the overall shape. In the usual cultivation methods of the rubber plant, it must be repotted once every 2 years, adding leaf mold and other materials for reconfiguration. It prefers loose and well-drained loam.

5. Soil: The rubber plant likes fertile, loose, slightly acidic soil. For potting soil, it is best to use 4 parts leaf mold, grass ash soil plus about one part river sand and a small amount of base fertilizer.

6. Watering: In the high-temperature summer season, the rubber plant grows quickly, so it should be given plenty of fertilizer and water, but avoid water accumulation in the pot. After autumn begins, gradually reduce watering to promote solid plant growth and help it overwinter.

Precautions for Growing the Rubber Plant

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

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

3. During the seedling stage, the rubber plant needs to have the direction of the pot changed regularly, in order to avoid the plant growing leaning to one side, which would make the plant shape less upright and affect its appearance.

4. Generally, after the rubber plant becomes a mature seedling, as the roots grow larger, the soil becomes compacted, hindering soil aeration, causing the rubber plant to turn yellow and possibly die in severe cases. It is best to repot once every spring before new buds grow. Loosen the soil once every 15-20 days until it returns to normal growth.