How to Grow a Rubber Plant? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Cultivation Methods

The rubber tree is native to the Amazon rainforest. In 1873 it was transplanted to Kew Gardens in the UK, in 1877 22 three-leaf rubber trees were shipped to Singapore, and in 1898 it reached the Malay Peninsula. The rubber tree is a tall tree with abundant latex. It is suited to growing in deep, fertile, moist, well-drained acidic sandy loam. Latex can be tapped 6 to 8 years after planting; the economic life of a seedling tree is 35 to 40 years, that of a bud-grafted tree is 15 to 20 years, and its growing life is about 60 years. The dedicated national rubber planting areas are mainly distributed in Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Yunnan and other regions. The main raw material for making rubber is natural rubber, which is obtained by coagulating and drying the latex that flows out when the rubber tree is tapped.

Growing Habits of the Rubber Plant

The rubber plant prefers a warm, humid, sunny environment, tolerates shade somewhat, and is not cold-hardy. It requires fertile, loose soil and grows well in neutral or slightly acidic soil. For container growing, a potting mix made from leaf mold, peat soil plus about 1/4 river sand and a small amount of base fertilizer is suitable. Keep the soil moist at ordinary times, and apply a dilute liquid fertilizer once every 15-20 days. In the hot summer period, the rubber plant grows faster, so it needs plenty of fertilizer and water, but avoid waterlogging in the pot. After autumn begins, gradually reduce fertilizing and watering to help the plant grow sturdy and to help it overwinter. Because the rubber plant loves sunlight, it should be kept outdoors in a sunny spot from spring to autumn; if it is left in a shaded place for a long time, the leaves easily turn yellow and drop. It loves sunlight but is also fairly shade-tolerant. When watering, often use overnight tea; the whole plant should be sprayed with water frequently, and the leaves should often be wiped clean with a damp cloth, which benefits photosynthesis.

Because the rubber plant is not cold-hardy, in winter it must be moved indoors to a sunny spot for care, keeping the room temperature above 10°C, and the lowest temperature should not fall below 5°C; if the temperature is too low and the potting soil is damp, the leaves will turn black and drop and the roots will rot, and the whole plant may even die. From late April to early May of the following year, move it to a courtyard or balcony for care. In the north, note that when the seasons change and it is moved from indoors to outdoors, it must not immediately receive strong direct sunlight, that is, the changes in light and temperature should not be too great. When the indoor temperature is low in winter, water sparingly and keep the potting soil slightly moist. The rubber plant has glossy leaves, is pleasantly green, and its plant is tall and imposing, making it suitable for placing on a balcony to green the environment.

Placement

In pots, the rubber plant can be placed on east-facing, south-facing or west-facing balconies for care, among which a south-facing balcony gives the best cultivation results. Its plant is relatively tall, so it is suitable for growing on a very spacious balcony. During its vigorous growth stage, place the plant where it receives at least 2 hours of direct sunlight per day. In summer, keep the environment ventilated. Slightly low temperatures in winter do no harm.

Container Care

It is best to use sandy loam rich in humus as the growing medium. If conditions permit, the potting soil used can be made from leaf mold, fine sand and garden soil in a volume ratio of 1:1:2. The rubber plant is relatively tall and grows quickly, so a large flower pot is usually chosen for planting it out. The rubber plant likes a slightly moist, somewhat dry soil environment; summer is the stage when it needs the most water, so it can be watered more; winter is the period when it needs the least water, so water it less. In addition to applying about 50 grams of horseshoe slices and the like at the bottom of the pot as base fertilizer when planting, during the vigorous growth stage a dilute liquid fertilizer should also be applied once every 10 days. The rubber plant likes direct sunlight and also tolerates shaded environments. If conditions permit, it is best to let the plant receive full sun. Keeping the environment properly ventilated is enough. The rubber plant likes a high-temperature environment and grows well within a temperature range of 16°C to 30°C; the overwintering temperature should not be lower than 5°C. Every spring, before the new buds sprout, cut the old branches of the plant back by 2/3 or 1/2 to encourage new branches, and at the same time prune the inner branches and thin, weak branches. In balcony cultivation, the rubber plant rarely suffers from disease, but it is susceptible to attack by white grubs. Every spring in March, a large plant more than three years old should be repotted once. During this operation, some old roots can be cut off, some new soil added, and the plant's branches moderately pruned to encourage branching. Only in this way will the plant have stronger growth vigor, thereby greatly increasing its ornamental value.

Propagation Methods

Propagation is mainly by cuttings, mostly carried out in spring from March to April. Fine sand can be used as the propagation medium. The size of the pots used can be determined according to specific needs. Combined with pruning, cut the just-lignified branches of the rubber plant into single-node sections, each section bearing 1 leaf. A white sticky sap will flow from the cut end of the stem section; it can be washed off with warm water, and then a small amount of charcoal powder can be dipped onto the surface of the cut for later use. Fill a small flower pot with fine sand, then insert 1 bamboo stick about 20 cm long vertically, bury the trimmed rubber plant cutting stem section in the soil keeping its polarity, wrap the middle of the leaf around the bamboo stick, and tie it firmly with fine string. Then place the flower pot with the cutting into a plastic tunnel, spray water frequently to keep it moist, and under conditions of 25°C to 30°C the rubber plant cutting can take root after about 4 weeks; when the young seedling grows 2 to 3 new leaves, it can be knocked out of the pot and planted out. Layering can also be used for raising seedlings.

Propagate by cuttings and air layering. After the temperature warms up in May, cut 1-year to 2-year-old branches, with every 3 nodes as one cutting (single-bud cuttings can also be used). Remove the lower leaves, bring the upper two leaves together and tie them with fine string, then insert them in the cutting bed. To prevent lodging, a separate stick can be set up. Seal the cutting bed with plastic film to keep it moist. At a temperature of about 25°C, roots can form in about 4 to 6 weeks and the plant can be potted. At home, air layering is more convenient for propagation and has a high success rate. Choose a 2-year-old branch, first girdle the bark on the branch in a ring, 1 cm to 1.5 cm wide, then wrap moist moss, peat and the like around the wound, and finally wrap it tightly with plastic film and tie off both the upper and lower ends. Layer in June; after rooting in July to August, cut it off and pot it.