The rubber plant is tough and easy to grow; wipe it with beer and it will shoot up to the roof

The rubber plant (Ficus elastica) is a rather grand potted foliage plant, and it is also very easy to grow. Its leaves are thick and broad, glossy green and shining, making it a wonderful decoration indoors. So what exactly is causing its slow growth?

The rubber plant likes a warm, humid environment, loose and airy soil, and a spot with plenty of indirect light. I wonder whether the questioner has managed to provide all of these?

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1. First, make sure the soil is loose and airy. Only when the soil is loose and airy can the roots grow well, spread out more freely and reach down deep. Only when the roots grow well will the rubber plant grow vigorously

In fact, watering must be generous, because it is a plant from the south and likes a warm, humid environment. So keep the potting soil slightly moist, and once the surface of the soil is dry, water thoroughly right away. Because the soil is loose and airy, even if you water a lot it will not easily become waterlogged and rot the roots; the excess water has already drained away. Long-term lack of water will make the rubber plant grow slowly and suffer from poor nutrition

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2. Fertilising: because the rubber plant grows rather fast, you must never skimp on fertiliser in normal care. It is a foliage plant, so the fertiliser should be an organic fertiliser based mainly on nitrogen. Nitrogen fertiliser promotes the growth of branches and leaves and makes the leaves thick and glossy. During the growing season, fertilising once or twice a month is enough. Always use a weak solution and apply it often; a lack of fertiliser and water will make the rubber plant grow slowly

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3. Light: the rubber plant is fairly shade-tolerant, but it also very much likes light, preferring natural indirect light. So when we grow a rubber plant at home, we must put it in an environment with plenty of indirect light

The rubber plant's leaves are fairly large and thick, and they have a certain ability to absorb dust, which means we need to spray the leaves with water often. First, this keeps them moist and raises the air humidity; second, it washes off the dust on them, which helps the leaves breathe. You can also use fermented beer diluted with water at a ratio of 1:50 to wipe the leaves. This not only makes the leaves glossy but also acts as a foliar feed. As long as you pay attention to these few points, the rubber plant will grow very fast and will reach the roof, which is truly spectacular

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