How to propagate potted rubber plants? Introduction to common propagation methods
The rubber plant has high ornamental value and is a famous potted foliage plant, extremely suitable for indoor beautification and arrangement. Small and medium-sized plants are often used to beautify living rooms and studies; medium and large-sized plants are suitable for placement on both sides of the entrance halls of large buildings and in the center of lobbies, appearing majestic and magnificent, and can reflect a tropical atmosphere. The rubber plant commonly uses two propagation methods: cuttings and air layering.
Cuttings propagation is relatively simple, extremely easy to root and fast-growing. It is generally carried out in late spring and early summer in combination with pruning. Select one-year-old woody middle branches as cuttings; keep three buds on each cutting, cut off the lower leaf, fold the upper two leaves together and tie them with plastic, or cut off half of the upper leaves to reduce water evaporation; to prevent excessive loss of latex from the cut and affect rooting, promptly apply plant ash to the wound; insert the prepared cuttings into a cutting bed with river sand or vermiculite as the substrate; after insertion, keep the cutting bed at high humidity and frequently sprinkle water on the ground (but not waterlogged) to increase air humidity. At 18-25°C under semi-shade conditions, roots will form in about 2-3 weeks.
Air layering is also relatively convenient for home use, and the success rate is high. When air layering, select a two-year-old branch, first make a ring bark strip 1-1.5 cm wide on the branch; then wrap moist moss or peat soil around the wound, finally wrap tightly with plastic film, and tie both the upper and lower ends; after 1-2 months, the rooted branch can be cut off and potted.
[Image] How to propagate rubber plants, rubber plant propagation methods
How to propagate rubber plants? There are generally two commonly used propagation methods, namely the rubber plant cutting method and the high-branch layering propagation method. Flower lovers can choose the appropriate propagation method according to their own preferences. Below, the two rubber plant propagation methods are explained separately, hoping to help flower lovers who like growing rubber plants. Take action quickly.
Rubber plant propagation method 1: Rubber plant cutting methodThe rubber plant cutting method is simple to operate, extremely easy to root, and fast-growing, convenient for beginners to try.
1. The cutting time is in late spring and early summer, which can be carried out in combination with pruning. The cuttings mostly use one-year-old semi-woody middle branches.
2. After the cuttings are cut, to prevent too much latex from flowing out of the cut and affecting rooting, promptly seal the wound with clay or plant ash.
3. The length of the cutting is based on keeping 3 buds. Cut off the lower leaf, fold the upper two leaves together, and tie them with thin plastic rope to reduce leaf surface evaporation, then insert them into a cutting bed with plain sand or vermiculite as the substrate.
4. 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. After potting, place in a slightly shaded place, and gradually increase light after new buds sprout.
2. High-branch layering methodFor home gardeners, the high-branch layering method is relatively convenient for propagation, and the success rate is also relatively high.
1. Specific method description: Select a two-year-old branch of appropriate size, well-developed and with solid tissue. Make a light ring-shaped bark removal about 1 cm wide at the part where soil is planned to be wrapped, and apply 30-50 ppm naphthaleneacetic acid solution, then use wet soil or a moss mixture or vermiculite that has absorbed enough water 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 facilitate ventilation and watering. Then place it outdoors in a sunny place and strengthen the daily care of the mother plant. Usually check the humidity of the wrapped part. If it is too dry, water can be injected with a syringe, or the upper thin rope can be untied to add water and then tied firmly again. Just ensure it remains moist; it must not dry out or be too wet, and no fertilization is needed. Pay attention to care. If layered in June, roots will form in July-August. After rooting, it can be cut off and potted.
2. Check whether roots have formed: You can see through the plastic film that the bag is full of roots, and roots may even grow out of the bag. At this time, cut it off together with the plastic film. Then remove the thin rope and plastic film, plant it together with the soil ball in a flower pot, place it in a shaded place for care, and carry out normal management after it adapts to the pot.
3. Practice has proved that using the air layering method is convenient for management, and the survival rate is 95%.
Prepare scissors, rope, medium, water
When peeling the bark, use a small knife to score a ring around the upper and lower ends of the branch
Use a small knife to gently peel from top to bottom at the selected part
Wrap the peeled part with cling film into a cylindrical shape
Tie the lower end tightly with thin rope
Slowly add loose, moist nutrient soil into the plastic cylinder
After tying the upper end tightly with thin rope, tie another ring around the middle
How to grow rubber plants, cultivation methods for potted rubber plants
The rubber plant is also called large-leaf green, red Burma tree, red-mouth rubber tree, membrane-protecting tree, Burma banyan, Burma tree, banyan milk tree, elastic membrane-protecting tree, evergreen, rubber tree, Indian rubber banyan, Indian banyan, Indian rubber tree, etc. It is an ornamental plant of the Moraceae family and Ficus genus, native to India. Its management is not complicated, and even people lacking cultivation experience can grow it well.Growth habits of the rubber plant:The rubber plant prefers a warm, humid, sunny environment, and is also slightly tolerant of shade, but not cold-resistant. It requires fertile, loose soil and grows well in neutral or slightly acidic soil. When potting, it is advisable to use leaf mold, grass ash soil plus about 1/4 river sand and a small amount of base fertilizer to make the growing medium. Usually keep the soil moist, and apply a dilute liquid fertilizer once every 15-20 days. In summer high temperatures, the rubber plant grows relatively fast and should be given plenty of fertilizer and water, but avoid water accumulation in the pot. After autumn, gradually reduce fertilization and watering to promote solid plant growth and help it overwinter. Because the rubber plant likes sunlight, from spring to autumn it should be placed outdoors in a sunny place for care; if placed in a shady place for a long time, it is easy to cause leaves to turn yellow and fall off. It likes sunlight, but is also relatively 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 wet cloth, which is beneficial to photosynthesis
Because the rubber plant is not cold-resistant, in winter it must be moved indoors to a sunny place for care, keeping the room temperature above 10°C, and the minimum temperature should not be lower than 5°C; if the temperature is too low and the pot soil is wet, it will cause leaves to turn black and fall off and roots to rot, and even the whole plant to die. From late April to early May of the following year, move it to a courtyard or balcony for care. In northern areas, note that when moving from indoors to outdoors during seasonal changes, it must not immediately receive strong sunlight exposure, that is, light and temperature changes should not be too great. In winter, when room temperature is low, water should be reduced, keeping the pot soil slightly moist.
The rubber plant has glossy leaves, fresh and pleasant green color, and its plant is tall and imposing, suitable for placement on a balcony to green the environment.
Placement:
Potted rubber plants can be placed on east-facing, south-facing, or west-facing balconies for management, among which cultivation on a south-facing balcony gives the best results. Its plant is relatively tall, suitable for planting 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 winter temperatures are not a problem.
Potted management:
It is advisable to choose sandy loam rich in humus as the cultivation substrate. 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. The rubber plant likes a slightly moist and 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 less. In addition to applying about 50 grams of horse hoof slices and other materials as base fertilizer at the bottom of the flower pot 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 is also tolerant of shady environments. If conditions permit, it is best to let the plant receive full sun. Keeping the environment properly ventilated is sufficient. The rubber plant likes high-temperature environments, grows well within a temperature range of 16°C-30°C, and the overwintering temperature should not be lower than 5°C. Every spring before new buds sprout, shorten old branches by 2/3 or 1/2 to promote new branches, and at the same time prune inner branches and thin, weak branches. In balcony cultivation, rubber plants usually rarely suffer from diseases, but they are susceptible to attack by white grubs. Every spring in March, a large plant over three years old should be repotted once. During the operation, part of the old roots can be cut off, some new soil can be added, and the plant's branches can be moderately pruned to promote branching. In this way, the plant will have stronger growth potential, thereby greatly improving its ornamental value.
Propagation methods:
Cutting propagation is the main method, mostly carried out in spring from March to April. Fine sand can be used as the propagation substrate. The size of the pot used can be determined according to specific needs. In combination with pruning, cut the just-lignified branches of the rubber plant into single-node segments, each segment with 1 leaf. White latex will flow out of the stem segment cut. 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 a bamboo stick about 20 cm long upright, bury the stem segment of the prepared rubber plant cutting into the soil while maintaining polarity, wrap the middle of the leaf around the bamboo stick, and tie it firmly with thin rope. Then place the flower pot with the cutting into a plastic tunnel, spray water frequently to keep it moist. Under conditions of 25°C-30°C, the rubber plant cutting can root after about 4 weeks. When the young plant grows 2-3 new leaves, it can be removed from the pot and planted. Layering can also be used for propagation.
Rubber plant leaf cutting method (with pictures and text)
In rubber plant leaf cutting, although the petiole can grow adventitious roots, it cannot produce adventitious buds, so it cannot grow into a new individual. Therefore, it is necessary to use a leaf with a bud at the base or a terminal bud for cutting to form a new plant. The depth should be just enough to expose the bud tip. After insertion, cover with a glass cover to prevent water evaporation. If the leaves are opposite, they can be split into two halves, each half with one bud as a cutting.Rubber plant leaf cutting can use one leaf and one bud, or one leaf, half a leaf, or even smaller propagation materials. In an intelligently controlled rapid propagation seedling bed, it can root quickly. A whole leaf can be dipped quickly with 2000 PPM Rapid Propagation Treasure; for half a leaf, treatment with 400 PPM for 1 hour gives the best rooting effect, with a rooting rate reaching 100%.
The picture below shows a rubber plant propagated on 2.21. On 3.21, its developed root system is shown. At this time, after treatment with cytokinin, it will soon differentiate buds and become a complete plant.
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