HOUSEPLANTS > FICUS > ELASTICA
IN THIS GUIDE
FICUS GUIDES
Ficus Benjamina – Drooping LeavesFiddle Leaf FigRubber Plant
If you or your Friend keep houseplants , it ’s very probable that you ’ve see at least oneFicus elasticain your living .
This popular works is ideal for growing at home thanks to its distinct and attractive aesthetic , its resistance to pestilence , and its general low alimony requirements .
Overview
PreferredFull Sun
ExposureSheltered
Height2.5 – 4 molarity
Spread1 – 1.5 thou
Bloom TimeSummer
PreferredMost Soil Types
MoistureMoist but well drained
pHAny
F. elasticais the botanic name for a flora more commonly known as rubber plant , rubber tree , Assam golosh , India rubber common fig , and many other gens .
grant to records from Kew , its aboriginal range spans much of South East Asia and Southern China.1Ficus elastica . ( n.d . ) . Kew Royal Botanic Gardens . retrieve March 15 , 2023 , fromhttps://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:60458499-2
Confusingly , another plant calledHevea brasiliensisalso go by the names ‘ Rubber Tree ’ and ‘ Rubber Plant ’ ; this species is the primary source of natural caoutchouc .
Why Grow A Rubber Tree?
F. elasticaticks many of the loge that houseplant partizan depend for :
slow enough to invoke to beginners , but various and attractive enough to remain appealing to even the most seasoned experts .
How To Grow A Rubber Plant
buy a mature rubber plant is credibly the most popular fashion of incorporating one into your squadron of houseplants , and they ’re fairly trashy to bribe from most gardening shop class .
If you ’re feeling adventurous , though , they ’re not too challenging to produce from seeds or cuttings .
Unlike many seeds , you do n’t need to bury a rubber plant come in soil to get it growing .
Instead , provide it in a tray or container in indirect sunlight , and spritz it a few sentence a solar day to keep it moist .
you could place a light cloth over the seed whilst you spritz it to ensure better coverage .
Once the ejaculate has sprout , usually after a calendar week or so , you’re able to relocate it to a batch .
shoot for for loam - based compost , and continue to keep the seedling in indirect light while it builds strength .
Be gentle when go the seedling as it will be very ticklish .
engage a cutting from a mature plant is a great way to get a new pencil eraser plant .
“ Houseplants are more often sold as plants than seeds , so cuttings might be the good way to add to your plant collection , especially for Ficus , which roots quite readily , ” shares Colin Skelly , a Horticultural Consultant .
“ If your plant is growing merrily then your cutting should mature well in the same position until they are heavy enough to move elsewhere . ”
You ’re looking to veer about 10 centimetre of the radical from the female parent industrial plant ; take tutelage to check that there are 2 or 3 leaf nodes on the stem ( a node is a section where the leaf joins the stem ) .
Then , you need to engraft the shank in land mixed with rooting culture medium .
Plant up to half of the stem below the grease , with all the leave above the surface , then irrigate the stain , spread over the plant with plastic and leave it to grow .
After a pair of week the stem will have rooted beneath the soil .
When the roots are between 3 - 5 cm retentive , it ’s safe to relocate the plant to a bigger pot – again , be gentle !
Rubber Tree Care
For optimum condition , give your rubber industrial plant a dose of liquid fertiliser every couple of weeks during the spring and summer months .
Check the label of the fertiliser you apply to ensure the right dilution , as you do n’t need to overfeed your flora .
One of the most common causes of rubber industrial plant problems is over - lachrymation , so read this section cautiously .
Rubber industrial plant only need tearing when the soil begins to feel teetotal .
Poke a finger’s breadth an column inch or so into the soil and body of water when thing are starting to sense wry .
Do n’t wait until it ’s bone dry , and do n’t water when the soil is intelligibly damp , either .
You should only keep rubber plants in pots with sufficient drainage – this give water ample opportunity to be absorbed into the flora , while permit excess water to drain away .
As we mentioned earlier , in the natural state , rubber plants can grow to tremendous stature exceeding 20 - 30 m.
Unless you live in an evenly enormous house , it ’s unlikely you ’ll desire your flora to get hold of full stature .
Thankfully , pruning rubber plants is easygoing – simply trim the top off of your works when it reaches the desire height .
you’re able to also tidy up leaves further down the plant , cutting them back to keep thing looking orderly .
Ideally you ’d do this in the springtime and summertime months , but if you have a sudden desire to cut back in the other season , your plant will be able to recuperate .
Common Problems
In the watering subdivision we mentioned that over - lachrymation is one of the most common issues .
Here ’s what else to take care for in a prophylactic plant –
Wilting , damaged , and give-up the ghost leaves are the main symptom of over - watering .
If you ’re seeing this , water less frequently , remind yourself when to piddle , and consider repot your plant into dryer ground .
When grown under glass , rubber plants are prone to mites , scale hemipteran , mealy bugs , and other pests .
These critters can cause various havoc to plant life , often involve feeding on the sap inside their leafage .
With a pest infestation it ’s likely you ’ll be able to see testis , excretion , or the bugs themselves with the bare oculus .
The first footstep is to remove them by hand and softly clean the leaf – then give it a few day and see if the problematic visitor bring back .
If so , you ’ll require to move on to pesticide – prefer a Cartesian product that discourages ongoing visits whilst avert harm to your works .
There are a variety of ware available , ramble in strength and price .
