How to Care for The Rubber Tree Plant (Ficus elastica)
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Date: 2022-07-18
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Comments and reviews: 15
Heather
Very, very surprised that you would advise people to put 'rocks or gravel' at the bottom of the pot for better drainage. This is completely contrary to the physic principles regarding water translocation. When water moves from a denser medium to a more open (soil to gravel) the water will remain in the denser medium until it reaches absolute saturation and only then will capillary action kick in to start water moving into the more open medium. This can very well leave a plant drenched in water for an extended period of time. Courser material preserves air pockets because of this principle.
The next factor is the height of the soil column. When you add gravel to the bottom of your pot you shorten the soil column which means there is less translocation and therefore more saturated soil. Short (azalea) pots are used for plants such as azaleas that like to be kept on the moister side. (Remember the soaked towel experiment done in school)
If you want to ensure your plant does not sit in water then put gravel in the bottom of the cover pot. This allows water to be drawn down by capillary action down the entire length of the pot where the total accumulation provides enough to pressure to drain the water out of the pot.
Gravel in the bottom of pots is a very old and disruptive myth that I suspect came from the misunderstanding of which pot to put the rocks in.
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Very, very surprised that you would advise people to put 'rocks or gravel' at the bottom of the pot for better drainage. This is completely contrary to the physic principles regarding water translocation. When water moves from a denser medium to a more open (soil to gravel) the water will remain in the denser medium until it reaches absolute saturation and only then will capillary action kick in to start water moving into the more open medium. This can very well leave a plant drenched in water for an extended period of time. Courser material preserves air pockets because of this principle.
The next factor is the height of the soil column. When you add gravel to the bottom of your pot you shorten the soil column which means there is less translocation and therefore more saturated soil. Short (azalea) pots are used for plants such as azaleas that like to be kept on the moister side. (Remember the soaked towel experiment done in school)
If you want to ensure your plant does not sit in water then put gravel in the bottom of the cover pot. This allows water to be drawn down by capillary action down the entire length of the pot where the total accumulation provides enough to pressure to drain the water out of the pot.
Gravel in the bottom of pots is a very old and disruptive myth that I suspect came from the misunderstanding of which pot to put the rocks in.
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Savanna
I got a Burgundy that hasn't grown in months and is losing lower leaves after they turn orange. I had it inside, my windows face west but there's a large building that blocks any bright light from reaching my rooms. I usually water only when soil is dry and is in well-draining soil mix. I recently put it outside on the balcony and I think the leaves are growing larger but it's drafty and so it's now loosing leaves at a quicker cadence without any new leaf growth. For context, I'm in San Diego, so the climate is usually pretty friendly for these ie not too cold. Any tips? Am I just not meant to have this plant if I can't get bright indirect light indoors?
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I got a Burgundy that hasn't grown in months and is losing lower leaves after they turn orange. I had it inside, my windows face west but there's a large building that blocks any bright light from reaching my rooms. I usually water only when soil is dry and is in well-draining soil mix. I recently put it outside on the balcony and I think the leaves are growing larger but it's drafty and so it's now loosing leaves at a quicker cadence without any new leaf growth. For context, I'm in San Diego, so the climate is usually pretty friendly for these ie not too cold. Any tips? Am I just not meant to have this plant if I can't get bright indirect light indoors?
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Sikha
Hi. I have the dark green variety that I purchased in Jan 2019. It hasn't grown since then but lost 2 of its lower leaves. It was placed in indirect light with watering once a week.
Being concerned about this, we shifted it to direct light on the windowsill with watering to maintain a moist soil based on some recommendations we read online. But now the remaining leaves are turning leathery and curling inwards with small white spots appearing along the leaf edges. Can you pls suggest a remedy or explain what's happening to our plant?
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Hi. I have the dark green variety that I purchased in Jan 2019. It hasn't grown since then but lost 2 of its lower leaves. It was placed in indirect light with watering once a week.
Being concerned about this, we shifted it to direct light on the windowsill with watering to maintain a moist soil based on some recommendations we read online. But now the remaining leaves are turning leathery and curling inwards with small white spots appearing along the leaf edges. Can you pls suggest a remedy or explain what's happening to our plant?
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handmade
Just want to correct you, this plant is not used for commercial rubber production, even though it has latex in its sap. Hevea brasiliensis - Para rubber tree, is used for 99% natural rubber produced in a world. Also, be carful when pruning this plant, its milky sap very sticky(because of latex, irritant to your eyes and possibly skin, as well as poisonous to your pets. So dont let your cat or puppy shew on it.
Nice plant though, beautiful leaves. I wonder what kind of variety is it, that have those leaves?
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Just want to correct you, this plant is not used for commercial rubber production, even though it has latex in its sap. Hevea brasiliensis - Para rubber tree, is used for 99% natural rubber produced in a world. Also, be carful when pruning this plant, its milky sap very sticky(because of latex, irritant to your eyes and possibly skin, as well as poisonous to your pets. So dont let your cat or puppy shew on it.
Nice plant though, beautiful leaves. I wonder what kind of variety is it, that have those leaves?
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sublimehoneybee
Thanks for the video! I have a baby Ficus Elastica Tineke in a 4inch pot. I thought it wasnt going to survive because its lower leaves edges were browning, then falling off. I decided to wait for soil to dry out a lot before my next watering and it seems to like it. I have it about a foot away from an east facing window and its grown five more leaves. When is a good time to repot? Also the pinkish colour that some of the leaves have start to fade. Is that normal?
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Thanks for the video! I have a baby Ficus Elastica Tineke in a 4inch pot. I thought it wasnt going to survive because its lower leaves edges were browning, then falling off. I decided to wait for soil to dry out a lot before my next watering and it seems to like it. I have it about a foot away from an east facing window and its grown five more leaves. When is a good time to repot? Also the pinkish colour that some of the leaves have start to fade. Is that normal?
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Jjjj
Ummm. plants typically lose variegation when they don't receive enough light, not the other way around. The increase in green is a response whereby they make more chlorophyll in the leaves, as they are trying to increase the area of photosynthesis due to light deprivation. But don't put it in a scorching hot window to increase light. A sunny window is a very different thing according to your latitude. Might be OK in Denmark, but not in Ecuador, if you get my drift.
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Ummm. plants typically lose variegation when they don't receive enough light, not the other way around. The increase in green is a response whereby they make more chlorophyll in the leaves, as they are trying to increase the area of photosynthesis due to light deprivation. But don't put it in a scorching hot window to increase light. A sunny window is a very different thing according to your latitude. Might be OK in Denmark, but not in Ecuador, if you get my drift.
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handmade
I have two small red-brown rubber plants but one plant top broken I put the top one is in the water of a bottle and hope to get some roots.
When will I report 4 inches to 6 inches? In the fall before winter like out? (Mass) I was told.
Also, need help peace Lily it turned many yellow leaves then brown. I cut off yellow and brown. But still, get more new yellow leaves
Nosun just light in the room from the windows. Not shades but?
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I have two small red-brown rubber plants but one plant top broken I put the top one is in the water of a bottle and hope to get some roots.
When will I report 4 inches to 6 inches? In the fall before winter like out? (Mass) I was told.
Also, need help peace Lily it turned many yellow leaves then brown. I cut off yellow and brown. But still, get more new yellow leaves
Nosun just light in the room from the windows. Not shades but?
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Tricia
I recently switched to making my own potting mix and I use coir, perlite, and worm castings. I add sand, orchid mix and sphagnum depending on the plant. Im not really going to go out and buy peat moss for one plant, so do you have any advice for how to amend the coir in order to prevent sogginess? I havent repotted my burgundy yet and its still in the nursery pot. Thanks!
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I recently switched to making my own potting mix and I use coir, perlite, and worm castings. I add sand, orchid mix and sphagnum depending on the plant. Im not really going to go out and buy peat moss for one plant, so do you have any advice for how to amend the coir in order to prevent sogginess? I havent repotted my burgundy yet and its still in the nursery pot. Thanks!
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She
Never seen a tiny rubber plant. Only seen them super large. My granddad might have seen them tiny when he planted them in our plantation. Lovely to see it tiny. Feel kinda nostalgic. Rubber trees. Narrow twisty village roads. mossy walls. River to jump in when it got too hot. Which was always. Some days I wish I could take people to that place I learnt so much.
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Never seen a tiny rubber plant. Only seen them super large. My granddad might have seen them tiny when he planted them in our plantation. Lovely to see it tiny. Feel kinda nostalgic. Rubber trees. Narrow twisty village roads. mossy walls. River to jump in when it got too hot. Which was always. Some days I wish I could take people to that place I learnt so much.
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Colten
Ok I'm curious about the red spike things on the tip of the plant. Mine dont seem to be growing much or putting out new leaves. I've had the plant a couple months and it may have put out one leaf and it's like a half leaf. The red spikes are also shriveled looking. Can I do anything to help out where the plant grows?
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Ok I'm curious about the red spike things on the tip of the plant. Mine dont seem to be growing much or putting out new leaves. I've had the plant a couple months and it may have put out one leaf and it's like a half leaf. The red spikes are also shriveled looking. Can I do anything to help out where the plant grows?
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jackie
I know this video is older, but I rescued a rubber tree plant from my office and it had two trees planted in one larger pot. Should i separate them? They're not looking so hot right now but I can't tell if that's just because they're mad that I moved them, or if they're killing each other in the one pot ):
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I know this video is older, but I rescued a rubber tree plant from my office and it had two trees planted in one larger pot. Should i separate them? They're not looking so hot right now but I can't tell if that's just because they're mad that I moved them, or if they're killing each other in the one pot ):
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Sarah
I forgot to ask someone to water my rubber plant while I was traveling for 2 months. It has lost all its leaves and the stem is dark brown. Is it possible to revive it? I thought it was completely dead and went to throw it out and noticed that the roots seem to look ok. What do you think?
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I forgot to ask someone to water my rubber plant while I was traveling for 2 months. It has lost all its leaves and the stem is dark brown. Is it possible to revive it? I thought it was completely dead and went to throw it out and noticed that the roots seem to look ok. What do you think?
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Monica
I have had mine for 2. 5 years 6 ft away from a south window, I rotate it once a week and only water it when it is dry, I clean the leaves once a month, it never seems to stop growining and the colours are amazing, it is one of my favourites and it is so easy.
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I have had mine for 2. 5 years 6 ft away from a south window, I rotate it once a week and only water it when it is dry, I clean the leaves once a month, it never seems to stop growining and the colours are amazing, it is one of my favourites and it is so easy.
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Shawnee
I have two (variegated) tineke rubber tree plants; one directly in front of my east facing window and one directly in front of my west and neither is losing variegation. The one in front of the west window is just developing lovely medium pink in the leaves.
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I have two (variegated) tineke rubber tree plants; one directly in front of my east facing window and one directly in front of my west and neither is losing variegation. The one in front of the west window is just developing lovely medium pink in the leaves.
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Elizabeth
Hi, I have a rubber plant tineke with beautiful varigations like yours however it has brown spots on the edges just like the fourth leaf from the bottom Of yours. I was wondering if you knew the cause of this? Im concerned its root rot. Any thoughts?
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Hi, I have a rubber plant tineke with beautiful varigations like yours however it has brown spots on the edges just like the fourth leaf from the bottom Of yours. I was wondering if you knew the cause of this? Im concerned its root rot. Any thoughts?
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