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Rubber vegetation (Ficus elastica) don’t get sufficient credit score within the tropical plant world. These humble vegetation are normally obtainable on the backyard middle and at all times reasonably priced, however they have an inclination to get ignored by a number of the “sexier Instagram-worthy vegetation.” They are often hardy, rising into 6 foot bushes from a small 4-inch pot, and are available stunning variegated varieties. Rubber vegetation are implausible for a lot of extra causes that we’re going to dive into.
This weblog is impressed by Episode 148 of Bloom and Develop Radio–the place host Maria Failla interviewed Raffaele Di Lallo, founding father of Ohio Tropics.
Let’s first have a look at several types of rubber vegetation!
Varieties of Rubber Crops
The 2 sorts of rubber vegetation are non-variegated and variegated.
Non-Variegated Rubber Crops:
Ficus elastica ‘Decora’: typical shiny, inexperienced leaves [PHOTO]
Ficus elastica ‘Robusta’: comparable, however bigger leaves [PHOTO]
Ficus elastica ‘Burgundy’: attractive, tremendous darkish, nearly black leaves and stems [PHOTO]
Variegated Rubber Crops:
Ficus elastica ‘Tineke’: totally different shades of inexperienced, yellow, and cream [PHOTO]
Ficus elastica ‘Ruby’: stunning pink variegation [PHOTO]
Ficus elastica ‘Doescheri’: leaves are somewhat bit narrower [PHOTO]
PART 1: Easy methods to Take Care of Rubber Crops
Regardless of the number of rubber plant you’ve got, the care is sort of an identical. The one minor distinction is that variegated vegetation want extra quantity of sunshine than non-variegated vegetation.
Rubber vegetation come from the Moraceae household, which additionally comprises figs and mulberries. However don’t be fooled: rubber vegetation are literally poisonous. In case you break off a department or leaf, you’ll discover a white substance dripping out that’s fairly poisonous to people and animals. This white latex-like liquid was initially used to create rubber, therefore the title rubber plant. Ensure that to put on gloves when dealing with or pruning the plant.
A simple-to-follow care plan for rubber vegetation is 1) be certain it will get loads of direct mild and a couple of) don’t overwater. Let’s get into extra particulars beneath!
Easy methods to Water Rubber Crops
Rubber vegetation must dry out sufficiently between waterings. Your finger is your greatest pal on the subject of figuring out moisture in your potting combine. Use your finger to find out how dry the potting combine has gotten. When you’ve got a small four-inch pot, let the highest 1/2 inch dry out earlier than watering it once more completely. When you’ve got a a lot larger pot (round 15 inches), let at the very least the highest quarter of the soil (2-3”) in your pot dry out earlier than watering once more.
At all times water your rubber plant completely and at all times have a drainage gap in your pot. Don’t let your soil fully dry out, otherwise you danger stressing out your plant’s roots. 
How A lot Mild Do Rubber Crops Want?
Oftentimes rubber vegetation are labeled as low mild vegetation, however they are surely low mild tolerant. You possibly can’t overdo mild to your rubber plant indoors! As a common rule of thumb, put your rubber plant proper in entrance of a window, ideally a window with some direct solar.
An Japanese-facing window that will get morning solar is gorgeous, or a Western-facing window that will get afternoon solar is nice too. In case you dwell within the Northern hemisphere and you’ve got an unobstructed Southern window, these are inclined to get a ton of direct solar. Now, in the event you’re within the Southern hemisphere, North and South are reversed and also you’ll have to regulate appropriately.
In relation to water, the extra mild you’ve got, the faster your soil goes to dry out, as a result of your plant can be rising extra. So if in case you have loads of solar, then you need to monitor your plant much more incessantly, as a result of it’s going to dry out faster. 
What Sort of Soil Do Rubber Crops Want?
A well-draining, all-purpose potting combine will do wonders to your rubber plant. Take a look at Espoma’s Natural Potting Soil Combine to get you began; it’s typically the perfect soil for indoor vegetation. Including in perlite or orchid combine will present that further aeration to ensure your combine is effectively draining. To get a very good steadiness between moisture retention and drainage, use three components all-purpose potting combine and one half perlite.
Easy methods to Fertilize Rubber Crops
You should use any all-purpose houseplant fertilizer for rubber vegetation. There are two choices: liquid fertilizer or a slow-release fertilizer you may add to your potting combine.
In case you don’t like liquid fertilizers, you may at all times use a slow-release plant meals that you simply add to your potting combine while you plant your rubber plant. These fertilizers usually last as long as 6 months.
Now that you recognize all about rubber plant care, let’s get into some incessantly requested questions!
PART 2: Rubber Plant Steadily Requested Questions and Solutions from Raffaele di Lallo
Why Is My Rubber Plant Not Rising?
Your rubber plant wants extra mild! In case your rubber plant is in a far nook out of your window, it could be time to maneuver it to brighter mild. Keep in mind, rubber vegetation thrive in vibrant, direct daylight.
How Do I Get My Rubber Plant to Department and Be Bushier As a substitute of Taller?
Don’t be afraid to prune! Simply hack it off wherever you need (simply not all the best way all the way down to the soil) and chop off a very good portion of it. Pruning your rubber plant forces new branches to kind, leading to a bushier rubber plant.
You may as well attempt air layering, which is propagating from stems nonetheless connected to the plant. Take a pointy knife and make a diagonal reduce about midway into your rubber plant trunk. Then add some sphagnum moss within the reduce and wrap the complete department with moss. Put plastic wrap round it and tie it on each ends. Over the course of some months, it’s going to ship out roots from the place you narrow it, which it’s best to have the ability to see via the plastic wrap. Then you definitely merely reduce the stem proper beneath your air layering and replant it.
What Are the Greatest Methods to Propagate a Rubber Plant?
The primary technique to propagate a rubber plant is air layering, described above. This works particularly effectively if in case you have woody branches already shaped. Air layering takes a number of months to attain new root development.
The second propagation methodology is making particular person node cuttings. Discover the spot the place the leaf meets the department and reduce it off on all sides, leaving half an inch on both facet. You’re mainly left with a leaf after which a part of the stem, the place the node is. At that time, you may both stick the stem in water or soil to develop roots.
Remember that in the event you attempt propagating your rubber plant in winter, you might need a decrease success fee and will probably be considerably slower in comparison with making an attempt it in spring or summer season when the plant is actively rising
Why Are New Leaves on My Rubber Crops Smaller Than the Older Ones?
Primary, our circumstances at residence are nothing like best circumstances within the greenhouses that these vegetation had been grown in. That in and of itself might be a trigger.
Poor, inconsistent circumstances might be your second perpetrator. Poor lighting and letting your plant dry out an excessive amount of as its creating new leaves can even have an effect on the leaf dimension.
Why is My Rubber Plant Dropping Leaves?
Rubber vegetation don’t wish to be moved, in the beginning. And in the event you convey your plant residence and shove it in a darkish gap, you’re going to get leaves dropping off. Your plant is just not going to have the ability to help all of the leaves it had when it was rising in good circumstances.
In case your plant is horribly root certain, it’s going to be very arduous to maintain up with the watering required to maintain the roots hydrated. This may be contributing to dropping leaves. At that time, you actually need to re-pot it in a much bigger pot.
My Rubber Plant Seems to be Wholesome, However the Branches Are All Over the Place. Why Is This Taking place?
Indoors, we don’t benefit from wind that strengthens vegetation exterior. Due to this, our indoor vegetation might have somewhat assist compensating. It’s completely okay to tie up your plant. Rafaelle makes use of a bamboo stake that he inserted proper via the basis ball, gently tying the branches that had been getting unruly.
Why Are the Edges of My Variegated Rubber Plant Browning?
You may not be watering your rubber plant correctly. Keep away from letting your soil dry out fully or letting your rubber plant soak in water for too lengthy. When you get the watering proper, be certain your rubber plant is supplemented with sufficient mild!
What Are the Tiny White Spots on My Rubber Plant?
These tiny white spots are known as lithocysts and pose no hurt to your rubber plant. They’re cells that comprise calcium carbonate.
Which Rubber Plant Ought to I Get?
Now that you understand how to take care of rubber vegetation and troubleshoot any points, let’s determine which rubber plant is best for you!
In case you’re getting your first rubber plant and have by no means grown one earlier than, Raffaele recommends sticking with a non-variegated plant, since they’re going to be somewhat bit simpler to take care of. ‘Robusta’ is a superb newbie rubber plant. And in the event you actually love variegated vegetation, attempt the ‘Tineke’ or the ‘Ruby’ cultivars.
Need to study extra about rubber vegetation and houseplants? Ensure that to take a look at Raffaele’s weblog and model new e book, Houseplant Warrior popping out quickly!
About Bloom & Develop Radio Podcast
Bloom & Develop Radio Podcast helped individuals take care of vegetation efficiently and domesticate extra pleasure of their lives. Host Maria Failla, a former plant killer turned joyful plant woman, interviews specialists on varied points of plant care, and encourages listeners to not solely take care of vegetation, however study to take care of themselves alongside the best way.
About Our Interviewee
Engineer and plant mum or dad for greater than thirty years, Raffaele Di Lallo is aware of that the world of houseplants may be stuffed with complicated myths and conflicting care recommendation. Raffaele began his weblog Ohio Tropics centered on gardening with a tropical flare in chilly climate climates. It rapidly grew to become a weblog all about houseplant care. 5 years later and he’s nonetheless writing about all issues houseplants!
His new e book Houseplant Warrior: 7 Keys to Unlocking the Mysteries of Houseplant Care demystifies each facet of plant parenting and is ready to launch on March 15, 2022. Houseplant Warrior is especially related for the newbie or any houseplant aficionado combating their houseplants. Raffaele teaches a holistic method to houseplant care and understanding how the entire circumstances work collectively.
Comply with Raffaele:
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