How to care for Rubber plant – Common Problems with Rubber Tree Plants
How to keep your Rubber Tree Plant looking its best indoors Here’s how to take care of this low-maintenance plant with these plant care tips.
The rubber tree plant is also known as ficus elastica. It is native to Southeast Asia and Indonesia. This popular tree is ideal for indoors. It has oval-shaped, shiny leaves with a dark green color. The houseplant is a fast-growing that can grow to 6-10 feet indoors. This height makes it easy to make a statement in any space. It’s best to buy them young to make sure they adapt quickly to indoor environments.
They can tolerate a variety of conditions and are able to bounce back quickly if they’re neglected.
Latex in the sap of rubber tree plants can cause poisonous reactions in pets and humans. When handling rubber tree plants, it is important to use gardening gloves. If any sap gets on your pets or you, wash the area immediately.
Tips for Caring for Rubber Tree Plants
Watering
It is important to avoid letting your rubber plant sit in water. This can cause root rot. Watering is dependent on the speed at which the soil dries in your house, so make sure to check it every few days. Once the soil has dried, water can be applied to the plant. Depending on the season, you might be watering your plant as frequently as once every three days or as little as once every eight days. When the air is dry, misting the leaves can also be a good idea.
Sunlight
For rubber plants, bright indirect light is the best. You can place one next to a window that allows sunlight in.
Fertilizer
This easy-to-care-for plant receives high phosphorus fertilizer during the growing season to encourage healthy root growth.
Common Problems with Rubber Tree Plants
- Curling leaves: Too much or too little water.
- Brown leaves: It is possible that your plant has become too cold.
- Leaf drop: Because of insufficient light, cold drafts, and pests such as mealybugs or spider mites.
- Sap: The milky sap of the rubber plant contains a compound called caoutchouc that can trigger allergic reactions. It can also cause poisoning in animals and people. Keep them out of reach of children.
- Dust: Satch suggests wiping off dusty leaves using a dampened cloth or paper towel. He adds that you can dry wipe the leaves before using wet wiping to avoid any dust gunk.
Repotting rubber tree plants
Rubber plants don’t like being rootbound, so it will eventually be necessary to repot them. Purchase the plant in a greenhouse container.
- To allow the roots to grow, repot the pot in a pot that’s 1-2 inches larger.
- The roots also support the shoots! Within two weeks of the acquisition, you should repot it.
- Repot the plant as it grows until its height is approximately 2-3 times that of the pot.