Many times, this will happen when you bring your rubber tree plant in from outdoors, and this change can cause a total drop of the rubber tree leaves. Riley cat is enjoying a little sniff before I take it back in the house! Rubber plants can grow very tall. No wonky cuts here, please. Use a larger container to promote growth. With my experience of keeping plants for several years, I have learned a lot about them and how to keep them alive and thriving and so here I am to pen down my experience for all of you. Welcome to SimplifyPlants.com. Use your shears to cut the leggy stems back to 1/3 of their length, cutting at a 45-degree angle. Dig a trench and bury your leggy plants sideways in the trench, gently curving the above-ground portion of the plant to be vertical. If you’re not getting what I’m talking about here, please let me explain it through the pictures below. (Causes+What to Do), Why Is My Spider Plant Turning Brown? And by continuing pruning from time to time, you can prevent the future from becoming leggy as well. Q. rubber plant pruning. Provide the plant with the right temperature immediately. Some of the other houseplants which air layer beautifully are Weeping Fig, Fiddleleaf Fig, Dracaenas, Dumbcane, Umbrella Tree, Dwarf Umbrella Tree and the Split Leaf Philodendron. Besides, you will also learn how to prevent your plant from becoming long-legged furthermore. I water once or twice/week (usually once/week) and fertilize every three months or so with the little plant food sticks that you bury in the soil. Summer and spring are the growing seasons, so if you feed them every 3-4 weeks during this time, the plant will bloom throughout winter and fall, with even and healthy growth in all parts of the plant. They will stretch out looking for sunlight, appearing leggy, the lower part leaves might fall off, making the plant bared from the lower part. Stay tuned for that post and video. Also read: How much light do rubber plant needs? Temperature and lighting conditions are the first few things you need to fix your long-shanked plant and to maintain the beauty of your plant. I inherited a 10 year old, very leggy, rubber tree from my sister today. I’ll be referring to this method in the categories below. Water your plant before you do the pruning. Jade plants (Crassula ovata) are commonly grown as houseplants not only because they are easy succulents to grow, but they are also seen as an emblem of good luck or prosperity.One of the challenges is keeping them from stretching out between the leaves. Pruning is easy and very useful to keep your plant look even and in shape. The Rubber Tree emits a milky white sap which is considered toxic to people & pets. They do not regrow leaves from the lower part of their stalks, only from the top. There are a couple of reasons why plants are tall and leggy. A simple formula you can follow is to provide them with the temperature and humidity that you would like for yourself. The sap drips like crazy for about a minute or 2 & this prevents it from running down the trunk of the plant, onto your skin or clothes, or onto your floor. During the winter and fall, fertilizing is not required if you cater to your plant well during summer and spring. After taking the plant out from the pot, clean the extras from the roots, and change the soil mix completely. Peperomia obtusifolia (American baby rubber plant) is a compact perennial houseplant with rounded, leathery green leaves. Immediately after removing any of the leaves I wrap the trunk with a rag to cover the nodes where they’ve been taken off. Insufficient light may cause the plant to stretch for sunlight to produce essential plant sugars resulting in the overly tall and leggy plant. Be sure to keep it away from your face & wear gloves & long sleeves when pruning or handling a Rubber Plant if you think it’ll affect you. Is this normal? All-purpose houseplant fertilizer is also a good option. To fix rubber plant leaves curling due to conditions that are too wet, water your rubber plant only when the top several inches of soil becomes dry, grow the Rubber Plant in well-draining soil and use containers with bottom drainage. Does ZZ Plant Like To Be Root Bound? Every 3-6 weeks I took a couple more leaves off. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made by our readers with no extra cost added to you all! Another way to propagate a rubber tree plant is by using air layering. Another pruning adventure! The grower’s label plants with leaves all the way up and down as “full to base”. This liquid solution will feed your plant’s entire roots and soil, giving you a flourished and bushier plant. I agree, pruning your leggy Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica) will force branching but it may also need more light for optimum growth and health. You can see my 2 Variegated Rubber Trees here: A few of the leaves were stubborn to come off. It's starting to look more like a tree than a bush. link to Does ZZ Plant Like To Be Root Bound? You can tell if your rubber plant needs more light if it becomes leggy, its leaves lose their luster, and lower leaves fall off… You can fix them just by providing them with proper light conditions and keep them thriving and brimming. To fix the issue of a leggy plant, you need to move it to a new location with a sunny spot and keep rotating your plant every few weeks so that every part gets its potion of light and grows evenly. Repot every 2-3 years, varying according to the growth and needs of your plant. You will find in a few weeks your plant growing bushier rather than taller. If your rubber plant is still small and/or you don’t want it to grow much or to grow slowly, your plant may only need a little top dressing. Quiet Operation for Large Room Use: Ultrasonic humidifiers are incredibly silent,... 4L Tank Capacity & Mist Adjustable: Over 1.06 gallon of water lasts for 12-50 hour... 95mm Water Inlet: Allows you to refill and clean the machine with ease and... 3-IN-1 FUNCTION -- can be used to test soil moisture, pH value and sunlight level,... Double-Probe Detection -- quick and easy to insert into the soil and get you more... No Battery Required -- plug and play, save you from changing the battery. See, it depends on which part of the world you live in. Rubber plants growing in low light can get a little leggy and floppy because they’re trying to stretch out and reach more light. I let the mother plant settle for a few weeks before starting to remove the leaves at the very bottom. Plants also need water to survive, whether less or more. I cut the propagated portion off about an inch below (just above the next node down. So the first thing you … Plants with a trunk and foliage at the top are labeled as “standard.”, My 6′ Variegated Rubber Plant before I pruned off the top & air layered it. Sometimes overdosing of nitrogen also leads to a leggy rubber plant. He's let it grow unchecked, and since we live in a small house, it really is cramping our (ok, mine more than his) style. Perhaps yours needs to be cut back because it’s gotten leggy, is just too tall or maybe you want your plant to have a new look. The reason for your leggy plant maybe the soil mix or root bound, by repotting you can easily facilitate proper growth. Hi, we are coming into spring where I am and I want to do this with my ruby rubber plant. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers. I take cuttings anywhere … 100% AUTOMATED DRIP IRRIGATION KIT: Combine pump and (30) day timer in 1 automatic... SCIENTIFIC WATER-SAVING DESIGN: Use 70% less water than traditional spray & drip... DIGITAL TIMER DISPLAY: Featuring an extra-large LCD screen with bright, easy-to-read... 【Full set of gardening tools】GIGALUMI gardening tool set consist of 11 tools. A sunny spot shielded by a sheer curtain is often perfect for rubber plants. If you just bought a new ZZ plant home or your ZZ plant has suddenly stopped growing, then you might be wondering if the plant is root-bound. Rubber Plant: Growing Tips for this Easy Care Indoor Tree, How to Prune Off and Plant An Air Layered Rubber Tree Plant, 7 Easy Care Floor Plants For Beginning Houseplant Gardeners. Very helpful and knowledgeable, as someone new to the plant addiction I enjoy your blogs and videos! My name is Richa and I am here to simplify all your houseplants problems and get you a healthy and thriving plant that adds to the beauty of your home. However, make sure you keep your plant a few inches away from the window. Stem cuttings in water. I plan to do this to my plant at some point! This method works on other houseplants besides the Rubber Plant. To get this all started, you can cut the trunk or stem (whichever you prefer to call it) straight across with clean, sharp pruners and either toss the top or root it in a light mix. Did you know that you can turn your tall, skinny Ficus elastica into a tree form? Place the rubber tree plant cutting in a warm place that is lit by only indirect light. Once this plant hits the ceiling in my dining room in a few years I’ll have to do this all over again. Rubber Plants grow fast and can hit the ceiling in no time. My living room has 20′ ceilings but the light in there isn’t quite bright enough for a Variegated Rubber Plant year round. It will not only help the plant to use its energy to grow bigger leaves but also save plants energy from getting drained to sustain the leggy growth. Improper growing conditions can make the plant weak and may even result in the falling of leaves, especially the lower part old leaves, which don’t regrow if shedded. This is called a “standard” or tree. I’v already repotted the baby and plan to repot this standard Variegated Rubber Plant as well as my Rubber Plant Decora soon. Here are some steps to follow if you want to learn how to make a Rubber Tree branch out. If you want, you can replant smaller stalks in the planter with the larger ones, in your existing pot from which you took cuttings. The 2 plants which I’ve successfully air layered in the past are the Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia Tropic Snow) and Burgundy Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica Burgundy). Fill the new container up about a quarter of the way full with a fertile, well-drained potting mix. Your plant has become leggy, and you don’t want to get rid of those extra inches on the top. You’ll need to clean your pruners soon after. This article has everything you need to know to understand the root causes and easy fixes for your leggy plant. I used a sharp floral knife to start the process & then pulled them off. If the nutrients given to the plant are more than recommended or fertilizer with high nitrogen is fed, it can speed up the growth making the plant bulky, tall, and weak. I started to remove the leaves in early October 2018. Just make sure you don’t water it once a month during this time. Improper living conditions and not enough pruning can lead to long-legged rubber plants. Ficus elastica, the rubber tree plant, grows outdoors in U.S. Department of Agricultural plant hardiness zones 10 through 12. Rubber plants require plenty of light. It will encourage growth from all parts of the stem, preventing legginess. Using Air Layering for Propagation of a Rubber Tree Plant. Adequate care can prevent it from getting further leggy. The cut stems can be potted up for additional plants. Overgrown rubber trees have difficulty supporting the weight of their branches, resulting in an unsightly display and possible snapping of the branches. Rubber plants require plenty of light. You can remove dead leaves in any season using your fingers. It’s quite hard to cut so much at once, which you can decide on your own how much you want to cut. It will fasten the growth resulting in a tall and leggy plant. They need balanced macronutrients to promote the formation of green cells. The rubber plant becomes leggy as they try to reach out for better lighting. So the first thing you need to check is the light source. (Watering Requirements+Tips), Providing nutrients by adding fertilizers, Step-by-step rubber plant propagation guide. Make the cut clean as much as you can without digging too far into the bark. Rubber plants seldom bloom indoors, so nitrogen, which provides food for foliage growth, is the probable need; shortages of potash lead to necrotic leaf edges and leaf drop at the bottom of the plant. Keep watering (room temperature water) and providing them with required cultural conditions according to the season when you are propagating. I come here first for information. This isn’t called etiolation. I removed the leaves gradually because of the dripping sap factor – it was just easier for me to do it this way than all at once. I’m tickled pink to have you here! Avoid keeping your plant near a window where direct, scorching light pours over the plant. The temperature that your rubber plant loves is above 55 degrees Fahrenheit going up to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This is my favorite method & the one I always do when propagating Baby Rubber Plants. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a0488a86d405593cc3e9a2a0429b1b53" );document.getElementById("c0700bcfdf").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I’m Nell, and this is where I celebrate all things garden and share my passion for plants, flowers and the great outdoors. Also read: Step-by-step rubber plant propagation guide. It’s 2 plants for the price of 1! Here’s the mother plant right after I cut the air layered top off. The baby is doing beautifully & has already put out some new growth. Fixing the light issue. Cut the leaves and branches gradually so as not to shock the plant at one go. You want the … Pruning an Overgrown Rubber Plant Ficus elastica. How to Care for an Air Layered Rubber Plant. Rubber plants like bright light and a lot of it, but not direct sunlight. Stop to find out where you are going wrong and act accordingly. Nell, […] cut them off before repotting my Variegata standard which you’ll see in the video. Peperomia obtusifolia produces white, non-showy flower spikes in spring. The same plant developing a branching structure. These leggy sections aren’t healthy and are draining resources from the rest of the plant. The foliage on this plant is gorgeous! Ensure proper drainage system in the pot lined with pebbles, pumic stones. You have to be a little patient when you are doing this, as it will take some time for the growth from your planted cuttings. The rubber tree plant tends to grow rather quickly, and if left untrimmed it may start looking lanky and could be prone to breaking. A close up of the branching. The rubber plant is easy to grow houseplant. I air layered the mother plant & removed the baby once it was showing significant rooting. Organic fertilizer is supreme for your plant. In this video I share with you my care tips for one of my favorite houseplants today. I watered my Rubber Plant 2 days before. My Rubber Tree Plant was soon to hit the ceiling so I want to share with you how to propagate a Rubber Plant by air layering. It would be hitting the ceiling in my dining room in about a year. Did you know that you can turn your tall, skinny Ficus elastica into a tree form? But what happens when they get too tall, too wide or too leggy? Leggy plant growth may be the result of too much nitrogen or even low light situations. To fix the issue, you need to prove the plant with the right fertilizer along with the right proportion. Pruning the upper part of the leaves and cutting off branches that are making your plant uneven can further fix your leggy plant. If this is the case, simply scrape off the top half inch to inch (1.2 to 2.5 cm.) ~ … Oh, I love to create so you’ll find a bit of that in the mix along with lots of videos too. The hot air can harm the plant. There are two parts to this problem, over-fertilizing or Insufficient fertilizing. Water is an essential element for any living being, including plants. Cut just below the nodes (where the leaves and the buds grow), cut between two leaves, wash all the cuttings thoroughly, and keep the leaves cuttings in water, placing them in indirect sunlight. If your jade plant has grown for a long time without pruning, it will resemble an overgrown bush. But if the problem arises in the dormant season, you don’t need to hesitate to propagate your plant. Is now a good time to start air layering? I could have done this at the end of July but got involved in traveling & with other projects. Legginess in a plant means the plant has little extra growth and uneven structure, is tall and spindly. There may be different causes to this problem like improper grooming, inadequate lighting conditions, wrong dosage of fertilizer, and a few other reasons. We can cure this by merely changing the rubber plant’s position to a location where it gets bright indirect sunlight. It is also just simply common to some species. Remove dead leaves and branches at any time of year. Also, it helps the plants to absorb more light. Don’t panic if this happens! Hello - I've read the article on this website regarding pruning of a rubber tree; however, it doesn't quite answer my question. Perhaps yours needs to be cut back because it’s gotten leggy, is just too tall or maybe you want your plant to have a new look. Instead, you can grow dozen of plants from these cuttings. Propagating the plant is an excellent method to save your plant from legginess without shedding them at all. That will also give your plant leaves a stronghold onto its leaves. Here’s the timeline of how this all went down: I did the air layering at the end of April 2018. The rubber tree is an evergreen plant with thick, broad, glossy green leaves that are generally 5 to 12 inches long. Let the roots sit outside for one day to get fresh air. I thought you might be interested in how long this has taken. The air layered portion was cut off & planted at the very beginning of Sept. 2018. For stem cutting, take a cutting of the stem by cutting the extra inches of the top and propagate it directly in the soil; after a week, the roots will start to grow. Please note: Simplify Plants is reader-supported. Hello, My name is Richa, and this is where I share my passion for indoor plants. Prevent the problems beforehand through genuine care, proper dosage of fertilizers, pruning stems selectively, pinching off the growing tips, placing them in a sunny spot, and the right temperature are quick fixes for your leggy plant. The simple instruction is to dilute the fertilizer to half the dosage recommended. That will simply make the plant appear bushier just by planting, and as it grows further, the plant will be bushier and massive and even as well. When the top 4 nodes were producing new growth, I then removed the 4 older leaves right below those new sprouts. 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