- Lighting. Like most ficus plants, the ideal lighting conditions for the burgundy ficus tree is bright indirect light.
- Watering. The burgundy rubber plant is relatively drought tolerant. While this plant enjoys being evenly moist, it is best to let it dry out a bit between waterings to prevent ...
- Preferred Soil / Potting Medium. The ficus burgundy enjoys a soil that stays consistently moist but not soggy. ...
- Humidity Conditions. The burgundy plant can survive in normal household humidity, ranging from 40-50%. As this plant is tropical, it will thrive when misted or near a humidifier.
How to care for rubber plant (Ficus elastica)?
Lets start with a quick summary of rubber plant care, with additional details following. How To Care For A Rubber Plant ( Ficus elastica ): Grow your Rubber Plant in soil that drains well, create moderate humidity and keep temperatures between 50°F (10°C) to 85°F (29°C). Water when the top inch of soil becomes dry and fertilize monthly.
How do you take care of a ficus tree?
If the top of the soil is wet, don’t water as this means they have enough moisture. If the top of the soil feels dry to the touch, this indicates that they need water. Also while caring for a ficus plant, be aware that they are rapid growers and require plenty of nutrients to grow well.
How do you take care of a rubber plant?
In summary, the rubber plant (rubber tree) is a straightforward low-maintenance houseplant to take care of for anyone. The plant does best with indirect light, waterings when its topsoil is dry, and all-purpose potting soil. Also, if you want to keep glossy leaves, you should dust them often with a damp cloth.
How do you raise the humidity on a ficus tree?
Regular misting or setting the ficus tree on a pebble tray filled with water is a great way to increase their humidity, but keep in mind that while they like high humidity, they don’t like overly wet roots. Therefore, when watering, always check the top of the soil first.
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Does rubber plant need sunlight?
Rubber plants need bright light to thrive, but don't put them in the sunniest spot you have just yet—too much hot, direct sunlight can scorch your plant's leaves, according to ProFlowers. Your best bet is to keep your rubber plant in a spot that gets plenty of sunlight, but filtered with a sheer curtain.
How often should I water my rubber ficus?
every 1-2 weeksWater. Water every 1-2 weeks, allowing soil to dry out between waterings. Increase frequency with increased light.
How much sunlight does a rubber plant need?
Rubber trees can tolerate low light, though they do best near a bright window that's covered with a window sheer to filter the sunlight. Like most plants, they prefer to have 6-8 hours of decent light each day.
How often should you water a rubber plant?
How Often Should You Water Rubber Tree Plants? Depending on the location (bright indirect light), your rubber tree plant needs watering every five to seven days. Keep the potting soil consistently moist but never soggy. Plants in soggy soil are susceptible to root rot, soil gnats, and bacterial and fungal infections.
Should I cut brown leaves off rubber plant?
Rubber Plants are far from being succulents, but they do have some tolerance for dry spells. Let them dry out slightly between waterings to let their roots breathe. Sadly, brown leaves won't return to health. The good news is the plant can grow quickly to replace the damage once the problem is remedied.
What does an overwatered rubber plant look like?
If the older leaves (usually the largest ones, at the bottom) are becoming yellow or brown, that's a sign of overwatering. Let it dry out fully during longer periods of time between waterings. If the yellow/brown spots are spreading from the inner part of the leaf and out, that's again a sign of overwatering.
Is rubber plant good for indoor?
Rubber trees, formally ficus elastica, can be enjoyed as either medium-sized house plants or grown to become focal point, beautiful indoor trees. If you're patient enough to grow your own, plants that start out younger when you buy them adapt better to indoor living than starting with a more mature plant.
Can I put my rubber plant outside?
Rubber plants potentially grow outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 12, but sheltered in an enclosed patio, plants might survive in USDA zone 9. In USDA zones 9 and below, the safe bet is to pot your rubber plant in a container in a light, well-draining potting mix.
Do rubber plants like bathrooms?
If you have a large bathroom that receives adequate light conditions, you can situate the Rubber Plant there. With the constant running of water through showering and such, an adequate amount of humidity is naturally created for the plant.
Can I water rubber plant with tap water?
Prior to watering, allow tap water to sit for a few hours to allow chlorine to evaporate and the water to come to room temperature. This causes less shock to the plant than icy water. When watering a rubber plant, drench the soil completely until excess moisture runs out the drainage holes.
Why are the leaves on my rubber plant falling off?
The main cause of a rubber plant losing leaves is overwatering or even improper watering and draining techniques. Rubber plants like to be kept relatively moist but they don't like to sit in soggy soil or watered every day. It's important that you allow your plant to partially dry out between waterings.
How do I know if my rubber plant needs water?
Let the top few inches of the soil dry in between waterings to make sure you don't overwater. If the leaves start to droop, then your rubber plant is telling you it needs more water.
How hot should I keep a rubber tree?
Generally, rubber trees are best kept in moderate to warm temperatures between 60 degrees Fahrenheit and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with moderate humidity as well. If your home tends to be dry, invest in a space humidifier to increase the levels.
Why are my ficus leaves turning yellow?
Temperature and Humidity. Like other types of ficus trees, these plants are vulnerable to cool drafts. Unhealthy plants will become leggy, with stretching internodes, and the leaves might first turn yellow and then brown before dropping off entirely.
What kind of soil should I use for a rubber plant?
Typically, any good, fast-draining potting soil will likely do—many indoor gardeners opt for a cactus mix. In addition, rubber plants prefer an acidic soil mixture. Like fiddle leaf fig trees (which many believe they resemble), they also "eat" their soil and will eventually have their roots exposed.
What color are rubber plants?
The rubber plant has waxy-looking leaves that start out a pink-coral hue, eventually deepening to a dark rich green. As the rubber plant grows it will begin to droop, so it's important that you help support them by using a long wooden dowel (or bamboo stalk) to help keep them upright.
What are the pests that can be found in rubber plants?
Rubber plants are vulnerable to a variety of pests that typically infest indoor houseplants, including aphids, mealy bugs, spider mites, scale, and thrips. 2 If possible, identify the infestation as early as possible and treat it with the least toxic option, like neem oil.
How tall does a rubber plant grow?
It boasts oversized, oval-shaped leaves that are a rich emerald hue, and can grow quickly, reaching up to 100 feet tall in its natural habitat. However, it's more often grown indoors as a houseplant, where it can be planted and cared for year-round and its size kept more manageable. When it comes to caring for a rubber plant, ...
How to keep indoor plants from stretching?
They are relatively heavy feeders when healthy. Some experts recommend only lightly fertilizing indoor plants to prevent stretching and plants becoming root-bound because they grow too fast.
What Soil Works Best for a Rubber Plant?
An all-purpose potting mix works best for a rubber plant due to its well-draining soil. Coffee grounds are suitable for this plant only in compost, mulch, or liquid fertilizer. However, don’t add coffee grounds to the all-purpose potting mix, as this can lead to issues like attracting bugs, growing fungus, and stunting the plant’s growth.
How Much Sun Does a Rubber Tree Need?
Indirect light tends to works best for a rubber tree. Consider placing the plant in front of an eastern or western facing window with a sheer curtain in your home that receives consistent bright light. However, be careful about direct sunlight as it can burn the plant’s leaves, which is why the curtain is essential.
What Temperature Works Best?
Room temperature between 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit works best for this plant. With the plant initially from Southeast Asia’s rainforests, it enjoys more humid environments over hot climates.
Does this Plant Like Humidity?
A rubber plant enjoys humid environments, so consider placing this plant in your bathroom that has a shower. A hot shower can create a similar topical environment, which the plant prefers. Also, consider placing this plant on a pebble tray since the water evaporating on the rocks creates additional humidity in the air.
How Often Do You Need to Water a Rubber Plant?
It is best to water this plant when the top inch or so of soil becomes dry. It is best to keep the soil moist during the spring and summer since most of the growth occurs then. During the dormant season in the winter, you can water the plant less often.
What Size Does it Grow To Typically?
For indoor settings, you can expect the rubber tree plant to grow around six or so feet. However, out in the wild can have this grow well over 100 feet.
Most Common Disease
Root Rot is one of the most common problems for this plant from overwatering. Common signs of root rot include yellow leaves and drooping. If you think you have root rot on a rubber tree plant, you must do a few things.
Why is my rubber plant underwater?
In order to prevent the soil from being wet for too long, it is important to ensure your Rubber Plant is growing in well-draining soil. Rubber Plant is fairly drought tolerant, so it is better to slightly underwater rather than overwater. Signs of underwatering include softer or droopy leaves.
What is a rubber plant?
Ficus Elastica, which is commonly known as Rubber Plant, is a popular ornamental houseplant due to its attractive appearance. This plant looks nice in brightly colored pots, and its glossy, dark leaves contrast well with the light-colored aesthetics. In addition, Rubber Plant is also a hardy plant that can thrive more easily than other plants in ...
What are the different types of rubber plants?
Varieties of Rubber Plant. There are several varieties of Rubber Plant available in the United States including Ficus Elastica decora (most common) and Ficus Elastica black prince. In addition, there are variegated varieties of Rubber Plant, but they can be difficult to find. Ficus elastica decora. Ficus elastica ‘black prince’.
Why are my rubber plants losing leaves?
Rubber Plants can also lose their leaves if they are not watered properly. These plants become dormant during the winter, so you only need to water them every once in a while during the winter months. Yellowing leaves are typically a sign that you are overwatering your Rubber Plant.
What class is rubber plant sap?
The University of California Davis placed Rubber Plant in Toxicity Class 4, which means the sap of the plant can cause skin irritation. If you do get Rubber Plant sap on your skin, wash the affected area with soap and water.
How tall do rubber trees grow?
When grown in suitable conditions, these plants can grow 40 to 100 feet tall.
Where does rubber plant come from?
Ficus Elastica, which is commonly known as Rubber Plant, Rubber Fig, or Indian Rubber Plant, is a species of plant native to Nepal, West China, and West Malesia. However, it has become naturalized in Sri Lanka, Florida, and the West Indies. It is well-known for its large, glossy leaves. Rubber Plant is easy to grow and be kept ...
How long should I wait to water a plant?
You could water it from the top and let the excess water run down the drainage holes, or you could bottom-water it and wait about 30 min for the plant to absorb all the water it needs and then throw out the excess water. I find that bottom watering works only if the plant has a developed root system.
What to do after watering a pot?
After watering, throw away all excess water. Whichever method of watering you prefer – at the end the most important thing is to throw away all the excess water. That’s why it’s also important to have drainage holes on the bottom of the pot.
Can you overwater rubber trees?
The most important thing for rubber trees is not to over-water them. They don’t like to sit in soggy soil for long periods of time, and if you keep watering them too frequently, root rot and other problems could eventually develop. Let the soil dry out between watering.
Is Ficus Elastica toxic to pets?
Ficus Elastica, like other types in the Ficus family, is considered to be toxic. Since it has big meaty leaves, I don’t find that my pets like to nibble its leaves – but if you have a pet that chews on any type of plant, be careful with the Ficus Elastica and find it a place that’s out of their reach.
How to grow a ficus indoors?
When growing ficus indoors, it’s important to maintain a relatively high humidity around the plant . Regular misting or setting the ficus tree on a pebble tray filled with water is a great way to increase their humidity, but keep in mind that while they like high humidity, they don’t like overly wet roots. Therefore, when watering, always check the ...
What is a ficus houseplant?
Learn About Ficus Houseplants. What is commonly referred to as a ficus is technically a weeping fig. It’s a member of the Ficus genus of plants, which also includes rubber trees and fig fruit trees, but when it comes to houseplants, most people refer to a weeping fig ( Ficus benjamina) as simply a ficus. Ficus trees can maintain their tree-like ...
What happens if a ficus tree loses its leaves?
If your ficus is losing its leaves, go through the checklist of proper ficus tree care and correct anything that you find wrong. Ficus are also prone to pests such as mealybugs, scale, and spider mites. A healthy ficus tree will not see these problems, but a stressed ficus tree (likely losing leaves) will surely develop a pest problem quickly.
What is a ficus tree?
Image by Watcha. Ficus trees are a common plant in the home and office, mainly because they look like a typical tree with a single trunk and a spreading canopy. For all of their popularity though, ficus plants are finicky.
Can Ficus trees tolerate cold?
Ficus trees also cannot tolerate low temperatures or drafts. They need to be kept in temperatures above 60 degrees F. (16 C.) and actually prefer temperatures above 70 degrees F. (21 C.). Cold drafts from windows or doors will harm them, so make sure to place them somewhere where drafts will not be an issue.
Do ficus plants need water?
Therefore, when watering, always check the top of the soil first. If the top of the soil is wet, don’t water as this means they have enough moisture. If the top of the soil feels dry to the touch, this indicates that they need water. Also while caring for a ficus plant, be aware that they are rapid growers and require plenty ...
Can ficus trees grow indoors?
Bright, direct light may result in scalding of the leaves and leaf loss. Ficus trees also cannot tolerate low temperatures or drafts.
