A liquid fertilizer for tropical plants can be added in spring or summer if needed, according to package directions.
Stop fertilizing in fall and winter when growth slows significantly.
Always water the plant before fertilizing to prevent root burn, and occasionally flush the soil with plain water to prevent salt buildup from accumulated fertilizer.
Container-grown rubber trees can be moved outdoors if temperatures are consistently above 50°F.
Be sure to place the tree in a protected place, and shield it from direct sunlight.
Rubber trees can also be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11 year round.
Plant the tree in an area where it receives indirect sunlight and adequate water, with good drainage.
Avoid planting rubber trees near sidewalks or foundations, as their strong roots can damage both.
Cultivars to Select
There are a number of stunningly unique varieties of rubber tree to choose from, any of which are suitable for container growing indoors.
Burgundy
This cultivar offers a true “wow” factor.
As ‘Burgundy’ matures, the leaves, branches, and trunks range from the deepest green and burgundy to almost black, sometimes with red midribs and scarlet-sheathed new growth.
Doescheri
‘Doescheri’ is another variegated variety.
It has leaves that feature shades of creamy white, bright green, army gray, and yellow, mottled together with stunning pink margins.
Robusta
This variety is most closely related to the true species plant that grows natively in Asia and Indonesia.
The leaves are waxy, wide, and bright green to deep green in color. The structure and color of this cultivar is perfect for adding a tropical touch to the home.
Ruby
Similar in structure to other cultivars, ‘Ruby’ is set apart by its unique coloration.
The leaves are oblong and glossy, with a deep green to burgundy upper side, and a pink to deep burgundy lower side.
The branches and trunk can be a shocking bright green, maturing to a deeper green or brown. New growth is sheathed in bright scarlet red.
Tineke
Another variegated cultivar, ‘Tineke’ is similar to other variegated rubber trees, with pink to burgundy midribs, sprouts, and leaf margins.
Young plants of the ‘Tricolor’ variety have variegated cream and white leaves with splotches of pink to orange.
As this plant matures, the coloration leans more toward green and cream, with wide, glossy leaves.
Maintenance
Controlling growth is important for a rubber tree, whether growing indoors or outdoors, as these can become large and dense in ideal growing conditions.
Prune back any limbs that are reaching beyond the desired size and shape of the tree.
Bear in mind that cutting the top of the tree will trigger outward growth, so only do this if the height is becoming an issue, and be sure to monitor unwanted branching and sprawling out.
Use a sharp tool, such as clean pruning shears or a garden knife, and cut just enough of the branch to maintain its shape and size.
Cutting more than is necessary can cause shock and trigger leaf drop, or even kill the plant.
Rubber trees, Ficus elastica, are appreciated for their big, dramatic, leathery leaves. But they have a reputation for becoming a bit leggy when they’re grown indoors.
When we keep the trees inside, they generally remain in their juvenile form, which can mean reduced branching and more upward growth.
This can be disappointing, especially as the plant grows taller and taller instead of filling out with branches and foliage.
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However, it’s possible to change this growth habit and encourage your rubber tree to branch out.
Then, come back here and we’ll discuss how to encourage branching in rubber trees.
Here’s what I’ll cover:
How to Make a Rubber Tree Branch Out
Rubber Tree Growth Habit
If you look at a rubber tree in the wild, you can see that mature specimens will be well branched with big, dense canopies.
But when we grow F. elastica indoors as houseplants, they can look decidedly different since they remain in a juvenile form. How many rubber trees have you seen that have a single stem? Probably a lot.
A lot of “bushy” rubber trees that you see at the store are often a bunch of individual specimens clustered into one pot to give a bushier, fuller appearance.
There are several reasons that rubber trees fail to branch. Those growing indoors generally don’t receive enough light, or at least not enough light to grow big and bushy.
This causes them to have slow, stunted growth and stay in an immature form.
Because they tolerate low light, many people take the opportunity to use rubber plants in dark areas of the home. I know I’ve done it. F. elastica will grow perfectly well in this kind of exposure, but they tend to grow leggy and won’t branch.
As they age, they might drop lower leaves, making them look even more sparse.
So how do we fix this and encourage the rubber tree to branch? Firstly, it’s a good idea to change the environment to ensure the plant is receiving what it needs, and secondly, careful pruning.
There’s also a third method, known as notching which can help branching.
Environmental Changes
Whether you decide to also do some pruning or not, which we’ll discuss below, you can encourage branching by changing the plant’s environment.
The most important factor is to provide additional light. While rubber trees can thrive in low light conditions, if you want to encourage branching, more light is important.
Set the plant near a window where it will receive direct sunlight for at least four hours per day.
Preferably, you’ll give it morning light as afternoon light can be too harsh for a plant that isn’t used to it.
If you want to place your specimen somewhere that it will receive afternoon light, make sure you introduce it to the stronger light gradually.
Move it into the new area a half hour at a time. That means you’ll take it into the new spot for a half hour and then move it back to its original spot. The next day, add another half hour and so on until it can live in its new area.
While these plants prefer to be a bit root bound in a relatively small container, you might want to change out the soil if you haven’t repotted or refreshed the soil for a while.
As soil gets older, it becomes compacted and the nutrients leach out.
Remove the plant from its container and gently brush away all the soil from around the roots. While you’re in there, prune off any broken or dead roots. Clean out the old pot and repot the plant in fresh, new soil.
If your plant is in quite a small container, it’s definitely worth upgrading to a pot one size larger. If you see roots circling the interior of the pot or popping out of the soil or through the drainage holes, it’s definitely time to move up a size.
With extra nutrients from refreshed potting soil and the addition of lots of sunlight, your plant should start to put out plenty of new growth.
Pruning
In addition to providing more sun, you can encourage the plant to branch out using some careful pruning cuts.
When you’re pruning for this purpose, you don’t want to wait for the dormant season, you want to do the trimming during the growing season instead.
If you want to prune during the semi-dormant season, that’s fine, it won’t hurt anything, but it will take longer for the new growth to develop.
Look at the spot where you want the branching to start and identify a leaf node. That’s where the leaf emerges from the branch. If the leaves have fallen off, look for the little lumps where the leaves were growing previously.
Take a clean pair of pruners and snip the stem off about a quarter of an inch above the leaf node at a slight angle. That’s it!
Now, instead of producing a single stem in that area, the plant will produce two, three, and sometimes four new stems right there.
Don’t forget you can also use the pruned stems to propagate more plants. As long as the cutting is six inches or longer, you can plant it.
Rubber trees take extremely well this way, though they’re a bit slow to start producing growth, and you can have new plants to enjoy or give away.
Now, all you need to do is wait. The plant should start sending out new growth in the area within a few months.
Notching
Ficus species have the ability to send out new growth when they are wounded.
You can take advantage of this by using a technique called notching to encourage branching.
Essentially, you will make a cut in the bark of the stem or trunk that will cause the plant to send healing growth hormones to the area.
With enough time, that wounded spot will start branching out.
To do this, put on some gloves and grab a sanitized knife. Look for a bare area of stem between two leaf nodes.
Make a horizontal cut about an inch above the node, deep enough that it cuts just through the bark into the light colored material underneath. The cut should extend across half of the branch. Make a second cut about a quarter of an inch above that.
Scrape the bark away between the two cuts so the cambium layer underneath is exposed.
This is best done in the spring or summer when the plant is actively growing, but you can do it any time of year. Worst case scenario is that the notch won’t form any new growth.
After you’ve made your notches, you just need to wait. Keep caring for the plant as you would normally, and new growth will emerge below the notches.
Branch Out a Bit!
Rubber trees can be a bit leggy, especially when they are grown indoors. But we can fix it with pruning, a change of environment, or notching.
Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying your big, bushy plant.
Do you need any additional tips on how to handle a particularly tricky situation? Let us know what’s up in the comments section below and we’ll do our best to help you out.
In their natural environment, rubber trees, Ficus elastica, can grow over 100 feet tall.
They will never grow anywhere near that large when grown as houseplants, but that doesn’t mean they can’t use some shaping and containment now and then.
Pruning can give an outdoor tree some shape or you can help encourage branching in a houseplant that has grown a bit leggy.
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The process of pruning allows you to remove any sick or damaged branches, or regenerate a rubber fig that has been neglected. So no matter the size or condition of your plant, a little trimming might be in order.
In this guide, we’re going to focus on pruning for health and appearance.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
How to Prune Rubber Trees
Before we talk about the process, you might be curious why you should be trimming in the first place. Here’s why:
Why Prune Rubber Trees?
You don’t have to prune F. elastica, these plants can go years without any trimming and will be just fine.
When grown indoors, rubber trees can become leggy, with long stretches of stems or branches that lack foliage.
If you want to make your plant bushier, pruning it back can encourage branching and new foliar growth to fill in those bare areas.
You can also prune to keep the F. elastica at a manageable size in your home or yard.
Apart from pruning for size, trimming away any branches that are diseased, infested by pests, deformed, or broken, is helpful to keep the plant healthy and looking its best.
Preparation
Before you get started, you’ll need to choose a suitable pruning tool.
A pair of secateurs, like the Felco F-2, is perfect for houseplants or moderate size outdoor specimens. For larger trees you may need loppers or a tree pruner.
You’ll also need to wear gloves and a long-sleeved shirt, as rubber figs exude sap that can be highly irritating to your skin.
If the plant you’re working with is very tall and you’ll be working overhead, wear protective goggles and avoid standing directly underneath where you are making your cuts.
When you’ve chosen your pruning tool, you need to clean it thoroughly before use.
If you don’t clean your tools, you run the risk of spreading pests and disease, and the last thing you want is to infect your newly trimmed tree.
I use a 10 percent bleach solution (one part bleach to nine parts water) to wipe down my tools.
In addition, grab some isopropyl alcohol and keep it handy while you work, because the sap can gum up your tool and you will need to wipe it down regularly between cuts.
When to Work
If you are growing your F. elastica indoors, you can prune whenever you wish.
However, both for indoor and outdoor specimens, winter is best because the plant is dormant during this time.
Or rather, as is the case with many tropical evergreens, it’s in a semi-dormant state during the colder months.
It is best to prune when plants are dormant for a number of reasons.
Pathogens and pests are usually less of a problem than during the growing season and the plant is less likely to be traumatized by the work you’re doing.
Having said that, if you notice diseased or pest-infested branches that need to go, cut those off whenever you see them.
The other exception is if you are trimming solely to encourage branching. This can be done whenever the plant is actively growing.
How to Prune
Before you make the first cut, look closely at your plant and identify the leaf nodes. These are little bumps where the leaves emerge from the stem.
You want to make all of your cuts about a quarter of an inch above these leaf nodes and at a slight angle so any water runs off of it rather than remaining in place and attracting pathogens.
Start by removing any stems or leaves that are diseased, damaged, infested with pests, as well as any branches rubbing against each other.
When you’ve trimmed off any that can’t be saved, step back and look at the plant, noting any areas that are looking leggy or lacking in foliage.
If there is an area that is thin, cut the branch slightly below that area so the new growth grows up into and fills it in. If you want to encourage outward, bushy growth, cut the top off of the stems.
Make any additional cuts you need to give the plant the shape you want.
Never remove more than a third or so of the plant at a time. You want to leave enough foliage behind that the plant can still photosynthesize and grow.
Shape Up!
Most plants need pruning to some degree. With rubber figs, it’s about providing some shape and maintaining their health.
I’m always surprised after I do a little pruning at how much better my plants look. It’s like I get used to their imperfection and don’t realize how pretty they can be with some extra care.
What’s your motivation for pruning? Is your plant a little leggy or sick? Are you trying to create a different shape? Let us know the details in the comments section below.
Rubber trees, rubber figs, rubber plants, whatever you call Ficus elastica, there’s one thing we can all agree on and that’s how impressive the foliage is.
The huge, glossy leaves make a big impact and if you have one of the variegated types, they’re even more distinctive.
So when one or more of the leaves start to turn yellow, it’s very obvious.
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There are a number of reasons the foliage might change color and it’s important to figure out what’s causing the problem so you can fix it.
If you’re seeing yellow leaves, this guide will go over the top seven reasons why this may happen and what to do about it to solve your rubber tree woes.
Here’s what I’ll cover:
Why Rubber Tree Foliage Turns Yellow
This is completely anecdotal, but I have problems with my rubber tree dropping leaves far more often than with it developing yellow foliage.
With that out of the way, let’s talk about the problem that plagues us all, plant and human alike.
1. Aging
If all of the other leaves on your plant look fine but a couple of the bottom ones are turning yellow and drooping a little, it might just be the age of the leaf.
Make sure you check the soil moisture and other causes on this list, but if everything seems as it should be, it’s probably the leaf turning yellow as it ages.
As with many plants, when the older foliage matures, it dies and drops off.
As long as it’s just one or two leaves here and there and new healthy foliage is developing, it’s nothing to stress about.
In the same vein, if you move a plant from one area to a distinctly different area, say from a sunny spot to a darker spot, the plant might drop a few lower leaves as it adjusts.
2. Disease
I have two words for you: root rot. This goes hand-in-hand with overwatering.
We’ll talk in more detail about root rot later in this article as it can be caused by pathogens or by simply drowning the roots in too much water, but it should be treated the same in either case.
Bacterial leaf spot, caused by the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas campestris, causes the leaves between the veins to turn yellow as it advances, though it starts as yellow spots on the foliage.
If your plant is infected with bacterial leaf spot, the only course of action is to remove the symptomatic leaves and support the plant by ensuring it’s not overcrowded, watering appropriately, and taking steps to reduce humidity.
There is no cure for this disease so if more than half of the plant is symptomatic, it’s probably best to dispose of it.
3. Overwatering
Overwatering is one of the biggest problems that plague our houseplants.
Most of us are guilty of providing too much water at times, I know I’ve killed my fair share of plants before I figured it out!
With rubber figs, you can let the top inch of soil dry out between waterings. Too much moisture will lead to root rot which will cause the leaves to turn yellow.
Usually, they will turn pale yellow and might even develop mushy brown spots. Then, the leaves will drop. If the rot continues, the plant will likely die.
The first piece of advice I always give people is to stop watering on a schedule.
I know it’s easy to make a note on your your calendar to water on a particular day, but a plant’s moisture needs vary from week to week depending on the weather, the amount of light hitting the foliage, the compaction of the soil, how much your HVAC is running, the time of year, and more.
All of these factors are constantly changing, so you can’t just assume that because the calendar says so, it’s time to water.
Feel the soil or use a soil moisture meter to determine when it’s time to water. It doesn’t take more than a few seconds more and your rubber fig will thank you.
If the roots are constantly sitting in excess water, they can’t take up nutrients from the soil – essentially drowning – which leads to root rot.
If you suspect root rot, remove the plant from its container and prune off any dead or mushy roots before spraying them with copper fungicide.
Then, soak the soil every two weeks with copper fungicide to kill off any pathogens.
If your rubber tree is growing in the ground, leave it in place and just use a soil soak.
Copper fungicide is a must-have in any gardening toolkit because you can use it to treat so many different diseases.
Scale insects can be wiped with isopropyl alcohol and gently scraped off with a butter knife.
Although rare in houseplants, outdoor rubber figs can be attacked by foliar nematodes.
These microscopic worms in the Aphelenchoides genus cause the areas between the veins to turn yellow.
They thrive in areas with high humidity and when the plant has persistently wet foliage from overhead watering.
5. Too Little Light
Rubber figs are adaptable. In their natural habitat, they grow in hot, humid climates in full sun.
In our homes, they make do with low humidity and little sun. But you can only push them so far before they start to suffer.
In too much shade or darkness, the foliage will become pale and yellow. This tends to happen throughout the plant and not just on one or two of the leaves.
If you aren’t sure whether your plant is receiving enough light, you can always grab yourself a light meter.
Often, you can find light meters that are combined with a soil moisture meter.
This four-in-one meter from the Raintrip Store via Amazon tests soil moisture, light, pH, and the three major macronutrients.
If you determine that your plant needs more light, you can introduce your plant to an hour or two of additional light with no problem, but if you need to move it to a location with four or more hours of light than it currently receives, do it gradually.
Place it in a sunnier spot for 30 minutes and then move it back to its old location for the rest of the day.
The next day, make it an hour before you move back, and so on. This helps to prevent the plant becoming stressed and potentially dropping its leaves.
6. Too Much Sun
As mentioned, rubber figs are capable of growing in full sun in their native environments. But most of the specimens that we grow indoors aren’t used to that kind of exposure.
If you were to take a rubber fig from a dark bathroom and plop it outside in full sun, you can bet you’ll see some leaf yellowing and probably some dropping foliage, as well.
I once had a rubber tree that was a few feet away from a nice, sunny window.
I didn’t move it, but I installed a mirror on the wall across from it and that mirror reflected the sun. Suddenly, I realized that some of the leaves of my plant had tannish-yellow spots on them.
When I looked closer, I realized that all the discoloration was on the same side and only on the uppermost leaves.
That’s when the lightbulb went off in my brain, and I realized what was happening. I had inadvertently given my plant more light than it was used to, and too quickly!
If you’re going to introduce your houseplant to bright sunshine, it’s a process that needs to be done gradually, as mentioned above. And watch for those mirrors and other reflective surfaces!
7. Underwatering
Low humidity and low soil moisture will inevitably cause the foliage to turn yellow and fall off the plant. It often starts with the lower leaves.
While the symptoms can look similar to overwatering, you can check the moisture with your finger or a moisture meter. If underwatering is the problem, the leaves won’t turn brown or mushy, they’ll be yellowish and dry.
Rubber trees like moderate humidity, somewhere between 40 and 60 percent. If it drops too far below this, the plant will protest by dropping leaves. Too much above this and you run the risk of disease problems.
Similarly, if the soil is allowed to dry out repeatedly, the leaves will turn yellow and fall.
Be sure to stay on top of watering and add more whenever the top inch or so dries out. If low humidity is the problem, you can raise the moisture levels in the air by grouping plants together, keeping your rubber fig in a kitchen or bathroom, or using a little humidifier nearby.
Things like spraying the leaves or putting the plant on a pebble tray filled with water won’t provide enough humidity to do the job.
If you live in a very dry region, you can find super convenient humidifiers that are quiet and go for a long time.
Something like the LEVOIT 2.5-liter tank humidifier would be perfect. Pick one up at Amazon in white or black and with or without a nightlight.
Green is Gold
Rubber trees might drop a leaf here and there, but they’re pretty resilient plants. Figure out what’s going wrong with them, fix it, and they’ll be back to normal in no time.
What is causing the yellow leaves on your rubber plant? Not sure? Let us know in the comments and maybe we can help you figure it out.
It’s pretty hard to miss when a rubber tree (Ficus elastica) starts dropping its leaves.
Those thick, glossy leaves are so large, you could probably hear them falling to the ground with a thunk from a mile away.
Okay, they aren’t that heavy, but you get what I mean.
When a rubber tree loses its leaves, it’s much more obvious than it would be on some other houseplants.
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It’s not always possible to prevent foliage drop, since it’s an evolutionary tactic that these plants have developed in response to stress, but if you see foliage starting to fall, quick action can save your tree from ending up looking like a bunch of naked stalks.
It’s a defense mechanism that the plants have developed to deal with adverse conditions.
So if you’re seeing that foliage falling, it’s a cry for help. Let’s dive into the causes:
1. A Recent Change
All members of the Ficus genus drop their leaves readily as a method of adjusting to environmental changes.
Some are more dramatic than others. F. benjamina, for instance, has a reputation for tossing its foliage at the drop of a hat.
Rubber trees are less prone to throwing their leaves on the ground in a huff, but they will still do it when you alter their environment dramatically without a transition period.
That means if you want to move your plant from one end of your house to another, you should do it over a period of a few days. This gives the plant some time to adjust to the shift in light and temperature.
It’s not always possible to do this, so just know that if you lose some foliage, it’s totally normal, and the plant will grow back once it settles into its new home.
If you need to repot your plant, there isn’t much you can do to lessen the shock except to make sure you work quickly.
2. Extreme Temperatures
Rubber trees can tolerate a pretty wide range of temperatures, with brief periods down to 50°F. But anything lower, or temperatures around 50°F for too long, and you can be sure you’ll be finding foliage on the floor.
They also thrive in temperatures above 80°F, but if the temperature climbs to 90°F or above for too long it could also result in leaf drop, particularly if the air is also dry.
Ideally, keep your plants in temperatures somewhere between 60 and 85°F.
3. Inappropriate Light
Many plants will drop their leaves when they receive too much or too little sun.
Most will replace their leaves with ones better suited for the light available, but there is only so much that a plant can do to adapt.
Rubber trees need quite a bit of light, so the issue is typically not enough sunlight rather than too much.
F. elastica does best with two or three hours of direct sunlight in the morning and four or five hours of bright, indirect light each day for the best growth.
Of course, these plants will adapt to less light, but if the light is too low, they will start dropping those leaves.
A rubber tree placed in bright, direct afternoon sun or more than a few hours of morning sun will typically react by dropping leaves. This type of light is far too strong unless the plant has been slowly and gradually introduced to the brighter exposure.
Typically, you’re going to see other symptoms before the leaves start tumbling down, though.
Yellowing, fine webbing, speckling, or brown areas are all common signs that spider mites are making a meal of your plant.
Brown areas, yellowing foliage, and speckling are also common signs of aphids, mealybugs, and scale.
If you look closely, you’ll probably be able to see some of the critters themselves.
If so, once you send those pests packing, your plant will recover and stop dropping leaves.
One of the things that I love most about rubber trees is that they don’t really suffer from diseases. The one biggie you need to watch out for is root rot. This goes hand in hand with overwatering.
Root rot can be caused by watering so much that you simply deprive the roots of oxygen, and they start to turn soggy and brown as they rot away. But it can also involve the fungus Rigidoporus microporus.
Root rot generally causes the foliage to lose color and turn soft before they drop off the plant. You’ll often see browning at the edges in the early stages.
Dealing with root rot, whether it involves a pathogen or not, involves removing the rubber tree from its pot and removing all the soil from around the roots.
Spray the roots with copper fungicide and wipe out the pot with soapy water. Make sure that the drainage holes are open and not clogged up.
Place the plant back in the pot and refill with fresh, new potting soil.
Going forward, you need to be extra careful about watering.
6. Watering Issues
I admit it, I’m a chronic overwaterer. I have to hold myself back from watering too much. In the past, I had to sweep more than a few leaves off the floor under my rubber tree before I got the hang of caring for my plant.
I figured that, like many houseplants, rubber trees like the soil to stay moist but not wet at all times. Nope. I was so wrong!
You should allow the top third of the soil to dry out completely before you water. Those thick leaves retain a good amount of moisture, and the plant can go longer than you might think without additional water.
And overwatering can quickly lead to root rot, as discussed above.
On the other hand, if you’re not providing enough water and the soil is dry beyond the top third, then the plant is not receiving enough moisture and is likely dropping leaves because it can’t support them.
The solution, in that case, is simple. Water more!
Put the Glue Away, Those Leaves Will Stay
Falling foliage is your plant’s way of telling you it’s having trouble.
Sometimes it’s just a warning that your rubber fig is mad about a recent move, but it can also be a sign that there is something bad happening. Now, hopefully, you know how to tell what’s going on and how to fix it.
What was causing your problems? Is your plant still struggling? Let us know what you’re seeing in the comments, and we will do our best to help.
