Rubber plant advice

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

Good morning! I've had this plant for 17 years it's a cutting from my sister's plant and I love it. But...... The older it's gotten the more awkward it grows. The leaves curl and it seems no matter how I position it in the soil, it wants to lean forward. (I do rotate it often) Would anyone be willing to give me some tips on how I can make it look better? Is this a plant that could survive a hard prune?I keep it in a southern facing location and water weekly. It gets repotted maybe once every few years.Thank you to anyone with some ideas! Photo in comments below

Featured Answer

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

6 years ago

I think understanding we absolutely need to prune our indoor trees on a regular basis is something we have to grow into. Most hobby growers either feel all growth a plant puts on is sacred, never to be touched lest we be struck by a bolt from above, or they are afraid of pruning because they are unfamiliar with how to go about it and are fearful they'll do something wrong. As a bonsai practitioner the pruning I do, both roots and shoots, would be considered by hobby growers to be insanely extreme, yet time after time it produces exactly the results I wanted and expected. I've been helping others here at GW take charge of how their trees grow so they end up looking appealing to the eye instead of a mess.

Where you live has a lot to do with whether or not it's advisable to prune now. It does matter. If you're not where it doesn't matter, you can sort of do a half prune now in preparation for a harder prune in the summer of 2021. Ideally you don't want to prune now because new growth the tree puts on will me lanky due to low light in fall/winter/early spring. It's best to plan any heavy pruning for June, that way you'll always be saving the tight summer growth and pruning off the long winter growth each year.

Trees need to be repotted regularly too. Repotting includes bare-rooting, root pruning, and a change of soil, and is far more effective than the half measure of potting up, which insures the plant will NEVER be rid of the limitations imposed by root congestion.

If you like, Read This, then, if you like, we can start talking about a plan for your tree.

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Comments (10)

Sonya .
Original Author
6 years ago
sprtphntc7a
6 years ago
i cut mine back at the end of summer before i bring it indoors. it does not seem to affect it at all.

i have had it for about 8 years at least. its a monster.

i hardly water in the winter, maybe every 3 weeks or so.

when u do cut, it will 'bleed'. its fine, it will harden off.

i am not repotting b/c its in a big pot and frankly i don't have the room for it to go any bigger.
Sonya . thanked sprtphntc7a
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gardenfanatic2003
6 years ago
It's reaching towards the light and will continue to do so as long as it's in that location.

Deanna
Sonya . thanked gardenfanatic2003
Sonya .
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks for everyone's response!

Al , what a great article! I think I understood a good majority of it. I'm definitely a visual learner so trying to imagine where some of those roots might be within the plants soil are tricky for me to see. I feel I fall in that camp of people definitely fearful to do something wrong and kill off a 17-year-old plant that has by some small miracle, made it this long! But I would be very excited to get this plant to look more aesthetically pleasing and possibly become a focal point in my home instead of something I cram in the upstairs hallway.

I do live in Michigan and now June seems so far away !..... If by that time next year, you would still be willing to give me some tips I would love to find out how to make this thing look amazing! Meanwhile, would you recommend I practice on anything "disposable"? To avoid killing the important one and gain a little experience of the different roots you spoke of?
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
6 years ago
What part of MI do you live in?

You can still lop off branches that spoil the plant's eye appeal and partially shorten branches, leaving enough branch length so you can prune them again next (late) spring to a framework you can build on.

Al
Sonya . thanked tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
Sonya .
Original Author
6 years ago
Im in Grand Rapids. (West Michigan)

For now would I just cut a few branches? Just the green new parts or would you also think some of the woody branches as well?
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
6 years ago
If you take/post 4 images of the plant with the camera at the mid-point of the plant, I can be more helpful. If your tree is 5' tall from the top of the soil, hold the camera about 2.5' above the soil line for the images, one every 90* or one from N, S, E, and West. It's very difficult to get any sense of depth from a 2D image. What I would be doing is helping you prune back far enough to force new growth closer to the trunk that will remain a part of the composition, but not so far that you can't do it again in June. After next June, ALL pruning should be done then. That way, you're removing long winter growth and cutting back to the previous summer's tight growth. This is very important insofar as keeping your tree full and compact.

Also, I might be able to help you do it next year. My daughter lives in Caledonia, and, I normally attend the Allstate Bonsai Show at Meijer Gardens each Mother's Day weekend and stop to visit in August on my way to the Midwest Bonsai Show in Chicago/August. Of course all would depend on the whims of our Governor ........

Al
Sonya . thanked tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
Sonya .
Original Author
6 years ago
Oh wow! I'm very close to the frederick meijer gardens please let me know if you do end up coming this way! I'll take some pictures soon for your pruning ideas. I truly appreciate your help! You really must be the busiest person in all the land! I see your comments all over this site your knowledge is impressive.

So really, thank you so much for taking the time to read and reply to me and everyone here!
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
6 years ago
Thanks very much for your kind words, Sonya.

You'll need to remind me in April, as I'm sure it will be gone from my mind by then. I'll be watching for your pictures.

Al