How to care for a rubber plant
The internet introduces you to the tips on caring for a rubber plant and the small experiences of plant cultivation, including comprehensive introduction.
Have you ever heard of the rubber plant? Its appearance doesn't match its name; it's not soft like a rubber tree, but rather a very tall tree similar to a banyan.
Actually, the rubber plant is very easy to care for, prefers a warm and humid environment, and is more suitable for cultivation by gardeners in the south. Its leaves are green and glossy, very beautiful, and highly ornamental. Moreover, placing it indoors can help purify the air. So, how exactly can you take good care of a rubber plant? Let's take a look at these four aspects together!
One, pot and soil
Firstly, the pot and soil for the rubber plant. You can choose a slightly larger pot for the rubber plant because it grows very fast, and its root system is also very developed. Small pots won't suffice. However, some gardeners don't want the rubber plant to grow too fast, thinking it takes up too much space, so they can also use a smaller pot to inhibit its growth.
The rubber plant doesn't have high demands for soil, but since it's a potted plant, the soil mixture can be a bit more selective. You must use well-draining soil, mix garden soil, leaf mold, and river sand in equal parts, and add a portion of organic decomposed fertilizer before potting. This way, the rubber plant can grow better!
How to care for a rubber plant
Two, watering and fertilizing
Next is watering and fertilizing. The rubber plant is highly drought-tolerant, so it doesn't need excessive watering. During the growing season, you can water a bit more to promote faster and better growth. In the hot summer, with rapid water evaporation, you can also water more, but in winter, with lower temperatures and slower water evaporation, the plant needs less water, so you should also reduce the watering amount to avoid burdening the roots.
Also, the rubber plant is very fond of fertilizer. During the peak growing season, you can fertilize more, usually using a balanced compound fertilizer with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium every two weeks or so. This will make the leaves of the rubber plant greener and glossier. However, in winter, with low temperatures and slow plant growth, it's best not to fertilize. Keeping the soil slightly moist will help it safely survive the winter.
Three, sunlight
Also, many friends think that the rubber plant prefers shade, but that's not the case. The rubber plant actually loves sunlight. In the south, we often see rubber plants along the road, which are not afraid of wind and sun exposure and grow more vigorously. Therefore, ample sunlight is very beneficial for the growth of rubber plants. Apart from placing them in a ventilated and shady place during the hot noon in summer, it's best to keep them in full sunlight the rest of the time!