About these, do you know? Here is an introduction to the care and management of Indian rubber plant bonsai and indoor rubber plant bonsai in the aspect of green plants and flowers, with specific details as follows:
The Indian rubber tree, also known as the rubber plant, is a large tropical evergreen tree that stays green all year round. It prefers a warm and humid growing environment, is tolerant of humidity, but dislikes drought and is not cold-resistant. It enjoys sufficient light and has strong adaptability to light, not tolerant of shade. The suitable growing temperature is between 15-35°C, and it should not be lower than 5°C in winter; it prefers loose and fertile, moist, well-draining, slightly acidic leaf mold soil or sandy loam.
Cultivation and care methods:
1. Soil. For potting rubber plants, it is suitable to choose a loose and fertile, well-draining, slightly acidic leaf mold soil or sandy loam. After transplanting the seedlings into the pot, they should be placed in a semi-shaded area for about 10-15 days for care, and then moved out for normal care after adapting to the pot.
2. Potting. The rubber plant grows quickly and needs to be repotted every 1-2 years, preferably in spring. Use a larger and deeper pot, and trim some of the coiled old roots during repotting. The potting soil should be loose, fertile, well-draining, slightly acidic leaf mold soil or sandy loam, mixed with an appropriate amount of decomposed organic fertilizer or cake fertilizer as a base fertilizer.
3. Watering. The rubber plant enjoys water, prefers moisture, and dislikes drought; water it based on the principle of watering when the soil is dry, not watering when it's not dry, and watering thoroughly when you do. Avoid prolonged soil moisture accumulation to prevent root rot. In hot summer weather with high temperatures, it is the vigorous growth period for rubber plants, and watering should be increased, about 1-2 times a day to keep the soil moist; spray the plant leaves 1-2 times a day to increase humidity and cool down, while also washing off dust from the leaves, making the plant fresher and greener. In spring and autumn, keep the soil moist. In winter, control watering to keep the soil semi-dry and semi-moist; spray the plant every half a month or so to wash the leaves and enhance its ornamental value.
4. Light. The potted rubber plant enjoys sufficient light and dislikes shade. It should be placed in a bright and well-ventilated area near a window in a balcony or indoor living room. In hot summer weather, it should be shaded appropriately and not exposed to strong sunlight; in cold winter weather, it should be moved indoors to avoid frost.
5. Pruning. The potted rubber plant is an evergreen tree with a tall and straight trunk. It must be pruned and shaped in time every year to achieve an ornamental effect. When the seedlings grow to about 20-30 cm tall, the top should be pinched to encourage new buds, leaving 3-4 strong new buds to grow into new branches and leaves. Pruning and shaping should be done in spring, around April to May every year, trimming overly tall branches to encourage new buds and maintain a height of about 1.5-2 meters for the overall plant.
6. Propagation. The propagation methods for rubber plants include seed sowing, cutting, and layering. Among these, cutting propagation is suitable for mass propagation with a high survival rate and is commonly used. Cutting propagation can be done in soil or in water.
(1) For soil-based cutting propagation of rubber plants, it is suitable to do it in spring, around April to May. Cut one-year-old terminal shoots that are 8-10 cm long, wash the white sap from the cut ends in water, then insert them into a moist sand bed; place them in a well-lit, shaded, and ventilated area, and spray the sand bed with room temperature water every day to keep it moist. It usually takes about 25 days to root and about 2-3 months for the roots to develop sufficiently to be planted in a pot.