Pruning an Overgrown Rubber Plant
Ficus elastica
December ,1998
My husband has an out of control rubber plant that he is very attached to.
He's let it grow unchecked, and since we live in a small house, it really
is cramping our (ok, mine more than his) style. I wouldn't mind it so much
if it didn't take up 1/4 of our living room! The shoots extend about 4-5
feet in every direction and it seems to be growing (very robustly) horizontally
instead of vertically (the plant is about 4 feet high). Is there a way
to safely prune this plant without damaging it? If so, how do I go about
encouraging a tighter, more vertical structure to the plant? I'd appreciate
any advice or helpful links, as I don't have much of a green thumb!
Your husband's Rubber plant
(Ficus elastica) can be be cut back without
to much danger to the plant itself, however I'm not sure as to the reaction
you will get from your hubby if you mess with his prized plant.
After you have received his consent, the branches can be cut back to an appropriate
length, using a sharp, clean knife, or very sharp pruning clipper. Ficus
have a tendency to bleed a lot of sap when they are cut, so I would recommend
that you have some Roottone® or Hormonex® handy to cover the fresh
wounds. (these products will aid in the callousing process). When you cut
the stems of the plant be aware that it will more than likely branch out
from that point into two or more new stems, making a bushier but larger
plant.
The horizontal growth more than likely indicates that the plant is getting
insufficient light. If it isn't feasible to move the plant I would suggest
that you use an overhead fluorescent or flood type 'grow light' which will
encourage vertical growth. Gradually you can train the existing stems into
a vertical position using stakes as temporary supports, but don't try to
force the branches to quickly because they may be damaged. For a little
more information on Ficus culture go to
http://www.thegardenhelper.com/rubberplant.htm and
http://www.thegardenhelper.com/staking.htm
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