how to prune baby rubber plant

This is the level at which I keep the water in the glass. I’m not sure what I can do to help this situation! That’s a Rainbow Peperomia next to it. This post may contain affiliate links. Ideas or suggestions? If you don’t trim its top, a rubber plant will continue to grow as long as its roots have room to expand. I’ll be referring to this method in the categories below. Planting & Potting Your Rubber Plant. 100% Upvoted. Most of the cuttings I took were 8 – 12″ long. Rubber Plant Care Tips Place the … Nell, […] We Like Them: They’re tougher than they look (especially the Baby Rubber Plant) and are available in a wide range of leaf textures and colors. Not the best picture but here you can see my Variegated Rubber Plant. You would prune the air layering off the mother and plant it using the same materials and steps as outlined here. Here's how to prune & propagate the Baby Rubber Plant. The majority of the cuttings I pot up are given away. Once your Rubber Tree has grown to the height you want it at, you can cut the top off. If you have a large rubber plant, you may need to leave as many as 6-7 leaves behind after a thorough pruning. Do the cuttings need to callus over before putting in water? Before you start pruning, consider if you’d like your rubber plant to have a slim, vertical look or a lower, bushier appearance. Here's how to prune & propagate the Baby Rubber Plant. It’s growing in this dish garden. They are growing quickly and have grown to be approximately 24 inches tall, soil to top. Avoid removing more than 5 or 6 living branches in a single pruning session. wikiHow's. To propagate by taking cuttings, remove a stem from the plant, remove the lower leaves from the stem, and then place the cutting in a cool, dry place for several hours to allow a protective skin to form over the cut. Besides it botanical name, the plant is also commonly called baby rubber plant. You want the roots to be able to easily emerge & a dense mix will prevent that. My first rubber plant - do I prune the baby leaves? New growth will be seen right below the cut you made. I’m a bit nervous about pruning as I don’t want to ruin this favorite plant! Unlike other types of plants (like roses) whose branches need to be pruned at an angle, you can cut rubber plant branches straight across. Required fields are marked *. Put the cuttings in a vase or jar & follow the care instructions below. After about a week I then realized the soil was rock hard and very dry and I tried watering it a bit and the water would just go right through the bottom. Be sure to remove dead and dying leaves, and prune your rubber plant so it grows into the shape you’d like it to have. Jul 8, 2019 - How to Prune a Rubber Plant. I would allow leaves or stem tip cuttings a day to dry out until planted. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published, This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Or, if you have the plant in a large room with high ceilings, the plant may look better with a tall, slender shape. In their dormant season in the winter you want to keep the soil dry but not too dry. Baby rubber plants are not toxic to cats, dogs, or other animals. It is so beautiful but it is awfully top heavy. Rubber Tree Plant Care Sun. It should stop dripping on its own eventually, as the latex sap of a rubber plant dries at room temperature. I didn’t realize that it has the ability to hang as well. It’s late March & if they’re not sufficiently rooted for planting in a month (I’m in Tucson so the sun will be getting more intense & the days get hotter as we move closer to summer), I’ll move them to my utility room. I’ll be planting mine which I started rooting at the end of March in 5 – 7 weeks time. What did I do wrong? Stem cuttings in water. Rubber trees are finicky when it comes to change, so be sure to pick a spot to place it and don’t move it. So not the case with these. Other Peperomias You May Like: How to Propagate Variegated Baby Rubber Plant I’ve never heard of one getting that tall; maybe 20″ at the most. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a1d2d7f278b0f2ea42a23a2353b4a627" );document.getElementById("ac53b7e1ba").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I’m Nell, and this is where I celebrate all things garden and share my passion for plants, flowers and the great outdoors. I’ve cut 1 back to 5″ tall and it came back just fine. If you need to do some major pruning beyond removing dead material, do it in the late spring or early summer, since pruning live branches out of season can weaken your plant. I know it can easily be done because there’s good amount of info out there on the internet for you. There’s nothing scientific or artistic about this pruning adventure. And, is the non-variegated sibling of the peperomia obtusifolia variegata. This will improve the overall appearance of the rubber plant, and keep the plant in good health. Propagation by division or cuttings produces the best results. Keep in mind that, once its roots have grown, the rubber plant will start growing taller as well. Rubber plant should be pruned at a height of one foot from the soil surface. However, if you think your plant has gotten a bit out of control or it has gone through a major stress such as overwatering, repotting, or being mailed, pruning may be the right option for you. Any advice would be great! [1] X Research source You may need to use a pair of pruning shear… Baby Rubber Plants respond very well to pruning. If it gets too dense, I’ll prune it again in 6 months or so. I’ve transplanted them to a 6-inch pot and have staked upright (because I thought they were supposed to be that way). You can find more houseplant info in my simple and easy to digest houseplant care guide: Keep Your Houseplants Alive. Keep your rubber plant in well-draining soil at all times to combat root rot. :-) If you have peperomia, yes the cuttings will root very easily. The most common cause for that kind of reaction in rubber plants is overwatering, but if you're certain that the pruning was the specific cause of the issue, make sure in the future that the pruners you are using are sharp and clean, as it is possible for the plant to contract infections from from dirty pruners. This is especially true when it comes to fluctuations in temperature or air flow. When you do cut off the top, your plant will branch out. To get this all started, you can cut the trunk or stem (whichever you prefer to call it) straight across with clean, sharp pruners and either toss the top or root it in a light mix. My Peperomia obtusifolia before the pruning. Keep your cuttings out of any direct strong sunlight. When these cuttings are sufficiently rooted, I’ll do a post and video on planting them. Most of them have glossy foliage; so why wouldn’t we want more of them? Baby rubber plants are non-toxic for pets, … Make the cuts just above a leaf node, which is the point where a leaf grows, or has grown, from a stem. How do I stop the white sap from dripping now that I have pruned my rubber plant? I take cuttings anywhere from 3″ – 10″ & remove the bottom 1 – 5 leaves. You don't need to do anything additional to stop the natural flow of the sap. Best time to prune & propagate a Peperomia obtusifolia: Spring & summer are the best times. Peperomias, which are available to you in a wide range of variegations and leaf shapes and … There are many reasons why the plant could have wilted and died like this. Be aware that if you do not cut the top leaf or leaves off of your rubber plant, it will continue to grow. How to propagate a Baby Rubber Plant (Perperomia obtusifolia): 1.) I have a favorite way of propagating these plants (in my opinion it’s the easiest!) Baby rubber plants thrive in a rich loamy potting soil. I realized I may have put too many stresses on the plant, and I may have pruned it back a little much, but I’m not sure if I can reverse my mistakes. If you're having problems with the sap dripping indoors or getting on things it shouldn't, place plastic mats down on the ground around the plant to prevent mess. The peperomia obtusifolia is one of over 1,000 peperomia varieties around. My rubber plant is planted outside, and it is getting too tall. If the leaves start to droop, then your rubber plant is telling you it needs more water. Thank you! Remove all of the leaves bar one. For example, if you have the rubber plant on a shelf without much room to grow upwards, you may want the plant to develop a short, round shape. Here’s a post on care for you: https://www.joyusgarden.com/peperomia-care/ Nell. This time I took about 10″ of stems off. You can! Posted by 2 hours ago. Baby rubberplant (Peperomia obtusifolia): learn and get advice on how to grow, care, plant, water, fertilize, repot, check on, prune, identify. Make sure only the bottom 1-2 nodes are in water. 04/03/2019. So, if you want to limit the height of your rubber plant, keep it in a small pot not larger than 8 inches (20 cm) across. Prune the tree to the desired size and shape. save hide report. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. In the warmer months, the roots will grow faster. Make your cuts just above a node and stick your stem cuttings in moist soil and give them some bright (but not too hot) light. You don’t want any leaves to be submerged in the water. It’s best to trim your Rubber Tree in the spring and summer. I'll use gloves and trim minimally over time. My first rubber plant - do I prune the baby leaves? Oh, I love to create so you’ll find a bit of that in the mix along with lots of videos too. They certainly add personality to […], […] can always prune your Baby Rubber Plant if you want to keep it more compact & […], […] Pruning And Propagating A Baby Rubber Plant […], […] Baby Rubber Plant: Pruning and Propagation […], Your email address will not be published. This is my favorite method & the one I always do when propagating Baby Rubber Plants. Are Peperomia Obtusifolia Houseplants Poisonous? This article has been viewed 82,088 times. Don’t completely submerge of the stems in water. For more tips, including how to shape your rubber plant by pruning it, read on! I’ve never done this with Peperomias because I’m way too impatient. You may also want to prune or trim back any unwanted branches to give the plant a fuller shape. And don’t get overly zealous: Feed your rubber tree with a general-purpose fertilizer a few times a year, especially during active growth in spring and summer. ", https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/rubber-plant-our-best-tips-for-growing-and-care-237390, https://gardenerdy.com/pruning-rubber-tree-plant, http://www.thegardenhelper.com/ficus.html, https://www.epicgardening.com/rubber-tree-plant/, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. They’re typically medium-sized but, if given time and space to grow, can become the size of a small tree. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. which I share with you below and also in the video. Growing from saved seed will result in a non-variegated plant. Gently clean the leaves with a very soft cloth or sponge and warm water to keep them glossy. This shaping of my Peperomia obtusifolia will force it to grow more upright. Close. The cuttings I took for this post & video are rooting much faster because the temps have significantly warmed up. If the water starts looking funky, change it completely. I take cuttings anywhere from 3″ – 10″ & remove the bottom 1 – 5 leaves. However, occasionally you may need to restrict the size, remove dead or unsightly growth, increase vigour, improve the shape or keep the plant in a healthy state to produce flowers and/or berries. Just be certain to wear gloves, and use a drop cloth or plastic sheets on the ground to protect the surrounding environment from the plant's sap. After this, dust the ring with rooting hormone and cover the ring with damp sphagnum moss. New side growth will emerge off the main stems & cause the plant to fill in more. If the rubber plant is dense even back to this point, then remove the three branches entirely by cutting them off 1/2 inch from the main stem. Make sure to wear gloves, as the sap from rubber plants is very sticky and can be tough to get off your skin and clothes. Reasons to Prune a Pilea. Put them in a bright spot which receives little or no direct sunlight. I’m tickled pink to have you here! I think Eileen is referring to baby rubber plant (peperomia obtusifolia), not rubber tree plant (ficus elastica). A big plus: rooting goes faster in the warmer months. While it is possible to grow baby rubber plant peperomia from seed, this is certainly not the easiest or most advisable way. Learn more... Rubber plants are a popular indoor house plant. 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