Cutting rubber tree: What you need to consider
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Do you want your rubber tree to grow bushier or more compact? Then pruning is the best option. Here you will learn how to cut Ficus elastica correctly.
With its dark green, smooth leaves, the rubber tree (Ficus elastica) is one of the classics among the green plants for the room.
If you want to encourage it to grow more bushy, you can cut it without any problems.
Rubber trees that have become too large or are a little crooked can also be brought back into shape by pruning.
Cutting rubber tree: The most important facts in brief
- The best time to cut a rubber tree is towards the end of winter, in early spring.- To stimulate better branching, place the cut over a leaf or a sleeping eye.- Interfering or dead shoots are removed directly at the base.- Hands and clothing should be protected from the irritating latex.
When to cut a rubber tree?
In principle, you can cut a rubber tree all year round. It is recommended to cut the tree towards the end of winter or in early spring.
At that time the sap flow is not quite as strong, the rubber tree copes better with the cut and can sprout again quickly in spring.
The practical thing is that you can still use the cut shoots to propagate the rubber tree.
Simply place the cut shoots in a water glass.
After four to eight weeks they will form new roots.
Why cut a gum tree?
Rubber trees thrive even without a regular cut.
In the trade, however, you will often only find plants with one shoot.
With targeted pruning they can be encouraged to branch better.
Even if the rubber tree has become too large over time or should grow straighter, pruning is still a good idea.
Some lovers even grow their Ficus elastica as a bonsai.
How to cut a rubber tree properly?
As the rubber tree is quite tolerant of cutting, one can go about cutting with a lot of courage.
It even tolerates a cut back into the old wood.
It is best to use sharp, clean garden scissors and prepare a base on which you can place the cut material.
You can use a paper towel to dab the wounds with the leaking milky sap from time to time (see below).
To encourage a rubber tree to branch, cut the main or middle shoot directly above a leaf - depending on the size of the plant, this is recommended, for example, above the third to fifth leaf.
If the rubber tree already has side shoots, these are also cut back.
You can also make the cut above resting eyes - these can be recognized by small elevations.
As a general rule, always place the scissors a few millimetres above the leaf or the sleeping bud so that new shoots can grow without problems.
Your rubber tree got too big? Then you can simply cut the main shoot at the desired height.
Dead, overly dense or generally disturbing side shoots are cut off directly at the base.
If you prefer to keep your rubber tree narrow, you can cut off all side shoots above the first or second leaf.
Make sure that there is no imbalance between the side shoots and that the rubber tree remains stable.
After pruning, it is very important that the rubber tree is placed in a light place - especially if you want to stimulate an overall bushy growth.
If Ficus elastica is placed too dark, the new growth pattern will often not look much better than before.
It is therefore best to place it in a bright conservatory or a bright window facing south.
There it will show new shoots after only a few weeks.
Caution: Skin-irritating latex
When the ficus is cut, sticky white latex comes out.
You can stop the outflowing plant juice with a compress that you have previously dipped in hot water.
Alternatively, the wound can be closed by flaming with a lighter.
As a general rule: Sensitive persons should wear gloves as a precaution when cutting their rubber tree, as the leaking latex irritates the skin.
If the latex drips onto the floor or clothing, it can quickly cause unsightly stains that are difficult to remove.
It is therefore best to put newspaper on the floor and put on old clothes before you use scissors.
It is also a good idea to make the cut outdoors and not to bring the rubber tree back indoors until the secretion on the cut has dried.
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