Care sheet: Ficus Elastica/ Robusta/ Rubber

This week we are going to talk about a plant that we call rubber and which is coming back into fashion, talk to your grandparents, they will be happy!

This plant stands out thanks to its large size and the appearance of its...

Maintenance sheet

If you want to take care of a ficus robusta , you need a little expertise, but if it is well cared for, we know where the expression "beautiful plant" comes from! We learn a lot to take care of her.

Exposure

Bright space but dreads direct sun.

watering

Rubber does not need a lot of water but appreciates humidity. Wait until the soil is dry between two waterings, then pour a large glass of water at room temperature. You should also mist the leaves to give it a humid atmosphere. This improves the quality of the foliage and reminds it of its tropical environment!

Cultivation errors

Move it often within your apartment, the ficus does not like change very much.
Excessive watering , roots that have been in water for too long can lead to leaf loss in large quantities.

Diseases and pests:

The two main animal pests are scale insects and spider mites.

• The caparaçonnées (mealybugs) are identifiable by their floury appearance and their white color. They are known to attach themselves to plants (leaves or stems) and feed on their sap.
  Consequences: White marks on the leaves, they become viscous
  Solution : Dislodge them with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol.

• Red spider mites, a sign of an atmosphere that is too dry, attack the plant if it is not misted often enough.
  Consequences: Rubber sheets turn yellow.
  Solutions : Basins / aeration / spraying of acaricidal products.

How to repot a ficus?

If you want to repot your ficus elastica , know before you start that rubber likes to be cramped in its pot so if you've had your ficus for a year or two, you don't have to do anything. If you are on its third or fourth year, then you may want to consider repotting.

1. Find a new container that is at least 2 cm larger in diameter than the old one. In the bottom, place a large piece of plastic (which should go up to half the pot at least) to block the drain hole when watering. Then put a clay pebble bottom for drainage and fill with a handful of potting soil.

2. Slightly moisten the substrate of your ficus elastica so that the root ball remains compact and take your plant out of its original pot.

3. Place your plant in the center of the new pot, leave at least 2 cm below the rim of the pot. Fill in with a little substrate, tamping down as much as possible, because the soil will sink over time. Cover the root ball with 1 cm of compost and water thoroughly.

Good to know :

After repotting, leave your ficus robusta near a heat source for two or three weeks. Watch the watering of the root ball and regularly spray a little water on its foliage to keep it in a humid atmosphere.

How to cut a rubber?

Cut a branch of about 20cm and keep two-three leaves at the top. At the other end you can dip your branch in rooting hormone. Then just plant in a pot with potting soil (there are anti-bacterial components). You have to bury the cutting well.
Finally you can add a ziplo bag over it with a knot for a month to give the plant a greenhouse effect.

POUSSE, the plant architecture agency that reconnects your spaces in Lyon, Paris and Bordeaux to nature.
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