How fast do rubber plants grow is a plant that is loved, and scientifically known as Ficus elastica, it is a surprisingly quick-growing plant which is another reason people want to have them in their houses.
Rubber plants are famous as houseplants among people due to their low maintenance and fabulous look with oval foliage. Our experts have amassed all the crucial information about rubber plant growth you will need to grow them in your house and take appropriate plant care.
How Fast Do Rubber Plants Grow?
Rubber plants grow 24 inches per their growing season when they are placed outdoors, on the other hand, when they are placed indoors, they would grow 15 inches per season. As a result, their growth rate is different for indoor rubber plants and outdoor rubber plants.
– Indoors
A rubber plant growing in an outside setting reaches its matured height within 13 years, and a rubber plant you are cultivating in your indoor environment reaches its matured height within only six years if it grows following the average growth rate of 15 inches per season.
– Outdoors
An outdoor rubber tree can be tall up to 100 feet, which is great height for them to establish in. People choose variegated rubber trees for households usually as it is different from common rubber plants regarding their leaf color, which can be red, golden, green, or cream, while regular rubber leaves only seen with dark green color. The variegated rubber trees and regular trees that grow inside are usually six to ten feet tall.
How To Grow the Rubber Plant?
To grow a rubber plant, you should provide it with indirect and bright sunlight, and make sure you would water it properly. On the other hand, you should also mist the plant and prune the dead leaves, and ensure you have given it the right soil and proper temperature.
if you provide the right atmosphere and all the necessary care, then rubber plants grow just easily and touch their maximum height very quickly as they are easy to care for, and you must give it in a sufficient amount. Remember that providing all necessary growing conditions because those are what will let it thrive and establish itself well.
You have to ensure sufficient space for the plant so that it can grow fast and freely. We have thoroughly explained how to ensure the fast growth of your rubber plants and what conditions you must provide, as proper conditions and atmosphere can help your rubber plants reach their maximum growth rate.
– Indirect and Bright Sunlight
Your rubber plant requires bright light but make sure you do not keep it in direct sunlight to achieve its highest growth. Placing the pot of your rubber plant in a sunny space beside any east-facing window will fulfill this demand.
On the other hand, you can also consider providing it with some direct morning sun for a few hours can be good for your plant’s growth but keep in mind; rubber plants dislike direct, and harsh sunlight for a long time as it causes paleness in leaves. As a result you can put a curtain that is translucent on the window or UV-blocking films or foils.
– Ensure Proper Watering
Watering the rubber plants following a routine is vital for them to grow faster, especially in their growing season, which is summer. The typical schedule for watering your plants is once a week and always check if the top two inches of soil is dry or not because otherwise, you can overwater it.
On the other hand, you should also remember that winter is the season when the plant become or enters a dormant state, which means that it would require less water than the summer.
– Proper Fertilization
Your rubber plants grow depending on proper fertilization, as it isn’t one that will need the lack of it. On the contrary this is the plant that will require fertilizer during winter but need it regularly in summer, which is its growing season.
In the summer, you should nourish them with fertilizer once or twice each month and use liquid fertilizer made for the indoor rubber tree plant.
– Misting and Pruning The Leaves
Misting and pruning the rubber plant leaves are also important for your rubber plants, because it will give a right humidity level. If you mist your plants in the dry season, it will keep them dehydrated, and pruning leaves that are damaged or affected by the blight to the leaf node will ensure plants’ healthy and quick growth. When you cut off the dead leaves, it will give the plant to grow new shoots.
– The Right Soil and Temperature
Regarding soil, all-purpose potting soil with good draining capability will work fine for rubber plants. It’s wise to transplant or repot seedlings once a year and mature plants once in two or three years so that their large root system can have space.
And regarding temperature, a humid and warm atmosphere with 60 to almost 75 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal, make sure that you don’t use an air conditioner or heating system.
With the soil, you should also consider the pot, that is one to two sizes bigger than the tree you are going to plant will be the best pot for your rubber tree. Ensure using a pot with holes that will maintain a good drainage system is necessary to avoid overwatering, which is essential for growing rubber plants. Moreover, try to prevent repotting your plants often as they don’t like it.
FAQ
1. What Can Make Your Rubber Plant Grow Very Slowly?
The most common natural factor that hinders rubber plants’ growth or even causes a stop to their growth is low light. Rubber plants can be sensitive about the amount of light they receive, like plenty of Ficus varieties. A little extra exposure to sunlight or slightly less exposure to light can be an obstacle to plant growth.
2. How To Make a Rubber Plant Bushy?
When pruning rubber plants, chop them off and toss them, or you can propagate them in water or soil to make rubber trees bushier. Air layering the plants before chopping them off is another effective way to make your rubber plants bushy.
3. Should You Grow Rubber Plants Inside or Outside?
Rubber plants grow better inside as they do best in temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees. However, in the summer, you can place a rubber plant outdoors because it helps make the plant grow quickly. If you are a gardener of USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11, cultivating rubber plants outdoors all year is also possible and fruitful.
Conclusion
Rubber plants are fast-growing, great houseplants to adorn your house if you know how to take care of them. After reading the article, which is a complete rubber plant care guide, you know how you can ensure your plants’ rapid and healthy growth, but it would be helpful if we take a quick look at all the significant facts we have learned till now.
- Rubber plants grow surprisingly very fast. A rubber plant in an outside setting can grow up to 24 inches per growing season, while an indoor rubber plant can grow up to 15 inches per season.
- An outdoor rubber plant can be as tall as 100 feet, and an indoor rubber plant can be as tall as six to ten feet.
- Bright, indirect light is perfect for your indoor rubber plants’ fast and healthy growth.
- They will require water once a week and fertilizer once or twice a month in the summer season.
- Warm, humid temperatures and all-purpose potting soil with good drainage capacity are ideal for the quick growth of rubber plants.
The level of care for rubber plants is easy, and by maintaining some responsibilities, you can have a beautiful plant in your house; you must have a rubber plant inside your home. As our experts have told you all the necessary facts to ensure the fast growth of your rubber plants, you have nothing to worry hopefully.
References
https://www.patchplants.com/gb/en/read/plant-care/complete-guide-to-rubber-plant-care/
https://thehealthyhouseplant.com/how-big-do-rubber-tree-plants-get-how-fast-do-they-grow/
https://www.proflowers.com/blog/rubber-plant-care
https://gardenerspath.com/plants/houseplants/grow-rubber-tree/
https://www.thespruce.com/grow-rubber-plant-ficus-indoors-1902755
https://gardentabs.com/how-big-does-rubber-tree-get/
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