Leggy rubber tree... Should I prune? Please help!
candyspan
9 years ago
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Photo Synthesis
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Ficus elastica (rubber tree): best timing for prune and repot
Comments (14)Al: Oh, I do indeed have more trees! I am a bit overwhelmed by the number of pots both in and outside of my home. I am an incurable collector. I could ask you questions about them all day. . . Back in March, you answered several of my questions about making the gritty mix when I was just embarking upon that adventure. I put a few plants that were on death's doorstep in the mix then. A few didn't make it (a draceana among them), a few are thriving (the aloe and spider plant love the mix!), most have held steady and are starting to show signs of growth (shefflera, swiss cheese philodendron). So I do have a sense of the patience required when repotting before the optimal time. I'm looking forward to seeing the results of undertaking things at the right time. It's been nice to practice with the mix, learn about it's water retention, and begin to tweak it for my needs before I moved my most-beloveds into it. This week I chopped an enormous floppy jade back to it's thick base and put it in the mix. Looking forward to that development. Also a favorite cactus whose name I don't know; it's about four feet tall, main stalk about 3-4" diameter with five stalks coming off the main, so maneuvering it was an exciting project. I was nervous about that one, but glad I did it when I got in there and saw how cemented the roots were in the hardest soil I've ever dealt with. I have a ficus lyrata (fiddle fig) that also reaches the ceiling, so I'm using your advice to give it a new shape. I'm planning on following roughly the same timing for it as for the elastica. I have a very big Bloodgood maple in a pot that's too big to move. I'd love to get that back to a manageable size, but it has just leafed out beautifully and I'm thinking that it is not the right time for that. Your comments are welcome. My other big question involves conifers. I have a very sick Wilma Goldcrest Cypress, and some kind of arborvitae (I think). I've noted that you don't recommend bare-rooting these, but cutting wedges. Is that correct? What about timing? Okay, I've rambled enough. As you can probably tell now, I'm addicted (like many folks I've read on this site). Thanks again for your help. I'm really enjoying learning about the plants, seeing their roots, and giving them conditions to thrive. blessings, brenda...See Morepruning rubber trees
Comments (5)Every branch, including the main stem has a growing tip. Pruning that tip permanently stops elongation of that branch. Another branch may form behind your pruning cut and take over for the one that was pruned, but that branch will never elongate again. How the tree responds to your pruning ministrations depends on how you approach things. If you don't prune, back-budding (promotes bushiness) is unlikely unless the tree gains considerable vitality. When you DO prune, 3 things usually, but not always, go hand in hand to affect the tree's response - how you prune, the time of the year you prune, and the tree's vitality/energy level when you prune. If your tree is healthy, and you prune in Jul-Aug, at the peak of vitality, likely all the remaining latent axillary buds (buds in leaf crotches) would be activated on that branch behind the pruning cut, and in some cases, it can even stimulate additional bud activation on other branches - especially if you tip prune several branches @ once. If you prune when energy levels are low, the tree is more likely to back-bud with less proliferance. It may even send up/out only one or two weak branch(es) until cultural conditions improve, or at least until energy levels are increased. To make it bushy, shorten the tree to 2/3 of the height you want it to be (or, of you want it taller, just remove the main growing tip & the last leaf that emerged), then cut every branch with 4 or more leaves on it back to only 2 leaves. This will soon double the number of branches on your tree as new branches form from the latent buds in leaf axils. After the new branches have 4 leaves on them, cut them back again to 2 leaves and again double the number of branches ..... and so on. Al...See MoreSingle-trunk, leggy tree. How to prune?
Comments (5)Hi cynsha, A lot of it depends on what you want. The flowering will cause it to branch (usually 3 branches, in my experience, but sometimes more or less). So, you should have more branches after the bloom. If you really want flowers, it is best to leave it alone for a while and not prune. This is my preference. For me, it seems to take longer for them to bloom if I take a cutting and root it. So, for quicker flowers, it is probably best to leave it alone. However, if you want more trees/bushier trees, you can take a cutting once the branches get several inches long. Just cut the original trunk below the branches, so that you have several inches of the original trunk in order to root it. Leave the cutting somewhere that it doesn't get full sun for a few days to let it callous, and then try to root it. The original plant will grow more branches, but it will take them longer to bloom again. It would probably be best to take the cutting and try to root it in spring or summer once the weather has warmed up (if that is what you choose to do). Rooting inside is more difficult. If you are concerned about the way it is growing, it should be fine. These trees do crazy things. Hope all my ramblings help....See MoreRubber tree needs a LOT of pruning help. Where to begin?
Comments (13)Now is not a good time to prune because your plant is declining due to lack of light. Since the leaves are where the plant's food comes from, removing all or part of them decidedly accelerates that decline. If the root mass is as small as you described, you're probably over-watering and your soil is most likely overly water retentive. I understand that timing and other factors (like moving) can trump what's best for the plant - no judgment passed there - but I wouldn't repot now (I'd definitely wait until June to do that), and I'd reduce the plant's foliage mass no more than absolutely necessary. If it was my plant, the plan for getting it back on track would go like this: * Reduce the plant's foliage mass no more than absolutely necessary, at this point. * Make sure you have watering under control. Use a wooden dowel sharpened in a pencil sharpener and stuck deep into the pot to test for moisture. Don't water until the tip of the dowel comes out dry. * The next time the plant needs water, flush the soil thoroughly - using a volume of water = to at least 10x the volume of the pot, poured slowly through the soil to flush out accumulated salts. * Immediately after the pot stops draining, fertilize with an appropriate fertilizer, then tip the pot at a 45* angle (if you can) to allow additional water to drain from the pot. Note the difference in how much excess water leaves the pot when you tip A so it becomes B. * As soon as night temps are reliably above 55*, move the plant outdoors so it can take advantage of brighter light to build energy reserves. * Bare root, correct problem roots, and repot into an appropriate soil sometime around Father's Day or the Summer Solstice (first day of summer). An appropriate soil is one you can water to beyond saturation at will, w/o having to worry your soil will remain soggy so long the lack of air (due to sogginess) inhibits root function or wreaks havoc with root health. * If you have questions or decide on an alternate course and need help deciding how to make the best of your choices. Just ask. You might find this basic primer of interest. There is information in it that can help you avoid all the common pitfalls most growers are forced to deal with at one time or another. Al...See Morecandyspan
9 years agoPhoto Synthesis
9 years agotropicbreezent
9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
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9 years agolauraeli_
9 years agocandyspan
9 years agolauraeli_
9 years agocandyspan
9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
9 years ago
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