Can You Propagate Ficus Elastica?

Leggy Rubber Trees

• Rubber trees tend to become leggy when raised indoors. Outdoors, these trees grow best in full sun. Often the available lighting in indoor areas is not intense enough to keep the plants bushy as they stretch upward toward light sources. When rubber trees become excessively tall or begin to lose lower leaves, it is time to prune them. Many rubber tree owners use this opportunity to propagate more trees instead of simply discarding the unwanted vegetation.

Propagation from Cuttings

• Propagation by cutting has proven to be a somewhat successful method of reproducing rubber trees. Select a tip with a healthy crown of leaves and cut it from the plant, leaving at least one inch of stem below the leaves. Insert the stem end into your rooting medium. On a rubber tree, this kind of propagation keeps the tree compact by pruning back the growing tips.

Air Layering

• Air layering is a slightly more complicated, but often more successful, method of propagating rubber trees. Select a shoot that is no more than one year old for best results. Use a sharp knife to make a long upward cut no more than 2 inches long, approaching the center of the stem. Insert a toothpick to hold the cut open. Surround the wounded area with damp sphagnum moss and tie it on with a string. Enclose the moss ball with plastic, sealing it as completely as possible. When you can see roots emerging from the moss ball, cut the new plant from the parent just below the root ball.

Aftercare

• Whether propagating by cuttings or air layering, the newly severed vegetation should be placed immediately in a soilless medium where it can develop a strong root system. Water thoroughly and seal the plant into a plastic tent to help maintain humidity. Air layered plants should be ready for you to remove their tents after 4 to 8 days. Plants started by cuttings should be covered until they begin to show signs of growth and kept watered.