My rubber plant is one of my favorite houseplants in my collection. These fabulous plants grow on a tall stem that resembles a trunk, with leathery panels of foliage pointing outwards. They can remain quite slender if you just let them grow, but it's actually possible to make a rubber plant bushy. You just have to use on particular technique.
In fact, making your rubber plant bushy is sometimes essential to rubber plant care, especially if it's showing signs of leggy growth. By learning this one technique to prune your rubber plant, you can encourage new branch growth, so there isn't just one main stem of foliage.
It's really simple to do, but there are a few mistakes to be aware of that could hinder your success. Here, houseplant experts explain exactly what to do to make a rubber plant bushy, so you can grow a fuller plant for your home.
How to make a rubber plant bushy
'If you would like to make your rubber plant bushier, it's time to prune the plant. It is best to actually prune your plant right from the start to keep it bushy,' says Lisa Eldred Steinkopf from the Houseplant Guru.
You'll need essential pruning tools to do this. These bypass pruning shears from Amazon will work well to glide through the tougher, sometimes woodier, stem of a rubber plant.
'To make rubber plant bushy, you want to prune just above a stem node, which is where a leaf attaches to the stem or has attached to the stem,' explains houseplant expert, Julie Bawden-Davis.
This action then encourages the rubber plant to put on new growth, this time outwards rather than upwards. This results in new branches growing off the main stem, which will also develop their own foliage, leaving your rubber plant looking bushier.
In the right conditions (bright light in particular), rubber plants can be fairly fast-growing, so it won't be long before your rubber plant has new branches.
To aid its growth, fertilize your rubber plant in spring and summer. This indoor plant fertilizer from Amazon is specially formulated with the essential plant nutrients rubber plants need.
Lisa is a houseplant expert who runs her blog The Houseplant Guru with over a decade of professional experience at Steinkopf Nursery and Garden Center in Michigan. As a child, Lisa helped her grandma tend to African violets and other houseplants. Since then, Lisa has forged a career providing houseplant advice, holding lectures and writing for publications across the US.
Mistakes to avoid when making your rubber plant bushy
There are some mistakes to avoid when adopting this technique to make a rubber plant bushy. Most notably, you need to avoid pruning mistakes that could hinder the health of your plant.
'Avoid pruning the rubber tree more than a third at any one pruning, as pruning too much at once can cause the plant to go into shock,' says Julie.
The one third pruning rule is key to ensure you don't stunt your rubber plant's growth. Likewise, you should make sure your pruning shears are sharp, so they make clean cuts and don't damage the plant.
If your tools are looking blunt, use this sharpening stone from Amazon to sharpen your pruning shears.
Something else to be aware of is the fact rubber plants produce a latex sap which is released when you make a cut into the stem. Some people have an allergic reaction to this and it can be a skin irritant, so take care to wear protective gloves (like these from Walmart) when pruning.
Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden author and University of California Certified Master Gardener, who has written several gardening books, including Indoor Gardening The Organic Way. In addition to running HealthyHouseplants.com, she shares indoor gardening advice on her YouTube channel @HealthyHouseplants.
FAQs
What's the best time of year to prune a rubber plant?
It's best to prune your rubber plant in early spring, just before active growth kicks in. This is especially beneficial if you're pruning your rubber plant to make it bushier, as your plant will use its energy to put on new growth and produce new branches.
Don't discard the sections of your rubber plant you cut away when pruning. These cuttings can be used to propagate your rubber plant.
'The pruned off section can be propagated into a new plant by adding the cutting to water or soil. This should be done with stems that are not woody,' Gail Pabst explains.
You may find a rooting hormone helps your rubber plant cuttings root more quickly. You can find rooting hormone powder on Amazon.
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