About rubber plant

The rubber plant (Ficus elastica) is one of the commonly used indoor container plants or house plants nowadays. This plant is indeed a tree and also produces rubber. Grows maximum up to 5 to 12 inch long thick, glossy evergreen leaves with multiple trunks spreading irregular canopy (1). Some of the botanical features of these plants are

• Can reach about 100 feet in height in the natural environment and is most often seen at about 25-40 feet in the landscape.
• The beautiful coarse texture of this tree makes it a strong statement in the landscape.

Tips: Eliminate multiple trunks early in the life of the tree and prune lateral branches so they remain smaller than half the diameter of the trunk to increase longevity

How to take care of Rubber plant

The plant needs bright indirect light and weekly water or irrigate only when the top soil dries up. Need dilute fertilizer monthly or during the spring and summer and repotting annually is good for the healthy growth of this plant.

Leaves

the rubber plant of Ficus elastica is all about its beautiful leaves which are purple from the bottom and rubber green on the top. The major intention of taking care of the plant is taking care of the quality of the leaves. the more beautiful and dense the leaves will be the more value this rubber plant will create in a household aesthetically.

the leaves of this plant are evergreen, they are the main attraction of this plant and are lathery. There are several cultivars available like reddish, variegated, and tricolor foliage.

Reasons for the leaves curling on rubber plant

Leaves curling on rubber plants may be because of insufficient water. If you see the leaves of the plant start to curl then make sure to irrigate the plant properly. Even after proper irrigation some of the leaves that started curling earlier may fall off but do not freak out. when the water supply resumes properly further leaf curling will stops.

But make sure that do not overwater the rubber plant.  Excessive moisture and wet soil will quickly cause the root rot which eventually causes the yellowing of the leaves of the rubber plant as we all know dead roots are not good as they fail to supply nutrients to the plants. Hence proper water is a very crucial thing for the proper growth of the plant as more water causes the yellowing of the leaf and less water may result in the leaf curl or also dry leaves.