I bought this today from and because I am as graceful as a baby elephant, I think when I’ve pulled it out of my car this evening, I snapped this leaf which is still ravelled up :-( White coloured sap is coming out of it where it’s has snapped. Is there any hope in it surviving?! Thank you in advance.
As long as you have a portion of stem you should be able to propagate.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/rubber-tree/propagation-rubber-tree-plant.htm
What can we do to prevent this? Have another plant that is probably 30+ years old and still going great.
Your images show two different plants; Rubber Tree and a Bird of Paradise.
These links will help refresh you on the care.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/rubber-tree/how-to-care-for-a-rubber-tree-plant.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/bop/bird-of-paradise-as-a-houseplant.htm
I have a rubber plant with four branches growing out of the pot. It has grown about three feet in six months. I am very happy with it but am concerned that the branches are very thin and need supporting. Is this normal.? Also the dominant branch is rapidly approaching the ceiling. How and where can I prune.?
Yes the rapid growth can be normal with good soil fertility and watering. But growth may be excessive if you over-fertilize.
Without photos its hard to advise on exactly where to make a height reduction pruning cut, but in general you should look for a lateral branch off the parent stem, and cut just above the point of juncture. If no laterals, you can cut mid-stem, but it will be an ugly stub for awhile until new growth appears. The other option is to remove the entire tallest stem and allow the shorter ones to remain.
Or stake the stems for artificial support.
I have this plant in 10 gallon container outside my patio door and protected from rain frosts and direct sun this past summer i noticed loosing lots of yellowing leaves at this time in mid state of az still has some yellowing leaves any suggestion thanks , Susan?
If you have not fertilized, then I would suggest that this is a nitrogen deficiency. However, this could also be a pest related issue. Have you noticed and webbing, or strange substances on your plant?
This article will refresh you on the care of the plant: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/rubber-tree/how-to-care-for-a-rubber-tree-plant.htm
What else is new there to say
These are very easy and forgiving to work with. Depending on if you want them to remain smaller, or grow larger you will either cut the bottom 1/3 of the root ball before transplanting, or leave them for a larger plant. They will fill out the size container that you put them in. They will stay in a very small container for a very long time, though.
I have two articles that will help you:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/rubber-tree/repotting-a-rubber-tree-plant.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/rubber-tree/propagation-rubber-tree-plant.htm
I have a ficus (true rubber plant - is this the benjamin's?). I used to leave it outside from May to October, but it got too heavy and my back too sore, so I brought it in to stay two years ago. It did well, except it was too big - over 6 feet high. I pruned it back pretty hard 2-3 months ago and it seems fine until about a month ago. Since then, it has been dropping leaves like crazy. The leaves are green which, in my experience, means the plant is overwatered. Yet, when I stick my fingers into the soil, it feels dry. I have two meters. Both say the soil is fairly dry on top, and half dry down 8-9". House humidity is around 40%. Light level is low. The plant is in front of a triple window that leads to a back porch. The porch has three outside windows and one small skylight, so the only light is indirect.
The true rubber plant or rubber fig is Ficus elastica (big leaves). Ficus benjamina is "weeping Chinese banyan" (smaller leaves).
With the leaf drop that you describe, I suspect that your plant is Ficus benjamina, because this is a common phenomenon as a response to physiological stress. It could be due to drought stress or other factor.
I have 2 Rubber Plants potted; actually one pot contains 3 plants and the other 2. I am wanting to put all of the plants together in 1 pot if possible in order to get a fuller look. I purchased the larger plant last summer and propagated plants in the 2nd pot from it. All are doing well. Do you recommend transplanting the 5 plants into 1 pot? Thanks.
I actually do not recommend doing this. Although they will achieve a more full look, they will also be crowded. It would be best to top the largest one each year until you get the look you want. This will lead to a more overall healthy plant. Your others can be maintained in separate pots in the same fashion. Be careful or you will end up like me, and have a forest of things that you don't have room for! I have a bad habit myself of making too many copies of plants!