what can i do to get my rubber tree plant to put on new leaves?

Question

I have had this rubber tree plant 4 years. I recieved it at my son’s funeral and it is sentimental to me. It has gotten to over 5 feet but there are leaves only on the very top. (About the top foot has leaves. It is bare from there down. ) What can I do to get leaves to grow towards the bottom?

Answer 1

You can cut it back without harming the plant and it will regrow. Pruning will help to force some branching. You can prune the main trunk, just above a node. What will happen is that just below where you cut, eventually two new shoots will grow out and become new branches. This article will help you: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/rubber-tree/prune-rubber-tree.htm