The Rubber plant are very popular plants like inside plants, or even in gardens in the form of hedges, as isolated specimens or even as bonsai. There are numerous varieties, and all of them have very decorative leaves. In addition, the fruit, the fig, is edible for many species, including humans.
Let's know something more about them.
The Rubber plant They live in tropical and subtropical jungles around the globe, reaching as far as the Mediterranean. There are those that grow like trees, like the robust ficus, or that they grow like climbers, like the ficus benghalensis (better known as Strangler fig, native to India).
Its maintenance and cultivation is as follows:
-As a houseplant
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Location: place the Ficus in a very bright room.
- Irrigation: do not let the substrate dry between waterings, taking care not to flood it.
- Substrate: black peat, or black peat with fifty percent pearlite.
- Payment: every 15 days from March to September (it can be paid in October if we live in a warm climate).
-As a garden plant
- It should be placed in full sun, although it will tolerate semi-shade.
- If we form it as a hedge, it can be pruned throughout the growing season, to maintain the shape we want.
- Fertilizer: once a week from March to October, following the manufacturer's recommendations.
Important note: if we use it as a fruit tree, we must pay it with a specific fertilizer for this type of trees.
They are usually affected by aphids and mealybugs, which can be eradicated using specific products.
There are many species of Ficus that need a lot of space to grow, being able to measure about six to seven meters in height and about five or six in width. For this reason, they should be planted in land that is spacious enough to be able to admire them in their fullness.
More information - Decorative indoor plants
Image - Villor Plants