Is your indoor rubber tree plant getting too big for its location? If so, you may want to think about propagating it this spring. Based on my experience, an indoor rubber tree plant may be successfully propagated using the air layering method. Here’s how to do it:
Supplies Needed
In order to propagate your indoor rubber tree plant, you will need a 4 inch container, a sharp utility knife, a wooden skewer, a plant stake and a small paint brush. You’ll also need a container of hormone rooting powder, masking tape, sphagnum moss, an ear syringe and a piece of thick plastic (clear).
Make the Cut
Begin by examining the rubber tree plant and locating the growing tip. Then direct your attention roughly 8 inches below that area. Keep going by grabbing your utility knife and removing the leaves in that area. Ideally, you should cut the leaves so the remaining ends are flush with the stem.
Proceed by locating a leaf node in the newly leafless area. Next, use your utility knife to make an upward, diagonal, 1.5 inch long cut just below that leaf node. Then carefully bolster the cut stem by securing it to a plant stake. Continue by gently prying the cut open with a wooden skewer. You’ll want to make sure that you do so gently. Otherwise, you could damage the area thus destroying your chances of successfully propagating the plant.
Prepare the Area
With the cut area still propped open, grab your paint brush and the hormone rooting powder. Use the brush to liberally coat the entire inside of the cut with the hormone rooting powder. Once that is done, cut an 8 inch long and 8 inch wide piece of clear plastic and temporarily set it aside. Then remove the wooden skewer.
Next, using the clear plastic and the masking tape, fashion a cone around the cut area. The cone’s tip should be placed below the cut line and attached to the stem with the tape. I like to allow 4 inches of plastic to exist above the cut and 4 inches of plastic to exist below the cut. I have found that it tends to work better that way.
Continue by wetting a bit of sphagnum and carefully inserting it into the plastic cone. You will want to make sure that the wet sphagnum is both inside and surrounding the cut area. I have found that the wooden skewer is helpful to have around when completing this task. Next, use the tape to seal the open section of the plastic cone. Make sure that the seals are tight. Otherwise, the sphagnum will dry out and the propagation will fail. Afterward, leave the rubber plant alone until you see roots starting to form at the cut area. One average, this is likely to take 10 weeks to occur.
Relocate the New Rubber Plant
Once you see the roots, grab your utility knife and set your sights onto the area just below the plastic cone. Using your utility knife, remove the stem at the base of the cone. Then remove the plastic from the stem. Next, carefully separate the sphagnum from the rubber tree plant’s new roots. Continue by placing the new rubber tree plant into a new container filled with a general purpose potting mixture. Afterward, position the fledgling plant in a warm area of your home and water the new leaves daily with the aid of an ear syringe.
Source: Personal Experience
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