This is Zerubbabel my rubber plant (you got to name them they grow better 😃). I have a question I’ve only had him 15 months and he is growing far quicker than I expected! See the photo from last year and this years! So last year a cut off the top inch or so. I was hoping to get two new shoots but only one has grown back. How do you get a rubber plant with lots of offshoots and stems? By the way I totally love his new look, it makes him look quirky (a bit like me 🤣)
He’s gorgeous! I did the same thing with my baby. I think you just have to keep up the pruning and hope for the best. When I did mine the first time she put out three new stems! I guess you just don’t know until it happens but it will. Godspeed!! 💚💚
3 likes Thanks for the info 😃
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My rubber tree (Rich- technically 3 plants in the same pot) has grown over 4 feet taller after having him 4 years. I think his growth is slowed by having 3 plants together, but I'm afraid to separate because my ceilings are only 9 feet high and he's over 5 feet already lol I don't trim or encourage offshoots. The only reason he has branches is because he's had healthy leaves break off and he's decided to branch from there. I've noticed that when I don't cover the wound from the leaf break, it always forms a branch. Covering the wound until it stops leaking results in a branch about 25% of the time. This is all from my own anecdotal experience so I can't guarantee it'll work for you but maybe pop a leaf off and see what happens? 😅
Oh that’s interesting! I didn’t think anything would grow back if they came off. My only prior experience with rubber plants is seeing them looking sad, forlorn and neglected with hardly any leaves. It’s why I put off getting one until now. 👍
0 likes Leaves have the chance of popping up anywhere a leaf has previously sprouted on the trunk, at least in my experience. My plant will occasionally put out new lower leaves (smaller than the new growth at the top) where old ones fell off. It happens less now that's he's fully corked at the bottom, but he does have a couple oddball leaves down there.
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If you want offshoots cut off the new leaf before it opens (I know that sounds crazy but I promise it works ) after I did this mine produced two offshoots and grew even faster and better.
3 likes Thanks for the tip!
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