Rubber Tree Plant

Hi, I started a Rubber Tree plant from seed. So far it is doing fairly well (that's the sound of me patting myself on the back!). I was wondering: There is only one "stalk" with some leaves on it, will more "stalks" shoot up or will I have to propagate from that one stalk?

Thanks

Usually these Ficus elastica 'trees' will produce only one stalk per seed, but they can branch from very low on that stalk (even below ground level occasionally, making it look like multiple stalks).

Bob:
Maybe you can help me out. I bought a Burgunday Ficus at a clearance table 3-4 years ago it has done very well, its about 4-5 ft tall with 4 stalks. Should I prune some of the stalks off? How often should Im repot it. Its a terrific plant for a $2.00 deal.

Paul

Paul - Repot only when you are having difficulty keeping the soil adequately moist for more than a few days. Unnecessary repotting is the single most common plantcare mistake.

Will

Repotting is not definitely bad. Repotting is often wonderful for plants.

So, when my Rubber Tree is big enough I can whack off the top and replant it?

That's a good question. I got a baby rubber tree at a dollar store once and it had 3 stalks--or so I thought--but when I got the thing home I discovered one of those "stalks" was really just a leaf they stuck in there---to make it look fatter I guess (what do you expect for a dollar?). So I stuck it back in it's hole and waited for it to plant itself in there but it just turned yellow and dropped dead. Just how DO you get more stalks or branches with these things?

papayahed wrote:

when my Rubber Tree is big enough I can whack off the top and replant it?
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I cut mine back all the time. I just strip off some of the lower leaves and stick it in a pot keep it damp & in the shade for a bit and Bingo...gotta another rubber tree. It will make it branch too, so choose your cut carefully.
There might be other ways to do this but it works here very easliy.

thanks MsCritter, I'll try again--don't know what happened with my dollar one but I've got a 16 dollar one that looks like it could unscrew a lighbulb and live so what's a few missing leaves gonna care? The white blood's kinda freaky-oh well..