Planting

• Pot rubber plants in large, heavy plant pots with plenty of drainage holes. Place a 1- to 2-inch layer of clean gravel on the bottom of the container to add weight to the base of the rubber plant. Plant the rubber plant using commercial potting soil around the roots. In the late winter or early spring, rubber plants that have put on growth during the previous summer may need repotting. Transplant to a larger container when the rubber plant has to be watered every day to stay moist, or the container keeps tipping over because the rubber plant is top heavy. Tip or stem cuttings are used to reproduce rubber plants. The cuttings are slid into a small container of sand and kept moist until new growth begins.
  
  

Conditions

• Rubber plants are adaptable to many different light exposures. The best light condition is bright light with direct sun in the morning. Do not move rubber plants from one light extreme to another. This causes the rubber plant to go into shock and lose leaves. Rubber plants need warm room temperatures to grow well. The ideal range of temperatures is 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit at night.
  
  

Watering

• Pour water into the top of the container until it drains out the bottom. Rubber plants do not require frequent watering. To avoid over-watering, water only after the soil has dried out. The leaves turn yellow when the rubber plant is suffering from over-watering. Always discard the excess water from watering the rubber plants by pouring the water out of the saucer. Letting the rubber plant sit in standing water promotes root rot. Feed rubber plants water-soluble fertilizer suitable for houseplants. Fertilize them every two months if they are growing in bright light and every four months if they are growing in low-light conditions.
  
  

Cleaning

• Dust tends to settle on the large leaves of the rubber plants. Wipe the leaves off with a damp paper towel or soft cloth to remove the dust. If the dust is sticky, then add 1 tsp. hand soap to 1 cup of room-temperature water. Dip your cloth into this mixture and clean off the leaves.