tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post656193565935698006..comments2024-03-27T07:35:21.832-07:00Comments on Plants are the Strangest People: Engineer (Ficus elastica)mr_subjunctivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-1829905810903789212020-06-25T07:51:17.353-07:002020-06-25T07:51:17.353-07:00Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, mr_su...Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, mr_subjunctive! I also thought it was odd that my ruby has gradually shown this change in color. The older leaves look more like tineke, while new growth has a strong pink coloration. The contrast is beautiful, so no complains here! Just curious. <br /><br />I purchased the marbled plant from a seller that was not certain which variety it was, but Ariannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04555322227578424163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-78688117225489845072020-06-24T07:31:05.759-07:002020-06-24T07:31:05.759-07:00Arianna:
I'm personally not certain that '...Arianna:<br /><br />I'm personally not certain that 'Ruby' and 'Tineke' are even different cultivars. (I'm not saying that's what's happening here, but it does happen, and because the process of proving that named variety A is genetically identical to named variety B is slow and expensive, it's fairly easy to get away with. Even if the two are genetically mr_subjunctivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-46061898152190237132020-06-22T09:31:37.630-07:002020-06-22T09:31:37.630-07:00Thanks for such an informative article!
My ruby ...Thanks for such an informative article! <br /><br />My ruby has lost a lot of pink, especially since I placed her outside for the summer, and is looking more like a tineke. Is this normal? Have you heard of or seen this phenomenon?<br /><br />With the recent interest in Ficus Shivereana, I wanted to ask if you have any tips for differentiating the shivereana from the decora Honduras, as both haveAriannanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-12295470413676666312018-08-26T10:30:12.333-07:002018-08-26T10:30:12.333-07:00@mr_subjunctive
I didn't think it was since I...@mr_subjunctive<br /><br />I didn't think it was since I'm sure that you would've found one by now but I thought I'd offer.<br /><br />Love the vid of the bridge though, it's given me some ideas of what to do with those pesky aerial roots :)Maybe Mehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07578870247617937631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-75745361938448763462018-08-26T10:11:02.891-07:002018-08-26T10:11:02.891-07:00Maybe Me:
Thanks for the offer, but the article&#...Maybe Me:<br /><br />Thanks for the offer, but the article's been written and up for seven years now; apparently an air-root photo wasn't as critical as I thought. mr_subjunctivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-11480053246230062182018-08-25T14:01:28.840-07:002018-08-25T14:01:28.840-07:00Excellent article :)
Are you still looking for a ...Excellent article :)<br /><br />Are you still looking for a pic of an indoor ficus with air roots? Mines on a north facing kitchen window by the sink and it's started to go a little crazy!Maybe Mehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07578870247617937631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-60265054438570464252017-05-23T20:18:25.954-07:002017-05-23T20:18:25.954-07:00I was totally absorbed in every word! Thanks for t...I was totally absorbed in every word! Thanks for the sidebits, tidbits and pearls. I learned more here than anywhere. May you live long and prosper! ☮️WendiG https://www.blogger.com/profile/14085259750943335552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-65301873906317130542016-11-26T16:42:01.531-08:002016-11-26T16:42:01.531-08:00Never read an article on Ficus elastica that was s...Never read an article on Ficus elastica that was so informative and so readable, both things at once. And I thought I had read nearly every page you wrote here, been enjoying it so long now. Abhimanyu Veerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18284563526204114979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-41422592469580595902016-04-24T17:59:22.328-07:002016-04-24T17:59:22.328-07:00I would move it before it takes off and put it as ...I would move it before it takes off and put it as far from any structures as possible. Ive had mine for 15 years and its now over 120 feet tall and still growing like crazy. Its about 60 ft. From my house and the roots are at my walls. Im concerned that they may reach the neighbors and now wish I had planted it elsewhere I just never expected it to get so huge. My neighbor has a huge old oak treeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-40618339978412587272016-01-06T21:42:01.602-08:002016-01-06T21:42:01.602-08:00Hannah Gould:
If you're sure that overwaterin...Hannah Gould:<br /><br />If you're sure that overwatering is the cause (as opposed to cold damage, root rot, or some other thing), the best thing to do is to stop, and water correctly from here on out.<br /><br />(There's nothing to be done for cold damage. Root rot isn't super likely with rubber plants, but if it's happened, it may be useful to remove the dead roots and move the mr_subjunctivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-62578237251642984622016-01-06T05:53:42.642-08:002016-01-06T05:53:42.642-08:00Hi I am a total newbie to houseplants and seem to ...Hi I am a total newbie to houseplants and seem to have overwatered my rubber plant. The leaves are drooping and some have fallen off. Is there anything I can do to save it? it has been looking sorry for itself for a few weeks now.<br /><br />Thanks<br />HannahAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02758811017361947274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-16447860668516227912016-01-04T08:12:46.697-08:002016-01-04T08:12:46.697-08:00THANK YOU for putting your brain power to this. I&...THANK YOU for putting your brain power to this. I'm digging in to your email now...kspanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06900224476482212583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-28209133772718587682016-01-01T15:46:38.543-08:002016-01-01T15:46:38.543-08:00kspan:
Working on a response to your e-mail mess...kspan: <br /><br />Working on a response to your e-mail message; short version is that I don't know, but if forced to guess, I'd guess a root/stem rot caused by bacteria or fungus. Some nutrient deficiencies (of manganese, iron, zinc, or boron) can also cause problems somewhat like you describe.mr_subjunctivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-3361119221015554442016-01-01T10:50:13.356-08:002016-01-01T10:50:13.356-08:00Hi Mr Subjunctive,
This article on F. elastica wa...Hi Mr Subjunctive,<br /><br />This article on F. elastica was incredible! Informative and entertaining—I think I've read every article on the Internet about rubber plants, and yours has been the most helpful. Thank you for writing it! I'm hoping that maybe your experience can help on a specific case...<br /><br />I've had a medium-sized hand-me-down "Burgundy" for 10 or 12 kspanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06900224476482212583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-26431565903523596692015-03-14T15:27:33.855-07:002015-03-14T15:27:33.855-07:00Thanks, Mr Subjunctive, for your thoughts - I will...Thanks, Mr Subjunctive, for your thoughts - I will err on the side of caution with this one, and find the plant a big self-watering pot that it can't escape from ... hopefully. <br /><br />Thanks again - best regards Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-21913435695445670952015-03-13T07:59:36.302-07:002015-03-13T07:59:36.302-07:00Anonymous:
This is really way out of my area of e...Anonymous:<br /><br />This is really way out of my area of expertise, so take that into account, but my gut instinct is that no, the roots will keep growing unless you cut the plant back severely and regularly -- so severely and regularly that you may as well not even have a plant, since you won't see it much or often. <br /><br />Even if the roots did stop growing at some point, I'm not mr_subjunctivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-60607933024013992512015-03-13T05:17:48.735-07:002015-03-13T05:17:48.735-07:00Hi - am a plant newbie, so excuse what is likely a...Hi - am a plant newbie, so excuse what is likely a stupid question ... if the plant is outdoors - to keep its root system contained, would it be enough to keep it pruned to a limited height? <br /><br />I have one in a pot that has punched a tap root through into the ground, and its about two metres from the house ... so while I am wary of what its roots can do, I'd like to let it grow where Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-43692342546817763842013-12-17T19:43:31.829-08:002013-12-17T19:43:31.829-08:00I grew up when rubber plants were really fashionab...I grew up when rubber plants were really fashionable inside in the 70's. Sadly, in Queensland they are an abnoxiuos weed that is listed by the government. So, for the environmentalists, not a great plant to grow!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-61719524143765631922012-05-07T13:29:47.363-07:002012-05-07T13:29:47.363-07:00Great article! FYI, fig trees are considered non-i...Great article! FYI, fig trees are considered non-invasive because they each require a particular species of fig wasp to pollinate their flowers--no fig wasp, no reproduction. But your point about a space for a native plant being lost is still true :(Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-23413487658729111792012-01-29T06:59:54.212-08:002012-01-29T06:59:54.212-08:00Aileen Albon:
It's really impossible to answe...Aileen Albon:<br /><br />It's really impossible to answer very precisely. It'll take longer than "months" and not as long as "decades." I <i>don't</i> repot every year, and one plant's gone from about 1.5 feet to 3 feet in 5 years; the other has taken 4 years to go from .75 feet to 1.5 feet. For a lot of that time, though, I wasn't fertilizing adequately, mr_subjunctivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-16572101446122000942012-01-29T05:31:31.282-08:002012-01-29T05:31:31.282-08:00Thanks for that! just bought a F. Elastica "B...Thanks for that! just bought a F. Elastica "Burgundy" home and am completely in love with him. He is about two feet at present, hoping to grow him fairly large - six feet or so. any advice as to how long this could take him, if repotted yearly? He is indoors in good, but indirect light.<br /><br />Thanks for all the great info!Ally Albonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06488184200875217981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-26839804199354531482011-08-29T05:42:51.189-07:002011-08-29T05:42:51.189-07:00So, keeping any fruit and particularly bananas in ...So, keeping any fruit and particularly bananas in the same room as a rubber plant is a bad idea? That explains a lot.<br /><br />I would trust <a href="http://www.flowersofindia.in/catalog/slides/Rubber%20Tree.html" rel="nofollow">Flowers of India</a> for the final height of 30-40 metres, even if they can't spell <i>elastica</i>. <br /><br />Betel nuts are the nuts used with betel leaves. Patnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-16531516247949865902011-08-27T06:36:21.357-07:002011-08-27T06:36:21.357-07:00Anonymous August 25, 2011 6:47 AM:
"Rubber b...Anonymous August 25, 2011 6:47 AM:<br /><br />"Rubber baby buggy plants" would also be fun, but would probably not sell well. <br /><br />Anonymous August 26, 2011 12:55 PM:<br /><br />Sounds sort of like me with <i>Maranta</i>s and <i>Saintpaulia</i>s.<br /><br />Tom:<br /><br />Actually, it was <i>your</i> plant I was thinking of when I wrote that, because you'd posted a huge mr_subjunctivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-37911045148049665412011-08-27T00:58:56.387-07:002011-08-27T00:58:56.387-07:00Oh, and the ethylene thing? Does that mean you als...Oh, and the ethylene thing? Does that mean you also shouldn't put it next to a bowl of fruit? *is almost - but only almost - tempted to move her Ficus to the kitchen and try it out*Ivynettlehttp://ivynettle.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2481706068105246695.post-39175275097517734242011-08-26T16:34:11.090-07:002011-08-26T16:34:11.090-07:00Those bridges are crazy! I kind of want to go see...Those bridges are crazy! I kind of want to go see them now...but I don't think India is in my future any time soon. As for the green and yellow variety if it looks like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom2643/5864667645/in/photostream it's probably actually F. altissima. I don't actually know what the difference is between the two but I'm guessing it has something to do Tomhttp://theatrumbotanicum.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com