Question
palm plant?
I inherited this plant from a dear friend. It has been doing wonderfully for the past 6 years but during the last move, it just didn't make it. It hs always leaned to one side (top heavy perhaps?) Anyway, I thought it was a goner but all of a sudden, the green leaves started on the top and when I stripped the dried leaves from the rest of the stalk, the stalk itself is very green. But, it's too big to fit in this house now and I want to prune/root and repot it as a smaller plant. I don't really want to give up on this one. I have attached pictures. Thank you.
AnswerColette,
Although I can't see it very well in the picture I suspect from the shape of the leaves that your plant is a ficus elastica or rubber tree plant. Go to google and enter that as your question then click on images. It will have a bunch of pictures of ficus elastica or rubber tree plants and you can see if I am correct. Please let me know.
I then suggest that you air layer the top off the plant. Go to the following website and it will give you instructions on air-layering. It is easier than it looks. Just read through them once and gather what you need to do it then follow the instructions step by step. After that keep the peat moss in the plastic moist by using a turkey baster to put water into the plastic. In 8-10 weeks thee plastic should be full of roots. At that time get a pot ready that is smaller than the one the parent plant is in. Cut the new plant off about 3 inches below the plastic then carefully unwrap the rootball and put the plant in it's new pot. Then fill in with fresh potting soil and water the plant. Every time you water this plant and any plants you own wait an hour and empty the drain tray under the plant. If you can't pick up the plant you need to empty it with that turkey baster. No houseplants are swamp plants and leaving them sit in a drain tray full of water will rot the roots. Sitting in water causes roots to rot and leaves turn yellow then fall off. That is why your ficus only has leaves on the top of that long trunk.
After air layering the top off I would cut the trunk off about a foot above the soil and the stalk may sprout new shoots and grow a new top. If you don't have room for that plant you can give it to a friend. If you have more questions feel free to write again. Do let me know if I am correct about the identification. However the instructions are the same even if it is a different plant. If I am wrong e-mail a closer up picture of the the leaves. Good luck.
Darlene
