If you have a ficus elastica, it is possible that, at some time, you have tried to take a cutting from it and try to reproduce it in this way. But, Do you know what to do with a ficus elastica cutting?
If you want to be more likely that a cutting will succeed and thus have a second plant of your ficus, we are going to give you all the keys to achieve it. Shall we start?
Multiplication of the elastic ficus
Source_YouTube Cultivation step by step
One of the ways of multiplying the elastic ficus is through cuttings. These have to meet a series of requirements in order to have a chance of succeeding.
The first thing to check is the temperature. The ideal is between 25 and 30ºC. You have to make sure that they have good ventilation as well as high luminosity (not direct sun).
The cutting itself must contain 3-4 leaves with one or more nodes, since that is where the roots will emerge.
How to plant a ficus elastica cutting in water
Source: YouTube Cultivation step by step
We start with the multiplication in water. If you have never done it, you may have your doubts, but the truth is that the roots when they come out in water are much thicker than on land, as well as being longer. However, they also have the problem that they are less branched. Your goal in this case is to absorb oxygen from the water, but not to actually drink the water.
In this case, care must be taken because the plant can dry out quickly if it is not given the necessary nutrients to develop.
The steps to do it are very simple. since you only need:
- Have a bottle, boat… where you can put water.
- Have a cutting, in this case, of elastic ficus.
- Put the cutting in the water and hold it so that everything does not fall inside.
Nothing else. Some recommend adding a few drops of fertilizer from time to time to help you have nutrients in the water. In addition, it is convenient to change the water every so often to renew the oxygen in it.
How long do you have to leave a cutting in water?
If you have already put the cutting in water, surely every day (at least at the beginning) you check to see if it already has roots, if there are signs of these, etc. There is no exact time to leave a ficus elastica cutting in water. Actually, it can take weeks or months. You don’t have to remove anything else the roots come out.
In fact, there are people who leave the cuttings in water for years. But it is true that they require more care and be aware of health and nutrients to be able to move forward.
How to transfer a ficus elastica cutting from water to land
If several weeks have passed and you have seen that the ficus elastica cutting already has roots and you see it moving forward, the transition from water to land can scare you. It’s normal, because we are talking about changing the environment in which it has been developed and, sometimes, it can happen that this step ends with the plant that you have had taking care of it for so long.
However, although a cutting could be kept in water for years, it is necessary to move it to soil because it needs nutrients that water will not provide (besides it cannot grow). In this sense, the passage from water to land requires the following steps:
First, make sure that the cutting has enough roots so that it can establish itself in the substrate. In this way you will know if it can already stay alive on its own or if you have to keep an eye on it.
Second, a clear warning that the cutting can now move to the ground is when new leaves begin to sprout. If this happens to you, you know that it means that it already has enough roots to be able to be in a pot and continue its course.
At the time of planting, as it has been in a “wet” medium, when it is transferred to a dry one it can suffer. So the experts recommend that, for a while, the earth should always be kept moist.in fact, more than usual. And that, gradually, it dries out so that it adapts to its new environment (which will be drier). Of course, you must be very careful because it is not the same to have the roots in water than in wet soil (especially due to the appearance of fungi and problems that would damage the roots).
How to plant a ficus elastica cutting in soil
Fuente: Pinterest
If you prefer to plant the elastic ficus cutting in the ground, then you should take into account that it will take root, but these will be much thinner than those in water. Of course, they will be much more branched and also the objective of these is to absorb water, but not oxygen (hence you have to give it a substrate with oxygen).
Therefore, the first thing you need is to have a good substrate. And at this point you will have to make a mixture. The best? There are actually two:
- Sterile sand, which helps the roots that are created not have difficulties to develop.
- Universal substrate with drainage, so that it is highly oxygenated. In fact, it is recommended that there be a few percent greater than the earth (60-40 or similar).
How long does a ficus elastica cutting take to root?
Once you have finished, it is normal that you want your ficus elastica cutting to have roots in a matter of days and that you can plant it and begin to grow. But unfortunately this is possible. It actually needs 4-5 weeks to root properly. However, it is not a fact that you should believe 100% because the truth is that it will depend, and a lot, on other factors such as the climate, the type of water, the soil, etc. All this can cause it to root before or after that time.
Also, if you apply hormones to make it root faster, the time should be shortened. But it is not good to spend with them either since you will end up burning the plant.
Our recommendation is that you arm yourself with patience and let it take its course. If he has to get ahead, he will, but it is better that it be natural than forcing it and that it can be weak and at the first opportunity it will go away.
As you can see, here are the main doubts and the steps to take to take a cutting of elastic ficus forward. Do you test with one?
