I have a rubber plant here that's been rescued from a family member.
It's got to be over 10 years old, but I feel it's not had the happiest life.

It looks rather bare, I've added some pictures and was hoping someone could provide some advice, as to what it actually is and how it can be returned to health (if its not beyond help!).

Thanks.

Hi, yes, its been neglected and I'd be inclined to cut it back to improve its shape and re-pot it and now is the perfect time to do it. You'll find that it will 'bleed' from any cuts, so melt some wax and dip the freshly cut ends into it, this will help. It should shoot again quite happily and quickly make a nice bushy plant. If it has sentimental value and you want an insurance against losing it, you could air layer a branch - about a foot from the tip, wound it through a leaf joint and wrap peat around the wound inside a polythene sleeve- tied at both ends, forming a 'sausage-like' bag of peat around the stem. When the roots can be seen, this new plant can then be potted up and that branch cut back like the others ! Water and feed during the growing season but sparingly in winter.
Regards Lannerman.

Thanks Lannerman.
There's no real sentimental value, its just seemed a shame for it to be binned.
I'll have a look at how you cut it back and also try the method you suggested.
A few questions though, what is 'air layer a branch' and 'wound it through a leaf joint'.
Looking at some healthy rubber plants, on-line, they look quite nice.

Hi, then just cut it back now ! The air layering I mentioned is a way of creating new plants from an existing one by encouraging roots to form inside a bag of peat wrapped around the stem about 12inches from the growing tip but you wont need to bother with this as I'm sure yours will shoot from the base. One final thing, leave one of the lower branches complete (without pruning it) this will act as a 'sap drawer' until the pruned branches have made new shoots, then you can remove this one as well !
regards, lannerman.

"lannerman" wrote in message
...

Dr.GreenThumb;954345 Wrote:
I have a rubber plant here that's been rescued from a family member.
It's got to be over 10 years old, but I feel it's not had the happiest
life.

It looks rather bare, I've added some pictures and was hoping someone
could provide some advice, as to what it actually is and how it can be
returned to health (if its not beyond help!).

Thanks.

Hi, yes, its been neglected and I'd be inclined to cut it back to
improve its shape and re-pot it and now is the perfect time to do it.
You'll find that it will 'bleed' from any cuts, so melt some wax and dip
the freshly cut ends into it, this will help. It should shoot again
quite happily and quickly make a nice bushy plant. If it has sentimental
value and you want an insurance against losing it, you could air layer a
branch - about a foot from the tip, wound it through a leaf joint and
wrap peat around the wound inside a polythene sleeve- tied at both ends,
forming a 'sausage-like' bag of peat around the stem. When the roots can
be seen, this new plant can then be potted up and that branch cut back
like the others ! Water and feed during the growing season but sparingly
in winter.
Regards Lannerman.


It needs feeding asap. My indoor plantie-thing went big and lovely when I
gave it Bio-grow every few weeks.
Mine is a succulent I think it is called a money plant and is supposed to
bring you good luck, it's what you see in Chinese restaurants.
It will not be fed that much this year as it went crazy with the food and it
will get too big.


--
lannerman