How, When and Why Repot Rubber Plants

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Rubber trees are popular indoor plants because their distinct appearance makes them interesting to look at and because they do well indoors.

Rubber tree plants originate from southeast Asia, where they have become well adapted to thin, wet, and sometimes loose soil.

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This makes it easier to care for them compared to many indoor plants, and they are a great starter plant for those just getting into the hobby.

When, Why, and How To Repot Rubber Plants

Rubber tree plants can grow significantly; if you keep one long enough, you will need to re-pot it. If you don’t mind if your rubber tree plant stays small, you could keep it in the pot it was in when you got it.


You may need to redress the topsoil, but in many cases, you should be able to keep it in the pot you like for some time.

However, there will come a time when your rubber tree plant needs to be put into a larger pot; otherwise, its health will suffer.

When you finally decide to re-pot your rubber tree plant, there are several things to consider. These are the type, quality, and texture of the soil, the size of the pot, and the fertilizer to help your plant survive the transition.

How to Re-pot Your Rubber Tree Plant

First, choose a pot more significant than the one you take your rubber tree plant out of. In most cases, increasing the space, you give your plant to grow by 3″ to 4″ inches, or 1 to 10 centimeters in diameter should be sufficient.

It would help if you also considered the height of the plant and its propensity for tipping over. Choosing a larger pot can help prevent tipping.

Another way to avoid tipping is to weigh the pot down with sand at the bottom. Using sand is also an excellent way to

A mistake many people make is giving a rubber tree plant too much space in an oversized pot. Doing so can cause the soil not to drain as well as a rubber tree plant requires, leading to problems like overwatering and root rot.

You’ll also need to use plenty of fertilizer to support the growth that placing your plant into a new pot will stimulate.

Re-potting Your Rubber Tree Plant

After you have everything you need, it’s time to re-pot your plant. Remove the plant from its current pot, gently teasing out the more delicate roots. This is an excellent opportunity to check the sources to see if they need to be pruned.

Root systems should look clean and be free from knots and knurls, each offering plenty of space to grow and draw nutrients to other roots.



Add a decent amount of soil mix to the bottom of the new pot. Again, using sand is an excellent way to keep the pot upright and facilitate the amount of drainage a rubber tree plant requires.

Arrange your plant on top of the base soil you have set up, adjusting as necessary. The surface of the root ball should be level with or just below the pot’s rim.

Once it is situated properly, all that’s left to do is to fill in the areas around the roots with your rubber tree soil mix. Be sure to leave at least 2.3 centimeters between the rim of the pot and the top of the soil so that you will have room for water.

After your rubber tree plant is in and secure, please give it some water and be prepared to keep an eye on it over the next few days. If it seems distressed, you may add extra fertilizer and ventilate the soil more.