The easy-care rubber tree is not one of the very thirsty plants, on the contrary. If you water it too much, it will easily turn yellow leaves or even drop them. Therefore, you should only water it moderately.
How should you water a rubber tree?
Rubber trees should be watered moderately, preferably only when the surface of the soil is slightly dry. As an alternative to watering, the plant can be dipped. Waterlogging and excessive moisture should be avoided at all costs.
It's best to only water your rubber tree when the soil on the surface is already slightly dry. This will prevent the formation of waterlogging and rotting of the roots. Your rubber tree also doesn’t need fertilizer in large quantities. Add a little liquid fertilizer (€8.00 on Amazon) to the irrigation water about every six weeks.
Is there an alternative to watering?
If you don't want to water your rubber tree, you can dip it instead. The entire planter should be submerged in water until the soil is completely saturated. You can tell this by the fact that no more air bubbles appear. Now take the pot out of the water again and let it drain thoroughly.
Place the pot on a saucer or in a planter, then check again after a few minutes whether water has accumulated there and pour it off again. Provided with water in this way, the rubber tree survives even a short vacation quite well. However, it shouldn't be left in the blazing sun.
The most important things in brief:
- water moderately, preferably only when the soil becomes dry
- Alternative to watering: diving
- Avoid waterlogging at all costs
Tip
Your rubber tree can tolerate a few days of drought much better than waterlogging. So avoid lavish watering, for example before your vacation.