Ficus Tineke: The Best Guide For Variegated Rubber Plant

Ficus Tineke is a rubber plant and it’s one of the beautiful house plants. Its different colors like pink green, cream, and even pink color make it more beautiful and interesting. This plant doesn’t need a lot of care but you just need to provide proper and good sunlight to it. The scientific name of this plant is “Ficus elastica” and most commonly it’s known as Tineke and Variegated Rubber Tree.

The smooth and waxy leaves of Ficus elastica Tineke make it more beautiful. And it grows like a big plant, and it’s a perfect house plant. Its natural soft color makes it more beautiful as a house plant.

Such a rubber plant and related varieties were used centuries ago to produce different rubber products. That plant will also produce a milky, latex substance when any of its leaves or stem will break down. It’s a middle toxic product and never use it for your skin or eyes because it can be dangerous.

In your house or at any place indoor it will be up to 5 or 6 feet, but as an outdoor plant, it will become a huge tree. You may know that traditional rubber plants which are also commonly known as Banyan trees grow up too much and it covers the surrounding such a species plant are banned in some countries. Elastica subspecies plants mostly stay in control, and it’s very easy to manage them in-house.

Care As An Indoor Plant

Sunlight

In bright indirect light, Ficus Tineke will grow very well under these conditions and its color will also be very well. May you know that when it will get a little light during the growing season or any time its small leaves will be affected, and it will make an impact on the growth of the whole plant. Direct sunlight will also be dangerous, Make sure to keep it away from harsh and bright sunlight because it will burn down the leaves of plants and it will also affect the color of leaves.

Read More: Top Closed Terrarium Plants Which Are Easy To Grow And Care

Water

Regarding water it has unique properties, it does not like water in a schedule like different other houseplants. You just have to water this, when the top layer of its soil will feel dry to touch. It may be required one water in a single week. This interval may be different depending upon your home temperature. It will require a little water in the winter season, and in summers you have to give a little more water.

How will I know that my plant is overwatering or having an underwatering issue? If you have added over water, Plant leaves will start getting yellow or may produce some brown dots on the surface of the leaves you can save plants from yellow leaves by reading this yellow leaves guide and it will work for every plant. But during the situation, under-watering plants will start losing their leaves one by one. Must know that: In the growing season lower leaves of the plant will fall down and it’s a natural process. So in this way upper or newly grown leaves will grow better.

Fertilizer

In growing seasons like spring and during summers. The focus Tineke will need some fertilizers for better growth. As an indoor plant, it will need fertilizers once a month. Different types of fertilizers are available in the market but we recommend using a granular mixture or granular mixture liquid. Every fertilizer mixture can be having different qualities, so it’s necessary to read out their guide before use. More fertilizers can burn the leaves of your plant and its growth will be zero. During the winter season, no need to give any type of fertilizers like in cool-weather plants that will be constant and will not grow during these seasons.

Repotting Of Ficus Tineke

It should be repotted a single time after every two years. It enjoys pot bounding and it’s necessary to wait for the right time before repotting. Most of the soil loses its ability to attain moisture level and water is draining completely from the bottom hole, so it’s necessary to do repotting in such cases.

For repotting you must need to use a well-drained potting mixture. You can increase the size of the pot, about 2 inches bigger than the last pot in diameter. In this way, plants will grow easily, due to too much empty room in the pot for plants. Repotting helps the plant roots to stay healthy and to grow continuously, fresh soil is a big factor for plant health.

More Tips

Moisture in the air can benefit the Ficus Tineke. Rubber trees are the native plants of Asian forests, they have abilities to hold high temperature and humidity. This plant can easily survive with extra humidity but can’t stay longer in extreme temperature. If you will fulfill all these requirements plants will stay happy.

Common Pests On Ficus Tineke

As a House plant, It can face the attack of different common house pests. Commons pests like Spider mites and Mealybugs can attack this plant and make sure to check the attack of pests every week so you can take action against them at right time.

Common Problems

This Plant Can be damaged by different problems and its leaves’ color can change, so here we will see that.

Yellow Leaves

As mentioned above main reason behind the yellow leaves of houseplants is over-watering. Never water if your plant soil is wet or soggy, wait until it gets dry.

Brown And Crispy Leaves

It means that you are not filling the light and water requirements of the plant. The extra amount of light can also damage the leaves but when your plant will need water, you can clearly see the leaves head down and you should need to water instantly or you can see a damaged plant.

Loss In Color Or In Variations

Your rubber plant leaves are losing their variations or turning green? A simple answer to this problem is low light conditions, if you have spotted such a problem shift this plant towards a bright area.