What kind of potting do Rubber Plants like?

I have a 2.5 foot rubber plant (ficus elastica) in the pot I got it in from Home Depot (9 inches).



I'd really like the plant to grow taller. It's under full spectrum lighting at my work, but was wondering if the plant will grow faster if I got a pot a size or two up. Do rubber plants like to have their roots bound tightly, or will it propagate growth in a larger, roomier pot?



Any other growing tips appreciated!

What kind of potting do Rubber Plants like?
You are correct, a larger pot size will work. Ficus will become stunted if their roods are crowded.



Example: The people I bought my house from planted 2 Ficus benjaminas in the front yard in the late 1970s. I bought one in the mid 1970s and kept it in a 10 inch pot. The one in a pot is 4 feet high. The 2 in my yard were 3 stories tall with huge surface roots that were endangering my house and had to be removed last year. They would have been taller except for some winter freezes and pruning.



You don't need growing tips, it sounds like you have a good handle on things. With the lighting they will get at your work and normal watering (let the soil get dry between waterings), and a pot 1 or 2 sizes up, the plant should do very well. (4 sizes up could get you the soil moisture problems that the other person mentioned, besides it would be too big for the office.)
Reply:Rubber plants like bright light, but never hot sun. When your new leaves are emerging, even less light is advisable, as this will promote larger leaves..Rubber plants are very susceptible to changes in environment, such as warm to a cool room..Keep them out of drafts, and away from heat sources.



Keep your plant evenly moist during the growing cycle in spring and summer, but on the dryer side during the rest of the year. They really appreciate having their leaves sponged off with a damp cloth. When you fertilize your rubber plant in the spring and again in early summer, use a weak mixture of a soluble house plant food.



Rubber plants have a tendency to lose their lower leaves, usually from environmental reasons. If this happens very often, new shoots will emerge from the old leaf node.



Should you wish to have a taller rubber plant, put it in a pot the next size up. Never go more than the next size because a plant can become overwhelmed with too much room, and rot because of too much water for too long.
Reply:But its rubber how will it grow.