Whether you search for indoor décor ideas with plants or beautiful houseplants, rubber trees are always on the top of the list. And why not? A tall rubber plant having large waxy leaves can change the look of your house in a jiffy.
However, many people hesitate to bring one home thinking it’s hard to maintain. But let us tell you, nourishing a rubber tree isn’t that complicated if you take care of one of the most important needs – sufficient light.
Now, to know how much light a rubber tree needs or how to know if it’s lacking light you’ve to read further.
How much light does a rubber tree need?
Similar to any other tree, a rubber tree needs 6 to 8 hours of bright light a day. Rubber trees can easily survive in low light. They don’t prefer direct sunlight that’s warmer than 85 degrees. But since bright light makes them grow healthy, they can be kept around filtered sunlight.
Rubber trees are always in demand as attractive trees to have in the backyard. But these days they are more popular as indoor plants since when planted in a pot they don’t grow much taller yet give an elegant vibe with their appearance.
Moreover, it can be easily kept in the house and maintained.
The rubber tree is a tropical plant. They thrive in hot weather, sunlight, and a sunny environment. But an unusual fact about this tropical tree is it can’t tolerate direct sunlight. It might seem strange, but unfiltered and direct light can harm this tree in many ways.
The ideal temperature for a rubber tree to grow healthy is lower than 85 degrees. They can even survive in low light too. But if they get light that’s warmer than their preferable temperature, the tree might not survive.
A rubber tree in general needs 5 to 8 hours of sunlight a day. That means it needs a good amount of light to thrive.
But that light has to be filtered through window glass or a sheer fabric curtain. So it matches the ideal temperature range of rubber trees, that’s lower than 85 degrees.
The best way to maintain a rubber trees’ need for light is to keep it beside the window or a curtain for a maximum of 8 hours, preferably in the early hours of the day, and then move it to a shady place when the light is not coming filtered.
Do rubber tree plants need a lot of light? Can rubber plants tolerate low light?
Rubber trees need bright and soft light but not too much of it. They can thrive in low light as well.
Rubber trees need bright and warm weather. However, they don’t prefer direct light. Staying under direct sunlight can make their survival tough.
The ideal light for rubber tree plants is bright but indirect and soft light. If kept in such light for 6 to 8 hours per day, rubber trees are fine enough. They don’t need a lot of un-filtered light like other tropical plants.
Despite belonging from an origin that thrives in bright light and hot weather, rubber trees can happily grow in low light. Low and soft light is one of the requirements of them to survive. When placed in low light they will happily tolerate it.
How much sunlight does a rubber tree plant need? How many hours of light does a rubber plant need?
Rubber tree plants develop well in hot and warm weather thus rubber tree plants need bright sunlight to survive. At the same time, they can easily survive in low light.
Rubber tree plants cannot take too much heat or light. The ideal temperature to make a rubber tree plant grow healthy is between 60 to 85 degrees, which does not require too harsh sunlight. They prefer soft indirect light to grow for example the light in the morning.
Staying 5 to 8 hours every day in indirect sunlight is sufficient to fulfill rubber trees’ light requirement.
If you’re nursing a rubber tree as an indoor plant, keeping it beside a window or a sheer curtain in the early hours will do the job. It may take around 5 hours to 8 hours a day.
How do you know if a rubber plant is not getting enough light?
To have a healthy rubber tree, proper care is needed. Such as fertilizer, water, and most importantly light. But many times, owners can’t ensure adequate lighting for their rubber plants. They either overdo it or vice-versa.
To know whether your rubber plant is getting enough light or not you will need to observe if the plant is showing the signs given below. If you find none of these symptoms in your plant, take a breath of relief!
Dropping lower leaves:
More or less every plant shows the first sign of poor health through its leaves.
Similarly, a rubber tree when not getting sufficient light starts to drop the leaves that are in its lower part. They fall in an unusual amount in lack of sunlight.
Besides, the leaves, especially the lower ones start to fade and discolor a rubber plant that’s deprived of enough lightening.
Thin and long stalks:
Thin, uneven, and long stalks are signs of rubber plants that are not getting adequate lightening. As the plant don’ get enough light the body stretches to reach for light thus the stalk becomes stretchy and thin.
Too dry soil:
A rubber plant that’s getting too much sunlight is not getting enough sunlight.
Rubber trees can’t stand to direct and heat light, so if you notice the soil of the tree is too dry most of the time, it’s because the rubber plant is getting unnecessary lightening.
What kind of light does a rubber tree need?
A rubber tree needs bright sunlight that’s not directly shining upon it. More specifically, a rubber tree wants bright but a little less hot light to grow healthy.
Rubber trees are tropical plants. So it’s obvious they thrive in the bright and warm environment being the tropical origin. But what’s unusual about rubber trees is they can’t handle too much warmth. They love the sun and its light but when it’s defused.
Rubber trees prefer staying in a not-so-dry or damp soil to keep themselves strong and lively. When put into direct light of the midday, the heat of light can burn their leaves, fade the color and rip off their charm. Thus the plants may not survive till last.
So to grow nicely and happily a rubber tree seeks soft and bright light such as the light in the morning.
What does indirect light mean when it comes to your rubber tree?
While taking notes on how to ensure adequate lightening to your rubber tree, you’ve surely heard the word ‘indirect lightening’. Well since it’s a very uncommon term when it comes to nourishing trees, you may ask what exactly indirect lightening means.
To be precise indirect lightening means sunlight that’s filtered through a medium.
Rubber trees can’t tolerate the harsh light that comes from the sun. But since they are tropical trees, what they like to absorb is filtered sun rays.
Here is what indirect light means when it comes to your rubber tree.
Sunlight filtered through glass:
If your rubber tree is kept in front of window glass, then here the glassworks as the medium of indirect lightning. As the sunray falls on the window, it can’t reach the rubber tree ignoring the glass.
Sunlight filtered through the curtain:
The light that comes through the curtain can be considered filtered light for your rubber tree plant.
Even if you don’t have any glass to provide indirect light, the curtain will do it. Sunlight. ht falling through the curtain is the indirect light your tree needs.
How to look after a rubber tree plant?
To maintain a rubber tree as houseplant is super convenient if you know how to provide it with proper light, water, and fertilizer.
The most important is to ensure sufficient light that’s soft and filtered. You will have to put your rubber tree in indirect light, preferably in the early hours for at least 5 hours a day.
Rubber trees like to stay on damp soil. Whether you’ve planted the tree on a pot or the ground, you have to observe the soil condition from time to time. Rubber trees don’t need a lot of watering frequently but the soil must have to be damp and not too dry.
To ensure a healthy and happy rubber plant fertilizing it occasionally is important. Fertilizers keep bugs and other plant diseases away when applied accordingly.
Final Thoughts
Rubber trees need 5 to 8 hours of sunlight each day. But unlike other tropical trees, they cannot stand direct light. So the best way to maintain a healthy rubber tree is to ensure sufficient filtered light. However, rubber trees can survive in low light as well.