How to Grow and Care for Ficus Tineke

For an unusual yet easy-to-find ficus variety, consider Ficus elastica 'Tineke' (sometimes sold under the trademarked name 'Chroma'). The variegated rubber plant, as it is also known, often features striking reddish-pink tones on the outside of the green and cream foliage, and the sheath at the top of the stem is also a deep burgundy-red color. 

Although it's usually grown as a houseplant, in a climate with warm and humid winters, it can remain outdoors year-round. However, because Ficus elastica is not native to North America and is potentially invasive, it is recommended to grow it in a container where its prolifically spreading roots are contained. 

Keep your ficus Tineke away from curious pups and kitties. Like other plants in the genus, it is toxic to pets.

Ficus Tineke Care

These plants are relatively low-maintenance—ideal if you're a beginner houseplant enthusiast. Here are the main care requirements for growing a ficus Tineke:

• Place it in bright, indirect light and away from strong, harsh sunlight.
• Plant it in well-draining potting mix, preferably a slightly acidic cactus mix.
• Water when the top inches of soil feel dry to the touch.
• Keep the room temperature between 60 and 75 degrees F and avoid draft and AC vents.
• Fertilize it lightly every few weeks during the growing season and stop feeding in the winter.
• Dust the leaves as needed to improve photosynthesis.
• Rotate the pot every few weeks, which helps the plant maintain its impressive variegation.

Light

Ficus elastica likes the type of bright, indirect light that mimics that found in its natural tropical forest habitat. Getting the balance right to maintain the unique variegation of the tineke cultivar is the biggest challenge for this plant. Too much direct light scorches the foliage, but overly low-light conditions will see the pink hues on the leaves fade, there will be less new leaf growth, and your plant could become unattractively leggy.

Placing your plant in an east-facing window usually works well, or setting it back from a south- or west-facing window. Your ficus Tineke might appreciate a few hours of soft morning sunlight, but avoid direct harsh afternoon rays.

Soil

Ficus Tineke isn't fussy when it comes to potting mix. Providing it's loose and well-drained, you shouldn't have any problems. They often thrive in slightly acidic cactus mixes.

Water

You're won't have a high maintenance watering schedule with your ficus Tineke. These plants appreciate it if you let the top couple of inches of potting mix dry out to the touch in between waterings. So watering once every one to two weeks during the growing season is usually enough, depending on the light and humidity in your home.

Although they like consistent light moisture (excessive dryness is a problem), leaving them in standing water leads to root rot, so slight underwatering is better than overwatering. A deep watering works well, but don't drip on the leaves as it may cause staining.

Temperature and Humidity

As you would expect of a tropical species, ficus Tineke appreciates warm temperatures and moderate humidity. Ideal temperatures range from around 60 to 75 degrees F. You'll want to avoid this plant if your home regularly has temperatures lower than 55 degrees F, experiences sudden temperature drops, or you can't position it away from draughts, dry heat, and AC units.

Fertilizer

To see healthy growth on those large, glossy leaves, feed with weak, liquid houseplant fertilizer every few weeks through the growing season. Don't opt for anything too strong as this causes straggly growth, and your plant becomes rootbound fast. You won't need to feed your ficus tineke during the winter months.

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Types

There are two other popular cultivars of Ficus elastica:

• Ficus elastica ‘Ruby' has a unique tricolored variegation. It needs brighter light conditions to maintain the strong colors. With a height of 3 to 6 feet, it is smaller than the other cultivars.
• Ficus elastica 'Burgundy' has large, glossy, almost black leaves. In ideal conditions, it grows into a tall, upright tree of more than 12 feet in height.

Pruning

These fast-growing plants benefit from occasional tidying up to keep a neat shape, minimize leggy growth, and encourage the development of new, healthy foliage. Trim off straggly stems and unhealthy-looking leaves. Any healthy stems you remove to create a more even shape can be used to propagate a new plant.

Propagating Ficus Tineke

It's possible to create a new ficus Tineke by air layering, but this is an intricate propagation method and needs some skill to get it right. However, rooting new variegated rubber plants is fairly easy by propagating from stem cuttings. Propagation in the spring, as the growing season starts, yields the best results. Below are some tips for this straightforward method.

1. Select a cutting of around 6 inches from a healthy-looking stem with at least four leaf nodes. Use a clean, sharp blade to make the cutting.
2. Remove the leaves at the bottom of the cutting, leaving one leaf at the top. That way energy will be directed to the new root growth rather than existing foliage.
3. Plant the cutting in a loose, well-drained soilless potting mix, ensuring you expose the top node above the mix. Dipping the cutting in rooting hormone before planting helps increase the chances of successful propagation.
4. Creating a high-humidity environment helps encourage rooting, so put an almost fully sealed plastic zip-top bag over the potted cutting. Don't allow the bag to touch the cutting (a chopstick works well for this purpose).
5. Keep the potted cutting in a warm position with bright, indirect light and ensure it doesn't dry out.
6. It normally takes around a month before the roots begin to fully establish. You'll know if it's been successful if there is resistance when you pull on the cutting.

Potting and Repotting Ficus Tineke

It's easy to tell when your ficus Tineke needs repotting because you'll see the roots starting to grow out of the drainage holes. These plants are relatively fast growers, so repotting once every year or two is normal.

Pick a pot that's only a few inches larger in diameter than the original one—opting for something too big causes problems with excessive moisture retention that leads to soggy roots, and these plants like being slightly potbound. Fill the pot with new, well-draining potting mix, leaving a couple of inches at the top of the pot free to allow watering.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Like other ficus, the plant is susceptible to mites, scale, mealybugs, whiteflies, and aphids. Control populations with insecticidal soap or neem oil before they turn into an infestation. 

Ficus trees are also susceptible to leaf spot disease. Remove any infected leaves promptly to prevent the spread of the fungus.

Common Problems with Ficus Tineke

While these plants have relatively easy-going natures, problems neglect or unsuitable conditions cause problems. Below are some things to watch out for.

Leaves Turning Yellow

One of the first signs that you might be giving your ficus Tineke too much water is the leaves turning yellow. It can also be a sign your plant is in a position that is too draughty.

Always check the soil before rewatering. If the top couple of inches of soil still feels moist, wait a few days and check again.

Plant Leaves Falling Off

Underwatering result in premature leaf drop. Although some leaf loss is natural (as your plant grows, foliage lower on the plant will drop off to focus energy on newer growth), letting your plant get too dry kills off your plant. Premature leaf drop is a sign that you might need to up your watering schedule. Don't let the potting mix dry out completely in between waterings.

Brown Tips

Leaves that turn crispy and develop brown tips may be sitting in overly direct sun. Move your plant to a position where the sunlight is more dappled to prevent this from happening.