The Plant Mistress

The Rubber Tree (Ficus elastica) is supossedly an easy plant to grow.  I have had a small one, about 5″ tall, growing in a 4″ pot for about a year now.  It doesn’t do much…at all.  According to the literature, it will take partial to full shade and has average water needs.  Mine has put out exactly one new leaf in the year I’ve had it.  There is no branching and it appears to be stunted.  I repotted it and have begun really paying attention to fertilizers.

To encourage branching, I cut off one of the leaves and nicked the stem, hoping to inspire some new growth.  Thus far, nothing has changed, but to he honest, its only been a week.  I’m tempted  to buy a new one and see if I just got a dud.  I’m very tempted by the variegated Rubber trees as I love any plant that has pink on it (pink that isn’t in the form of a flower).

Any suggestions/ideas regarding my pathetic stunted rubber tree?

*lyric ganked from “High Hopes” by Frank Sinatra