What is a Ficus Elastica Tineke? The Tineke is a select variety of Ficus elastica and a “new” highly variegated rubber plant on the market. In this article, we’ll share what your plant needs for proper care of Ficus tineke.
Quick Ficus Tineke Care Tips
- Botanical Name: Ficus elastica ‘Tineke
- Common Name(s): Rubber Plant Tineke, Variegated rubber Tree, Tineke rubber plant
- Synonyms: Ficus Tineke, Ficus elastica variegata
- Family & Origin: Moraceae family, native to Southeast Asia, India and Indonesia
- Growability: Easy to grow
- Grow Zone: USDA zones 10-11
- Size: Grows to 2-10′ feet tall indoors and 5′ inches wide
- Flowering: Rarely flowers indoors
- Light: Bright, indirect sunlight
- Humidity: Prefers high humidity
- Temperature: 60-75° degrees Fahrenheit
- Soil: Well-draining soil
- Water: Water when the top inch of soil dries out
- Fertilizer: Diluted liquid fertilizer once a month during growing season
- Pests & Diseases: Mealybugs, spider mites, scale insects, root rot
- Propagation: Stem cuttings and air-layers
- Plant Uses: Air purifier, decorative floor plant
Ficus Elastica Tineke Care- The Basics
Size and Growth Rate
Ficus Teneke grows as small indoor plants reaching 2′ – 10′ feet tall tree or bush. Growing outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10b to 11, trees can reach 50′ feet tall and more.
Tineke rubber tree displays striking variegation of cream to almost white and green leaves. The mature glossy leaves of Tineke reach up to 12″ inches long and 5″ inches wide. The sheath at the top of the stem is also a deep burgundy-red color. Some suggest the distinctive color of the leaf looks almost like watercolor.
The burgundy rubber tree is a fast-growing Ficus. Variegated Ficus has less chlorophyll and grows at a slower pace.
Flowering and Fragrance
Varieties of ficus elastica’ do flower. But only flower when grown outdoors in their native home of Malaysia, Java, or the Himalayas. Flowering indoors is a rare occurrence. When Ficus elastica tineke does flower, they are simple white blooms.
Its minimal fragrance only attracts fig wasps and no other kinds of pollinators.
Ficus Tineke Light Requirements and Temperature
The ideal Ficus elastica Tineke does best indoors with bright, indirect light. In lower light conditions, new leaves produce less creamy variegation. Plants also are less likely to produce new healthy growth.
- If the leaves are losing their variegation, move your Tineke plant to a location with a bright lighting source.
- Indoors maintain an average room temperature above 55° degrees Fahrenheit of warm temperatures and moderate humidity level and hours of soft morning sunlight. Consider adding an essential humidifier to increase humidity in some region that remains warm.
- Remember, too much light can scorch the foliage of Tineke Rubber plants. In contrast, too little light may mean duller colors and less variation from dry heat.
- Ficus Tineke can be finicky to temperature. It does not tolerate inconsistent temperatures. Weather changes such as sudden temperature drops, cold drafts, and dry conditions will affect your ornamental plant.
- On the flip side, if your leaves are crispy and have brown spots, your plant may be too dry or get too much sun exposure.
How to water and feed Ficus Tinekes: Watering Needs
The popular rubber Tineke is a relatively low-maintenance houseplant. Prevent overwatering rubber plants.
If the roots sit in excess water, they can suffer from root rot, and fungus gnats can become an issue. Allow the top one inch of soil to dry out before watering once every one to two weeks again.
The indoor tinekes will still seek deep watering according to the natural growing season. Water your plant more during the summer months and scale back during the winter weeks for perfect balance.
Using Fertilizer
Feed your new Ficus species monthly during warm temperatures. Use a half-strength balanced liquid fertilizer.
Potting, Soil, And Transplanting
The tineke variegated rubber tree plant thrives in light, well-draining, moist soil. It can tolerate heavy clay, sandy, loamy, or dry soil. Remember to use a pot with drainage holes.
When transplanting, pick a pot that’s only a little larger in diameter than the original one. Selecting a pot too big can cause common problems with retaining excessive moisture and soggy roots. Choose a well-draining potting mix. Elastica plants like to be slightly potbound.
It does well in either acidic or alkaline soil. Regardless of the Ficus variety, these plants will grow indoors. Do not overpot. Your Tineke Rubber plant should be fine in the pot you’ll want to purchase for a year.
If your plant gets top-heavy, use a cachepot to keep the top-heavy rubber tree from falling over.
Repotting is important to allow the roots to grow continually. Plus, a fresh rich soil mixture will rejuvenate the plant. When repotting, repot during the early spring. Ficus shows shock by dropping leaves.
Tineke Rubber Tree Pruning and Maintenance
As houseplants, the tineke rubber tree will not need much grooming. Mature plants may need perfect pruning to maintain their shape or remove unwanted branches.
To achieve a bushier, fuller, and more impressive shape, prune the primary branches of your Rubber plant tineke.
For a more slender tree-like appearance, do not prune. Using a clean, sharp blade, cut off a six-inch portion of a healthy branch just above a leaf node.
Large rubber plant leaves collect dust. From time to time, clean the thick, waxy leaves with a damp cloth on a pebble tray.
As a beginner houseplant enthusiast, your potted Rubber tropical species tree tineke may grow aerial roots that grow above ground when it gets larger.
One of the fast-spreading roots helps stabilize the tree but isn’t necessary. Removing these aerial roots will not damage your plant. It starts with picking healthy-looking stems and then making a clean, sharp cut.
As for the plant growth, foliage lower on the plant will drop off to focus energy on newer growth. Although some leaf growth is lost naturally, letting your plant get too dry can kill off the plant.
Propagating Ficus Tineke
Ficus elastica Tineke is easy to propagate. You don’t create a new Ficus Tineke Rubber Tree by air layering. But, this propagation method is intricate and needs some skill to get it right.
The process is easy but can get messy due to the milky sap it oozes when cut. But propagating ficus tineke from stem cuttings makes rooting new variegated rubber plants easy.
- Choose a branch to propagate and take a cutting about 12″ inches long.
- Remove the lower oval leaves.
- Apply a rooting hormone to the base of the tip-cutting.
- Place into a new pot filled with well-draining soil.
- Water and place a plastic bag over the pot to create an artificial greenhouse. A soda bottle works well, too.
- Place your new cutting in a bright, warm room in front of a south- or west-facing window near the outdoors. No direct sunlight from east-facing window.
- New roots should form in 30-60 days.
- Once your new Ficus is well established, repot into a larger 6″ pot.
NOTE: The sap of Tineke Ficus can cause skin irritation
Ficus Tineke Plant Pests or Diseases
The biggest challenge for variegated plants like Tineke are prone to pests. Examples of pests are leaf and root mealybugs, aphids, plant scales, bugs, weedy thugs, and spider mites that need to be avoided.
Like other rubber plants, Ficus Tineke is sometimes prone to fungal diseases such as Anthracnose.
All variegated Ficus varieties seem to suffer from some form of brown spots on the leaves. What causes brown spots?
- Too much direct light can burn leaves due to prolonged exposure.
- Low humidity can dry the leaves.
- Over-fertilizing can result in burns from salt buildup.
Ficus Rubber Trees do not like changes. They like:
Consistent Temperatures – When exposed to drops in temperature, they respond by dropping leaves.
Moist Not Wet Soil – If the soil stays too dry and then stays wet. Roots become mushy and start to die. Leaves turn yellow and fall off.
Bright indirect light – Ficus produces leaves based on the tropical light they receive. When the leaves do not “fit” the lighting conditions. The premature leaf drop will be on the leaves.
To keep your Tineke ficus plant looking its best, don’t forget to dust the leaves with a microfiber cloth. Be aware and don’t forget to turn it on periodically.
Provide your Ficus Tineke with consistent proper care for the best results.
Ficus Facts
Where Does Ficus Elastica Originate?
Variegated ficus elastica originates in Southeast Asia, India, and Indonesia.
Where Does Ficus Elastica Originate?
The easy-to-find cultivar ficus tineke belongs to the Moraceae family. The plant’s genus name means “edible fig.”
