Rubber plant pruning should follow the plant's health and branching. Decide the shape you want before shortening a tall stem.
Decide what the rubber plant needs
Ficus elastica can develop a large upright framework. Choose whether pruning is for branching, removing damage or reducing height. A plant with weak roots or poor light needs recovery before a demanding cut is used to solve every problem.
Make a deliberate cut
Use clean suitable tools and retain useful healthy leaves and growth points. Wear gloves when handling the milky sap and protect surrounding surfaces. Do not assume that every bare section will produce identical new shoots immediately.
Support recovery with suitable conditions
Provide useful light, changing exposure gradually, and check root-zone moisture. Water when needed and let surplus leave. A recently reduced canopy may use water differently, so do not blindly preserve the old interval.
Plan the removed material separately
Appropriate stem sections may be propagated using a suitable method. A leaf without the necessary node can root without becoming a new branching plant. Feed appropriately during healthy growth rather than using concentrated fertilizer to force an instant response after pruning.
Related reading
Rubber Plant Forms: Leaf Color and Variegation