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Garden Q&A: Tropical rubber tree house plant a milky mess

Q. My friend gave me a tropical rubber tree house plant. It contains a white, milky latex that drips everywhere if you injure the plant. It is growing very fast. I was going to move it outside to prune it, but it is way too heavy.

Q. My friend gave me a tropical rubber tree house plant. It contains a white, milky latex that drips everywhere if you injure the plant. It is growing very fast. I was going to move it outside to prune it, but it is way too heavy.

When I cut off one branch before it touched my ceiling, the milky substance dripped all over my carpet and hardwood floor. Can this plant be pruned without making a mess? What should I use to clean this milky stain off my carpet and hardwood floor?

Gillian Hunt,
via email


A. Latex sap dries if left at indoor temperatures. Then you should be able to peel it off your hardwood floor. Wear gloves. But be careful, Gillian. Latex is an eye and skin irritant and many folks are allergic to it.

The carpet is a harder problem. It would be best to get a carpet cleaning firm in and see if they can handle it. They will have proper protective gear.

When you prune this immovable plant in future, your only option for inside cuts is to swathe the whole pot and surrounding floor with plastic. But this plant will leak every time it’s pruned.

The friend who gave you the tree may be willing to help you move it outside and in when it needs pruning. If not, it may be easier to send it to green waste.

For this you should don gloves and old clothing, drape plastic all around, then prune the tree into manageable pieces putting them into doubled plastic bags as you go.
 

Anne Marrison is happy to handle garden questions. Send them to amarrison@shaw.ca It helps me if you include your city or region.