My new tree

[GnoMercy]

So I went in for a small focus or Fukien tea to throw in my office and left with this guy after the shop owner dropped the price and I assume it’s been there for a minute.

Got great features from the front. Nice taper towards the top it just needs a good cleaning out of the randomness up top. It’s in REALLY crappy soil and I think needs a repotted (probably back in the same pot for now. My question is it’s winter here in Las Vegas. Should I do it now or wait til it starts to warm up a bit?

 

[Srt8madness]

Well, the foliage looks nice, so unless you see a negative effect up top, I wouldn't see a need to repot out of season.

 

[GnoMercy]

Kinda what I was thinking. The soil is just reaaaaaallllyyyy bad, basically compacted dirt but a bit more care to not over water I’m sure it’ll be fine outside for a few months. Spring growth usually starts after the first few warmer weekends in Feb early March.

 

[Shibui]

You have a ficus.
Ficus repot season is late spring through summer - warm weather. They do not respond well to pruning or root reduction while temps are low. Much better when they are actively growing.

Crappy soil is not such a problem for ficus. I've seen many grow for years in what we would view as terrible soil so it can manage a few more months. Just watch how you water. Allow soil to get close to dry before watering next. If you have a drip tray put something in the tray to raise the pot up so it doesn't sit in water after you water.

 

[Paradox]

Second the late spring to early summer repotting for ficus.

 

[GnoMercy]

No I put it outside. It’s one of the colder weeks of the year but lows into high 30’s 40’s but days get into high 50’s 60’s. I’ll repot in late March or early April so when temps start hitting 80s/low 90s and I see it start to take off, I get to nervous doing any root work once summer settles in during mid may to early June. Temps can jump quick to 100-105 depending on the year and usually hit 115 mid June to early July. It’ll just be more of a minor repot. Might pull out the rock clean any long roots and rake them out a bit and get better soil. Then I’ll it go for a year or two depending how fast it’s growing this season. As the soil is drying a bit it feels like it might be root bound as the whole thing seems like it wants to lift up in one dirt piece.

It get almost full sun minus early morning and late afternoon. I’m going to move my bench from where it use to be and get a removable sun shade for the summer months (when temps start hitting 110+). Lost all my trees a couple years ago because I screwed up and had a few busy days at work which was enough. I have plans to add some auto drips this year for the summer months. Hard to over water when it’s getting all morning early afternoon sun and it’s 110 lol. But easy to kill them with missing a watering or two.

I tend to be a bit quick to do things and trying to slow down and do things smarter this time around while I rebuild my meager collection.

 

[luvinthemountains]

No I put it outside. It’s one of the colder weeks of the year but lows into high 30’s 40’s but days get into high 50’s 60’s.

I love Vegas this time of the year. Now, I get nervous once temps are forecasted in the 30s because just a few degrees' difference between forecasted and actual temps can be disastrous. Tropical species have very little to protect them from even short cold spells.

I’ll repot in late March or early April so when temps start hitting 80s/low 90s and I see it start to take off, I get to nervous doing any root work once summer settles in during mid may to early June. Temps can jump quick to 100-105 depending on the year and usually hit 115 mid June to early July.

Sounds like a good plan. I find that my ficus don't really hit their stride outside until nighttime lows get above 60. I am not sure what daytime highs looks like out there in the desert at that point, so obviously there is a balance. Ask somebody local - they'll know.

As the soil is drying a bit it feels like it might be root bound as the whole thing seems like it wants to lift up in one dirt piece.

I suggest you try watering by immersion until you can get the repot done. Some people will poo-pah immersion watering but it has its uses, one of which is avoiding the dry pockets that will develop with compacted, peat-based soil.

That's a cool tree - good luck with it!

 

[GnoMercy]

Thanks. Just quickly looking at it I think there’s two possible tops I won’t decide til I go through this weekend prob and clean out the clear bad growth (lots of double stems/bad direction stuff) then I’ll prob wait til it starts going to do much more. It seems healthy and still pushing new growth. I think it spent at least some time indoors at night and outside during the day where the store had it kept.

I’ll try and remember to update after I do swim thing more substantial to it

 

[Paradox]

No I put it outside. It’s one of the colder weeks of the year but lows into high 30’s 40’s but days get into high 50’s 60’s. I’ll repot in late March or early April so when temps start hitting 80s/low 90s and I see it start to take off,

March - April is probably good timing for your area.
Here where I am in NY, July is the best timing.

Always need to consider seasonal differences between areas.

 

[GnoMercy]

I cleaned up the top (just a few really badly placed crossing or double shoots) and brought it inside. I’m just going to let it grow most the rest the season and decide which branch(s) I want to keep on the fuller side. We’ve gotten rain almost everyday and even 3 days after bringing it in the soil is still soaking wet. I just put it next to a big window think I’ll leave it there until it warms up a bit more. Any tricks to try and dry the soil out a bit? Or just leave it?

 

[ChefB]

Nice tree!

 

[Srt8madness]

Bottom heat if you have a mat

 

[GnoMercy]

Was thinking bottom heat pad and arate the soil with a chopstic. Try and loosen it up a tad. Sadly we’re having the biggest cold break of the season right now so I’m leaving it inside (lows projected in the high 20’s but where we are in town it’s always a bit lower then projected) . Just need it to survive the next few weeks when we start seeing warmer weather in mid Feb