Safe Nighttime Temps for Ficus

[Underdog]

From their sunny south window to the front porch is literally 2 steps. LOL
I'm still new enough to enjoy it

 

[markyscott]

Willow leaf ficus are a bit more cold sensitive - meaning I've seen a bit of cold damage on their leaves with temperatures in the mid-30s. So I move those in when temperatures get below 40 and the rest of my ficus in for the first freeze. Do protect them from wind though. I had a green island that I just set on the ground against the fence and covered with a freeze cloth when temperatures dropped to 28 earlier this year. The tree is fine, but there was some freeze damage to leaves that were touching the freeze cloth.

 

[just.wing.it]

I love all the input everyone, thanks!
It does, overall, make me think that I baby my trops a little bit....

 

[Underdog]

It does, overall, make me think that I baby my trops a little bit....

Me too. Three just moved north from florida this fall so... I want to toughen them up. My Willow Leaf is very touchy and young as well. Fuken Tea seem pretty tough to me too. Jade? I've head can make it into the 30s but haven't pushed him either. My new Braz Raintree seem scary sensitive. Tiger bark seem pretty hardy for me too as I forgot about him before. Had a couple years now too.

 

[Anthony]

Once the whole world was Sub-Tropical ...........................

All of our Chinese trees sleep from Christmas until mid February.

Now here is an odd one, the tops of the original Celtis from Louisiana and the roots, awaken naturally around April 1st to 10th.
No fridge, some placed in cold northern corners of the lawn and some are in the Western side of the yard.
Odd huh ?
Good Day
Anthony

 

[namnhi]

40s and above will be fine if the high is in the 60s and sunny.

 

[sorce]

If just mites....
Everytime in you drop some off....

Then when you treat it before bringing it in....it doesn't matter, they're already there.

I managed to make it thru winter without mites....

But recently bringing some wild moss in has me a right infestation. Maybe it was the nursery trees brought in for a look and clip...

2 days till my veg seeds can go outside...
They should make it out before they get hit...

But my giant ficus can't manage to get a new leaf out. And it has to stay in for at least another month.

So...

Besides fuck the dance,

Fuck bringing other stuff in near my trops too.

Sorry so harsh...

I MUST remember.

While some things can stay...
"Not a good idea"

Some things need "Fuck No's"...
Forever No's. Neveragainitoids.

Sorce

 

[sorce]

make me think that I baby my trops a little bit....

Keep up the good work!

Sorce

 

[aphid]

I keep my aboricolas and ficuses inside from November to April (Boston, MA). Some get south facing windows and others get a metal halide grow light. My willow leaf ficuses lose all of their leaves by January from spider mites. I have tried everything from insecticides, diatomite, to water spraying. I don't even bother anymore because they always bounce back nice and happy when they go outside the past 10 years.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

For the first time in 21 years, some of my outdoor ficus got freezer burn here in Southern Cal. My peaches also took some damage. We regularly get temps down into the low 40's, but I think this winter we got some nights close to freezing. Not all my ficus were damaged. My ficus bonsai showed no impact, and I have some ficus in landscape pots close to the house that also took no damage. The trees that were exposed to cold and wind (combined) were the ones hurt. I don't doubt that by mid-summer they will be fully recovered.

 

[sorce]

I put a rooted ficus Ben cutting in the ground last week.

Sorce

 

[toscgwsndiqz]

Keep my tropical trees out in a hoop house, as long as they are on the liquid side of 32 they do well, except for the triangularis. When they start growing every one gets cut back hard. leaves and insects out and a bath of insecticidal soap, then come new leaves. They get a winter rest, too.

 

[Dalmat]

Mine tropicals are straight out when it is over 42F. I take them inside overnight if it will go bellow.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I want my big willow leaf ficus to be as dormant as possible for the winter because it's too big to fit in a good light position indoors. I leave it outside until temps are in middle 30's. Drops all leaves, usually dormant for 2 months, then slowly wakes up. Outside once night temps stay above 40. Usually cut off all weak winter growth.

Smaller ficus, and other tropical trees that do fit in the light garden I try to keep actively growing. They come in as early as the low 50s, and go out later.

 

[music~maker]

Late to the party, but here's another data point ...

I keep my tropicals out in the fall until the temps are consistently in the 30s at night, or until temps hit freezing, whichever comes first. I used to bring them in once things got below 45F at night, but I've learned that they can usually handle colder than that if they've been outside all season to acclimate to it slowly.

I put them back out again once temps are consistently above 45F or so. At that point, they're going from 60-70F and experiencing a sudden temp drop, so I'm a little gentler putting them out than I am bringing them in. And also, when they first go out, it's often wise to give them a bit of sun protection for a couple weeks or you can sunburn the hell out of the leaves. Then, instead of jumping straight into the growing season, you spend 4-6 weeks recovering first.

 

[Gustavo Martins]

I can keep all my tropicals outside the whole year. But then again, I never get any frosts

 

[lordy]

I sold off all of my trops except a f. benjamina forest. I use 50F as an easy to remember temp to bring it in. I learned the hard way to protect from sunburn as Music Maker stated. I too give it a few weeks of indirect sun and now the foliage stays green instead of dried out and bleached for a good while.

 

[music~maker]

I sold off all of my trops except a f. benjamina forest. I use 50F as an easy to remember temp to bring it in. I learned the hard way to protect from sunburn as Music Maker stated. I too give it a few weeks of indirect sun and now the foliage stays green instead of dried out and bleached for a good while.

Heh - the reason I brought it up is that I managed to do just that to a couple of ficus this year - many of the old leaves are toast, and new leaves are currently growing back in. I even know better, I just didn't realize how much sun they were getting in the spot I put them in, and obviously wasn't paying close enough attention. They'll be fine, but it's annoying to waste part of the growing season ...

 

[Timbo]

Willow leaf ficus are a bit more cold sensitive - meaning I've seen a bit of cold damage on their leaves with temperatures in the mid-30s. So I move those in when temperatures get below 40 and the rest of my ficus in for the first freeze. Do protect them from wind though. I had a green island that I just set on the ground against the fence and covered with a freeze cloth when temperatures dropped to 28 earlier this year. The tree is fine, but there was some freeze damage to leaves that were touching the freeze cloth.

Old thread i know...
Willow leaf is the only Ficus i've had so i dunno about the others but i find this true too, i bring them in if nights get below 50-55. I find they yellow and drop some leaves if it gets much colder.
They are moody and drop leaves with cold/humidity changes in a matter of days.
I've left my Kapok, Avocado, Yucca, Pineapple, Key lime in the 40's and i haven't seen any diff. They stress out from bringing them inside full time more than anything.
I've found even up here you can push the envelope on tree's/plants more than they say in articles.
If i waited for low's in the 60's i wouldn't have plants outside much.

 

[AZbonsai]

I must be mean to my tropicals lol they hang out outdoors until Temps get into the high 30s . They never seem mad about it.

Aaron

Same here in AZ...I cover if expect hard freeze other than that they stay out.