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Tropical trees outside 4 years 10 months ago #50236

  • tubaboy
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I was wondering what your experiences with tropical trees like figs, tropical privets etc was. The day time temps are well above 20 C, but sometimes at night it gets down to 10 C. The lighting conditions at my new house are not very good inside, they've all survived the winter in their new home, but I'm hoping to get them outside soon, as the light there will be much better. I know the guidelines say 15 C minimum, but what have you experienced?
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Tropical trees outside 4 years 10 months ago #50240

  • leatherback
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My figs are outside from the moment temps do not drop below 5c. So our tropical living rooms plants have been outside for well over a month.

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Tropical trees outside 4 years 10 months ago #50243

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below 5? did I read that correctly?

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Tropical trees outside 4 years 10 months ago #50247

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Yes. That is what i do. As a result, my ficus woke up one day with loght frost and lost some leaves though.

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Tropical trees outside 4 years 10 months ago #50269

  • Clicio
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I was moving them indoors as soon as the temps got below 10C.
Now I'm keeping them outside all the time.
As it never gets down to 0C in Sao Paulo, they are safe. Ficus and BRTs stop growing but that's all.

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Tropical trees outside 4 years 10 months ago #50271

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It has generally not been below 10, so they've going to stay outside.... good thing I've built the bench they've on already.... my tropical trees are not very good.. but if I can get some good growth this year, I might be able to work on them more.

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Tropical trees outside 4 years 5 months ago #53725

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So now we are getting to the other side of this question: how long do you let them stay outside? I would assume, when you see the first probable frost, you bring them back in, right?

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Tropical trees outside 4 years 5 months ago #53726

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In general I bring them in when it starts to consistently stay below 10 degrees.
Yesterday I started to take some preparation steps to bring them in in a week or two probably. Early november is as late as I let them stay out normally; Winter is then very near and one day of not paying attention can cost me the trees. Also, as they will have to spend the winter indoors, I do not want to weaken them too much by leaving them out in the continuous cold rain.

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Tropical trees outside 4 years 5 months ago #53727

  • Ivan Mann
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Do you leave them in from that day on, or take them out if the weather is going to warm up for a while?

Last week it dropped down to 44F/8C at night, for several nights. Now it is back up to 60F/15C at night, but tomorrow night will drop back down. It seems the trees wold like some air movement, but that means carrying them in and out. The baobab leaves started turning yellow the day after I brought it in, and I don't know if that is shock from coming inside or if it got the hint that it is time to go dormant.

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Tropical trees outside 4 years 5 months ago #53729

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Plants are not mobile creatures. I do not think they like to adjust to new circumstances. Once they go in, they go in untill to me it feels like spring is there. It is all very subjective though (At my place at least)
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