BRT Not happy after moving inside.

[MikeArbor]

Hello all, I was curious about what to expect when moving a BRT inside after being outside all season. The tree was on an excellent recovery kick and grew very nicely. I live in the northeast, brought the tree in when the temperature started to get near 55°hen at night, and brought it back outside during the day. Now, the tree is in a south-facing window area with considerable leaf drop. Can anyone recommend tips or tricks to help Tree through this winter?

 

[Lorax7]

Watch your watering carefully now while it has few leaves, as this means transpiration is greatly reduced. Keep it in one spot so that lighting conditions will be consistent. If you can provide some supplemental lighting, that’s a good idea. It’s hard to judge how much light you’re getting through that south facing window via the internet, Wait patiently for it to put out new leaves. Keep it well hydrated once it has leaves again.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Hello all, I was curious about what to expect when moving a BRT inside after being outside all season. The tree was on an excellent recovery kick and grew very nicely. I live in the northeast, brought the tree in when the temperature started to get near 55°hen at night, and brought it back outside during the day. Now, the tree is in a south-facing window area with considerable leaf drop. Can anyone recommend tips or tricks to help Tree through this winter?

Sounds typical of a BRT. Mine drops 40-50% of it leaves when I bring it in for the winter. I've seen some people defoliate the leaves to avoid the messy leaf drop, but I just get the vacuum cleaner once it's done dropping leaves to save time. Brought mine in 3 weeks ago or so and it's just now regrowing it's 'indoor' leaves. I have mine under lights to help it grow in the winter. Mine also doesn't like being moved to different locations. So, once I pick a spot I leave it. It's a whiny little tree.

 

[Carol 83]

brought the tree in when the temperature started to get near 55°hen at night, and brought it back outside during the day.

They really don't like being moved around a lot. I leave mine out and let them get a little cooler and don't really get much leaf drop. I second what @Lorax7 said. Give it as much light as you can and be careful with the watering.

 

[Paradox]

Sometimes they freak out and drop leaves when coming inside. You'll see new ones popping in 3 weeks or so if not sooner.

Water it when it needs it.
I agree with giving it supplemental lighting. I keep mine under lights all winter. They usually lose some leaves when they come in but I haven had a complete freak out in years.

 

[Srt8madness]

I guess I just haven't experienced it yet, but I've had a BRT since the peak of summer, I've had it about 8 different places (including inside for 5 days) and it seems just fine?? Could it be climate related?

 

[Neo_Rokkenjima]

Have you considered leaving the tree indoors year-round? BRTs do great indoors, in front of the right south-facing window. I keep mine on a dedicated bonsai table (itself positioned in front of such a window) along with a tea tree, a Surinam cherry, and a ficus. They grow vigorously, and are 100% pest-free all year long. If you have the absolute bare-minimum for grow lights, and take otherwise excellent care of your trees, then they should have enough juice to make it through winter. Yes, it will lose some leaves around winter time, but you should be fine. Unfortunately, I can't recommend any grow lights at this time, as I am still researching grow lights myself and am currently looking to improve my $30 Amazon setup.

 

[LemonBonsai]

This is normal and should not be kept indoors permenantly. Keep taking it outside in the summer. Trees can stay indoor for years but overtime will affect the health of the tree. Only trees you can keep indoors year round are trees that also double as house plants (ginsing ficus, schefflera, dwarf jade, jade)

My BRT loses leaves sometimes. But usually when it loses leaves it comes back with vengance!

 

[Paradox]

Agree with putting it outside in the summer. The tree will be much happier for it.
Windows and indoor lights will never be a 100% substitute for sunshine

 

[Russ1]

I took mine in when the night temps got around 50 deg F, that was about 6 or 7 weeks ago. They put on 6 to 8 inches of growth and are just starting to get some yellow leaves before they fall off.
Having them outside as much as you can keeps them healthy, trees really need the humid, fresh outside air along with air movement. I use to bring them in at night and back out during the day when it warmed up but I think that does more harm than good.
Even though I have 3, 4 foot led lights over them for 14 hrs a day, they seem to know winter is coming from subtle changes in Temperature, Humidity and the small amount of light coming in the windows from 8 feet away. Even a small 4" one that has been inside all year is reacting the same way as the ones that were outside.