Ficus over winter question
- Thread starter brentwood
- Start date
MHBonsai
Chumono
Photos always help for good advice...
In general I cut mine back hard when they come in for the winter. Once they re- acclimate to the heat/humidity of my tent they will push suitable foliage for the 'winter' environment. Depends on what your indoor situation is really.
This only applies to trees that are healthy of course!
In general I cut mine back hard when they come in for the winter. Once they re- acclimate to the heat/humidity of my tent they will push suitable foliage for the 'winter' environment. Depends on what your indoor situation is really.
This only applies to trees that are healthy of course!
It's very healthy, I guess, not the best lighting setup in the world - survived last year, didn't grow like it did outside this summer. I may add a fixture, will still be lacking relative to that.
My vision is a smaller tree, but I pictured that happening more in the hotter months - this just seemed like an interesting idea I wouldn't have considered on my own.
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My vision is a smaller tree, but I pictured that happening more in the hotter months - this just seemed like an interesting idea I wouldn't have considered on my own.
B
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penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
This^^^^
I laways do some pruning when they come in. Sometimes it is to let light in to branches that are important for its development. Other times it is to encourage new shoot formation. Often it is to make more space.
Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
Lol that space is always an issue
luvinthemountains
Chumono
My grow tent has a lot of light, but it still pales in comparison to even filtered sunlight. My ficus trees grow all winter, but I generally cut off most of the winter growth when I put them outside in the spring. It is just not good quality growth!
I think the advice you have read is for trees in refinement, where the dense canopy might make it difficult for artificial light to penetrate, leading to dieback in the interior. Your tree does not have this problem. Neither do most of mine, but I do have a fairly developed ficus pertusa bonsai, new to me this year, that should probably get that treatment when it comes in.
The biggest benefit that you would gain from a top cutback on yours would be the opportunity to position your lights lower down, giving the lower branches more light as a result. If the top grows into the lights over winter, just keep it cut back to prevent burning.
This has a beautiful trunk line, btw. It should turn out to be a nice bonsai!
Thanks, the size of it makes it difficult to work lights around, other trees suffer a little because of it - size and space issues feel like a better reason to touch it - I'm getting a better idea of the logic now. Thank you, I found that tree last year, in pretty sad shape - hoping in a few years it's something special. At least something healthy again.
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