Transitioning tropicals to outdoor life

[FiggieSmalls]

Hey folks,

Coming up on one full year since I moved to Montana and I'm looking for advice to ensure a smooth transition outdoors for my (tropical) trees.

Right now I've got them growing inside under lights (big ones -- the real deal!). I intend to move them outside eventually, to a small greenhouse that is partially shaded (south-facing, with shade on the east and west sides). I don't plan on moving them for at least another month still, but I have been increasing the light cycle and they've definitely been "waking up" more in the past month. I had the lights running for 8 hrs (maybe 10) in December, up to 14 hrs in March (when things started waking up) and now 15 hrs.

Obviously once they are transitioned to the greenhouse the trees will be getting more intense light. Also, they will be exposed to some dramatic temperature variation. I do what I can to keep things stable, but they will experience temps as low as 50 deg F at night (unless I run the heater), and as high as 105 deg F mid-day (rarely, but can happen...).

I am looking for some advice. Mainly:

1. I want to do some hard pruning on a couple ficuses. Should I do that now, since they are actively growing but would have plenty of time to recover before moving outdoors? Or wait and let them adjust to greenhouse conditions before pruning? Or is it a toss-up? OR, should I prune them immediately before moving them outside, so they will get an immediate boost of sorts..?
2. Is it possible to give them too much light inside, to where the transition outside will be somewhat of a shock? I assume the artificial light cannot compare to the sun. But if they go from 16 hrs of light per day inside and then say there's only 14 hours of daylight outside when I move them, could that be disruptive?

Thanks so much!
Figgie

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

This is a very good question, and asked well. I don't have any suggestions to offer, but I think you might get more tailored advice if you specify which tropicals you have. Just ficus? Exact species will probably help, as I've been reading that some species tolerate changes, pruning, rootwork, wiring, etc. better than others.

Also, there are a number of threads on related topics, but you just have to find them.

 

[hemmy]

I want to do some hard pruning on a couple ficuses. Should I do that now, since they are actively growing but would have plenty of time to recover before moving outdoors?

What is the humidity and day/night on your current indoor setup? If they are actively (and strongly growing), you can certainly prune now. Expect 1-2 weeks to push shoots and another 1-2 weeks to ‘harden’ leaf cuticles and elongate. If your indoor night temps are over 60F with some humidity (50-60%) they are going to like it better than nights into the 50s. You could also wait to prune and then put them out as the new buds push. Then the leaves will be adjusted to outdoor light. But I haven’t had any issues in going from good LEDs (300Wx3) to outdoor growing.

 

[hemmy]

Is it possible to give them too much light inside, to where the transition outside will be somewhat of a shock? I assume the artificial light cannot compare to the sun. But if they go from 16 hrs of light per day inside and then say there's only 14 hours of daylight outside when I move them, could that be disruptive?

I was growing too bright indoors and getting chlorosis (leaf yellowing) maybe not enough nutrients or something similar. Now I’m growing on 40% and the F. microcarpas and F. benjaminas are happy, but the strangely it seems the F. burtt-davyii are a little yellow. But the ones in less direct light are deep green, so again maybe a nutrition issue. They are a South African Rock Fig so they can certainly take full sun. But I digress, your 16hrs of artificial light do not equal the same sunlight. You should be good.

 

[hemmy]

I intend to move them outside eventually, to a small greenhouse that is partially shaded (south-facing, with shade on the east and west sides).

Did you grow in it last year? Do they get enough sun if there is shade? Obviously, it’s a balancing act in a greenhouse to limit solar heat and cook everything.

 

[hemmy]

Also, I should heed my own advice! I got behind on pruning and now non-tropical repotting is taking all my free time!

 

[FiggieSmalls]

Did you grow in it last year? Do they get enough sun if there is shade? Obviously, it’s a balancing act in a greenhouse to limit solar heat and cook everything.

Yes, last year I grew them in the greenhouse, and they loved it! With one caveat... Leading up to my move here, I had everything crammed into a shaded patio for 1-2 weeks... And then in the car for two days, and then immediately in the greenhouse. Bad mistake. All survived, but some got scorched up pretty bad.

They do get around 4 hours of direct sunlight in the greenhouse, from at least 10am til 2pm. Could be more or less depending on the month and placement/arrangement in the greenhouse. But I suspect the remaining hours of indirect light are at least similar to the amount they get under grow lights, since there is a lot of light coming in just from exposure to the open sky to the south.

And I think I will prune now!

Also, your trees look super happy! Love the setup!

 

[FiggieSmalls]

This is a very good question, and asked well. I don't have any suggestions to offer, but I think you might get more tailored advice if you specify which tropicals you have. Just ficus? Exact species will probably help, as I've been reading that some species tolerate changes, pruning, rootwork, wiring, etc. better than others.

Also, there are a number of threads on related topics, but you just have to find them.

Thank you! I also have a bougainvillea and a seagrape, but I don't plan on pruning them just yet.

Other than that, I have a ton of jades and desert rose and a few odds and ends