Can I Can I! EH!!

[Pup]

Can I root prune and re-pot my Ficus now can I.

I say you can with the proviso, that you can keep it warm during the night and day. Keep it moist but not wet.

To prove the point I have just done some Shohin and Shito in training. These are Ficus rubiginosa.
The following pictures will show what I have done and where I will keep them when it warms up.
You will notice some polystyrene sheeting underneath the small ones, this helps to keep the soil and tree warm. The Flap at the front will be wound up during the day until we start to get consistently above 15% at night .

P1070462.JPG

P1070463.JPG

P1070465.JPG

P1070469.JPG

P1070470.JPG

P1070471.JPG

P1070472.JPG

P1070473.JPG

[bodhidharma]

Nice one Pup, It is still to cold to repot Figs in Daylesford(JANUARY IS GOOD) But i have to say i am liking the little trees more and more. I have always been a big tree kind of fella but as i get older and they get harder to repot i am starting to lean towards little. By the way, thanks for sending some rain we have had 30mm today and it doesnt look like stopping anytime soon.

[john tapner]

Yes Pup, I agree with the temperature bit. I have always leant towards 16C night temps as a guide. Today in the Emerald City it is 32C with expected 17C tomorrow morning and then a cold change, but, to be on the safe side I will wait until the clock ticks over to October. Not long to go....................

John T

[kcpoole]

Gawd it was 30 deg here today.
was cold the other day and got down to I think 25 !

If anyone want to start their fig pottng in sydney I cannot see any reason why to wait.

[MelaQuin]

It is not the daytime temperatures... it is the night time temperatures and for best results they should be a steady 16C or above before you start disturbing fig roots. That's just the way the critters like it....

[Chris H]

Nice trees Pup. Your setup looks like a great way to keep the temps up overnight. Was wondering also if you keep the plastic down does it allow increased humidity for developing aerial roots?

[Pup]

Nice trees Pup. Your setup looks like a great way to keep the temps up overnight. Was wondering also if you keep the plastic down does it allow increased humidity for developing aerial roots?

Yes it does if I want them. I have one single trunk tree that I have used the roots to graft new roots at the base. Also one that is a root over rock that has some.
Heavy mulch on the floor when I water the humidity rises.

Just to clarify, I just re read my original post. Some of my words did not seem to make sense to me .I wrote them.
What I meant was this is where they are kept till the weather warms up. Then when the warm weather arrives the flap gets rolled up during the day.

At the moment our night temps are down to 6to 12 at night but in the warm house as I call it it does not go below 15 during the day it gets into the high 20s nudging 30. I hope that clears up any thoughts that I do not worry about night temps. Most important for ficus growth, which by the way I have most of the year. Pup

[Chris H]

Ill have to put a warm house on the list of projects!

[Grant Bowie]

Hi Pup,

Until we get a glass house or eqivalent in Canberra I don't repot here until December. The same with Defoliation. Its just not Fig Growing Weather until we start to get the warm nights.

I keep my figs inside until mid October and they dont seem to mind. Mid winter here can be down to minus 6 degrees or even minus 8.

The picture was taken at the collection in mid November so it would have only been outside for a month or so and not yet defoliated. The Figs do grow all through winter while inside but only in fits and starts.

Max Candys Fig..JPG

[kcpoole]

It is not the daytime temperatures... it is the night time temperatures and for best results they should be a steady 16C or above before you start disturbing fig roots. That's just the way the critters like it....

This morning it was a low of 19, and have not seen below 15 for a fortnight now at home. Maybe only my area ?

[bonscythe]

Well then, might have to move the national collection to Sydney, take advantage of the earlier repotting?
I wouldn't mind one bit!