Ficus benjamina question.

[nealweb]

G'day Fig experts

I just gave my ficus benjamina forest a long overdue prune so...

- its needs much more sun, can i just wack it out there or do I need to let the newly exposed inner growths harden for a week?
- can i repot it or do I need to wait for next summer?

Thankyou!!

neal.

[Ash]

Hi Neal, Any leaves on any plant that are developed in the shade and then exposed to full sun are at some risk of damage. If you have the patience to expose them slowly then this of course reduces the risk of sunburn/bleaching. My own Ficus benjamina very seldom show signs of bleaching from the kind of treatment you describe and it gets hot and very bright here. If your night time temperatures are cool or cold (ie. you are putting a jacket on if you go out at night or in the morning) then I would recommend holding off on repotting until next warm season. Cold nights (for us) have just rolled in here so even I have stopped root work on figs until the warm weather returns. Ash

[nealweb]

Thanks Ash, gradually into the sun it is and i will wait for the repot because it is getting a bit cooler at night now. I thought benjamina was a little less cold sensative than others so thought I'd ask but its always best to do things the right way, I'm still working on patience! haha

cheers for the reply,

neal.