Jonnyseed

Hi Wendy-

To be completely honest I don't think putting it in a north window is going to be sufficient, and the skylight sounds iffy. A ficus benj. can survive (not thrive) if given an abundant amount of light...which is not the same as sunlight. So, if there's a bright spot you could find for it, it would probably be happier. If it's putting out new shoots, that's great, but that doesn't necessarily mean that once those shoots open, the leaves won't drop off again.

Your best bet as far as I'm concerned is to find a site outside for it. There's a few reasons for this: sun will be available and you'll be able to moderate the amounts; your ficus will thank you for this Wisconsin humidity and warm temps, and; air circulation (wind, breeze, etc.) is vital for most any plant.

Now, all of these conditions can be replicated indoors, with the use of grow lights, a humidifier/humidity tray, and a fan on low, but, it's still not as good as the real thing. Don't worry about having to move it indoors for winter -you can cross that bridge when you get to it. My ficus live inside in winter in the best conditions I can provide for them, which is nothing special believe me; they slow down their growth, drink less water, and sometimes even throw their leaves at me, but when they get back outside for spring, they perk right up again.

If you do decide to put it outdoors, you're going to need to acclimate it to sunlight over a period of, say, two weeks. Just take it step by step until it's in mild to part sun. Watch how much water you're giving it too...water it thoroughly when the top inch or so of the soil is bone dry. Keep us updated and good luck!

-Jonathan