Tropical trees and dormancy

007

This may be a naive question, but do tropical tree's also go into a dormant period?

The reason I ask is that I have two indoor tropicals - a ficus and schefflera - that have been brought indoors for the winter. They are in a room where the temps stay pretty stable around 66 - 67F, humidity is between 40 and 50%, and light by a twin tube fluorescent light thats on for 16 hours a day.

There has been little growth on either plant . . . are they just "resting"?

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Bonsainut

Double ohseven,
In my area it doesn't get that cold in the winter. We don't have to move the trees into shelter. they stay all year in the same place. Having said that, they are very very quiet-restful as you say. I have found that heat turns them into growing machines. June thru Oct. here they grow like mad.

For many years I would trim back hard in late summer. Then cold weather would come and I would have this bald tree for like 6 or seven months until the next super sprurt in summer. Now I leave it nice and full and you will get to enjoy a nice canopy all that time. In early summer I do the hard trim then stand back watch er grow. Uh huh

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Keep growing,---'Nut



Lethal Use of Farce

Attila

That's a good advice for tropicals. It took me a while to figure it out myself.

clrosner

I have an enclosed deck, with two heaters, a humidifier and fluroescents. My trees do slow down from time to time. However, each tree has its own resting time, but with temperatures above 85 degrees, the 40 some trees keep me busy all winter!

I have to admit that I do feed my trees (weekdays) with 1/4 teaspoon of superbloom 12-55-6 to a gallon of water in the last watering. (if they need watering)!!! On weekends I water them with clear water!

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Carl L. Rosner - near Atlantic City zone 6/7
arteacher3725@yahoo.com

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Jerry Meislik

Many of my tropicals, even in a greehouse, slow down or stop their growth in the shortening days of the fall and begin growth again when the days get longer in the spring. It could be due to slightly lower temperatures in the winter but I am betting on shorter days.
Jerry

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Jerry Meislik
Whitefish Montana USA
Zone 4-5
http://www.bonsaihunk.us/

007

So the general consensus is that yes . . . tropicals do have a dormancy period, or at least a period of decreased growth.

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StephNY

In addition to 007 question, should a tropical be forced into dormancy?

I think I heard that a plant that doesn't expericance dormancy will be weak and die quickly, is this true or is this statement true of deciduous trees.

Bart Thomas(deceased)

Jerry:

Is that your greenhouse that's brightly lighted for extended hours during the winter?

FWIW, Floridians have noted here that they also get a "rest period" in the dog days of July and August when the trees tend to shut down in the extreme heat.

Jerry Meislik

My greenhouse has metal halide lights on a timer that sets their time at 10 hours each day thorughout the year. The light through the windo" by the trees and they slow their growth in October/November and begin growth in January/February!
Jerry

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Jerry Meislik
Whitefish Montana USA
Zone 4-5
http://www.bonsaihunk.us/