At what temps do you bring in your tropicals?

[PastryBaker]

After bringing them in, do you take them back out of the days temps are above 50F?
What I did last year, was bring them in at night when it was going to be 40F, and take them back out in the morning before I go to work. It was always above 50F.

Those keeping them in all the time, what lighting do you use?
I also grow high light requiring orchids under LEDs. So maybe those.

Thanks

 

[PastryBaker]

In Zone 8a I bring mine in any time there is a threat of frost at night. Right now they are still outside and it appears we will continue to have mild weather at least through the 27th.

In prior years I've been bringing them in somewhere around mid-December (for the duration of the winter). They are often back out on the bench in early March, so they are inside perhaps three months. If I have a run of warm weather in January or February I'll stick them outside for a day or two.

Do you provide supplemental lighting?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Do you provide supplemental lighting?

No, but they are on a long bench in front of a sunny SE facing window.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

In Zone 8a I bring mine in any time there is a threat of frost at night. Right now they are still outside and it appears we will continue to have mild weather at least through the 27th.

In prior years I've been bringing them in somewhere around mid-December (for the duration of the winter). They are often back out on the bench in early March, so they are inside perhaps three months. If I have a run of warm weather in January or February I'll stick them outside for a day or two.

This is about exactly what I do. The couple tropicals I do have go into a sunroom facing East.

 

[hemmy]

I have read and heard many say to bring in tropicals when it falls below 50F. Then others say 40F. I know it depends on the species, but in general.
Out here it may get to 45F in winter. But only for a short bit. And then it starts rising, and gets to mid 70s in the day.
And why do the same tropicals that need to be protected as bonsai do fine as regular outdoor trees. Such as bougainvillea, it grows fine in the ground when it is down to the 40s at night. Thanks

As others have mentioned, it depends on the species. After growing in coastal SoCal, the ficus, bougies, and succulents all stayed outside through “winter”. But the baobab came inside, since it would go dormant and I didn’t want it to get wet (for root rot). We never saw temps below 40F and mostly above 42-45F. But now that I’m in the Midwest, I bring them all in when night temps are going to stay below 50F. But that’s also because temps will get a lot colder. They go in a plastic enclosure with LED, air circulation/ventilation, and heat when necessary.

 

[Timbo]

I usually wait until lows are consistently in the 40's and threatening the 30's. I find if I bring them in the 50's, they tend to drop a bunch of leaves and make a mess.

I found that to be true this year, most of my tropical plants/trees were left out in the low 40's and even some high 30's without as problem. All my Willow Ficus trees didn't drop leaves this year when I brought them inside.
I don't take them back outside until it's 55-60f in the spring, bring them back in at night. It slows the growth I've gotten under the lights if I take them outside too early. Ficus, Jade, Jacaranda, Acacia, Palms and a few others.
Only thing I saw struggling when I brought them in was my Pomegranate, I assume it doesn't like my lower humidity in the house.

 

[DeepSouth]

I bring them in when night temperature are consistently in the 40s.

 

[Baron von Smoogle]

I bring in my tropicals when the temps average between 45 and 50F during the day .