BRT Living outside?

[Cwenn]

I inherited a BRZ from my father when he passed away last month. It made the journey from Colorado to Washington state in a cardboard box. It is growing like crazy now, I’m assuming because it’s always been in survival mode (my parents live at 9700’ in elevation, it’s always been indoors, max 16% humidity).

My question now, is that it’s never been outside. It had access to west, south, and east facing French doors and skylights before, and now has its own dedicated grow light. I repotted it as it hadn’t been repotted in over 5 years, and was terribly root bound. I live on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state, we experience moderate summers with decent humidity. I have a patio table that has a sun sail over the top. Should I eventually move this baby outside (in small steps) when it warms up?

Pictures are of when I first got it home, and now three weeks later with all the new growth.
Thank you!

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Sorry for your lost, that tree cant be priced in money, its a priceless living memoir of a beloved person

 

[caffeinated]

I'm in Seattle and my BRT is the only tree I have that lives inside almost full time. (also the only tropical tree I have). It's in my south facing kitchen window and thrives. I do put it outside in summer out of some weird feeling of obligation to it's outdoor tree-ness but it doesn't really seem to do any better or worse, aside from dropping it's leaves from the change of scenery and then quickly regrowing them.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Tree seems very leggy/long internodes. These grow shorter outside under real Sun light?

 

[Cwenn]

Tree seems very leggy/long internodes. These grow shorter outside under real Sun light?

I’m sure it is leggy, it received very little direct light for 5+years. After I read more about them, I was actually very surprised my dad managed to keep it alive.

the new growth is leggy in areas, so I may try to switch the light. My fear is I don’t want it to think it’s growing season yet- since moving it has decided it is definitely spring and is time to grow like crazy.

 

[Cwenn]

I'm in Seattle and my BRT is the only tree I have that lives inside almost full time. (also the only tropical tree I have). It's in my south facing kitchen window and thrives. I do put it outside in summer out of some weird feeling of obligation to it's outdoor tree-ness but it doesn't really seem to do any better or worse, aside from dropping it's leaves from the change of scenery and then quickly regrowing them.

Okay, that’s reassuring. We don’t have a:c and once summer rolls around we have our windows open 24/7, so I know it will experience them temp changes- I just don’t have the greatest window for it. It’s on top of a shelf right now because it’s really the single plant I really don’t want my cat munching on. It’s in a 24’ long room, with East facing window and French doors, and a west facing picture window. It’s about half way between them, so not nearly enough natural light, hence the bulb.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Mine stays outside 6 months of the year. You will be able to cut back the leggy branches later and the tree will backbud at the nodes quite well. Get it growing to fatten up the lower trunk and don’t remove lower branches until it is fat enough, they are important for that and also control the angular growth there.

 

[penumbra]

Mine just survives inside but flourishes outside.

 

[Lorax7]

Mine just survives inside but flourishes outside.

This

 

[Cwenn]

Mine stays outside 6 months of the year. You will be able to cut back the leggy branches later and the tree will backbud at the nodes quite well. Get it growing to fatten up the lower trunk and don’t remove lower branches until it is fat enough, they are important for that and also control the angular growth there.

Can you explain more about angular growth? This is my first bonsai and I’m learning a crash course lol

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Can you explain more about angular growth? This is my first bonsai and I’m learning a crash course lol

If you look at a more mature BRT you will see two things: (1) it is usually fatter on one plane than the other, and (2) it will have angular looking growth at the point on the trunk where the branches originate. In the first case it means the trees often are much wider left to right and thinner front to back. This can be especially exaggerated if the branches all originate on opposite sides. In the second case as the branches grow they tend to “pull” the growth of the trunk in that direction. If you cut the branches off down low you will not get this. I’ll add a photo that shows this effect, notice how the trunk is growing to the left along with the branch.

 

[LittleDingus]

Okay, that’s reassuring. We don’t have a:c and once summer rolls around we have our windows open 24/7, so I know it will experience them temp changes- I just don’t have the greatest window for it. It’s on top of a shelf right now because it’s really the single plant I really don’t want my cat munching on. It’s in a 24’ long room, with East facing window and French doors, and a west facing picture window. It’s about half way between them, so not nearly enough natural light, hence the bulb.

My condolences on the passing of your father.

I have every live plant from my son's memorial service still growing alive and well. They weren't "his" plants, but they mean an incredible amount to me. Having a tree from your late father is priceless...regardless of the quality.

To me, the first order of business...maybe the only goal that matters...is to not kill the tree! Caution and a lot of forethought are in order.

LED grow lights are cheap these days...thanks cannabis! You don't need a super special name brand light. They come in many different form factors now-a-days. I have something like this 3-headed gooseneck

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SLNBFVG/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B08SLNBFVG&pd_rd_w=jnqoB&pf_rd_p=0c758152-61cd-452f-97a6-17f070f654b8&pd_rd_wg=lELrs&pf_rd_r=GY99TSYAE5KBV24C111G&pd_rd_r=bd2dd7fd-7530-41b7-8401-6bc5b71d8973&s=hi&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyV0MzVFZNVUg1MlgxJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODM2MDMzMU1UR1NLVDdPMEdJMiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNDU0NDEzMkxEMjBMRkRNQUVPMyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

that I grow a couple of orchids under.

You can also get thin panel overhead lights if that fits your area better. You might need to build/buy some sort of support to hold the lights, but you can get an LED panel that would work better than that bulb for reasonable dollars...and LEDs are very energy efficient so won't cost you a ton over the long term. I have LED arrays that have run 12 hours on/12 hours off for over 3 years now without issue. Set something like that up near a window and you could have a nice setup for a single tree that size.

There is no doubt the tree would be happier outside...IF you know how to care for it! There is danger in moving from inside to outside. It will typically dry out much quicker outside. Dehydration is a fatal way to kill a tree. Other stresses can sometimes be overcome...or you get soem warning before the final finale. Dehydration is often fatal before you even know it has happened. Trees moved from inside to outside will often sunburn. My saguaro cactus has numerous sun burns from moving indoors to outdoors too quickly.

I'm not trying to be doom-n-gloom...or smiles-n-giggles. If this tree has meaning because of its history...be very thoughtful about what you do. Focus solely on keeping the tree alive. There will be time for everything else once you can comfortably keep the tree alive for a few years.

 

[penumbra]

I'm not trying to be doom-n-gloom...or smiles-n-giggles. If this tree has meaning because of its history...be very thoughtful about what you do. Focus solely on keeping the tree alive. There will be time for everything else once you can comfortably keep the tree alive for a few years.

Best advice here..............

 

[rootpuma]

I agree...focus on keeping it alive for a few years. Move it in and outside, see how it acts when you do. This will allow it to gain strength and thicken the trunk. Then later you can refine it when it's not stressed and know how it acts when you move it. this if something else happens out of the norm you'll be quicker to notice.

 

[sorce]

Shout out to AC free!

Welcome to Crazy!

With such an improvement in environment, there's no way it will die!

Now....bout them extensions.....lol!

Sorce

 

[Cwenn]

My condolences on the passing of your father.

I have every live plant from my son's memorial service still growing alive and well. They weren't "his" plants, but they mean an incredible amount to me. Having a tree from your late father is priceless...regardless of the quality.

To me, the first order of business...maybe the only goal that matters...is to not kill the tree! Caution and a lot of forethought are in order.

LED grow lights are cheap these days...thanks cannabis! You don't need a super special name brand light. They come in many different form factors now-a-days. I have something like this 3-headed gooseneck

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SLNBFVG/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B08SLNBFVG&pd_rd_w=jnqoB&pf_rd_p=0c758152-61cd-452f-97a6-17f070f654b8&pd_rd_wg=lELrs&pf_rd_r=GY99TSYAE5KBV24C111G&pd_rd_r=bd2dd7fd-7530-41b7-8401-6bc5b71d8973&s=hi&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyV0MzVFZNVUg1MlgxJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODM2MDMzMU1UR1NLVDdPMEdJMiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNDU0NDEzMkxEMjBMRkRNQUVPMyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

that I grow a couple of orchids under.

You can also get thin panel overhead lights if that fits your area better. You might need to build/buy some sort of support to hold the lights, but you can get an LED panel that would work better than that bulb for reasonable dollars...and LEDs are very energy efficient so won't cost you a ton over the long term. I have LED arrays that have run 12 hours on/12 hours off for over 3 years now without issue. Set something like that up near a window and you could have a nice setup for a single tree that size.

There is no doubt the tree would be happier outside...IF you know how to care for it! There is danger in moving from inside to outside. It will typically dry out much quicker outside. Dehydration is a fatal way to kill a tree. Other stresses can sometimes be overcome...or you get soem warning before the final finale. Dehydration is often fatal before you even know it has happened. Trees moved from inside to outside will often sunburn. My saguaro cactus has numerous sun burns from moving indoors to outdoors too quickly.

I'm not trying to be doom-n-gloom...or smiles-n-giggles. If this tree has meaning because of its history...be very thoughtful about what you do. Focus solely on keeping the tree alive. There will be time for everything else once you can comfortably keep the tree alive for a few years.

Thank you so much for this! Yes, ultimately my number one goal is to keep it alive, and try to stick to the idea my dad had (he wanted it to look natural, not super artistic). It’s already leafed our so much, that I figure I’ll just let it keep growing then, and readdress in about 6 months.

 

[Cwenn]

Shout out to AC free!

Welcome to Crazy!

With such an improvement in environment, there's no way it will die!

Now....bout them extensions.....lol!

Sorce

If you’re talking about the tree, you’re gonna have to enlighten me. If you’re talking about the random shot of my hair in the bottom strip of photos… no extensions, my hair is stupid long

 

[Cwenn]

To add, I have upwards of 50 houseplants, with a good selection of tropical so plant keeping is not new to me…. I’m just worried about killing this thing because of the sentimental value.

 

[Paradox]

My condolences on your loss.

My BRT go outside usually sometime in late may or early June and stay out there until October 15
They do much better and are much happier outside.
During the winter they spend their time in my basement under full spectrum lights for ~14 hours a day and its fairly warm under their lights
They do grow for me under those conditions but its typically a bit slower than in the summer.
They also have a month or two where they dont seem to grow much at all (semi dormant? Not sure)

 

[sorce]

no extensions

Lol...nice!

I was trying to figure out which direction the picreel went chronologically.
L-R looks like a haircut.
R-L looks like extensions.
Plus gotta keep you knowing if your contraband is showing, never had other pics to hunt in within the main pic! Is that a Kayak? Rock on!

I reckon this tree will be better than well.

The move essentially cut out both cold and hot extremes that would have killed this thing in Co if it was gonna die!

Just don't freak out when it drops leaves and you'll be fine. Actually, of dropped leaves, they tend to do this when moved.
Some people are of the camp that gradually moving them outside is better because it prevents leaf drop.
I am of the camp that each time they move, the "want to drop leaves" button is reactivated.

This gradual moving, or "2-step" as we foolishly glorify it, makes sense for new vegetables which need the entire plant acclimated.

But with trees only the leaves and less so, green shoots need acclimating. So I just make sure it's healthy and strip all the leaves off upon one move indoors and out. So they never see below 50F.
This way outdoor leaves grow for sun.
And indoor leaves grow for indoor lighting, it also keeps mites from coming indoors, which as you may know, is a bane for houseplants.

I have never actually attempted this with BRT, only ficus, but BRT seem to go through the unnatural leaf drop cycle more and I rarely see em die, so there's no reason it shouldn't work.

For me, that unnatural leaf drop cycle takes too long, a week to decide it'll drop, a week to drop, a week to regrow.
Put em out naked and they'll be at peak efficiency again in one week!

Sorce