Field growing Ficus.

Mortalis

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I was wondering if field growing ficus during the spring and summer would do much good seeing that I have to dig them up and bring them in for the winter. Is the growth rate seen in the ground enough that it would make a difference over growing in a large training box.
 

Rick Moquin

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Since the first thing that happens to anything when planted out is the colonization of roots, digging them up yearly would be IMO a waste of time. When we plant trees out in the ground long term althoug the first couple of years seem beneficial and it is, most often it isn't until the 3rd year that the trees really take off. So would it be beneficial to plant them out? I don't believe so.

Having said that if you lived in a climate conducive to year round growth, by all means the results would be phenomenal.
 

Attila Soos

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Digging out within 6 months of planting it in the ground not only doesn't help, but actually makes it worse. It further slows down the growth, can easily kill the tree.
 

rockm

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IN ground planting for less than a year is futile and potentially harmful. Trees require at least three years in the ground to even begin to benefit in terms of trunk growth. It takes at least that long for the roots to become established. Roots are the "engine" that drive top growth. Constantly moving and disturbing them slows them down cuts their efficiency. The more you do it, the more effect it has on slowing top growth. The longer it is left alone,the greater the top growth.

In ground planting in a temperate zone with a tropical species would yield absolutely nothing in that you'd have to remove the tree within four months of putting it in the ground. A larger container with quintuple the soil volume or a little larger of a typical "show" pot will yield far greater results. That container can be wheeled in an out the sun, cold or whatever, easily, while allowing alot of root run.
 

greerhw

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Trees in the ground, sleep, creep and leap......

keep it green,
Harry
 

head_cutter

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I assume you do have a set-up for growing indoors because you grow indoors? Probably a nice one. You may just think about an oversized training box rather than the ground. This is almost as effective for what you want. I'd go 4 or 5 times larger than the present pot and just a little deeper, that way you don't have to mess with the roots and shock it. I've done this with some greenhouse grown tropicals and it works.

Bob
 
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