Fukien tea dormancy

Cobra

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I can’t seem to find anywhere about details of a Carmona (Fukien Tea) dormancy period. Do they need it? Do they not? Mine is thriving at the moment bet I understand people have a lot of trouble with them.
Given, I’ve only had it a matter of months but it does seem happy, I just worry come winter. Any advise appreciated 👍🏻
 

Paul G

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No dormancy needed, but they do need to be brought inside in the winter, and they can be fussy about it. I don't leave them outside once the temps are consistently below 60 degrees F.
 

Cobra

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No dormancy needed, but they do need to be brought inside in the winter, and they can be fussy about it. I don't leave them outside once the temps are consistently below 60 degrees F.

Thanks for you reply Paul.
Mine hasn’t been outdoor since I got it yet, as out night time temps are still as low as 6C
This is why I ask the question as it seems happy enough on a south facing window. I guess if no dormancy is needed I’ll just keep it as it is untill it tells me otherwise
 

Forsoothe!

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I've had one for years that I overwinter in a greeen house, but in Michigan, overcast skies make winter dark 75% of days so cold and dark equals lousy trees at the end of winter. Especially FT. Next year I'm going let most everything go dry and water as little as possible. I used to overwinter in the basement, watering 4 or five times and lost fewer trees. Back to the future?
 

Cobra

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I've had one for years that I overwinter in a greeen house, but in Michigan, overcast skies make winter dark 75% of days so cold and dark equals lousy trees at the end of winter. Especially FT. Next year I'm going let most everything go dry and water as little as possible. I used to overwinter in the basement, watering 4 or five times and lost fewer trees. Back to the future?

Thanks, I keep mine indoors, which is where my confusion has came from.
Would it be wise to then put it into cold storage in winter or just leave it be.
Is the dormancy needed with this species with it being an ever green.
 

Forsoothe!

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I think, but I don't know it doesn't need dormancy. I saw my first FT in Florida at Morikami in winter and it was stupendous. I have never been able to isolate just how far north it can be grown in the landscape. Maybe onlookers can report here?
 

Anthony

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@Cobra ,

Sub-Tropical
zone 8 to 9 China
In Bonsai pot drop back 1 to 2 zones

Rests from Christmas to February.
Death usually after 4 or so years.

This kills them in bonsai pots - 90 Day to Night 64 deg. F
in Nov - March [ from experience ] growing them since 80's
Unaffected in the ground.

Apartment temperature range ?

Good Day
Anthony
 

Cobra

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I have it on a south facing window,
Temps range between 16C-27C/60F-80F
Humidity around 80%
It is in a small bonsai pot but I would like to go up a size and promote growth in the trunk.

I would say it is around 5 years old right now.
Cheers
 

greenman63

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My Fukien Teas thrive in this 10a zone all year, with nighttime winter temps rarely dipping much below 50F. My experience is they never go truly dormant, but they can slow down quite a bit. They'll appreciate any sunlight and heat you can give all year, and are also prolific at fruiting when happy and warm. I bring mine inside if it's going to be much below 45-50 for any appreciable time. Most of mine never get any direct sun, but reside on a hot, South facing porch with lots of reflected light from our cement driveway.

At 45 or lower I bring in my most sensitive plants, usually FT, mangrove. My mitragyna gets wheeled inside every night when it goes below 55 - 60, and back outside in direct sun by morning.

Colder than 45 and most all my plants get consolidated on my front porch and wrapped in plastic, or brought inside. I keep a lot of potted trees and other exotic plants.

I have the opposite problem, so I haven't really put any effort into those species that need a dormant period. But I must say I probably have more FT specimens than any other. A personal fave. I lost my mother tree to neglect a few years ago while on vacation when my watering person didn't quite follow instructions 😬. She was about 11 years old at the time, but her babies are everywhere I look.
 

Cobra

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My Fukien Teas thrive in this 10a zone all year, with nighttime winter temps rarely dipping much below 50F. My experience is they never go truly dormant, but they can slow down quite a bit. They'll appreciate any sunlight and heat you can give all year, and are also prolific at fruiting when happy and warm. I bring mine inside if it's going to be much below 45-50 for any appreciable time. Most of mine never get any direct sun, but reside on a hot, South facing porch with lots of reflected light from our cement driveway.

At 45 or lower I bring in my most sensitive plants, usually FT, mangrove. My mitragyna gets wheeled inside every night when it goes below 55 - 60, and back outside in direct sun by morning.

Colder than 45 and most all my plants get consolidated on my front porch and wrapped in plastic, or brought inside. I keep a lot of potted trees and other exotic plants.

I have the opposite problem, so I haven't really put any effort into those species that need a dormant period. But I must say I probably have more FT specimens than any other. A personal fave. I lost my mother tree to neglect a few years ago while on vacation when my watering person didn't quite follow instructions 😬. She was about 11 years old at the time, but her babies are everywhere I look.

Finally found someone who's active with FT. I guess mines is happy then as its been flowering continuously for over a month now.
I think ill go ahead and remove one of the branches and see how it reacts before I do anymore.
do you have any tips on cuttings? are the woody branches any good?
 

greenman63

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FT are one of the easiest to propagate IME. Fresh berries, dried berries, growing tips, woody stems. The only thing easier might be some ficus spp. because you can literally stick a leaf in dirt and grow a tree. I put cuttings in a non-draining container full of potting soil on the warm porch and keep the substrate moist, and they grow like nothing can stop them. I hate throwing away good cuttings. The attached pic has a mix of cuttings from natal plum, ficus benjamina, ficus green island, and fukien tea. Once they establish it's a small matter to transplant into individual pots.
 

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greenman63

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Not making any claims about styling, this one is about 6 years old now.
 

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Forsoothe!

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You need to summon up some courage and learn to make... the big cut. Especially since you have the golden touch and never throw away a cutting.

Post a better view and ask for some virtuals & advice to get that monstrosity looking like a bonsai.
 

BajaKen

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Death usually after 4 or so years.
Four years? o_O I just received mine from the grower and it was four years old! There must be some other part of this I'm not getting, yes?
 

Mayank

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Here's mine today. Got lots of work to do on it. Just been busy with JBP, shimps, hornbeam and elms. I have it outside as soon as its warm enough and there it stays until low 40s become the norm. Then it goes back in, always throws a fit and loses leaves and then recovers by December-ish. Had it for 11 years now or so. Haven't repotted for at least 5-7 years? (Can't remember). Probably will repot this year.
 

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greenman63

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You need to summon up some courage and learn to make... the big cut. Especially since you have the golden touch and never throw away a cutting.

Post a better view and ask for some virtuals & advice to get that monstrosity looking like a bonsai.

Forgot I was casting bait into hungry waters, lol.
It is a monstrosity. Shitty stick in pot I believe is the applicable terminology. It needs a good repot and I doubt any of the existing canopy is relevant to its ultimate goal. More than courage, it's knowing I'll have the time to keep it alive throughout the process. I'm wallowing in momentum and overwork as much as anything.

But ok, I'll post this one or a better specimen within a day or three. Pinkie swear. :cool:
 

greenman63

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...always throws a fit and loses leaves and then recovers by December-ish. Had it for 11 years now or so.

If it's any comfort mine always drop leaves and scare the hell out of me before recovery. You get a feel for when they're really in trouble or not after enough seasons. I don't blame people for losing good FT, they're easier in their own climate zone, and yes, fussy when on the edge of cold weather.
 

greenman63

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Four years? o_O I just received mine from the grower and it was four years old! There must be some other part of this I'm not getting, yes?
If you're in a good warm climate or can provide a reasonable facsimile thereof, FT can live quite a bit longer than 4 years. I see no reason for anything different under adequate conditions, given that they often survive in the landscape here for decades. You should be in pretty good shape. 😎

*Disclaimer, disclaimer, yadda yadda individual results may vary...
 
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