How would you display a Brazilian Raintree in an indoor show?

Forsoothe!

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Maybe I'm missing something, but mine are inside from Oct-April and they open their leaves during the day and close them at night.
Yours is acclimated to your environment. Congratulations. And, when outdoors probably not in full sun. ??
 

coh

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last year we reached 40c+, so around 105F
That's pretty hot! That raintree should like your summers. I don't think we even reached 95 this past summer and very few days near 90 at all, tropicals don't love it here.
 

Carol 83

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Yours is acclimated to your environment. Congratulations. And, when outdoors probably not in full sun. ??
They are in full sun outdoors. They do sometimes close their leaves in the hottest part of the day, during summer.
 

Forsoothe!

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What is your procedure in autumn to get it ready to live in the house?
 

canoeguide

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I move them up closer to the house, basically on the other side of my patio doors that they will live behind for the winter.

I only have a couple small BRT cuttings that I acquired 6 months ago, but I gave all of my tropicals a couple weeks of increasing shade up against the house on a roofed porch. Nothing skipped a beat inside, including the BRTs.
 

Rodrigo

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Sorry I can't answer everyone's questions/comments, there's too many! :p but thank you all for your input.

My BRT is already indoors full time under a light set on a timer and if the light is on, the leaves stay open. As soon as it's off, the leaves close pretty quickly so I don't think it would stay open if the show is indoors without the light being on it.

I think I'll try and see how it reacts to being inside without the light on for a few days and see if it gets used to the lower light levels and opens the leaves during the day. I liked @Leo in N E Illinois idea of defoliation a couple of weeks before the show. When I have defoliated it in the past it looks great with the new lime green leaves bearly coming out. The show is in March so the spring vibe would be perfect.

I'd thought about setting up the display with my light over it but I always thought it'd be difficult to set, and I hadn't even considered the effect on neighboring trees.

@Adair M, what kind of companion plant do you see with this tree?
 

Adair M

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Use a companion with foliage of a different character than the primary tree. The accent is used to highlight the season of the year, too.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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With Adair's comment about highlighting season, a good companion would be something blooming. If you have a flowering quince in bloom in March, or a super miniature african violet, or singinnia. Some of the Masdevallia orchids are small. Your accent should be small, compared to the BRT. Ferns, a fern with finely divided fronds would be too similar to the divided foliage of the BRT, but a fern with wider leaves, or a hosta might work.

Even better, BRT imply "savana grasslands", a mixed planting with some grasses, and perhaps wild violet or mint or bugleweed, (Ajuga, Agastache, Mentha) or maybe one of the puccoon flowers, Lithospermum. Mix the wild flowers with the grasses.

Or just a tray with moss. Especially the closer the BRT is to shohin size, moss in a tray or small pot can stand in for grass, in terms of perspective.
 

Forsoothe!

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I think I'll try and see how it reacts to being inside without the light on for a few days and see if it gets used to the lower light levels and opens the leaves during the day. I liked @Leo in N E Illinois idea of defoliation a couple of weeks before the show. When I have defoliated it in the past it looks great with the new lime green leaves barely coming out. The show is in March so the spring vibe would be perfect.
Hmmm.... Playing with fire. I've defoliated BRT every year for quite a while, and I wouldn't count on it refoliating in any time certain. They may do it in 10 days, or 20 days, or not in 30 days. The number or intensity of sunny days, or temperatures, or other parameters I haven't identified is not hard science. As my old man used to tell me, "What happens if you're right, and what happens if you're wrong"...
 

Carol 83

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Hmmm.... Playing with fire. I've defoliated BRT every year for quite a while, and I wouldn't count on it refoliating in any time certain. They may do it in 10 days, or 20 days, or not in 30 days. The number or intensity of sunny days, or temperatures, or other parameters I haven't identified is not hard science. As my old man used to tell me, "What happens if you're right, and what happens if you're wrong"...
I've only had BRT's for 4 years, and have never defoliated them. Once outside, they pretty much explode with growth, so just wondering what you think the benefits of defoliation are vs. just letting them get strong. I did have one self-defoliate last summer after a repot, and it took a good while for it to bounce back.
 

Rodrigo

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Thanks for both of your insights @Adair M and @Leo in N E Illinois. I'll look into getting a companion ready.

@Forsoothe!, I see what you mean, however it still looks really good even if the buds don't pop on time and it's fully naked so I'm not too worried about that.

I've only had BRT's for 4 years, and have never defoliated them. Once outside, they pretty much explode with growth, so just wondering what you think the benefits of defoliation are vs. just letting them get strong. I did have one self-defoliate last summer after a repot, and it took a good while for it to bounce back.
Last year I defoliated it when I brought it inside so it would sprout leaves that are used to the indoor light but this year I left it alone and it didn't skip a beat. Other than that I've defoliated it to really get in there and prune the structure without leaves being in the way as well as to get light to the inner branches. I always leave it to grow for several months afterwards so it recovers. It's been in the same pot for a couple of years now growing strong so I know it's strong enough to handle it
 

LanceMac10

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First, I consider BRT's a great subject for "bonsai". Almost indestructible, responds well to pruning AND defoliation. As well as grow nicely while indoors for my extreme northern climate.
Second, in a juried exhibition, they just can't compete with say, Japanese Maples or any conifer. Unless you have an amazing specimen, you'll just be an "also-ran".

Giving it less light will just result in a "reaction" as opposed to an "adaptation". It will react by dropping leaves, it's already "adapted" to low light conditions. And what, is the show in a lightless cave?

March is pretty early, particularly in my northern climate. Leaves might just fold up due to temperatures. As well as being moved as sometimes even "brushing" the leaves can elicit a response.

If you defoliate, the subsequent budding is pretty fragile and be easily dislodged via handling. And it will take a bit longer to actually respond if defoliated while indoors.

Club show? Just give it a good prune to create a pleasing silhouette and strive to make your display "pop" with thoughtfully presented accents and such......

Just some thoughts.....:cool:
 

leatherback

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It'll be interesting to see how long it takes for your tree to adjust to the northern hemisphere cycle!
This year it is behaving as if it was born here. cut 3ft extensions off it a few weeks back. And now the extensions are developing again.
 
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