Raintree Ruminations

[Carol 83]

Question for you since I don’t have much experience with tropicals. Do you fertilize in winter? Mine got fish emulsion and liquid kelp once a week all growing season. I’m wondering if that’s enough stored energy plus residuals in the soil to last until spring? Especially since they kinda go into ”stasis” as another person described it.

Miracle-Gro once a week, right or wrong. I have some bigger trees, some smaller so everything has to be watered on need be basis. Way more labor intensive than when they're outside and I can just use the hose. I have read that they don't need fertilizer during the winter, but it doesn't seem to hurt.

 

[coltranem]

I have bad news for you. Tropical trees are deciduous outside of their accustomed rainforest range. About 2,000 miles is lots. It will happen, again. Losing foliage is not an indicator of sickness, it is a reasonable response to poor growing conditions. Is your office like a rainforest? Lots of tropicals go to sleep and wake up in a dumpster talking to themselves, "...I go to sleep and the guy treats me like I'm dead...".

As you can see on the attached chart of solar radiation (overlayed three years wide for ease of viewing the whole single year in either hemisphere) the strength of solar radiation is expressed in Wm² (Watts per square meter). The peak for Detroit @ 42.6°N on summer solstice is never more than 200 Wm² and at -10°S in Brazil is never less than ~340 Wm². Not close.
View attachment 266832

You seem to be reading that chart wrong. 42.6 N on summer solstice is over 450 W/m2. 200 W/m2 is the value February.

For -10 S max value is just 450 W/m2 on winter solstice. And about 380 on summer solstice.

 

[Forsoothe!]

You seem to be reading that chart wrong. 42.6 N on summer solstice is over 450 W/m2. 200 W/m2 is the value February.

For -10 S max value is just 450 W/m2 on winter solstice. And about 380 on summer solstice.

You're right!