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Frostbitten Ficus

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Bob Pressler
John Quinn
Billy M. Rhodes
timahlen
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Post  timahlen Sat Feb 05, 2011 8:58 pm

Hi All,
Any tips on how to salvage my frostbitten ficus trees? They were in a heated greenhouse, but the heater went out and before I could get the trees inside, they experienced sub-freezing temps. It looks like 70-80% of the leaves are crisped up on most of them.

Tim Ahlen
Dallas, TX

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Post  Billy M. Rhodes Sat Feb 05, 2011 9:16 pm

Protect from additional cold, don't over water, water only when really dry, wait, don't prune yet, wait, don't water except when dry.

If the trees will recover they will do it on their own, your greatest danger is root rot from watering trees that don't need it.
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Post  John Quinn Sat Feb 05, 2011 9:19 pm

Replace the heater, don't overwater, and keep your fingers crossed. Do you have a remote reading thermometer so you can monitor the greenhouse temp from inside?
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Post  timahlen Sat Feb 05, 2011 9:29 pm

Thanks, we'll see how they do. They're in the house right now.

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Post  Bob Pressler Tue Feb 08, 2011 2:03 pm

It could possibly be a blessing in disguise. These trees was about 24 inches when they froze. This is two and a half years later.
Frostbitten Ficus 100_2726
Then after a big chop and repotting
Frostbitten Ficus 100_2724
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Post  Ryan Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:54 pm

Great trees Bob!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't someone leave a Willow Leaf Ficus out in the cold a while ago (89?) which resulted in a smaller leaved cultivar of Willow Leaf?

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Post  Billy M. Rhodes Tue Feb 08, 2011 8:12 pm

Ryan wrote:Great trees Bob!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't someone leave a Willow Leaf Ficus out in the cold a while ago (89?) which resulted in a smaller leaved cultivar of Willow Leaf?

You have it backwards. In 1989 a cold snap hit Jim Smith's nursery in Vero beach, FL and the Willow Leaf Figs came back with slightly larger leaves but possibly more vigor.

One opinion is that the "normal" Willow Leaf Fig was really a sport and the cold caused them to revert to their original leaf size.

Willow Leaf Fig is Ficus salicicaria (aka, nerifolia or salicifolia)
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Post  Dustin Mann Tue Feb 08, 2011 9:14 pm

Hi Billy. You explained the original Salicaria as a sport so well. I guess mine are the sports. When I have seen '89' from others I just thought they were young trees. You have me thinking about that'Cork bark' Portulacaria versus the regular. Is it possible the cork bark was from cold damage or turning sprinklers on every winter to protect from frost? I have both types. My cork bark 'new' lignify branches look regular...is it reverting? Billy, I hope to meet you one day. I will be in Florida(buying trip) from March 21-25 starting Wigerts...finishing Durastone Dustin Mann

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Post  bonsaisr Tue Feb 08, 2011 10:51 pm

Billy M. Rhodes wrote:
Willow Leaf Fig is Ficus salicicaria (aka, nerifolia or salicifolia)
Actually, Ficus neriifolia (sic) and F. salicifolia are not (never were) synonyms for F. salicaria or for each other. They are the names of entirely different species. They were misapplied to F. salicaria before it was properly identified.
Iris
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Post  rock Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:57 am

Wondering your souce of that info, Iris.
Question
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Post  Billy M. Rhodes Wed Feb 09, 2011 11:10 am

rock wrote:Wondering your souce of that info, Iris.
Question

Iris is correct. When the first "Willow Leaf Fig" was discovered in a South Florida collection it was unidentified. The scientific names applied are/were used by other Ficus, only recently DNA research has determined that F. salicaria is a totally different variety.

But, scientists are constantly reclassifying plants.

And, nursery people frequently tend to name plants without regard to science, but rather regard to marketing.
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Post  Bob Pressler Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:20 pm

So what is the newest correct name for the willow leaf ficus?
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Post  Billy M. Rhodes Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:30 pm

Bob Pressler wrote:So what is the newest correct name for the willow leaf ficus?

Ficus salicaria
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Post  Bob Pressler Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:52 pm

Thanks
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Post  bonsaisr Wed Feb 09, 2011 9:23 pm

rock wrote:Wondering your souce of that info, Iris.
Question
Will this do?
http://resources.metapress.com/pdf-preview.axd?code=nujh6613t238v026&size=largest

Iris
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Post  rock Thu Feb 10, 2011 3:03 am

bonsaisr wrote:
rock wrote:Wondering your souce of that info, Iris.
Question
Will this do?
http://resources.metapress.com/pdf-preview.axd?code=nujh6613t238v026&size=largest

Iris
That'll do ,that'll do
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