How to Care for Outdoor Potted Ficus Trees

A ficus tree is a plant which has many different varieties available for the plant lover. Ficus trees are primarily indoor potted plants, but it is certainly feasible to care for them outdoors as well. During winter months, bring the ficus indoors so that it does not frost. During hot summers with temperatures over 80 degrees F or so, the plant may droop but should recover quickly. There are a few things to bear in mind if you want to grow a healthy ficus tree outside.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pot
• Potting soil

1. Find a pot for your ficus tree. A pot approximately 10 inches in diameter will be able to hold a 5-foot ficus tree, so the pot does not have to be extremely large to handle the ficus.

2. Make a mixture of soil to place in the pot with the ficus tree. A recommended mixture would be peat moss, bark and sand. Any well-drained soil will do, though.

3. Water the ficus tree consistently. It does not matter as much how frequently or infrequently the plant is watered, but the consistency. Keep the soil moist, but never soggy or completely dry. The ficus can adapt to its watering environment.

4. Place the ficus tree in a location where it will get direct sunlight for at least a few hours every day. Otherwise, leaves may become discolored and drop off.

5. Prune your ficus occasionally so that new growth can emerge.

Tips & Warnings

• Re-pot your ficus every three years or so, to make sure it does not outgrow the pot. Fertilizing is not recommended as ficus plants are slow to grow. If you choose to fertilize, do it only every three months at the most.

References

• Ficus Trees Info: Ficus Trees Care & Culture Overview
• Ficus Tree.com: Why do Ficus Lose Leaves?