[Arid_gardener] Ficus nitida frost damage

[Linda Drew]

http://www.azcentral.com/home/garden/articles/0110southwestgarden10.html

The trees have suffered frost damage from the cold.
These are tropical trees.

Ficus nitida, also known as Indian laurel fig, is hardy
enough to survive a frost unless it was planted recently.
The frost will cause the plant to lose leaves.

Until March or April, when new growth emerges, there
is no way of knowing whether any of your trees were killed,
said Rebecca Whitfill of Whitfill Nurseries.

Do not prune away the brown or dead-looking parts - no matter
how bad they look - now. The damaged foliage acts to protect
the rest of the plant from future frost damage. That advice also
suits bougainvillea, jacaranda, hibiscus and other plants damaged
by recent freezing temperatures, Whitfill said.

Water your plants deeply before a freeze, Whitfill recommends.
The water acts as insulation.

>From: ro_ma_des at yahoo.com
>To: <arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>
>Subject: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page
>Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 10:59:03 -0700 (MST)
>
>85033
>ro_ma_des at yahoo.com
>
>we have three ficas trees at least 7years in the ground they are quite 
>large trees. the freezing temps we had a few weeks ago have caused the 
>leaves to turn brown and dry up. will these trees recover? I have noticed 
>ficas trees all over the vally with the same problem.
>
>
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>Arid_gardener mailing list
>Arid_gardener at CALS.arizona.edu
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