When Ficus b is moved from dimmer to brighter, it rewards you with back-budding & better o/a vitality. When you move it from the greenhouse or a bright location to a location with "... a decent amount of indirect sun (when its sunny) for half the day while the 6' gets about half that", the trees normal reaction is to shed leaves. I've explained the mechanism many times, so I won't go into the physiology of why this occurs. The light you describe may be enough to allow the tree to survive, but it's not enough to allow it to thrive - it just won't be happy. Ficus b appreciates full sun, unless it's variegated, in which case it may need some protection during the hottest part of the day, depending on where you live. Ficus b leaves have a very thick cuticle, so there is no reason to mist this plant, and misting is ineffectual anyway. I grow well over a dozen, maybe 2 dozen perfectly happy Ficus b plants indoors and out that never see a drop of water on their foliage other than rain. Water established plants when the soil is dry to the touch at the drain hole, or wait a day or two after the soil feels dry. If you're watering so a good amount of water passes through the soil and out the drain, you're watering correctly. If you're concerned with the soil remaining wet too long and the root rot that can accompany that condition, you need to take a closer look at the soil the plant is in and perhaps plan on repotting into something more forgiving before summers end. Once the current canopy is done shedding, new leaves will appear, but the weeping habit of new branching as it extends will be much more pronounced than old branches grown under more intense light, unless you get the plant into better light. Good luck. Al

Hi peoples! First off, I never intended to hijack the thread. I'm learning alot, and even maintaining my sense of humor with the maternal concerns that go along with any new hobby and the learning curve, lol. Barbara, thanks for the welcome to the AV forum. I'll be starting my own thread shortly, so as to monitor the responses, if that's ok. I'll try to not duplicate the same questions, so you kind folks don't feel put off for having to retype the same info ad nauseum, lol. Wow, that's a long stint in the San Juans! I am so glad to have had the year and a half I lived in WA. First we lived in Anacortes, had a house, with our boat in Olympia. Then DH changed jobs and we moved up to the San Juans, in Anacortes. One of the many high points of my time there was cruising past Orcas Island and ending up in a pod of Orca Whales! One breached (?) alongside our 30 foot boat with that awesome big eye staring me in the face! It was only a few months later we got a bigger boat, lololol. Another of the fun times was living next to Kenny G in Friday Harbor for a weekend. I absolutely loved Friday Harbor!! Now then, Vall3fam, you have me rolling on the floor in stitches this morning! What a wild sense of humor you have. I'm afraid your prices are a bit steep for me, though I'm sure you are well worth it! Maybe I can interest you in some a weekend onboard, in the master cabin with your own lexan hatch, with a view of the mast, moon, stars. Then hang a line over the transom and see what we can catch for dinner. Or perhaps next morning a sunrise cruise with champagne and orange juice mimosas, bagels and cream cheese, fresh air with a gentle breeze, beautiful palm trees for scenery... All this for maybe an hour or two of the two of us playing in the dirt with my baby mini AVs?! I realize you are in CA in a beautiful climate and don't need to come here for our sunshine and balmy winter weather, but if I could twist your potting arm just a little....hee hee. Fondly, Girlsaylor

...I spent a good amount of time reading old posts, and finally decided to treat the crown as though I were dealing with a long neck (per the FAQs). I removed most of the leaves, which in fact did leave a bit of a neck, then buried that and tented the whole thing. I know the bag is supposed to encourage humidity, so I put a little bit of water in the bottom of the bag and moistened the soil/perlite/sphagnum mixture a little... is that enough? The pot is a self-watering pot, though I didn't put any water in the well. I would appreciate any other suggestions or thoughts from you experts out there. Thanks! beck

has any one tried using praetor nematodes and praetor mites to control spider mite, broad mites and thrips. They are like little lions feeding on the pests, praetor nematodes live in the ground killing any thing they find and most of the pest live part of their live there. Thrips spend the first part of there live under ground. The praetor nematodes come in a little sponge that you cut 1/3 of put in a spray bottle of water and let it sit for a 1/2 hour, shake it up and spray the surface potting mixe and then water them in good. It cost $18.00and the 2/3 that you have not used put in the cooler and treat you plants ever 2 weeks till it is gone. They will live on the sponge in the cooler for 6 weeks. I also treat my plants with praetor mites at the same time , they like to find the bad mites and lay their egg among the spider mites and broad mites eggs . When the praetor mites they are hunger an the love to eat mite eggs. they come in several different ways praetor mites"NEOSEIULUS CUCUMERIS" come in quick release packets $1.99 and it is enough to treat 1-2 plant racks 4 shelves 48 in. long. You springily the product which looks (it is ) wood saw dust over the plants It is import to do these after dark. sun light kills praetor mites nematodes & praetor mites mites!!!! Praetor mites"NEOSEIULUS CUCUMERIS"also come in slow release pack $1.99, you but pack on each shelve and as they hatch they leave the pack ove 6 week periodAs a Added protection !!! They best thing is they very best Insecticides /Miticides likeForbid 4F Miticide, Avid EC Miticide and Marathon a systemic insecticides do not kill the praetor nematodes and praetor mites so you can still use them!!!! YOU CAN NOT USE NEEM OIL Why because it kills every thing even the good praetor bugs then you have nothing to keep spider mite, broad mites and thrips under control!!! The day beforetaking your plants to a show put NEOSEIULUS CUCUMERIS mites "in the slow release pack in your box with your warping- material and leave it there for the whole trip with your plants