Phoenix question on ficus nitida and Home Depot

8 years ago

So, I've priced Moon Valley (I know they are super overpriced, although I have financing available there) and can get 15gal for $133 (and 7th plant free) each. I need 28 plants (3.5' centers for two hedges walls). One, is that good spacing? Two, Home Depot sells 5 gal ones for $29 a piece. That's a crazy price difference. I know sizing is different and I'm ok to wait a little longer to save thousands of dollars. Has anyone successfully planted them and any other thoughts?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

azbolt
8 years ago
That's a lot to spend on something that can get wiped out in one bad freeze. They are nice trees tho.
0
grubby_AZ Tucson Z9
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
My understanding is that they need humidity to do anything other than estivate, and then die from any frost. I found a link to a list of desert hedge plants at hotgardens.net/hedges_in_desert_climates.htm

.
0
Related Discussions
Home Depot Ficus
Q
Comments (1)
Go to http://www.bonsaihunk.us/cultural.html and read everything on ficus (middle of page heading). All your Q's will be answered (more or less!). You can use anything that's not 'elastic', not sharp like fine wire, and nothing that could rot or rust. Get some raffia from a craft store and use twist ties at either end once you've done the wrapping. You may have to trim twigs at the inside of trunks to do it, of course. It can take months-to-a-year to fuse them, but they'll do better all around if you keep up the humidity (a proper tray of stones, not a spritzer bottle). Bonsai soil please, though you could probably use some of their orig. mix to add grit to rather than necessarily discarding it all - they're usually grown NOT in peat, but you'll have to judge. Only some varieties grow little pea-sized figs (and they don't taste very good!). No flowers to speak of.
...See More
Ficus Nitida allergy respriatory pollen
Q
Comments (1)
"...trees can significantly reduce such adverse effects through their ability to capture pollutant particles." I think you have misunderstood the findings in that paper. The researchers examined how common urban trees *capture* pollutants. Particulate pollutants are a witches brew of airborne nasties, e.g., tailpipe emissions, diesel exhaust, tire wearings, fast food kitchen exhaust, smoke from fireplaces and other sources, construction activities, etc, etc. Actual fine dirt, aka "dust" is only a small part. There are no "toxins" IN your trees; they're ON your trees. It's not just your ficus trees; it's ALL trees and plants (and your house and your car and all other inanimate objects) that 'capture' these pollutants. When I pick oranges or grapefruit, I either wash the trees down first or wear a good quality pollen mask. I am extremely sensitive to dust of any kind - and that's exactly what is on your trees: dust of *every* kind. If you haven't removed your ficus trees yet, you might reconsider as whatever you replace them with will do the exact same thing: gather airborne particulates. (If you're tired of the every-few-years frost damage, that's another story.) Your best bet is to arm yourself with safety glasses, good pollen mask (not the thin things) and a hose with a strong spray attachment. Wash the trees down every so often so that when the wind blows, you're not so likely to breathe in all that nasty stuff. Here is a link that might be useful: [particle pollution](http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=particle_health.page1)
...See More
Allergy + ficus nitida question
Q
Comments (14)
March, 2013, I am not a botanist or an allergist. In winter 2011 my nine Ficus nitida trees froze just deep enough to kill the leaves and smaller branches. The larger branches lived and new growth occurred after several months. During the months that the dead leaves and thin dead branches began to break down, I came down with a terrible respiratory problem. The respiratory problem hit everyone in my household and recovery took months. Friends and neighbors in the Phoenix area described similar respiratory problems. None of us or anyone we knew thought about the F. nitida decaying in the air. We all recovered and in the winter of 2012-2013 the F. nitidas froze again. One morning a few months after the freeze, while sitting on the patio I saw what I thought was mist swirling and blowing through the yard. I discovered that the breeze was taking some sort of dust out of the dead parts of the trees. Large amounts of dust I should add. It hadn’t been too long since the last rain and we hadn’t had any dust storms to fill the trees with dirt. The trees should have been relatively clean compared with summer dust conditions. I thought little of it until later that day when I was working on one of the trees and became aware that I was breathing a lot of their dust and shortly became very sick. It reminded me of being sick 2 years before because the symptoms were the same. I believe it’s possible that as the plant material breaks down to small particles the particles become airborne and wreak havoc on our lungs. Here is an article about F. nitida and how dangerous toxins are trapped by their leaves then released when they die and break down. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023%2FB%3AWATE.0000026521.99552.fd?LI=true# Unfortunately, it’ time for my trees to go. Bob Here is a link that might be useful: Capture of Particulate Pollution by Trees:
...See More
Ficus Nitida (Retusa) Hedge spacing advice please.
Q
Comments (90)
What a great thread!! I have learned so much just from this thread alone in my research to plan Ficus Nitida in our backyard. Like everybody here we're concerned about the aggressive roots and I feel that if I combine consistent trimming, a deep root watering system with 24"x24" root guard barriers I should be able to mitigate the issues and ensure I don't have root problems in the future. I'm wondering if anybody has taken this approach. We're planning on planting them along the perimeter of our backyard which have masonry/cinder block walls separating the neighbors. They'll also be close to our pool. Pictures are attached. I'm looking at these products to accomplish this. Please let me know what your thoughts are. Thanks in advance!! https://www.deeproot.com/products/root-barrier/ https://www.rootwell.com/retail-store/shop/pro-318-case-black https://www.hunterindustries.com/irrigation-product/micro-irrigation/root-zone-watering-system
...See More
User
8 years ago
Very poor choice of a plant for hedges. They quickly grow into huge trees, so you'll be pruning constantly, and they die in any bad freeze.

A better choice would be hopbush - which stays dense to the ground, grows quite quickly, and doesn't freeze back in Phoenix.
0
Loves Trees
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
As others have said, ficis nitida grow to huge "park trees" size and they are some of the first to die back in a frost. Why bother?

Plus a 15gal is probably trained into a tree, so you would need to give these $133 plants quite a cut to make them branch out.I would think there is some sort of privet you could use as a hedge to get that "not desert" green look.

I would think there is some sort of privet you could use to get that "not desert" look.
0
User
8 years ago
Also, atriplex (salt bush), which reseeds freely grows quickly.
0
AJBB
8 years ago
Italian Cypress, Japanese Privet
0
PRO
User
8 years ago
I would be careful with privet as you would need to plant in partial shade and do not plant in the summer- it will need to get established before the heat.

Cape honeysuckle is wonderful because you will get these beautiful orange tubular flowers that hummingbirds love. It may get frost burn but will come right back.

Here is a pic of hop seed, it is a great border plant and tolerates all weather. It will grow quite fast in the summer once established and also comes in purple. It will grow very tall if you let it-12+.
Good luck!! Deana Bella Fiore
0
Carol Hargrave
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
We have 2 LG ficus in the backyard that have been hit by frost but they come back well. Not sure where in the valley you are located. We just left Elgin Nursery at 86 Ave & McDowell and are replacing a front tree we lost in a storm last summer. The tree we chose was less than half the price than at Moon Valley ($100 less). Whitfill on Glendale & 7 St was priced about midway between Moon Valley and Elgin. Downside of Elgin is they don't offer planting but do guarantee the tree for a year. Moon Valley only guarantees for 90 days unless you pay $100 extra!!! Hope this info helps!
0

Phoenix question on ficus nitida and Home Depot

Comments (8)

azbolt

grubby_AZ Tucson Z9

Related Discussions

User

Loves Trees

User

AJBB

User

Carol Hargrave

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US