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Help: Fukin Tea Tree

20 years ago

I just recieved a fukin tea tree for a b-day presant and I was wondering how to take care of them meaning lighting beacouse I really don't know any think about them, but I know that they are indoors plants. I do have a little ligt but its a grow light and the tree is as tall as the whole stand. I was wondering if I could set it by the window or something like that or if I could stick it outside till it gets cold beacouse I know theses trees are tropical trees. If any one has some advice please pass it my way beacouse I really like this tree and don't want it to die. Oh I also have a pond in the pot and that would help the humidity if it was inside the house so humidity isn't really a problem.

Comments (14)

  • 20 years ago

    Outside would be great as long you don't let it dry out at all, and watch for wind. Could you be a bit more descriptive about the pond?

  • 20 years ago

    ok well there really isn't any thing special about the pond it is just a portion of the pot sectioned off for water and thats what I put in it, also I have moss around my tree and I was wondering if there was anything special I had to do to the tree so the moss wouldn't die. Its also about a 8inch tree too. If I put it outside what would I do when it got cold.

  • 20 years ago

    Also what do white spots on the leaves mean

  • 20 years ago

    one more thing I was wondering how to make it more humid around my trees( the fukin and juniper) beacouse I only have 33% humidity here where I live.

  • 20 years ago

    Ok, first of all ditch the moss because keeping it alive can compromise keeping the Fukien alive (it'll steal water). The white spots (if they're tiny and consistent all over) are normal. If the tree is hanging over the pond water, it's getting plenty of humidity. Your juniper belongs OUTside and doesn't need added humidity.

  • 20 years ago

    Thanks for the stright forward answer, but when it gets colder if it does and I have to bring my fukin tea tree inside will it do fine under a 9 watt fluorescent lamp. Also will it make it in the heat outside.

  • 20 years ago

    9 w is pretty skimpy, so no I don't think so. You need full spectrum bulbs of 30-40 w x 15 hrs/day 6" away. I don't know what your heat is like, so use some common sense - the point being that even if the tree can take it, being in a little pot could be a problem unless you protect the pot (and roots) with something reflective like a white tile and check a couple of times a day for dryness 1/2" down. It's iffy.

  • 20 years ago

    I'm having a hard time finding anything worth while thats under $100 to get going (although if you have $200 to drop on grow lights you can get some sweet T-5 set ups), Given that you aren't planning on having a row of plants under lights I would really suggest compact flourescents, the fact that the bulbs are bent makes it alot easier to not lose light off to the ends, One ofthe best deals in small lighting can be found in the coralife mini-aqualight which just happens to be even more on sale now than it useually is, but the $30 is what it useually runs, but it is 18W of CF in a small package, You could get two and mount one on either side of the tree, and run a fan over it, because they do get warm, you would capture alot more photons doing it that way.

  • 20 years ago

    those lights are for fish tanks and those would work good and would I really have to use 2 or could I use a combo of the aqua light and the current one that I have.

  • 20 years ago

    Color temp is the same, they will work, if you use one in combination with the light you already have you get 75% as much light for your tree, really if it were me trying to grow a plant indoors I would buy 3 or 4 of em, Personally I'm going to try and grow some plant that bears fruit with a 96 watt quat tube that I have left over from a lighting reworking on my nanoreef, but I have to buy 6500K tubes because I have 50/50 in there.

    Remember ~6500K is your friend.

  • 20 years ago

    Is there a cheeper route or would I be stuck doing it that way.

  • 20 years ago

    I posted this a.m. about one, but apparently it didn't get posted. Try a hardware store for those 12-18" long 1-2 bulb under-cabinet fluors. used to light kitchen counters and find either full spectrum bulbs for it, or one each of cool and warm white bulbs. The fixture shouldn't cost much at all, nor should the bulbs.

  • 20 years ago

    that would actually work, if I used a under-cabinet light. Also would I need more than one.

  • 20 years ago

    if you can get enought light out of them in the right place for that price I'd say go for it.

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