How to Cover Large Ficus Trees During a Freeze
- 1). Fill up four or more empty milk jugs or soda bottles with water and place them in direct sunlight the day before a freeze is predicted. At night, move the jugs to directly under the ficus tree so that they form a circle around its base. Trapped heat will radiate from these throughout the night.
- 2). Measure the height of the large ficus tree and locate wooden stakes or boards that are at least 12 inches taller. Dig three holes around the base of the ficus tree using a post-hole digger. Make the holes 6 to 12 inches deep.
- 3). Insert one board or stake into each hole and backfill them with soil, packing it down firmly.
- 4). Hang plastic tarps or bed sheets over the tops of the wooden boards. These should drop all the way down to the ground, not just fall over the tops of the boards. Leave these over the tree overnight.
- 5). The next morning, once temperatures rise above freezing, remove the plastic or sheets to allow air and light to get to the ficus tree. Leave the wooden stakes or boards in place if there is a future chance of freezing temperatures.
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