How to Protect a Ficus Tree From a Freeze

Overview

Freezes can kill a ficus tree. To keep your tree alive through the winter, you must protect it from the cold. You have several options for doing so, and if you live in a region with occasional freezes for a night or two, your task becomes easier than for those in colder climates. Whether it is in a container or in the ground, you can protect your ficus from the freeze.

Step 1

Water your ficus tree well before and during a freeze to maintain soil moisture.

Step 2

Bring ficus trees grown in containers indoors during freezing temperatures and leave near a warm, sunny window until warmer weather returns.

Step 3

Drape incandescent Christmas lights around the branches of outdoor ficus trees. Plug the lights into an outdoor extension cord to provide heat from the lights for the plant.

Step 4

Wrap a blanket around the trunk of the ficus tree, securing it by wrapping wide rope around the tree and blanket.

Step 5

Lay a plastic tarp over the entire tree to create a mini-greenhouse, and attach to the ground by inserting a stake through each of the four corners of the tarp.

Step 6

Wait until temperatures reach above 40 degrees Fahrenheit before pruning off any dead or frozen limbs from your ficus.