Quote Originally Posted by Teena View Post
By the way, my ficus had a lot of leaf drop in the winter but recovered every summer and then grew so tall I had to find a new home for it since it out grew my space. I turn my heat down in the winter to 52F and it gets quite cold at night and I've yet to lose a plant and I don't baby a one of them. - martha
Thank you all so much for the information!! It sounds like these plants are actually a lot less fuss than I have heard; if you water them but not too much and put them somewhere sunny from what you are all saying they pretty much take care of themselves

About the temperature, I should have been a bit more clear. I live in an old building with gas heating, I cannot leave it on overnight, even in the dead of winter. We have to rely on a wonderful down comforter to keep us and the kittens warm (and a ton of little hidey holes that are insulated), and the heat retention of the inner walls, which is all the plants get. This is why I had to bag my ficus this past winter, it was like -10 in the apartment overnight... The orchids didnt seem to mind, but better to know what their lowest tolerance is in case this winter is worse like the weathermen are predicting.