Quote Originally Posted by solus View Post
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.
You give new meaning to sleeping cold overnight! I, too, have the wool socks, down comforter and cat heater solution in place plus a wonderful invention I discovered a few years ago, a heated mattress pad! Nirvana. You can also give your Ficus a hot water bottle when you put it to sleep at night in it's insulated bag.

martha