In spite of the simple fact the tropical trees are grown indoors in cooler climates because they can’t survive the winters, there is no reason to deny them the summer too. While we have done an admirable job growing many tropical plants as wonderful indoor trees, that just isn’t where they were meant to grow and every plant can benefit from spending some time outdoors. Far from an exception, I think that indoor bonsai enjoy their summers outside more than any other plant I have. Some of my Ficus Bonsai are outside now and they’ve done very well.

You need to manage the process though and with Ficus, that means you have to be prepared for the seemingly inevitable leaf drop. Ficus are easy to grow and generally a lot tougher than most people can imagine, but they have a nasty habit of dropping their leaves at the first signs of stress. That habit has fooled a lot of people into thinking that their sulking fig has actually died, when it would most likely have come back. If you move your Ficus bonsai and it drops all its leaves, don’t give up, it’s probably not dead.