A fig question

Ah, thanks for the additions to my list, vossner! This is getting harder and harder =)! But not as bad as the Austin roses--got to at least consider all of those! Are the fig lovers my future happy enablers too (if so, not a bad thing in my view, please don't take offense in any way)? Is it just figs or all of fruit-dom?

I am enjoying this discussion tremendously!

The biggest problem I have found in growing Cherries, is getting them to live. I tried four times when I lived in Fort Worth and just gave up. I have heard others say the same thing, so good luck. I hope you are feeling better Terri, get your rest.

I have been so happy to read all the good fig info - before this thread, the threads I saw were often just a very specific question and answer.

About the fig pruning, the official sources like TAMU (Texas A&M Univ, an excellent source for fruit growers) are, of course, correct, but for some of us home growers, it just won't matter if we don't get maximum crop every year. Figs are harder to store and, for me, harder to give away than more common fruits would be. So when I was lucky enough to get a bumper crop, the birds, my dog and me ate most of them.

The bird peck hole do provide another (slight) problem for me, bees and wasps are attracted to the sweet juice oozing out of the peck holes so, if I don't prune a little, It's hard to be sure I am not interrupting one of those guys' dinner. I've been stung a few times as I grew up in GA and FL and I wouldn't panic if it happened again but I am not ALLERGIC to bee stings. If you thin the limbs somewhat, you can see where you are reaching for that "just perfect" fig and avoid making an insect diner angry.

I took one of my two potted "B-17G" figs (cleverly named B-17G #1 and #2) into the house to a South facing window and was amazed when it started putting on growth AND little figs. (Don't look for B-17G figs - these were named by me for the friend who gave me the cuttings and didn't know the name of the parent tree). Anyhow, as I looked out the window at 8 of snow, I took this pic of my little fig tree. It is only 2' tall and was rooted from a 6" cutting a year ago (Jan. 2009. I have the other "B-17G" fig outside on my deck. I will see how cold hardy they are here where it gets down to 15 degrees several nights a year. I'm hoping they are as tough as their namesake.

Paul

To Catherine at Pedricks Corner, I'm sorry I missed your question about picking /storing figs. The short answer is I have no idea but the good news was someone followed your question with a good answer. That's probably why I forgot to answer but it may have just been a senior moment.

I'll take this opportunity to post the full shot of B-17G #1.

We had snow again up in the mountains behind me and fairly low temps for this area. So I am looking forward to a bumber crop of cherries again this year. That is a happy fig you got going there pbyrley! I found four little ones in the mulch under my fig this last summer and potted them all up. Silly little guys never did lose their leaves this winter. But then, they are next to my old wooden house, where everything gets of bit of radiant heat. Like you, I don't mind sharing some of my figs with the critters, but it is a rare occasion when I am willing to hand a few to my fellows, ha, ha! They are my breakfast while I walk around deciding what needs to be done first. Had to cut off a large upper branch last weekend, as it had grown into the power lines that come down to the house. I guess the birds and I will have to fight over the figs on the lower branches this year. My tree does look a bit funny. I purposely keep it pruned in such a way that I won't have to use a ladder to get to most of the figs!

I've found this forum to be so helpful and I want to thank you all again for your answers. I did purchase some bareroot Celestes and planted them up just before the "Big Freeze". A couple are iffy but a couple look fine so we'll see. This is the begining of my big adventure producing fruits for home use. I'm expecting a few failures but with this forum and a few choice books I feel confident that I will meet with success in the log run!

An answer to another (as yet unasked on this forum) fig question from Ray Givan, a real fig expert: Ray's answer is first, followed by my question.
--------------------------------------------
Pail,

I just pour a little olive oil in a shot glass and use a toothpick to apply a drop to the ostiole (eye) of the fig. If the fig is good-sized, it should induce ripening within a week or so.

Ray

paulbyr wrote:
>
> Ray,
> you mentioned in yor web site Hardy Chicago description that "Responds well to oiling (a method of inducing ripening of immature fruit in late Fall)". As I gave a Hardy Chicago to my daughter who lives in Washington, DC (in the city), I think she may need the details of oiling. I have never heard of it but would like to know for myself as well as for her.
>
> Thank you for any suggestion or reference.
>
> Paul
>
> Paul Byrley

Fascinating! I wonder why that works!? Since figs are a flower that is blooming inside of the fruit. Anyone know?

I wonder if Omega 3 oil would work- that would be a healthy treat!

Here is my baby fig.

Looks pretty big from here =)!

Four and growing!

Here is my fig all covered in snow.

Teri,
Let us know how your fig trees are doing so far. If they were potted, you may be able to see little figs now although the second year in the ground has been my most common experience. I am particularly interest in your black mission fig experience. Mine is 6 feet high (the hard wood from last year's growth) and doing ok but not as vigorous as the other types I have. I think I need to put some lime around it as my soil is ph of about 4.5 to 5. (My blueberries are happy though)

Advice I have seen from several sources is to refrain from heavy fertilizing; you won't get much (maybe any) fruit. Google "figs TAMU" to see what is good advice for Texas.

I decided to look and see what TAMU said - don't worry that TAMU only lists a few fig types. Most types seem to me to be ok if they can stand the local cold weather.

Paul

Will do, pbyrley and thanks for checking up on me =). I am at work so no photos but so far here is my adventure:

I went to Bob Wells Nursery and got 10 Celeste bareroot back in February (I think is was that long ago--seems like it was last year but it wasn't). Anway the next day, with great newbie glee, I planted eight of the ten in the ground and gave two to a neighbor and the day after that one of our big winter storms hit. This weather was in no way expected to be this severe. Out at my place we got straight line winds at around 50 miles per hour recorded at one of the local TV stations with gusts recorded at higher velocities (we have no large trees to speak of for wind break purposes yet). These winds lasted an entire day before the snows came. We thought we were back in Chicago!

All the figs had stakes for suport until they got going. Well, five of those figs got blown right out of the ground, stakes and all; leaving big divots and I don't know where they ended up. I looked and looked. I'm actually still keeping an eye out for the stakes and the green ties. Still haven't seen a sign of them and no neighbors have reported sightings either. Then the big freezes set in and although I had mounded soil up around the bases of the figs when I planted them (I do this with my bareroot roses) to keep in the moisture and for protection, I think two of the three left froze to death. We had at least two snow and freezing storms after the first storm that blew away the five figs. Their trunks were split when I examined them. I left them in the ground to see if they would come back from the root, but nothing. This left one fig with signs of life.

The one viable fig has come back from it's roots as of last month and is looking pretty good considering what it has been through. I've named it Dorothy. I bought it a White Genoa fig from a local organic nursery to keep it company. Now that the weather has cleared I'm looking for a black mission fig. Despite my set backs I am not detered and will get a couple more figs. We've got plenty of room and DH has mentioned that he likes the fig that survived the wicked weather (even though it is just a tiny little guy right now) and we should bet more.

So the decree has come down that we shall plant more figs (insert trumpet peals here)--just not ever in early spring again. I really am looking at my fruit tree initiative as an adventure and these set backs are all part of it. Every time I think of those missing fig trees I think of someone miles from my home, coming out in the morning to check on storm damages, and finding five little fig trees--stakes and all--planted in his front yard and wondering where they heck those come from! I should have sewn their names and address into their underwear =D!

Teri - What a tale! I have never heard of newly planted small trees being blown away. I guess it's likely, since such high winds would only break established trees which are anchored in the ground. I really admire your persistence!

Maybe you should cover yourself by planting several in pots so you could drag them to shelter if needed. I always put a new type fig into a pot since I know its going to be cold here. I can take them into my garage if a really hard freeze is forecast. Of course you had such strange weather you couldn't have planned anyhow.

It seems that after I get some hardened wood which withstood even one Winter, I don't get a freeze back to the ground. Of course, it depends on a reasonable Fall and early Winter making them go dormant. I have always (so far) had them comeback even when frozen to the ground.

Paul

Terri,
here is a pic of B-17G #1. It and B-17G #2 were both planted at the same time (Spring 2009) as just rooted sprigs, about 5" above ground.

B-17G # 2 is the pic I attached earlier today. I think you can tell that there is quite a difference in size . I don't know if it's just due to the pot size or due to #1 always being outside (up against the S. wall of my deck). #2 stayed inside getting its sun through a S. facing window. #1 has 7 figs and #2 has 3 figs. I think the figs are about half grown.

Paul

pbyrley, you are probably right! I should plant a few in pots and put them in the shed/greenhouse for winter. That is good advice. =~) Those are some really good looking figs in the photos you sent!

We weren't really expecting such weather as this past winter was probably a 50 year winter. We've only been in Texas for four years now. We had a number of limbs down during that same storm and over the winter we've lost several oak trees in the wooded area to the side of our pasture. The doors were also blown off of one of our buildings. I've had a couple of established roses ripped straight up out of the ground and plopped back down, roots and all, right next to the beds from wence they came.

But I still am bound and determined to get a number of figs established at our house. I think I will plant in the fall, spring seems to be kind of wild here in Texas! And then on to other fruits. Maybe cherries.......

Terri, maybe get a couple started in pots right now and transplant them in Nov. If you use larger pots than seem to be needed, you can leave them in the pots longer if needed. I haven't had good luck with bare root figs. Most of my trees here are rooted from a friend's cuttings or were rooted from a tree I had before I moved here. (e.g., the black mission fig and the Celeste fig). My LSU Gold was shipped potted and has done well.

I was curious why you selected 10 Celeste fig trees instead of an assortment. There are so many varieties and they do have different figs, some ripe at different times of the Summer. If you go to Home Depot right now, you may find several varieties in pots.

This web sit looked interesting to me. You may want to read it too:
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/pljune99.htm#fighybrid

The main thing is you probably won't get weather again like you described before and when your trees get well rooted, you will have good luck with whatever figs you plant.

Oh, I got the 10 Celeste (bare root) as they were being sold in a ten bundle package at the nursery for a really good price. I figured I could give at least a few away to neighbors. And I did--one way or the other! My objective is to definitely get an assortment. I'll be checking into getting some rooted cuttings of figs once I get the rooted cuttings of roses I got this spring settled in. I do love figs! I have a few pots that would be good for growing on smaller figs. And we are planting pine trees like mad in an attempt to get a wind block going for a couple of acres around the house. I have a couple of sheltered areas on the south side of the house and I could get figs and other small trees going there.

I'll just have to learn to adapt to this weather. Texas can be that way--or so I was told by an old timer at this past New Year's Eve party. It is very hard for me to just keep to one thing at a time, but when setting up new beds in 89+ degree heat I'm learning to stop trying to bite off more than I can chew!

I love that dog! She (?) looks like she or he is sellecting a fig to eat! =D

Now I understand! My Black Mission fig is over 10 years old now and last year I had the best crop ever! I keep allot of low branches on it to make them easy to reach. I didn't fertilize it hardly at all last year because I just couldn't afford to. So this year I am going to hold off again and see what happens. I am sure it's roots go all through the yard and it gets plenty of run off fertilizer from all the container plants I fertilize on a regular basis.
This winter I also took a few small branches and just stuck them into a five gallon can of pottimg mix to see if they would root. And they did! So now I am wondering if figs are grafted onto root stock like most other fruit trees, or if they can just be grown straight from cuttings and seed. Because I also have five little baby figs I've repotted that came up in the bed of leaves I keep under the tree for mulch. Does anyone know?

I don't grow from seed so no comment in that respect, but I root from cuttings, so easy, you can do it in your sleep, practically. Just need to keep cuttings moist, w/o overwatering.

And your cuttings don't need to be grafted onto some sort of generic root stock later on? I am hoping to relocate to a larger property and I want to make sure I can bring a few figs along with me! It will be sad for me to leave all of the trees I planted here over 10 years ago. All I can do is hope that a fellow gardener takes my place and appreciates them. So the bumper crop of cherries ripening is sort of making me sad because it could be my last one with my two trees. Most of my fruit trees are in my front yard. They had a duel purpose when I planted them. Fruit and shading the front of the house from the scorching afternoon sun of summer. So I walk under the cherries to get to my front door. The fig is more to the side and shades this office.
The rooted fig branches have graduated to a bit of sun this afternoon.

pedrick, no, we don't need to graft to any kind of rootstock (unlike citrus). If I were in your position, having to leave your lovely trees, I would be crying non-stop. On the other hand, the new place may offer opportunities to try out new stuff.

The horticulturist at Raintree Nurseries is the nicest and most patient lady. You can give her a call and ask re: graft vs. own root in your area. I bet the ones you rooted will be legit. Blk Mission, yum!

That is a relief! As the branches are doing so well. So is a branch from an asian pear.
I will only give this place up if and when I find a better and larger place!
My yellow plum out back is my "break" room and my potting bench is underneath it. It is huge and grew from a seed of a Satsuma I spit out 15 years ago and let grow in a large container, then brought with me when I moved here. It produces gallons of golf ball size plums that are like honey.
My asian pear was a bareroot that just sat there until July of one year doing nothing. I finally told it that in four weeks, I was going to give up and pull it out. Four weeks later a little leaf appeared Now it is a big tree and I am really going to miss the big crispy apple shaped pears it produces. But I am pretty certain I am going to have to either graft the branch that has rooted or invest in buying new bareroots.

Scare tactics are very effective in my garden, too, lol

My black mission is 6' tall but is still having some kind of nutritional problems - looks like iron deficiency in roses (yellow streaks in the green leaves.) I am trying Ironite brand fertilizer and next, I am going to scatter some of the expensive lime that Lowes is selling now. The black mission is planted near my blueberries which do fine, therefore, the fig may need a higher pH.

Any comments from anyone?

BTW, this black mission is the rooted "child" of the one in the pic, when we lived in Huntersville (Charlotte) NC.

Hi All-

There sure is some great information here! I just put in a black mission, about 4 feet tall, and the leaves are starting to turn yellow. I'm pretty sure I'm either over watering or underwatering. The problem with this is that watering MORE may be just the wrong thing to do.

I live in the SF bay area. We've had a very wet spring. It is planted in a newly double-dug, mounded area, so I know drainage is good.

Any advice?

Thanks - Patty

they are such tough plants, probably if you back off on the watering, it will recuperate. just stop for about 15 days and look for new foliage. that would be a pretty good sign that it's recovering.

Well, I scattered a little of the good lime and also some Ironite fertilizer and the leaves seem to be looking much better now. I think the Ironite did the trick. I still see no little figs on this tree and may have to wait still another year. All my other fig varieties seem to be doing well but I really liked this black mission when I lived near Charlotte, NC and hope I can get it re-established. (My black mission tree now is a "rootling" from the black mission near Charlotte)

happygirl345, I agree with vossner - and yes, it sounds like too much water to me!

Here is a pic from about 2005 of my Charlotte black mission fig.

Oh happygirl345, another thought - fig roots are very shallow and I would highly recommend some good mulch around the tree out to about 3 feet all around. I have used pine mulch (not bark) but any kind of organic mulch would be very helpful to hold moisture and to cool the roots. If you have a source of compost (not cow manure stuff from the HD) that would be good. I used my lawn mower to bag a mix of lawn grass and Fall leaves and that worked well.

Paul

Here is B-17G #2 after I planted it outside my garage last week. I got confused on the numbers and got it backwards in the above comparisons of size. B-17G #2 is the larger one. There is a volunteer tomato in the pot so I will have some salad with my figs.

Okay - I will back off on the water and put a nice thick layer of mulch all around... THANKS!

Patty,
You have 2 great sources of information in California: California Rare Fruit Growers and UC Davis' The California Backyard Orchard

Figs can be difficult to get established. For that reason figs don't normally have the same replacement warranty that you get with other fruit trees. Figs do need good drainage and many parts of the Bay Area have heavy clay. On the other hand, if a raised mound is very steep, not enough water may be penetrating into the soil because of run off. Before you hold back on the water, check down about 2" - 4" to see if the soil is wet. If you amended the soil mound, but did not create a transition layer between it and the native soil, the fig tree may not be able to send roots into the native soil.
http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/fig.html
http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/Fruits_&_Nuts/Fig/