Got some 90ºF temps coming up the next couple of days and I just can't seem to keep my darn trees wet enough.  So I came up with the best solution I could execute in a 20-minute time frame this evening. 

I used a tarp, a couple of 8' iron stakes and some drop ceiling wire.  It is convertible, so I can slide the shade back on rainy days.

Jason,

Make sure you leave a note for the meter reader to not think about taking off with any of your figs.

Thankfully, it's wireless, they don't come into the yards anymore.

I'm more worried about the damned real estate agents doing the caravan of our house tomorrow to give recommendations and insight into whether our list price is too high.

But yes, I do worry about the thought of someone stealing one of my babies :)

I feel your pain Jason.  Our place has been on the market for nearly 8 months.   It's currently listed 15k less than we bought it for two years ago, and we did a lot of improvements when we moved in.

Best of luck selling your house.

Dave
AZ -  Z 10

Thanks.  We have about $60k worth of upgrade in the kitchen alone - we only paid $35k because my father and I did the majority of the work.  We're listing at about $4k more than what a house two down from us (same floor plan) sold for without all the upgrades, so we're hoping for the best.  As long as we break even, I'm happy.  Next home MUST have at least 1/2 acre of unwooded property and room for a greenhouse!!

That is definitely going to help.......

Looks like your soil mix is heavy on the perlite side which makes it hard to hold much water.  Nice looking babies.......

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Jason,
One thing to think about on your tarp.  Remember when it starts to rain the water will collect in the middle and could possible collapse your tarp on to your figs.

Now if you had it "made in the shade..."

This might not help your situation but I'm using privacy lattice from HD to slowly adapt the young cuttings to sunlight. It blocks about 80% of the light to the cuttings. You may be able to slip it over the posts and tie it. Water filters through and light is blocked. I am going to use this to adapt the young cuttings to sunlight slowly.

Just a thought.

........great idea.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Good idea, Dom, I hadn't thought about that.

@Dan, what you are seeing is about 1/4" of perlite I put on top of my mix.  I find that the water seems to soak into the mix better when a layer of perlite is on top.  I'm sure there's some kind of scientific explanation for this, but ... I'll leave that to you ;)

@Cathy, the tarp is retractible.  I usually check the weather in the morning so I know what to wear/expect/etc., I intend to slide it over and tie it back on rainy days to prevent collapse.

Thanks for the compliments and ideas!

I just realized also ... I can hang (using drop ceiling wire) lattice over it... damned good idea.  Will hafta go to Home Depot after work and pick that up!!

Dominick!  Maybe I could make a fence to shade the pots out of that lattice!!!  They even make it in plastic and that might be better for what I want to use it for.  If I could get the wooden lattice with the smaller openings, that would be even better.  I'm so glad I read this thread.

The lattice would be good shade for my herb plants, too. 

Thanks,

noss

Reporting back: it has been two days since I've had to water or found limp leaves on the trees, and these last two days are 15* hotter than the preceding days that caused all the wilting, over 90* outside.

So, I would say it a success at this point. But I still want to convert to lattice for its porosity and lack of ability to hold water.

(previously, even on cooler days, I was watering daily, sometimes twice a day)

I did that too, but for my veggies, I have a lot of leafy vegs still in the ground, and So Cal weather is threatening to go scorching.

You could use a sheet and the rain would just go through
and you would have shade without the worry.
I think weed block would let the water in too.

With the torrential downpours we get here, anything with a tighter mesh than a window screen is subject to collapse in a rapid downpour.

I converted this to use squares of leftover "well seasoned" lattice from someone's back deck.  In a very short period of four weeks and a couple of rains with extreme heat, it has warped heavily.  I am not happy with the weight of the wood on the wire, it makes me nervous.

I placed all of my cuttings rooted a couple months ago outside in the mostly shaded area of this, so you see my flock has increased and the growth is also going great.

I purchased camoflage netting ("hunting blinds") to replace this lattice.  I will re-run my wire with two parallels and a cross, like:   |X|

I will post pictures of the hunting blind material after it comes in and is installed.

We're getting closer!

If you have 2 pots maybe fill with gravel and stick 2 of the taller metal stakes in and string a shorter one across under to act as a cross member

I thought about that - install a center post, and criss-cross to and from it while boxing the outside. 

I'm going to see how heavy the hunting blind netting is while installed and go from there.  I think I will be moving the posts farther apart, which may necessitate the addition post or two. 

Hell, if we can sell our house in the next couple of weeks, we had a contingency offer accepted on a place with almost a one-acre yard that is pretty well shaded in the back, and this would no longer be an issue! 

I think we might need a boatload of prayers to sell our current place, though.  The one person who is itching to buy it has a house they need to sell first also. 

Hi Jason,

Indeed. I just hope it doesn't start thinking it's a fig, given its persistent company! ;)

Jason , your plants are looking great are all these newly rooted ?

What's that dark, loamy-looking stuff on the ground where the soil's supposed to be? Shouldn't it be pale tan, and hard as a rock?