The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap!

I have found this to be true with everything I plant in ground.  First year (in this home less than a year) the new plants seem to be sleeping.  Now, they are creeping up!  Next year, I will see the leap for sure. 

So many of the plants that were neglected and dying when we bought this place are showing huge signs of recovery with just a little water and fertilizer!  We had too many limes from that neglected Bearss Lime, but now, after some love, it's heavily loaded and growing bigger now.  Luckily we love limes.  One of those limes can make a pitcher of Margarita.  They are huge!!  And they are great in Ceviche and Guacamole.

My biggest in ground fig last year, Verte, didn't really sleep... it grew, but now it's growing a foot every 3 weeks and the figs are plentiful and the limbs are thick!

Suzi

Hope that third year leap is actually true. Here's the progress of my original attempt at in ground fig trees. They have been doing pretty well, but I could use a "leap". Actually in the fall from Sept to end of Nov is the best growth period here and hopefully I will get a leap then,

Nov 2, 2012   Purchased at Home Depot on a 1/2 price, end of season special:
Panache                                                               VdB
   

Sept 10, 2013   End of first summer in ground :
Panache                                                              VdB
   

May 22, 2014  Getting ready for their second summer in ground:
Panache                                                               VdB
   
 

Nice photos, Bada Bing!  Love the name (Soprano's Fan)!  I wish I would have taken a photo of my poor, sweet Macadamia that I bought on ebay last year.  It was an air layer from someone local.  We picked it up, planted it down on the hillside by the Apple tree.  There is a drip system down there.  So it struggled it's first year in ground.  It just sort of slept.  We are amazed this spring how it has taken off!  It's just such a pretty tree!  It is full and fat, as is my Verte Fig.  Wow!  It's putting up stems that are 1/2" diamater with figs everywhere!  This is it's second year.  Next year is the leap!  Woo Hoo!!

Suzi

Ive noticed the same thing on a lot of my in ground trees. Especially citrus! They seem to want to spread there roots way before they actually push any growth. Another thing I learned about in ground trees is its hard to over fertilize them. I cant recall ever seeing fertilizer burn on any of my in ground trees but I do tend to have a light hand when it comes to fertilizing. The LSU Purple I put in ground last season was just a stick about 1ft long. At the end of the season it was 6ftx6ft so some varieties are just going to be really aggressive.

LSU gold last year just slept.  Amazed this year, it is creeping up with many figlets!  Next year, I think it will leap!

Suzi

well, i hope that y'all's experience  works for those with sterile soil.

i'm following your lead.

Most of Mine are still in the creaping stage . Its realy boring but as i see now there is a learning curve for growing mature trees in pots so its good for me that they are slow.
I dont know if i realy want the trees to be large. Just need production- if i get 20 figs a crop from a tree is enough .

ah.. planted in ground. try container.. lol

It's true, it has worked that way for most everything i have ever planted. I was introduced the saying crawl, walk, run. But it's all the same.

usually.. with our weather down here.. cutting will have figs on same yr they were rooted. on second  yr, they will definitely have figs. tastewise, they are not really up there.. well, there are exceptions.. but they are running before walking in containers in our area... at least. in ground.. can't say. i never put them in ground before. 

That saying was coined in reference to hostas, but it does apply to some others as well.

Last summer I purchased a Macadamia tree from a local dude on Ebay.  It was an air layer.  We put it in ground and it seemed to just sit there with only a little new growth.  Some leaves turned brown.  This year it turns my head it's growing so fast!  It's all bushy and reaching in all directions.  I think the leap comes next year (I hope).  It's fun to see it so full and green at the moment.

Suzi

Hi,
Here for me it takes 3 to 4 years to have the brebas and main crop - so the leap situation is more on year 4.
Of course that is when none of the winters does kill the figtrees...
Yesterday while checking the trees, I saw that my damn Longue d'aout is at last starting to show some figlets - She has 5 leaves and had no fruit starts for now... There is hope ! I bought that tree 4 years ago and it was a producing rooted
tree of 40 centimeters of height at that time ! But after two bad winters, she is now 50 centimeters in height and ripened zero figs last year and the year before !
Want to test your patience ? Buy "Longue d'aout" !
You are not patient ? Buy "Goutte d'or" - even quicker than my "BrownTurkey" !
Why the hell did I buy LDA first ?