Hello All;

I was out of the country for a month in June. Meanwhile there was a heat wave. My house mate was not as aware of the necessity to be diligent with the watering as they are in pots. I have been watering them but the buds and leaves have been dried out. I checked the ends of the limbs and stem. They are woody and not flexible like all my other fig bushes and trees.

Are my trees entirely dead? Or, can they regrow from the roots? Should I continue to water them in case the roots can make it and grow again?

Thank you,
Jed

I would try to water for a few weeks and see if you can bring them back, but in my experience when the leaves drop and branches wither it's not a good sign. Mostly it happens if the cutting can't make roots properly but occasionally from accidents. I am sorry for your plant losses..

Probably, but keep watering them, and see what happens. You have nothing to loose by trying, and maybe something to gain. ;-))

Figs typically come back from buried wood if they come back at all.  Once you have them well hydrated I'd add some very dilute fertilizer (1/4 - 1/2 houseplant strength).  Putting them in the shade also helps.  I've had trees come back after months of looking dead.  I also bury as much wood as possible for that reason.  Once you see a green bud get it used to full sun gradually but as quickly as possible.  I start with 5 minutes every 4 hrs and go up from there.  Don't over water while you're waiting for it to come back.  Optimum temps are probably 75 - 80.

Being close to fall makes this more difficult.  If they come back in September they don't have much time to accumulate energy for dormancy.  Living in Sacto will help a lot with that as will fertilization.

I had noticed they came back below soil level but never really thought about it, thanks for pointing that out!

Thank you all. I will keep watering. I will move them into the shade and I will keep it mind about the fertilizer as well.