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Dedicated or Delusional ?

Dedicated or Delusional ?



Hi
 I am new to this Forum and I wanted to share some photos/Info.
This is my first time growing figs.
I live in Brooklyn N.Y.
I caught the bug hard and in three months I bought 25 Figs Trees.
The only problem is I don't have a Backyard, Plot of land or a patch on soil on the ground to put them in.
I  have placed 10 of them on my mothers patio, which is literally on the street because she lives in a Brownstone, and I placed the remaining 15 on her roof!
The Patio has a transparent cover that blocks most of the sun ( it's whole point   )  and its northern facing.
I get a tiny bit of sun in the morning and that's it.
I have tried toi supplement the lack of sun by place three huge 85 Watt CFL grow light, and giving the extra " Bloom booster " fertilizer.
On the Roof, it's a different story... It's a southern face full sun all day Hot House.
If it's warn and sunny on the ground it feels like double on the roof.
to top things off it has reflective silver paint that reflects the heat right back off.
on the Patio the figs are 10 feet from a subway station and and within " reach " of anyone that whats to pick a fig off.
On the roof I need to water twice a day on a warm day.
On a hot day, three times.
But they are doing well, there are figs on the Patio.
and figs on the roof, every tree has figs on them.  ( only 1 and 2 year old trees )
I have no idea where the heck I am going to put them in the winter as I only have a basement and maybe I can fit 10 there.
Like I wrote....Dedicated or Delusional ?


Here is a list of some of my trees.

Lattrula,   Lattrola      Paradiso
Black Jack.    Alma
peter's Honey. Five unknown large Green and Brown figs
Black Madeira.
Sella.  Two Chicago Hardy
Both Sal's  Brooklyn white Osborne Prolific  Atreano  
Verte. Celeste  Melenzana  Sicilian 
and one named " Dominic "

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looks great keep up the good work!!!
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The answer to your question is "yes". Welcome.
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I am not to worried about the trees" taking a walk " as much as a a mean old lady that lives on the block that has said ' you will never get ripe fruit here, it's unnatural,  they are surpossed  to be in the ground "  just two days before a beautiful nearly ripe Paradiso breba fig vanished.  I  JUST Know she took it. disheartening, but I cant let it/her stop me. 


Thanks for the welcome.

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I wish I could loan you some space, but it's a bit of a commute. Still, you might be able to squeeze a few more plants onto the roof! I seem to recall another forum member saying that he stores them indoors for winter by stacking smaller pots on top of the big ones. At any rate, it's a nice delusion, and I expect if you keep at it you'll find a way to make things work. Best of luck to you, and welcome to the forum!
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There is tons more room on that roof! You might look into a little irrigation system to cut down on watering time. Looks good though.
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More figs? irrigation?

don't give me any ideas.
I have more now than I know what to do with.
As it is, I and my mom are afraid the roof may give in because of the weight.
The trees are small but the soil rock much and water weight add up.
the house is over 125 years old.
As it is now the roof feels saggy.
Hopefully my plan is to see which  grow and taste the best, and weed out 15 of  them. keeping ten.
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  • BLB

You really are space challenged! When it comes time for winter protection you can prune back branches and try to get the pots in as close to each other as possible. You may find that you can get more than you though that way. Also, sounds like you have dupilcate trees and that might not be a luxury you can indulge.  I applaud your efforts. That is determination!!!    
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 Is that building owned by your family and if so would it be possible to build an enclosure to store the plants.
By the way i drove the trains here in Chicago similar to the ones there.
 ATU Local 308
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i really like that second picture. remind me of my years in nyc. tho, it was never that clean..

those are very good looking trees you have there.

pete
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I would just go with the roof and maybe look into Self watering containers.


Several reasons:

Can control how much water needed

Set up automated filling with Toro water lines and timers ( I did that from Home Depot)

And last but not least- keeps away from old ladies that think that trolley cars should still be running in front of her home

Yes you are both by the way- I have been committed myself!
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Oldghost,
Welcome to the forum.  I was bitten myself in mid-March, and I own 29 variety and 34 plants--started many from cuttings.  That is NOT counting what will be arriving in November (oh, at least 8 more variety arriving).  So I think your motto applies to me too. 
   You mention the weigh of the containers is brought on by rock, mulch, soil, etc.  Are you using rock to help weight the pots down?  I don't think rock is a necessary component for your figs....group?  

Welcome to the forum, and please let us know which figs you plan on keeping and why, and which ones you want to get rid of....I suspect you will have more than enough people offering to take them off your hands.  

Nice photos, and it is great to see more green in the Big Apple!
Sara 
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Thanks for all the input and advice.

I started using River Stones after seeing the soil dry out in a few hours.
it seems to hold in moisture and protect the soil from the direct sun
n my view looks ( very old worldish ) and works better than wood mulch
it also helps weigh done the pots, preventing them from tipping over with strong wind or rain.
I also learned to tie a group of them together minimizing them falling over, since its wide open up there the wind tends to be stronger, and to wrap the pots in heavy Duty  Aluminum foil.
It really helps reflect the heat/sun off the pots, keeping them cooler.

Nick.

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This is my type of green roof!
What about the other side of the roof, where you were standing to take the pictures, any sun there? If you built some troughs out of 2x4s and set one end up on the exterior brick I wall I see on the right and the other end across the roof that would help distribute the weight and keep the containers upright. Is the roof saggy all the way across or is there an interior support wall?

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That's a nice little oasis you have there in the city.  Two extremes only feet apart.  Concrete jungle on one side and paradise on the other.
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I still wished I had a plot of soil....

my mother is freaking out,( Too many Figs, Too many, Who needs so many different fig trees???) I need to climb through the window to get outside.
I am soaked by sweat after a watering.
And I am growing grapes up there too.
Guess I will see come Oct/Now what  to do.
I am more amazed that the Figs are doing so weal on the Patio at street level.
Because of the subway, hundreds of people pass every day.
Most smile as they pass, some comment how pretty it is.
I have Grapes, a dwarf apple and dwarf peach tree growing there.
But no one comments on them.They seem to have no interest in them
On the other hand, Everyone that comments on the patio ONLY mentions the Fig trees.
Very weird...
They talk about their childhood memories, what color and type of figs they are and wanting to know when the figs will ripen and tell me the will guard and protect
the figs for me until that time.
Very sweet

nick.
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Nick, any community gardens around?  I'm going to have to use that route.  I'm talking to two right now about planting figs.  


Have a buddy that has a sod farm.  He and I were going to do giant pumpkins and figs on a side field, but his working partner decided to do some illegal things, - so now they are turning the sod farm into some sort of natural area/wetlands.  Thats why I had to start looking at community gardens.  And they are going to make more money doing that, than with the sod with a whole lot less labor.  Danged if the gov't doesn't pay for a lot of things.
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Nick- How far are you from the new High Line park? I bet you would make lot's of people happy planting your rejects there.
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Hi Nick,
Welcome to the forum.  Nice to see pictures of your fig garden in the big apple.  I read an article a week or so ago that really inspired me to try this next summer with my garden plants.  I have also seen another forum member use this same method with excellent results.

http://www.globalbuckets.org/
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^^^ Beat me to it!

OG- If I were you, I'd definitely give that site above a very close look and then start acquiring as many 5gal buckets as you can get your hands on for free and start drilling. I'd bet you'd cut your watering down to once/day max if not possibly every other day.

I'd also start your planning phase for winterizing, don't wait til the last minute.

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Thanks for the info very interesting.

I am going to take things slowly till Sept.
See what grows well, what fruits well and most importantly what tastes well.
At this point, I really don't mind watering them, it gives me some quite time,
I like looking over the trees to see something new, it has actually been enjoyable.
I feel like I'm in a different place, above the cars, above the noise and the bustle
of the street.

Nick.
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