Hi guys,

Looking for opinions on my fig tree. I'm new to growing figs (and fruit trees in general).

Background:
San Jose Zone 8b/9a
Violette D.B. (purchased from Trees of Antiquity, planted as bare root whip in February)

About 70 days later here we are. The leaves are curling and some have been eaten by a bug. There was a spider web on some leaves (I left it figuring it had to be a predator of pests, the spider was small but larger than mites).

I haven't fertilized, it's in a half wine barrel with some native soil and potting soil mixed. If anything I underwater, maybe going every 7-10 days in between (although that is only the past 3 weeks, previously it was the rainy season and it was getting lots of water). It gets lots of sun exposure, mulched with pine shavings, every time I stick my finger down there it feels cool and there is a little moisture.

Any opinions? Is this a healthy fig tree despite some partially eaten leaves and curling?

thanks
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/46978620@N03/5673044826/" title="006 by PicPicsPicsBaby!, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5270/5673044826_2b706234f8.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="006"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/46978620@N03/5673045068/" title="007 by PicPicsPicsBaby!, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5065/5673045068_54be2996e6.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="007"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/46978620@N03/5672477133/" title="009 by PicPicsPicsBaby!, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5108/5672477133_2e2e30a7c3.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="009"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/46978620@N03/5673045602/" title="011 by PicPicsPicsBaby!, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5309/5673045602_b3bd350d9c.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="011"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/46978620@N03/5672477885/" title="008 by PicPicsPicsBaby!, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5181/5672477885_dc2104ca55.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="008"></a>

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All right I didn't figure it then....here are direct links to pics

http://flic.kr/p/9DiR4w
http://flic.kr/p/9DfW3R
http://flic.kr/p/9DiQP5
http://flic.kr/p/9DfVPT
http://flic.kr/p/9DiQDS
http://flic.kr/p/9DiQzG

Have you looked around, under the pots and other areas where slugs or snails can hide? They have eaten parts of of lot of my fig tree leaves.  Sometimes you can see a slime trail also.  Some of the leaves look like maybe sunburn.  I also have found small caterpillers that have wrapped the leaves so that they look a little like a green cigar

Those catepillers are they the same as on the roses? If so use spinosad and it will drop them dead and it organic fungi.  I think it can be bought as Monteray Garden Spray.

what can you tell us about the soil composition of your native soil and what potting soil did you use? Also, what ratio of each did you use?

1/2 native soil (mix of sand/clay, well balanced, had soil tested by local lab) 1/2 potting mix (used, I had the barrel full of herbs and took them out for the fig) remixed the mix with native soil.

The fig does get lots of sun, its southwest facing backyard, no shade, San Jose. I whitewashed the trunk. I gather from your responses that this is not normal then. I'm open to suggestions and thanks for looking....

Just for comparison sake, two pics of Peter's Honey Fig in a large planter right behind the wine barrel. No eaten leaves but some slight curling. Same history as VDB, Bare Root Whip, etc etc. I pulled rose bushes out of this large container and stuck the fig in there...

http://flic.kr/p/9DqNN1
http://flic.kr/p/9DqNHQ

Check the leaves about 10 o'clock at night and see what you find.

I think your problem may be dry soil. Look at the chart and see what your soil composition is. Sand is very porous and fast-drying. Another problem is probably the over-sized container. Though tempting, using an over-sized container will not actually improve growth. Makes watering less efficient, reduces aeration, and allows waste to build up and remain in the container. Good luck!

- I checked 10:30pm with a flashlight, just found a couple of spiders.

- I put in the large container because I didn't want to re-pot it later. Seemed easier just to put it in it's final container. But now I'm thinking that aeration could be a problem, there aren't enough roots in the soil to create space.

I could downsize the container, it's leafing out now though. Maybe I should let it play out in the barrel for the summer and re-pot when dormant (if it has a bad summer). I thought figs did well in lots of soils, and were easy to grow. Yet I'm messing it up somehow!

I go from small pot to the next size up until I final up with a 3Gal pot, them the plant/tree goes into the ground!

Hi Ohjustaguy,
my opinion only
Your plant is young and i personally believe that hot sun beating down on it all day long is causing heat stress to your leaves and possibly coupled with too little moisture or too much in that half whiskey barrel.
Curling of leaves is its natural response mechanisim.

You may want to put plant in full to semi shade and out of afternoon sun and see how it responds after a week or two.
In this condition i would not fertilize it.

Just my opinion . 
 - but if mine i would get plant out suns exposure for now.

Diesler....

I'll give it a go....easy to fix that (actually 1/2 barrels full of dirt are heavy, I have to use a hand truck to move it). It's in a more shaded spot for tomorrow. I think you may be right because as far as I know the fig was getting sun from rise to set.

You think the curl on the PH Fig justifies attention? Not as bad as the VDB, I could put a shade cloth in front of it until it grew some.....

You had plants for about 70 days you mention , how long have they been in barrel and were were they before being planted in your barrel.

They've been in those spots the whole time. Shipped bare-root and planted their upon their arrival.

I see , well let us know how they start looking in near future .
Im thinking shade will help them bounce back or you may have a watering problem - to little perhaps too much.

I think Martin has given you some good advice.  To me it looks like heat stress and/or under watering.  One way to test if you're under watering would be to give it a generous watering in the evening.  Check the tree again in an hour or so and see if the leaves look less curled and stressed.  7 to 10 days between waterings is a long time to go for a plant in a container, even in a half barrel.

Well i moved it last night and watered it today.....we'll see if that helps. Thanks for the input.....

One thing that I have found is that my in ground trees can take any amount of direct sun and  heat, (over 110 degrees for days at a time), but my potted plants can not.  I have read where some members go so far as to paint their pots white.   I think  the roots heat up much more in pots than in the ground.  

Perhaps a little cover or protection for the pot is in order as well?

Hi Centurion,

You are right about the roots getting hot in pots.  They do and I think it really stresses the trees.  I don't think even white pots keep the roots cool enough.

Someone on one of the forums had trees in pots and had them up on racks that I believe shaded the pots with wide boards.  I want to try putting a low fence along the place where I have the pots, that will shade the lower part of the tree and pot.  Now I have to convince Mike to help me build this little fence.....

noss

I just use an unused raised bed. On one end is a piece of shadecloth to protect the newly rooted cuttings.

Hi Ruben,

If I put up a low wooden fence (decorative) that would shade my pots and the root area of the potted trees, do you think that would help them in the heat and brutal sun here?

noss

@noss,

The shade would definitely keep the root mass cooler. However, blocking one side will not be enough if the pots are oriented on a North/South axis unless there is already shade on the opposite side. Mine are on that axis and both sides are essential for shade during the entire day. Good luck!

just noticed my negronne is about same as the tree in the picture. not as curled up, but i noticed that it is some what curled. i have paradiso and kathleen's black also, but they look fine. they are all in same potting soil, and get water at the same time. uaually paradiso and kathleen's black droops a little when they need water, but i haven't noticed that with negronne.

i left mine out on last frost and i thought the leaves and terminal bud were just damaged. new leaves coming out are flat and nicer.

pete

Well, it's been about 9 days and seems to be the same. I think I have a spot to stick it in the ground. Should I do that while it's leafing out like this?

Ordinarily, if it had been in a 2-3 gallon pot, i would say do it. Since it is in such a large planter I would be hesitant. In your case, since the size of the planter is part of the problem, I would say the devil you don't know is better. Good luck.