I bought this dwarf (EDIT: correction, after some research this is NOT a dwarf after all) fig tree from a nursery about 7 years ago and it STILL has not produced any fruit!  I have read that some trees can take up to 6 years to mature and start producing fruit, so I have been very patient.  But now that I am past that milestone, I am starting to get frustrated and don't know what else to try.  Any ideas??  

It was about 2 feet tall when I got it, and I planted it in the ground.  Now it's grown to a very healthy 7-8 feet tall and about 10 feet wide, with very healthy leaves... many larger than my open hand. The first 3 years I watered it regularly, but never used any fertilizer, and it grew like crazy... also I never really pruned it except for dead branches/leaves once every winter.

Now the last 4 years I stopped all watering and it just keeps growing!  Again, no fert, no water, no pruning.  I am in zone 7b in north Atlanta, GA and it's planted in a half-shaded part of my yard next to a grape vine that is also thriving.  

My wife bought this from an nursery online, and we are pretty sure it's Brown Turkey, but there is a 10% chance it could be black mission.

Thanks in advance for any advice to get this tree producing some fruit!  Otherwise I am giving up and putting it in the wood pile!

 

After 7 years, I think it may be time to move on. The great thing is that some people love the fig trees for Decoration purposes. Fig Trees make good shade trees.....you may want to air layer some branches and pot them and try some grafting. One year I was having a high percentage on grafting this year none.

It's probably a seedling and won't give you fruit.

Does it even produce small figlets?  Or is it completely barren?

My thought is that if it hasn't produce fruit by now, it's probably not going to where you are.  I would recommend getting a proven variety for your climate.  I for one really like Green Ischia, and it should do OK for you.  Another is Celeste or Hardy Chicago.  God bless.

I've noticed that some fig varieties will bear fruit only if they have older wood. If you're getting totally new growth from ground up each year, the tree might not be able to bear fruit as it focuses most of its energy on growing new branches. This is one of the reasons I'm very careful on how I prune my Celeste. I did some heavy pruning on some of my fig trees in pots this year and many of them came back aggressively in the form of shrubs while the fig count dropped dramatically.
Your tree does not look like a Celeste to me. There are several strains of Celeste and based on how productive my Celeste is, you probably have the wrong tree.

You have a healthy looking tree. What I would do, is fertilize with organic composted turkey manure and give it more time.

hello,

the tree looks healthy meaning that the root system is adapted to ur climate and its good rootstock for grafting. so if i was u:

1. water the tree 1 day before grafting and water it normally after grafting also e.g. weekly. spring/summer grafting can be done april-august, the earliest the better since it will give time to new graft to grow.. but now its doable also...

2. i can see 2 diagonal branches. remove all growth everywhere, except of the two branches. dont touch the 2 branches at all. find fresh cuttings from 2 varieties suitable for ur climate (others in this forum can consult u better on this).

the cuttings must be taken from fruiting branches,not suckers or else the new tree it ll take years to crop...find healthy swollen (not open/ leafing) buds and do chip grafts 1m from ground(or lower if u want a lower future trunk, albeit higher is better, its where the juices move)  ..  for how to chip graft there are many topics: e.g see reply 17 in topic (http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/chipbud-grafting-4743760?highlight=chip+grafts&pid=1290694496). this is very simple. its like removing a bud from ur tree and replacing it with an identical chip of the new variety... any good knife can do, just careful with the fingers

after u do the chip graft (better use parafilm grafting tape, which will insulate it and protect it from rain/water/mist/sun) and u secure it tightly with rubber band, make an aluminium foil cup and kinda shade the chip graft to protect it from excessive sunlight which will dry it before the union heals

3.in about 2-3 weeks, the bud will open/leaf out. now remove foil and prune 2cm above the graft union, to have the plant sending all its energy onto ur 2 buds. remove also the leaves  and buds below the union, since u want this segment to become the trunk of ur new tree and u want all energy on ur new shoots

4.done...next year u ll have fruits


hope i ve helped. it may sound complicated but in essence its really simple pure logic

Русский карликовый. Breba.      

Hello.

I'm struggling with fruitless fig trees as well have a post up.

https://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/beautiful-trees-no-fruit-8173255?pid=1292831695

Perhaps there's something there that helps you...

If you do find some particular thing that works for you please let me know. 

One thing I noticed on your post. You mentioned the possible need for fig wasps. I would assume that even if yours is a variety that requires them....You's still need something for the wasps to pollinate....

Try pinching tips off branches. Give it 3-4 weeks.
If still no figs, not much hope.
My trees try to produce their first year in ground, 7 years is
way beyond the ability to fruit.


Doug

I just pinched them all for the first time. Now I'm waiting anxiously.

Wish ya luck.
Many times it's all you need to jump start a fig to fruiting.

Doug

Fingers crossed. I may try Epsom salts as well. I've had amazing results using it on other plants

If it is growing in shade,That is why,no fruits.
When in pot,it is forced and will make some fruits in shade,but if in ground in shade,usually no fruits,or a couple a year.
This post is about Mulox large fig!

Not that. It's in full sun all day

Your dwarf leaves look consistent with Black Jack (maybe a dwarf CBT variety?). Can't imagine why not fruiting for you after 7 years. Yikes! I've never met a fig that didn't produce [some version of] a fig by its 3rd year unless absolutely starved of light.  I think Dennis snaglpus  has some black jacks that do well for him in NC maybe he can  give a positive ID.

hi pino,

initially i thought that u had to have same age/thickness to have a successful chipgraft

but gradually and after many tests, i m successful with chipgrafts where there is variation of age/thickness.. provided u manage to give good cambium contact... this is easier to do, as u can appreciate, when u have same age/thickness of the branch and of the scion (cutting). cutting cant be more than 1y old, mostly for practical reasons since its difficult to remove a piece from the 2y wood which is hardened
i ve succesfully done

scion 1y to branch 1y
scion 1y to branch 2,3,4,5y(again, provided u can give good cambium contact)
scion 1y to branch of this year (i.e. green shoot)
scion this year (i.e. green shoot) to branch of this year (i.e. green shoot)

hope i ve helped

a

Hello Mulox,

I am new to fig tree growing and the forum but I have a couple of observations.  One, you said this is a dwarf tree variety, but it appears to be well over 6ft tall.  That seems like a big size for a dwarf variety.  Is it possible that the plant is putting it's energy into new growth every year versus setting fruit?  I have read in John Seymour's " The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It" that he grew fig trees in concrete boxes buried in the ground.  The reasoning behind this is that when a tree is planted in good soil, it grows very large but it may not set fruit for a very long time.  This is because the roots spread so much farther than the top of the tree that a severe imbalance is caused, nourishment from the roots cannot reach the branch tips. 

I hope his helps.

Best,

Craig A. Boyer

Make sure the fig is in full sun,i mean 10 hours a day or better,and ,if not make full sun by chopping down near trees.
and when in full sun,spread a couple of limestone bags around the trees,working it into soil,but careful not to cut roots in the process.
Once you have done that,you will have fruits,next year,out of this Black Jack fig,because that is what this plant is.!
One can't have fruits from a fig in shade,in ground,with possible acidic soil.!

Thanks Andrea,
Exactly what I needed to know!

There are so many great figs that are great producers after a couple of years and easy to grow.
When I run into a stubborn one like this fig appears to be after 7 years.  I would take the opportunity and make a rootstock out of it and graft my desirable varieties unto it.  It may prove to be very good at that given the healthy growth.