Hi everyone.  Hope you are having a great Summer and a great growing season.

The Fig Hedge had been a big success.  I water it with a line of soaker hoses.  It works great and it is very easy/low maintenance.

We are in extreme drought right now in the North Georgia Piedmont, and the temperatures got up to 107-108 several days in a row.  No problem though: Soaker hoses to the rescue.  I just turned them on and problem solved.  All the figs look great.  But . . .

Turns on a section wasn't working and I didn't notice it until today, when I saw yellow leaves.  About 6 fig trees lost about half of their leaves.  They are loaded with fruit.

For some of our more experienced hot climate Figgers, my questions are: 1) How serious is it when you lose about half the leaves?  Are the trees in danger of dying; 2) Other than heavy watering (already done all day today with a new soaker hose) is there anything I could or should do?  Should I remove the fruit?  Part of the fruit?  Just keep them watered and hope for the best?

Thank you my friends.  Other than this, looks like a fantastic fig crop this year.

Best wishes to all.

John

Let nature take its course. It will drop the shriveled leaves. May drop all. It should rebound. As for the fruit, some may be affected and not develop properly. You will know which. Decide then whether to remove them or not. Try not to let it happen again. Good luck!

John, I'd love to see a picture of your hedge!  I would like to do one also.  How long is it?  How many varieties?  Love to know the details!

Don't give up on them, even if they should appear to die.  They may still come back next year.

 JoAnne, here's a link to when he started the project:

Fig Hedge Under Construction

Ya John, post up some updated pics if you have them.

Hi John,

I had an emitter get dislodged from a potted outdoor fig (I think it was an Excel) which then lost all its leaves. I replaced the emitter and it quickly rebounded with no lasting problems.

BTW, the White Hybrid Unknown and LSU Purple are both doing great.

Best,
Ken

No problem,if it lost some leaves.
Leave the fruits on if you started watering again,it will recover just fine.
Here too is a drought with 100+ F starting on July first,and it did not rain much in June.
My older than 5 yrs fig trees do not need watering but the young plants do.
It mean the young do not have deep roots yet at this point so that is Why.
From the older figs only Atreano is begging for water,as it seem that it did not make deep roots ,even now in the sixth year.
Mount Etna type figs (HC ,Sal Gene),are the most drought resistant,out of all of them

Happens with us too.

DITTO to what the others have said...Good advise.

Once they've recovered from dehydration i'd fertilize them. It will enable them to make more leaves and buds more quickly.

Watch your soaker hose's if you are on well water with high mineral content they clog up quickly and stop working.(once they clog up they are trash cant clean them out)Most hose bib connections from house is not treated through most house water sytems and all the minerals clog the hose material.. Even with irrigation systems drip or soaker hose you still need to check your plants every few days a blown hose, clogged emitter or soaker hose could ruin your season. I lost a leg on my drip system last year trees survived but the fruit all dropped from the stress and the fruit is what I do all the work for.... Getting ready to install a drip system for a friend 150 1 gal pots and 130 3-15 gal pots. plus a zone for the in ground trees.

Hi everyone.  And thank you all so very much for the great advice.

I must confess I was more than a little paniced to see our beautiful fig trees losing that many leaves.  All of your advice was right on target though.  I watered them heavily the last two days and they are already growing new little leaves.  Pretty amazing recovery.

Looks like two things went wrong with the soaker hose: 1) I buried it with mulch and it got clogged; and 2) It was running between growing branches on one tree and the growth was pinching it.  Solution: Keep the soaker hose on top where I can see it.  Burying seemed like a good idea at the time.  It wasn't.

Herman is exactly right about the Atreano.  It seems to have taken the biggest hit from the lack of water.  The Latterala also reacted very strongly to the lack of water, but both are showing new growth already.  Good to know about the HC varieties being more drought tolerant.  Thanks Herman.  I have a good spot for three fig trees way up on a hill where watering is tough.  I think HC types would be great there.

The pictures are: 1) The damaged fig trees; 2) A side view of the Fig Hedge; and 3) A view looking up the Fig Hedge.

Thank you again my friends.  Having you here is a great blessing.

Best wishes.

John

Your hedge looks GREAT.   Thanks for the pics.  Post more here any time.  

 

Your hedge is looking just wonderful. Even the damaged tree looks good.

Add water, almost to the point of over-watering, immediately.

You might also add some shade for a few days till they get fully re-hydrated and stabilized.

They will lose leaves, and probably back off on growth for a while. The fruit will probably be OK, since it is not harvest time, yet. I would leave it. If the plant really can't support it, it will shed it.

Hi John,

Your fig hedge is beautiful, Thanks for posting and the great pix.

In general trees have enough energy to replace there leaves two times in one season. If they get stressed the third time there will be major branch damage.
You can sometimes save the tree by a severe pruning to promote regrowth from the base.

Al
Burlington County Nj
Z6

So much on the news about the droughts across the nation.  Droughts are absolutely a disaster, and a costly one too!

Your hedge is a beauty! 

Suzi

 Figs have leaves in the Summer? Just kidding but here in Texas it happens a lot. Good to know about the Atreano - it is the first to show signs of stress here too. How close are those trees? I have mine on 15' centers but a hedge would be easier to maintain in several ways. Thanks.

Yes Atreano needs Watering when young,I just had to water mine today after 5 days of not watering.
I have to be careful to not over water because Breba is getting ripe now and if too much water given will make fruits poor tasting and full of water.
It is a fine line ,it needs just a little water to keep it going till rain comes.