I bought an Hollier two years ago. It looked normal and grew well in a 1 gallon pot the first year. Up potted it to a 3 gallon nursery pot in Spring of year 2 before it started to break buds. It started OK and put on a few figs. As the figs were growing it got attacked by scale. After finding out the problem and solution here on the forum, I corrected the problem. The figs went on growing and then split in the strangest of fashion. They basically turned themselves inside out real weird. In the fall I planted it in the ground. It overwintered well and started budding in early Spring. The tree never grew. About 6 weeks ago a sprout came off the main trunk at ground level and now it has grown way past the original tree. Since I want a tree and not a bush, should I let the vigorous sprout grow and cut the main trunk or vice versa.

A couple of pictures of the splitting figs from last year.




The tree as it is right now with the vigorous sprout zooming upward and onward.

Looks like you stepped on it! LOL

Hi Gene,
in short - yes you can take that tallest one stake it to grow straight and cut off the rest if thats what you want.

Dom, yes it looks that way but as you see it is the way it was on the tree.

Thanks for reply Martin, that's what I was thinking of doing, same as I did for the  Ischia Black except it is still in a 3 gal pot and doing well. It has 6 figs on it and looks great. I post pictures later.
"gene"


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Is that coming off the tree or from the roots?

Gene, may I ask if you picked up the tree from a seller in LA?  No need to name names, this is why I am asking:  http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5095423

Jason, yes I did along with a whole bunch of other ones. This is the only one that developed any problem and only when it was on its second year. I had it next to all my other ones and none of them developed and scales or any other problem.

I remember your post about the borer or what ever.  What became of the cutting, did it grow.

Dom, it is growing from the trunk right at the soil line.
"gene"

The cutting has died, best I can tell.  I was going to show you while here, it was one of the bare cuttings against the wall.

Based on what I'm hearing from you, it sounds like you had an almost identical experience.  Also in the same year, same sickness.... almost too strange to be coincidence.

I am not upset and would still buy from the same source.

Does one cut down on their exposure to problems like this and RKN when we get cuttings instead of plants?

RKN is out of the picture with cuttings.
Proper inspection of cuttings could save you from scale.

Thing is, it is not clear why Gene and I both had such a bizarre Hollier experience which seems related (to me, at least). Only one variety of plant out of several purchased is affected and with very odd symptoms.

Scale usually overtakes sickly plants. Maybe the original wood is from a sick or dying tree? But sick with what? And why the latency on showing symptoms?

I'm just glad the other plants are unaffected and it hasn't spread to my flock, whatever it is (must not be contagious)

Gene,

Dig it out and burn it and I will replace it for you in the Fall.

Mine comes from a real good source. I've seen the mother tree and it gets loaded with figs.

Rafed, I'll take your option into consideration. The problem is the new shoot is so healthy looking. I will let it grow a while longer since it hasn't caused any trouble to any other tree.

Thanks everyone for the input.
"gene"

Gene,

Is something still wrong with the original part of the tree?  And did it have borers as well?  I would air layer the new growth and get it away from the roots.  The new shoot looks very good and healthy.

I have noticed that when my little trees have put out shoots, some of them, as was the case of the Black Celeste, grow faster and stronger than the original tree.

I sawed the Black Celeste in two and the newer shoot took off, but only has leaves at the top of it and the original tree has taken off and has grown well, too, but there was never anything amiss with it, it just looked stunted.  Dalton said it would leaf out this season and do well and it has.

noss