Thanks bullet for your link... this is exactly what I was needing... probably because my tree is so young and too much cold lately... I still am wondering though about what to fill the crack with until it gets warm??? any suggestions???         

Although I doubt this is the reason -- cicada females will split pencil sized branch ends to lay their eggs. Looking out over my back yard this year it was amazing how many branches had browned from these little critters.

Hey figster.  I'm not sure how cold it has gotten where you are but the damage does look like cracking due to freezing. I know most of the country has experienced some extra cold temps so far this winter. Your tree may do some dying back because of this. If it does, I would just wait to see where any new growth may start growing from before trimming off any dead wood.

If you really want to fill that crack you could use wet clay. If you have a local, natural, source that would work fine. You could also "make" some clay mud by using certain kitty litters. Some of the cheapest, most basic cat litters are 100% clay. Just read the label to make sure before purchasing a bag. Mix some up with water until you get the consistency of modeling clay (or thereabouts). Then just pack it in wherever yo need it. You may have to re-apply it after heavy rains.

I've gotten natural clay just by digging down a foot or so on my own property. I've used it with good results to patch up the top of larger rootstocks (2"+) when grafting persimmons.

Hope this helps.

I had damage like that last year and although some branches leafed out and did not have much damage the trunk showed more cracking as the season went on because the live strips of cambium in the trunk swelled. It only grew maybe 6-12" and then quickly fruited, although the friggin figs all had dry spots on the bottom because they could not get enough water through the trunk to develop correctly. I am going to prune it back to a sucker but looking back I wish that I had removed the whole trunk last spring. 

I am not saying that will happen with your tree for sure but thought you would like to hear my experience. 

I would make air layers in the Spring and leave nothing damaged on the in-ground trunk.  Until then I'd cover it with something water repellant like coban/vet wrap to keep it from splitting more in the next freeze.  I think packing anything in there makes splitting further more likely unless it made it impossible for water to enter.

It's funny.. the trunk on mine doesn't show any damage what-so-ever yet!!  but i've had it covered by leaves almost all winter and a thick pile of them at that...

So you have 2 splits there.. If it were me, I would following rcanters advice based on those pictures.  As those branches grow and get heavier, they are bound to break due to weakness.  Granted, it may be a few years till then... but...

I would air layer the two side branches right above the split and also the tree top right above the top split branch.  That sill leaves a good tall base (close to 3 feet?) that should put out all new branches.  And you might even be able to root the in between waste material (leave a bud above the top split).  When it roots, plant it deep enough to cover the splits.

Good Luck!  Let me know if you want to get together and compare figs :)

Edit:  I left that part out (Thanks Bob),  After the air layers, cut off the damaged part just below the bottom split.  That would be the piece I meant about rooting as a new tree.

What I mean is cut all damage off from what remains in the ground.

Hi TheFigster,
The choice is yours, but I'll give you my opinion :
You "must" find a way that rain and water don't get in .
If water gets in the wounds, the crack will grow wider during the freeze unfreeze during the winter.

Those branches are weakened, and leaving them like that is, I think, not the best option .
I would shorten the branches while leaving 2 or 3 nodes of the branches to the tree.
If you want to save that strain, try to root the cuttings right now - to see if something is still alive in them.
Whatever the option you take, I would put a plastic bag over the tree to avoid water to get in the wounds.

I have a tree with such a wound at 50/70 cm from the ground - a February 2012 wound . The wound is in between two branches, and the half upper part of the bark died/dried out .
Believe me or not, the stem is still performing well and it did fruit for me this year 2013.
That stem is on my actual bigger fig tree - that (after pruning still) has 4 or 5 stems growing from the ground and is some 1m70 in height after pinching .

So there is still hope ! While growing the tree will heal those wounds. Spring will tell .

Figster:

Try smearing the splits with a soft, wax.  Wax rings that are used to seal toilet bowls works great.  The rings are cheap, and the wax -at room temps. - is soft and pliable.  You will be able to scrape off some wax and with your warm fingers, smear those cracks full of wax, which will prevent water from re-entering the crack, getting under the bark, and then,  when re-freezing, cause more splitting.  Before sealing the cut with the softened wax, dust the open bark-split with powdered cinnamon....then, seal with wax.  Tie the affected branches to the stake, and take the downwards pressure off them.  The branches will sag when they are once again loaded with leaves.  As the branches get thicker and stronger, the bark splits will heal over.  Alternatively, you could tie the affected branches to the central main-stem, to prevent sagging, due to weight, ice, snow wind, etc.  In other words....do what it takes to stop those branches from bending downwards.

By the way, I use this 'cinnamon and sealing wax' method to coat/protect all pruning cuts, and seal off the ends of cuttings used for rooting.


(Personally, I think the bark splits are the results from freezing/thawing cycles).  They will eventually heal over as new cambium rolls into the bark cracks.

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GENERAL QUESTION TO FORUM MEMBERS: 

HAS ANYONE EVER USED "WILT-PRUF" TO COAT BARE BRANCHES...TO HELP PREVENT DESICCATION AND BARK-SPLITS?  I read that WILT-PRUF can be brushed onto the exposed branches, and mainstems, using a foam brush.

Would a coat of "white-wash" prevent these kind of bark-splits?  My trees show some of the same damage from splitting bark....I'm thinking about either trying the whitewash, or "WILT-PRUF". 

I would rather not have to deal with cracking bark if it could be prevented.


Frank

if the issue is due to dry weather and sudden increase in water intake, solution is keeping the soil moist at all time, and not giving large amount of water when the tree is waking up. but with trees in ground. how do you do that? if the issue is freezing and thawing.. i guess you can protect the tree so it won't freeze over. 

If this issue is in fact, weather related, i.e. expansion of juicy bark tissue, freezing, then shrinking....which opens up splits in the bark, there would be no effective way to prevent this from happening to in-ground trees in colder climates.  Water at the roots cannot be controlled.  Neither can the  freeze/thawing cycles, and weather conditions.  In ground trees are at the mercy of Mommy Nature....period.

You may get a break if the trees are buried, and heavily mulched.  But that kind of treatment would always limit the size of the tree....and  the side branches will need to be  tied to the trunk like a Christmas tree, before the burial.  It's a lot of work.

Bottom line:  Growing fig trees in less than ideal climates will always give the grower some agita.   There is really no control once tree is in the ground.


Frank

sometimes i'm rather glad i'm going with container culture. our weather has been rather cold for our area recently. this morning it was 18 F outside. it doesn't go that low too often here. 

May be a hard pill to swallow.
But
Its best to cut it bellow any cracks even if that means chopping way down low and having just the main left with no branches new ones will form next season from nodes on main trunk.

Its a mission and should grow like a weed like Mission is known for and should grow to same size the following year.

Steve,

Just wanted to add to the wax reply. Last summer I bent a large aggressive shoot coming out the main trunk of my white nectarine to see if it would train into a good new scaffold branch. It broke out of the main trunk leaving a large hole. I filled the hole like suggested above with a brush and hot wax. It has healed up rather nicely.

Vic I just saw your posted pics... If that's the damage you were talking about then it's nothing horrible. I thought I would see a greater split damage like all along the branch , even the hardwood split. In the pics what I see is just a retracted cambium/bark, you can just brush that area with melted paraffin and leave it alone. It will fill up within few months as the tree gets a burst of grown soon due to warming weather. Don't wrap the branch with anything. ;)