Multiple Varieties: Woven/Braided Trunks?

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clucking

Registered:1416726161
Posts: 4

Posted 1478558508	Reply with quote #1

Hi Everyone! I'm a member of the Arizona RFG chapter of the CRFG, live in Phoenix. At a recent meeting we got to see slides from the members who attended the Festival of Fruit, and one set struck me - the attached photos of 3-varieties planted almost on top of each other, and woven. Clearly is a happy tree/set of trees. My question: I have a relatively newly planted (March of this year, but doing well) Black Mission and a VdB, about 15' from each other, and would like to give this method a shot. I'm thinking of planting a Panache & Texas Blue Giant next to the Black Mission, and a Peter's Honey & Petit Nigra next to the VdB. If I dig down into the roots of already (somewhat) established trees am I likely to kill them? Any advice for this project? Care to dissuade/encourage me? Sorry these are posted on Facebook, I'm encountering errors trying to post them here, hope you can all see them. Thanks! Charlie

tsparozi

Registered:1470160644
Posts: 304

Posted 1478560299	Reply with quote #2

The weaving of distinct varieties together into 1 single conjoined main stem appeals to me although I wouldn't try it in the ground in my area as the challenges of keeping the above ground wood viable from year to year are just too much of a hurdle. I am definitely going to try this in a container albeit a large one and see what happens. The question there is: considering allowances for growth of trunks, how far apart should the individual root balls be placed in a pot to enable optimal growth of the main trunks as they are woven together to achieve the "braid". __________________ Tony S - Zone 6A Carmel, NY WL-Ischia Black (UCD/USDA), Martinenca, Calderona, Victoria, Craven's Craving, Colonel Littman's Black Cross, Bon Jesusa, Sant Martina, Princesa, Paretjal Negra

ross

Registered:1437442979
Posts: 375

Posted 1478561226 · Edited	Reply with quote #3

The biggest consideration is vigor. Is your Black Mission & VdB much larger than the trees you want to plant in the same hole as them? If so this is a bad idea because the new varieties will get shaded out and will eventually be swallowed up. Your best bet is grafting or braiding all the new varieties to each other and not the Black Mission or VdB. __________________ Ross - Zone 6B/7A - Philadelphia My Cultivar List / Pictures! / My YouTube

rcantor

Registered:1309799312
Posts: 5,727

Posted 1478570538	Reply with quote #4

If you want to do it then do it :) The further apart you plant the trunks the longer the braid will stay visible. Eventually they'll merge. Plus, some may send up branches from buried wood and you'll have to decide what to do then. __________________ Zone 6, MO Wish list: Galicia Negra, De La Reina - Pons, Genovese Nero - Rafed's, Sbayi, Souadi, Acciano, Any Rimada, Sodus Sicilian, any Bass, Pons or Axier fig, any great tasting fig.

dfoster25

Registered:1337044031
Posts: 724

Posted 1478604947	Reply with quote #5

Make it happen. And share pics! __________________ Zone 6, SE MICHIGAN -14F 1-7-14 -23F 2-?-15 6F 1-18-16

AltadenaMara

Registered:1422990132
Posts: 375

Posted 1478622488	Reply with quote #6

Ross's point about trees growing with different vigors is well taken. I'm a big enthusiast of three and four in a hole tree plantings and have been doing it for many years. The biggest problem I've found is that one or two of the trees will be mislabeled with dud fruit or die and then digging up and replacing them is a problem. If you keep them at least 18" apart growing straight up/branching out and apart they're more productive, easier to maintain, dig up and replace. Also keeping a bowl shape overall in the planting with the center open is easier to keep pruned and healthier for the trees involved, allowing for better air circulation. Fig trees especially like to send out sucker branches from the bottom which will add to the bush shape of the trees, make more figs and even new trees to share with your friends. Do you want "pretty" trees that make an aesthetic statement of your effort, imagination and creativity or healthy productive trees making lots of figs for you? An argument can be made for both. __________________ Mara Southern California Zone 1990= 9b 2012= 10a 2020=?

clucking

Registered:1416726161
Posts: 4

Posted 1478629271 · Edited	Reply with quote #7

Thanks everyone for all your thoughtful input, it is all very much appreciated. My purpose is to have piles and piles of different varieties of figs to eat, but space is an issue. The photos of those woven trees look like they are adequately fruiting. I'm going to give the weaving-trunks a go. I'll definitely post photos. Thanks again!

jdsfrance

Registered:1376988473
Posts: 2,591

Posted 1478680073	Reply with quote #8

Hi, Look at the last photo. One trunk is twice the size of the two others, and that trunk has 80% of the branching - or so it seems. I try to plant two young trees in one planting spot. The reason being that young trees don't use all the space. The problem is as they get older each one wants the whole space for herself ... So pruning is needed to keep some space for each tree. Sometimes one tree will take over the place. So IMO, it is important to plant the same strain in one single spot. If not, you may be loosing some strains in the long run. Sometimes even with good growers, you get one stubborn tree that just does not want to grow, so even if you plan for two strains of equal vigor you could end with one taking over the second ... So with 3 or 4 in one spot ... Keep us posted on the outcome of your trials :) . __________________ ------------------------ Climate from -25°C to + 35°C Only cold hardy figtrees can make it here

elin

Registered:1360863025
Posts: 1,272

Posted 1478695695	Reply with quote #9

http://greencraftstudio.com/products/fig/weave_pattern.php __________________ Eli ,Israel ,Zone 10? Too humid and hot, yada yada yada https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1298814119 Growing: Sbayi, Hmadi, Black Portugal, Black Brazil,Excell, Flanders, Hmari , RDB, Niagra Black,Natalina, CDDN,Maya, Preto Torres, Preto Arge

DevIsgro

Registered:1420826837
Posts: 638

Posted 1478698654	Reply with quote #10

There was another post with a braided tree attempt here I read a few months back. They used wooden dowels as spacers to prevent premature fusing. __________________ Currently growing 50-60 varieties, this season's cuttings dependant. Hopefully I'll get to taste a few more this year...

tsparozi

Registered:1470160644
Posts: 304

Posted 1478700176	Reply with quote #11

Great link, Eli! Thank you! __________________ Tony S - Zone 6A Carmel, NY WL-Ischia Black (UCD/USDA), Martinenca, Calderona, Victoria, Craven's Craving, Colonel Littman's Black Cross, Bon Jesusa, Sant Martina, Princesa, Paretjal Negra

Esteban_McFig

Registered:1438060476
Posts: 70

Posted 1478790493	Reply with quote #12

__________________ Stephen A. Phoenix, AZ (Zone 9b) Wish list: Syrian varieties, esp. Abyad, Barada, Hmari, Sefrawi, Sumaki. Ok, well also Moroccan varieties, whichever are best

clucking

Registered:1416726161
Posts: 4

Posted 1478793873	Reply with quote #13

Hey Stephen, thanks for the video. I learned the term "pleach" over the past few days of internet research: Had I known the term originally I would have found piles more information than I was finding last weekend. Still sort of on the fence about this, but I'll probably give it a go.

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