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My Healthy Desert King trees

I posted this on the other forum.  Not sure I will continue being a member there.  Trying to write msgs is weird on that forum using my IPAD.  And I don't know why.   Plus, it's just too much time trying to keep up with 2 forums.  Posting here is easier for me.  So I wanted to post the same comment here.  

Yesterday I was outside all day for nearly 12 hours.  I finally called it quits at 6:30.  I've been trying to pull trees out of the garage and up size them to self watering pots at the same time.  Man---What a chore!  I placed 4 of my largest DK figs way back in the back of my garage in early November.  They are about 5 years old----being 2yrs old when I got them.  At that time I bought 6, from Rolling River. They were tiny little whips when I got them!  Well, I killed 2 experimenting and trying other soil mixes. Somehow their drain hole got blocked and the trees rotted. But these 4 survived and are huge 7 footers.  They are healthy and doing fine. I am a happy camper.

Yeah yeah....I'm still pulling figs out of the garage!  I got behind due to back to back cold then the flu now just getting out of bed and back to work and tending to my figs.
 
Over the years, I've never winterized my DK figs until this past winter. And boy the brebas are popping!!! Here are 4 of my largest DK figs just pulled from my garage. Going forward, I will be winterizing them indoors. I will grow these side by side to Grasa's and those Shirley's Magic fig trees too. Desert King does very well in my climate, you just have to keep the tree from freezing.

myDKfigs.jpg 
enjoy!

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Really nice looking trees Dennis. I received a few of Shirley's Desert King cuttings this year and I have never had a plant root quicker. I'm not sure how DK will do here in NJ but I will give it a shot and report my findings. They will be grown in pots and and then placed in my unheated shed for the winter. 
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Looks like winterizing them paid off. They are growing fast for you nice job !!! I have some cuttings growing. Looks like a top notch fig in fruit pics i seen. Cant wait to get some fruit. Post pics of fruit if you have time once they are ready.

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Dennis, what size containers are they in after 6 years? And are you planning on keeping them in the same ones? They look very happy
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Travis, those containers are 10 gallons.  I'm up sizing them to 27 gallon self watering pots.  I took this picture just before repotting.
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OT   dennis is that thrift at the corner of the sidewalk.  Ah that brings back memories of Charlotte.
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Really nice Dennis, great head start for 2015.
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Great Job Dennis! I just rooted 10 cuttings of DK that came from a good source! They rooted fairly easy...It makes me feel good, you like them a lot! : )
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Good looking figs Dennis. How sturdy have those first pots been for you? (Orange and grey)
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Simon,
I've had those pots a long time. They're 20.5 inchesnin diameter. Their new pot is a half 55g plastic barrel. These 4 DK trees are all roots so, I have to pot them up. I got those pots from Big Lots when they where 7 dollars a pop! Since then, the price has doubled. I use to buy theses pots in groups of 20 and 40 with 20% off. now, Im converting theses pots to SWPs for many of my smaller trees.
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Thanks Dennis. Have seen those around and wondered how tough they were. 
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I have to laugh because I know you've got at least 10x that many trees elsewhere.  Show us photos of the whole bunch!
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Your Desert Kings look fantastic, Dennis.  I look forward to hear how our DK's  from the PNW compare.  They are a fantastic fig and so productive.
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Bob, you made me laugh!  I am in the process of reducing my numbers.  I got my 2nd greenhouse going up now and at the same time repotting those in the photo along with about 60 others.  My wife still can't get her car in the garage due to all the figs and Poms blocking the garage.  I've got to get busy because temps in Charlotte are heating up fast!  It's suppose to be 85 tomorrow.  I have not taken many pictures---been too busy.  But I will take a few in a week or so.

Shirley, my BFF!!  Thanks for the kind words! I just found another DK that I left outside all winter and that due has a few breba on it!  Go figure!  We had temps drop down to single digits this year and I am really surprise how hardy DK is!  So, that makes 5 huge DKs I got in containers and not to mention those rooted Majic fig cuttings.  Its going to be a great DK year.
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Looks great Dennis!  Looking forward to the photo of that big plate of ripe figs!

Suzi
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Quote:
Originally Posted by snaglpus
I posted this on the other forum.  Not sure I will continue being a member there.  Trying to write msgs is weird on that forum using my IPAD.  And I don't know why.   Plus, it's just too much time trying to keep up with 2 forums.  Posting here is easier for me.  So I wanted to post the same comment here.  

Yesterday I was outside all day for nearly 12 hours.  I finally called it quits at 6:30.  I've been trying to pull trees out of the garage and up size them to self watering pots at the same time.  Man---What a chore!  I placed 4 of my largest DK figs way back in the back of my garage in early November.  They are about 5 years old----being 2yrs old when I got them.  At that time I bought 6, from Rolling River. They were tiny little whips when I got them!  Well, I killed 2 experimenting and trying other soil mixes. Somehow their drain hole got blocked and the trees rotted. But these 4 survived and are huge 7 footers.  They are healthy and doing fine. I am a happy camper.

Yeah yeah....I'm still pulling figs out of the garage!  I got behind due to back to back cold then the flu now just getting out of bed and back to work and tending to my figs.
 
Over the years, I've never winterized my DK figs until this past winter. And boy the brebas are popping!!! Here are 4 of my largest DK figs just pulled from my garage. Going forward, I will be winterizing them indoors. I will grow these side by side to Grasa's and those Shirley's Magic fig trees too. Desert King does very well in my climate, you just have to keep the tree from freezing.

myDKfigs.jpg 
enjoy!
~very nice trees good job,your desert king are all in planters ? any in ground ?
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I ORDERD  a little DK  .... to be delivered in the spring , watching the snow fly .




Maybe in 5 years ................................................. ha



Thanks Dennis


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Quote:
Originally Posted by baust55
I ORDERD  a little DK  .... to be delivered in the spring , watching the snow fly .




Maybe in 5 years ................................................. ha



Thanks Dennis


~where did you order from ? desert king airlayers the best for me. i bought a desert king tree from wellspring nursery(actually i have bought three diff trees from them already),all came very small ,but all grew really well and healthy,~
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Rolling River Nursery

They are very prolific trees. This year, I'm leaving them outside. My in ground Desert King from UCD is different. The inside pulp is dark red. In the past I use to get 1 or 2 figs. So this fall, I dig it up, potted it in a SWP and winterized it inside. Today, it already has new growth on it! This makes me smile because it would have died in the spot it was in.
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DENNIS

DO you in your opinion think there are than one cultivator being sold as DK or are they mostly the same ?

just slight natural variations ?





...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chucklikestofish
Quote:
Originally Posted by baust55
I ORDERD  a little DK  .... to be delivered in the spring , watching the snow fly .




Maybe in 5 years ................................................. ha



Thanks Dennis


~where did you order from ? desert king airlayers the best for me. i bought a desert king tree from wellspring nursery(actually i have bought three diff trees from them already),all came very small ,but all grew really well and healthy,~


It's encouraging that your small trees from Wellspring Nursery grew well! I have a "crop" of those myself, including a DK, and have hopes for them. It's just a little hard when you're looking at fragile little twigs for trunks. Most of the rooting cuttings look stocky in comparison! How long did it take for yours to gain some size?
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There are several different strains of DK out there.

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Quote:
Originally Posted by LJFiggy
Quote:
Originally Posted by chucklikestofish
Quote:
Originally Posted by baust55
I ORDERD  a little DK  .... to be delivered in the spring , watching the snow fly .




Maybe in 5 years ................................................. ha



Thanks Dennis


~where did you order from ? desert king airlayers the best for me. i bought a desert king tree from wellspring nursery(actually i have bought three diff trees from them already),all came very small ,but all grew really well and healthy,~


It's encouraging that your small trees from Wellspring Nursery grew well! I have a "crop" of those myself, including a DK, and have hopes for them. It's just a little hard when you're looking at fragile little twigs for trunks. Most of the rooting cuttings look stocky in comparison! How long did it take for yours to gain some size?
~mine grew from a twig like you said it was very very small,i got it in march,and buy oct when i put it away,it was in a five gallon bucket which it went straight into when i got it.it was everybit of 24 inches tall and had branched out to   atleast 6 side branches,i did the two air layers off of it at about 4 months old i have posted pict of those air layers they had huge roots within 6 weeks. but anyway tree is in cold shed since frost last fall,i will tell you how i fed the tree if you message me.
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I ordered mine from greenfin  $7  rooted plant deal for spring  delivery .

not sure were his strain originated . I am sure it will be a nice little tree.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by baust55
I ordered mine from greenfin  $7  rooted plant deal for spring  delivery .

not sure were his strain originated . I am sure it will be a nice little tree.
~it should be nice ,they grow fast ~
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