Suzi,

Off topic is fine with me.  Hens are easy, will eat anything.

Joann,

I just think the stepovers look cool, like living art.  They are good for cold protection as well.  On the hens.....a lot of city's now allow people up to 4 hens in the city limits, no roosters though.  Of course don't need roosters for eggs.

Saxon,

The problem with penned up is the birds miss out on the vegetation and bugs so the difference between your eggs and factory farm are diminished.  Of course you can bring goodies to the chickens.  To bring this back to figs.    I got the chickens and ducks because of the population explosion of stink bugs, leaf footed bugs and grass hoppers.   They use to be horrible on all my fruiting plants but now just a minor annoyance.  How the birds can eat those things I don't know but they don't mind a bit.


Calvin,

Yep the Buffs are nice....I avoided the more quarrelsome breeds like the Rhode Islands.  

I met someone who had a pet chicken!  She was very cute and friendly - don't know what kind it was but it had feathers on its feet.  Pretty little thing!

Willsc, I think that the spacing between rows is 6 to 7 feet and the space between the verticals is 8 inches. Looks like they mound the soil up about a foot where it's planted. Don't know why unless it's for drainage.

Tony,

They are just a single row here.....but I can't see in that PDF where it says how far apart to put the plants down the row....I guess it really probably does not matter.  

Tonycm,
On page 11 & 19 there are nodes on the roots, it may be Root Knot Nematode, so they may be planting in 12 inch raised beds.

WillsC,
On page 10 it refers to spacing between rows and also 3 meters and 6 meters which may be spacing between plants. If you review the pictures on page 6 & 15 one horizontal trunk length is approximately 9 feet (2.8 meters, 40 cm x 7).

<edit> This would put the space between plants at about 20 feet or 6 meters. Two (2) 2.8 meter horizontal trunks either side of the main vertical trunk, and 0.4 meters between plants for a total of 6 meters

<edit> The text on page 10 refers to planting at 3 meters on center for the first 2 years then thining to 6 meters on center later.

We need to find a translator to figure out this whole thing. It would be nice to know. Until then we'll just have to play it by ear.

Dave,
You could always thin the trees, remove every other tree. Replant them somewhere else. Your spacing would then be 12 to 14 feet.

I may very well do that.  

Temps into the teens last night, and may be into single digets tonight.  These were all planted in May-June, and have not been wrapped, as it rarely gets that cold here.

So Mother Nature may do it for me...... :-(

I think I will change the spacing from 7 feet to 14 feet on center after discussing it with Centurian.  Doing that I won't have to change the spray heads I already have installed.  

I'll see if one of my Japanese friends at work can help with the translation.

Free range eggs are it!! sometimes I feel a little strange eating them because they are soooo dark yellow. I currently have 16 chickens (I hatched most of them) including 4 or 5 roosters, some of those will be going soon...

It is very good to see some experimentation with this method of growing the figs.    I had posted several links that contained some interesting photos & information a few years ago.    The link in posting #13 above is one of the better documents on the process. 

   It is a fascinating method geared toward productivity.    I also think that there is potential for it to work for those of us attempting to grow figs in northern zones.   Cutting off the annual producing branches back to the large laterals should make covering it with a tarp (stuffed with straw or leaves) for the winter very easy.   Depending on how low your winter low temps get, it might be possible to cover it well and not be concerned about it freezing.   I am in zone 5 (close to 6 now) and so far the plants are surviving without adding heat on the coldest nights.

    I am a bit short on room in my yard now but managed to squeeze into my yard a couple of plants to experiment with.   I hope that folks who are testing this will report on their experiments over the years.

Ingevald

Ingevald,
I have been planning to use the step over espalier for those exact reasons, production and protection from weather. Attached is another document that you had linked on your posts that I had edited, for a simple explanation of the procedures that are explained graphically in the PDF. in post #13.
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/file?id=1419860

The following link is Ingevald's post that has several links to the pictures and original document sources.
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/Japanese-fig-growing-method-fabulous-photos-4374293

Pete,
    Very nice - thanks for posting the diagram with English text.    

    By the way, the original link for the document in posting #13 is http://www.pref.shiga.jp/hikone-pbo/nogyo/gizyutu/kouza18/fig.pdf and it could be run through a translator for a rough translation.

Ingevald

WillsC,
Picture of another step over espalier by member vaplantman. He may be able to assist with dimension questions.
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff456/vaplantman/CelesteNine.jpg

Topic Location for above Picture which includes his procedure and updated progress. http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/Espalier-sort-of-5407398

Centurian,

Here is the picture I mentioned.

Looks pretty sturdy.

That oughta work out real well.   We're looking forward to pictures this spring and summer as the hedge progresses.

I will keep it updated.  The first cuttings are going in to 1 gallon pots now.  

I have a 5 ft straight up and down single trunk panache tree in the ground against the wall. The wood is not bendable. If I want to do this espalier, do I just cut off a few feet off it and then train the side branches. So I would pretty much lose a lot of fig production this yr if I did that.

You guys will enjoy this, this is an older stepover fig grown side ways down the side fence of the yard. I have seen it in person the trunk is close to 6-8 inches in diameter at some parts. It is one continuous fig plant growing down the slope!

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=33.83308,-118.389658&spn=0.00036,0.000555&t=h&z=21&layer=c&cbll=33.833173,-118.389647&panoid=CJEKoof1HKbaqn66bFZtZw&cbp=12,236.53,,2,6.31

nullzero, I wish this would have been posted earlier last year. I was just a few blocks from there. That would have been a sight to see.
"gene"

Gene,

To bad would of gave you a tour of the hidden fig forests in SoCal as well. I have a good memory of plant locations, I frequently try to make collections of Prickly Pears, through out Southern CA. There was this wonderful huge fig I ate from an old fig tree in San Pedro, CA. Unfortunately I could not track it down, eventually I will find it using google street view lol.

I may be returning in a couple of years. I'll try to remember to give you a shout.
"gene"

Hello WillsC,
Any update on the stepover fig project? Thanks.

Would be great to graft multiple varietes to one trunk-"candyland figs" black and whites mixed.

same here:
http://www.betalfa.org.il/ba/images/agriculture/Figs%20(7).JPG