We live in the Palm Springs area and planted a locally raised Improved Brown Turkey last year. This year it took off like a shot with 6-10" of new growth and some fruit. The fruit gets larger but then just stops growing and finally falls off. Is this normal and is there a second crop on the way?
The tree gets plenty of HOT sun and is on a bubbler system with additional watering's during the week. Leaves get a little limp by sundown but are right back in the morning.
A dilute fish fertilizer is added once a month.
Anything else I should be doing?
Thanks

Hi Anziana.  Others with more experience may have other suggestions, but seeing none so far, here are a few considerations.

Figs often have 2 crops, the earlier "breba" crop and then the later main crop.  Most of our brebas fall off, but if that is the case with your fig, you should be seeing a second main crop now.  The breba figlets come much earlier.

Also, given the rapid growth, it could be that your plant is focusing on vegetation and dropping the fruit.  The fig is likely getting too big too quick.  And nobody needs a 20+ foot fig.  I would suggest pinching of the growing tips to encourage more bushy growth and greater energy into fruit.

And when all else fails, there's always next year.  Most problem in plants and animals are self-limiting and correcting.  And for those that aren't, there's always replanting.  Gardening isn't like parachuting.  If something goes wrong you get to try again.

Best wishes.

John
North Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

I would add more water and see if the limpness goes away. If it does, water is an issue. If not, then that is just a climate response.

If these are breba figs, they do not persist on many varieties- but I do not know about this particular variety.

Hi Jon.  I tried a good soaking on our BT which was dropping figs during a really hot, dry spell about a week ago.  After a long thorough soaking, problem solved.  And thankfully it started raining again about 3 days ago.

Best wishes.

John
North Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

Thanks for your replies. We will wait and see how the season [lays out.
Anziani
Palm Springs, CA

It's hard to know, since fig nomenclature is variable and confusing (to say the least), but my tree was sold as an improved brown Turkey as well. I'm also in a hot climate, and it took awhile for the tree to get established and produce fully-developed fruit. It still goes through a growth spurt until hot weather hits, and then it stops growing until we get our summer "monsoon"; then it stops again for a few weeks and gets going with a second "main" crop of figs and more vegetative growth too late in the season to do much good. I've started cutting water to it in September to try and force dormancy. Last year I kept watering it to see if I could get the late batch of figs to ripen before cold weather, and got a few, but it wasn't worth it. My advice would be to just give it time (and water), and maybe rig a shade cloth over it (high enough not to impede air circulation) until it's more extablished. If it's like mine, you'll eventually be deluged with fruit (and then birds and beetles -- another battle!). Good luck!

Thanks Ken, How old is your tree? Mine was in a 15 gallon container and this is the second year in the ground.
Anziani

Mine's at least ten years old now--probably older, but I didn't keep a record of when I planted it. With our heat and soil, it takes time for the roots to catch up with the top. As your tree gets bigger, the foliage will shade much of the root zone, which helps a lot by cooling the soil. You might consider a thick layer of mulch while yours is young for a similar effect. Even with shaded roots though, the leaves on mine will still droop on hot days; I suppose they just lose moisture faster than it can travel up from the roots to the leaves. They snap back in the evening and by morning the tree is ready for another scorcher. It also helps that a Texas olive to the west of it has finally grown big enough to give it some relief in the late afternoon.

Thanks again Ken. Yes, I have mulched the root zone well. Looks like I will just wait it out. I have done all I can.
Anziani

hello!

I just bought an Improved BT today and was wondering if anyone has pictures of their tree and/or fruit? Thanks!