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The Much Needed Rain is here finally, but now I am worried sick!

I couldn't sleep all night thinking what's going to happen to my 35 freshly planted rooted cuttings. All the new green growth is not bigger then 2 inches and there are 2-3 1 inch leaves. Are they going to make it through the pounding of this sometimes heavy sometimes steady and gentle rain. Total of 22 varieties might go down the drain, or sewer with the rain.
UGH!

Yeap, the rain is way too heavy for the babies. I covered as many as I could but I think I will have some casualties. The pounding is terrible :(
I think we have a medium version of a tropical rain

I think I need to go and put some sort of a barrier between the rain and them... I have this door screen that I am thinking to put up at an angle over their head, that might soften the force.

Just make sure the wind won't catch it. If it falls it will break all the new growth off.

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I have this door screen that I am thinking to put up at an angle over their head, that might soften the force.

Thought you said growing the fig cuttings in CA was problem free?  :)  

LOL... WillsC, you know how the saying goes! "when the gun is in my hands, we'll have this conversation again"
wait till the clouds clear ;)
Actually I just came inside and am more relaxed about all this. the baby trees are under the Oak tree branch that is filtering the forceful rainfall, I decided to leave them as they were.
They will be OK. I think!

Good Luck Aaron, have all my cuttings and small trees inside a the bigger trees I covered the pots with plastic.

Somebody said just cover the dark figs. 
 Wish you luck.

 Richard
 Zone 6b Ma.

So all your cuttings are in pots outside?  It's pretty windy here as well, so if they are in pots, just bring them in.  Supposed to rain through Sunday.

As long as you have them in well drained soil, this rain shouldn't be a problem.

Suzi

How about making cloches out of another pot, large deli cup, or cut off 2 litre bottle for temporary shielding?

Hey Aaron, I think others are right, that the wind would do more damage than the rain. They'll be fine with a little protection. And for Doug, you may want to research Sevin dust, it's very toxic. Just my 2 cents. I want you and the deer to be safe.

I'm glad you were open to hearing it, Doug. The best solution for deer is a good dog or a good fence. I had a landscape business in Pebble Beach, CA. and it's thick with very tame deer. Sprinkling bone meal lightly worked for awhile, and was good for the plants. Blood meal works as well, but care is needed, it can burn. There are repellants made from egg that work, but smell nasty. We had decent success alternating, but none are fool-proof. Good luck.

Your rain and wind it headed my way!! BUT we are predicted to get over an inch of sleet and up to 3" of snow on top, highs Sun and Mon in the teen and lows in the single digits. It been almost spring like the last few days.  Sooo, I guess it will be a few more weeks before the new figs will get to go out doors. 

yeah Suzi, all my rooted cuttings are outside already in 1 gallon nursery pots, Tough Love! 
I had created 2 terraces for my Fig pots, I can add 3 more terraces downwards...I covered the ground with mulch from our tree treamings from last December.
There are no winds here , thank God, also the baby trees are sheltered by nice wall fence between us and neighbor, plus the Oak Tree branch that's acting like a roof. They might be OK.

2014-02-28 12.23.42.jpg  2014-02-28 12.24.04.jpg 

I had a few youngsters under a tree last year, uncovered. Two things happen in one day: 2 squirrels chasing each other went through the pots and a branch fell from the tree (magnolia). I lost 3 1-gal pots in one swoop. :)
Now I think about the cover first.

Kaolin Clay would be ideal to protect from sunburn Doug. It is cool that you noticed the dust helped, no-one has mentioned using clay spray here yet but check this out:

Quote:
 Certain kaolin-based sprays can form a highly reflective white film over plant surfaces that is known to enhance plant photosynthesis and reduce heat stress in plants by reflecting the infra-red light spectrum which in the end improves plant yields and fruit quality in orchards,.[4][5][6]


The deer don't usually bother my figs much aside from rubbing. They have browsed plants a couple times though. I hit a fat furry one in the head with a snowball today ; ) 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aaron4USA
yeah Suzi, all my rooted cuttings are outside already in 1 gallon nursery pots, Tough Love! .


 
Arron, I’m with you and Susi………. Tough Love!     I’m tired of moving those babies around trying to find the perfect spot.   This spring my 2013 cuttings are waking up and acclimating to the real San Diego sunshine.   So far, all that have leafed out are doing just fine.  Only thing I notice is the leaves might be smaller than if in shade or filtered sun.    Luckily, I got a late start with this year’s cuttings or I too would be scurrying around to find them shelter.  

About an 1” of rain here on the coast!  Seems to be coming through in squalls with associated wind, then periods of light drizzle or even sunshine in between!  Think my unprotected one year olds can handle nicely, if this is as bad as it gets through Sunday.    

Good luck to you….

Doug tell us more about this spray clay...? details

Quote:
Originally Posted by SCfigFanatic
HHAHAHAHAA

Between them having ground shakers and the storms, I like where I'm at just fine.

:)


Don't forget the droughts and wildfires.

Years ago an L.A. weather man referred to SoCal as The Acts of God Theme Park.

Love LA . Center of the World being Hollywood.

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Brent, it says , it has to be licensed by the county or city before using it on your trees? weird, that doesn't sound too organic to me (scratching my head...)

OMG, 10 PM, it's poring again like there is no tomorrow!

Aaron - where in LA are you? I know, this is crazy! Just yesterday we had giant buckets that were half filled from only a day's rain. And it's starting up again right now....

You'll be ok, Aaron. Last weekends storms, Friday-Sunday, delivered 16" of rain at my house. This weekend only 2+inches. SoCal is getting the brunt this time, but we all need it.

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