I was lazy.  I cared, but not enough, and let my laziness take over, and took the easy way out.  Now, I might just pay a big price for my wanton indiscretions.

Since 2007, I have grown an unidentified variety of dark fig that I call: "Red Italian".  I was given tree rooted twigs by an old gent, and the twigs became respectable trees since then...no protection, above ground, and, in containers.  Two of the trees were given away, and I kept the last.  This past Winter was not kind to my trees.  Although it was pretty mild, it was also dry, and got freezing cold at the wrong times.  It is now almost June, and the "Red It." has not yet sprouted any new leaves.  The twigs are still green under the bark when scraped, but the tree looks sickly.  I have my doubts that it will live.  i should have thrown it into my shed for safe keeping.  I should've protected it.  It was a good fig.  I hope I will not have to wear black and go into mourning.  I will not give up hope.  Maybe, maybe...it will revive, and grow...but it needs some shock-paddles on the trunk, for the jolt-of-life.

That's my story.  Just another lousy turn-of-events in this horrible Spring for figs!  As for the rest of my trees....meh.  Ms. "Atreano" has been a little bitchy, and has just sprouted some green leaves.  The interracial, black and white figs are doing OK, and my "Bronx Dark/Bryant No. 1" is showing lots of moxie.  "Black Mission" is alive, and doing well.  My heirloom varieties are also coming along just fine, but they stayed in my kitchen over the winter.  The real PIA seems to be the haughty, "Katleen's Black".  Promises, promises.... but she won't give it up!  In the old days, I would have dumped this skank long ago!  I'll keep her around for a few more seasons, and then give her the brush, if she doesn't produce. 



Frank

frank,

if Kathleen's Black doesn't produce fig, pinch it. i pinched it last yr to get figs after waiting 3 yrs. this yr, i haven't pinched it.. nothing to pinch this yr. with mild spring and root prune, it's doing something really strange. putting on lot of branches and green growth, but each branch has less than 5 leaves. however, it looks as if it will put on the figs. i'm watching it carefully to see if they will turn out to be figs or they will just drop or put on new branches on each nodes like it used to do 2 yrs back.

Hi Frank,

If you think its a goner (roots).. and the branches are still green inside... take some cuttings and root them. :)

Hello Frank,
I purposely exposed my plants to the winter weather, to find the hardier cultivars. Just give them time, you may be surprised. Many that I thought were dead are just now pushing buds at or just below the soil line.

Yes you never know long as the limbs do not snap like a toothpick and are pliable it may come back down low later this season.
This i have seen in our type of climate .

Have you fertilized the trees that aren't showing growth?  You might bring them in at night, too, so their average temperature is higher.  The KB I gave my sister in N Cal is doing the same thing and their temps got down to 28 for 1 or 2 nights but rarely got below 40 otherwise.

Thanks everyone. for the good advice.  The twigs aren't snappy yet, but, next week...who knows?  It don't look good.  I won't make the same mistake twice with the rest of my collection.

This horrible Spring has given me too much grief already.  I never had these problems...but I guess there's always the first time.  If I lose the "Red Italian" I'll be heartsick.  It was my first fig ever.  I'll light some candles and pray that it comes back to life.  Any Patron Saint for gardeners?  Maybe a candle at the feet of St Jude, the Patron Saint for Lost Causes, will help.

I hope the rest of the season goes well for all my fig friends, and for me, also.  In the meantime, I will water, fertilize, and vitamin-treat the hell out of the trees.  Maybe good things will happen.


@ Pete, the bullet: 

Just who does this Kathy Black think she is?  She's up, she's down, green, then brown.... I've been known to do many foolish things for a dame, but Kathy is on my short list.  She may get the old, heave-ho, PDQ.  Too damn fickle, this PMS fig!

Frank

Frank, I rooted several Italian Reds from the cuttings you sent.  Hopefully yours will come back but if it doesn't you have options.  You might be further ahead by airlayering off of one of the of the trees you have given away but if you want a small plant I would be happy to send one to you.

Steve

frank,

what can i say about the dames.. they do smell better than us :) and some even have gams to dream about.

i'm still hoping KB will turn around and give me the figs worth putting others to pigs. altho, this yr has been tough, i'm seeing some good signs. i just hope they turn into figs and not more branches.. or worse yet, just drop off before even forming match head size figs.

@ Steve...

Thanks for the offer.  If push comes to shove, I will go back to the original tree and do some air-layers.  It's a good grower, and I'm hoping this hot weather will give the tree a good jolt and push it out of suspended animation.  Time will tell.

I hate losing trees, but it happens.

Thanks again,


Frank



Pete...You're funny.  Take a cold shower.  : )

Frank, I agree with tylerj.  Take a cutting or two from the twigs that still have green under the bark, and root them.  That way you'll still have it even if the roots on this one makes it a goner.  I did that just a few weeks ago with a Triano Calabrese I got last year... the tree was always sickly / stunted.  It seemed like the bark had burned / dessicated on one side of its trunk (it was small and only a trunk), and was clinging to life tenuously.  I took a couple of cuttings from the only part that seemed healthy, and they both rooted very quickly.  Maybe a fresh start can help.  Maybe it's worth a try with your Red Italian.

Mike   central NY state, zone 5 

I've been thinking about what might have gone wrong with my beloved, "Red Italian"  tree.  What was different about this year, and why has this tree done so poorly over a fairly mild Winter?  This variety is hardy in 7-b, and has taken off each and every Spring since 2007.

I think I may have a clue.  Last Spring, I re-potted and root-pruned these trees, and planted them into a quick draining mix.  They sprouted out late as a result of the root chopping, but I thought they were fully recovered by the end of the Summer.  They made great figs, and grew normally.  I didn't have any worries.

Now, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the root-pruning may have led to the almost dead tree.  I just found out that another 7 ft. "R-It." also might be dead...I root pruned this tree also, and gave it away to a friend, as a gift.

Knowing this has happened, leads me to believe that trees that have had their roots pruned need special Winter treatment, and certainly, some protection throughout the Winter dormancy.  I may be jumping to conclusions, but every tree that was root-pruned was set back, including my prized "Atreano"-Belleclare. 

Now, TLC for this season, and then the shed for the coming Winter.


Frank

I sense a Florida trip in the near future, people have left NY for a lot less reason.  Just remember, long hot, wet summers are equally bad for the children.  Consider, never bearing or bearing and splitting.  You need a break my friend.

BTW - neck piece has become my best friend.

Danny....

Early July Frank goes to FL. for a vacation, some sweltering, and eating oranges off the trees.  I went down there 17 years ago, and hated it.  Too boring, and I wasn't very thrilled to see alligators on the front lawns.  The closest I ever got to an alligator were some Florsheim shoes that I wore when I was in my twenties.  Now, I got a new attitude...like the song says.  If the move is permanent, the kids go with me...and will stay in containers.  I will do the fig shuffle when it rains.  The figs better not even think about splitting on me.

You are right...I do need a break.  Soon, this boy's going way down yonder.

Glad you're enjoying the blade in Marshall, TX.



Frank

Frank,
  To answer your earlier question, I think Saint Anthony is the patron saint of figs...

...or is it Saint Dominique Violet?
...or is it Saint George?
...or is it Saint Jean?
...or is it Saint Jerome?
...or is it Saint Pio?
...or is it Saint Rita?

I guess it could also be
San Antonio...
or San Giovanni...
or San Javier...
or San Joao Branco...
or San Pedro...
or San Piero...
or San Pietro...

alternately, it could be
Santa Barbara...
or Santa Cruz...
or  Santa Margherita

Of course, it could also be Sao Luiz...

For our sake, let's hope it's all of them!!!

Cheers,
Jim

Hey Jimmy....

Thanks for the who's who. 

I used to be good at remembering what Saints were good for what, but since the Catholics in Rome decided to re-vamp what worked for over a thousand years, a lot of the venerable Saints have been given the old heave-ho, and they retired to Palm Beach. 

Ah....for the good old days....Latin Mass, real, wax-candles, getting my hair pulled by nuns....boy do I miss that.


Frank

Just an update:

Back in 2007, I was given three rooted twigs of this unknown variety.  All three grew, and became full-size, 7 ft. trees.  I gave away one tree last year....it died.  I kept two trees for cutting wood, and for the great figs.  It seems that the second tree is either dead, or, is struggling to survive.  I have my doubts that it will live.  However the third tree is alive and well...thriving, in fact.

This last surviving tree will be given the kid-glove treatment, and will go into the shed this coming winter.  I still think the trees were compromised by the severe root-chop, and now they are dead or dying. 

From now on, I will be more conservative when I root-prune, and not do all the trees within the same year.

So, I still have one healthy "Red Italian" left.  Can't wait to get some figs this year.  They taste, dead-ripe, like both black raspberries, and figs, at the same time.  A good nosh.

I'm still going to light some candles.....just in case.




Frank