Hi guys,

Just blowing off some steam here.

I in zone 5 not far from Bass's home just went through a hell of a week dealing with the weather and my fig trees. I have been growing figs a long time now and never had the weather problems as bad is it's getting every year in the past three of them.

Just last week my trees where hit with frost quite a few times plus a really heavy rainstorm. To make matter worse we had a hailstorm that was not predicated with 2+ inches of it along with the rain. The ice pellets where still showing in my grass after 10 am the next morning.

I had many breba on my trees this year that looked like they might hang on for the duration. In the photos below you can see some of the damage done to the figs as well as the vegetation on my trees. I must say that the younger trees faired out much better than the older larger trees I have as far as there vegetation goes. You can see on the photos that my older trees lost most of their leaves and breba. It seems to affected them more so than the younger trees.

The one that is showing the least amount of damage is the black Portuguese. Its brebas are still looking very well and it's vegetation looks like it was not bothered at all from the storm or frost. The last few days I tried covering them with blankets but the wind had other ideas. Later at night I threw covers over the trees when the wind died down.

What makes a fig grower go through all this--is it just for the taste or the love of growing the tree?  I hope they will recover and will sport a great second crop this year.

I hope you enjoy the photos more than I do.

Hope you all have a good fig year.

Lou

Hi Lou,
you mention this

What makes a fig grower go through all this--is it just for the taste or the love of growing the tree?  I hope they will recover and will sport a great second crop this year.
 
Lou you already know the answer its both of the above.
 
As im in similar climate and have grown them like many for a good amount of years we sometimes have bad luck with mother nature im constantly wheeling them in and out of garage to get the earliest start as possible.
 
We sometimes need to vent like your doing as it hurts to see these things happen when we work so hard in spring for a season that seem to go by quick and then were back to storing them for the winter.
 
 Just for 5 months May thru Sept is all we get to really enjoy them, May watching them leaf out to there fullest , watering them and perhaps sometimes in July a few breba that get us excited for whats to come in August thru September, October there on the down side with few straglers figs left on if any at all .
We in our zone know they will come in for storage one of the weeks during month of October a sad time for we know what lies ahead in the weather department.
You know Lou deep down inside them trees will get more leaves and give you figs as you care for them this season.
 
So let it out Lou for all your hard work when there is a setback you have that right.  ; )
Best Health

Lou, even though it is hard for me to relate to that type of climate anymore. I can still remember living in NY and all the family members having gardens and growing not only fruit trees, vegetables, and landscape shrubbery and loving to show each other up the most precious tree to all was the fig tree. the lengths that each and every one would go through to grow,trim,protect, fertilize and I think pray for was the Fig above all else. The fig must command some UN-earthly power to draw us to such extremes. That is my thought and I'm sticking to it. 

HELLO Lou,

Appropriate topic. Well, I hope to shake off this contagious disease and I have to admit theres only one sane person who from the very start call herself a "Fignut". The rest of us are in denial and the consequences are............So, inspite of all the recent setbacks like dying cuttings, waiting for cuttings to arrive, looking for cuttings & lack of responses, slugs chewing off the bark in the garage, too much rain, sore backs moving large pots, shedding blood thru accidental shearing, misses complaining I have overran her garden space, airlayering for friends, more money spend on new trees & not doing well , moving trees in and out to get that small head start etc, I am a crazy fignut with no rehab available. Now they even have a fignut get together meeting..... geez. However, on the positive side, I have met so many genuine fig friends and this is priceless. On this note, I would like to make an appeal that Cecil & Dan can come back(or allowed) to this forum. Thanks to Jon for this forum.

Hopefully at the end of the day, the taste of fresh figs & bountiful harvest are our rewards and a big thank you from those who saviour the fruits of our devotion.

Lou,  timing of this thread is perfect. I have issues with the yo-yo weather on west coast Canada too. Hope things will start to get better for you.

Paully22

Lou,

Those fig trees will bounce back.
If they don't, You know who's got your back.

Dont worry Lou, I just found out that we are freezing tonight. Normally it is safe to plant after April 15th here, so all of my trees are in trouble. My plums, apples, and apricots are full of fruit. I will be spraying about 45% of my orchard this evening.

Thanks guys for expressing your concerns. I am sure the trees will bounce back but it would have been nice after all these years to get the amount of brebas that seemed to be hanging on my trees for the long term also for the offer of backup promises.

Looking over the trees and the fruit damage I am wondering why did the Black Portuguese fig tree not seemed to be bothered at all by the bad weather? Not one fig has been knocked off or burned by the frost. The brebas and the leaves on that tree look like nothing happened at all. That tree is shown in my 3rd photo above. It was in the group with the rest of them. In fact it was in line in the outside row. Out of the twenty trees it is the only one not showing any signs of damage. Any Ideas?

Thanks again

Lou

Hi Lou,

Tonight

Windy, strong to severe thunderstorms. Storms may produce large hail and strong winds. Low 16C. Winds SSW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 80%.

Variable clouds and windy with strong thunderstorms. Storms may produce large hail and strong winds. Low 61F. Winds SSW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 80%

Maybe God spared that Dark Portuguese to give you hope that all will be well. I always look for a glimmer of hope in a tragedy. Helps me cope .Just my 2 cents. God Bless!

I know how you feel!
Last week we had some beautiful days here in Calgary.
So I put my figs out.
They were even left out over night because it was so warm.
Then we got a windstorm while I was away at work.
The leaves look awfull now.
They were folded over by the wind and are cracking and dry in the folds.
Good I had stakes holding the new growth or they would have been broken too.
Someone here in one of the posts said not to have them staked because they will grow langy.
Good I didn't listen and didn't pull the stakes out.
Or they would have been broken. The are in house again untill we get some more nice weather.

Jerry