OttawanZ5
1192897779
Posted 1255494455
Reply with quote #1
A sucker of medium size (Conadria, 12'~15" tall, 1/4" thick at the bottom) was shipped to me on July 16 (2009). It got lost in transit. I received a call on September 11 telling me that there was a package for me to be picked up. I was surprised since I was not expecting any package since there were no recent deals of any kind. I picked up the package which was literally feather light. I opened it and found that it was the Conadria sucker shipped to me on July 16 and now received on September 11 for a total of 57~58 days in transit from Montreal to Ottawa, normally a two hours drive. The packaging was with shredded newspaper wrapped in plastic bag at the time of shipping. The shredded paper had dried up with no moisture inside the package. Most of the plant seem dead with leaves dried brittle and the stem wrinkled all the way to about three inches up from the roots. The root almost looked like the dry roots on onions or daffodil/tulip bulbs sold in the fall. The only hope was a couple of hair thin roots that did not look totally dry and the 3"bottom length of the stem that did not look wrinkled dead but hard to tell if dry or not. I was discarding it as hopeless dead wood but my wife told me that I have so many pots with not so pretty plants so why not just stick it in a pot with soil. This was the first ever input from her as far as OUR fig plants are concerned so I did what my wife suggested and potted it on September 12 after a night with its roots soaked in water. I placed the pot in a clear plastic bag.
I know I did a short story long so I will do the reverse now. We saw green spot on two nodes on October 3 and we now have a live Conadria plant, with two good green shoots, coming to life from a stressed out almost dead sucker from a 57-days long journey! To me it is like a miracle with lesson learned that f ig plants are very resilient. Be patient with dead looking or dried out plants, Nursed them the easy possible way and you may be surprised with a reward.
The picture on the right is of October 3 and the other picture is on October 13.
Thanks Michal for the sucker.
Thanks 'g' for the cuttings of Conadria you sent last winter that were killed by the fungus gnats.
(Ignore dates on pictures)
Attached Images October-5.JPG (105.04 KB, 71 views)October-13.JPG (52.38 KB, 86 views)Ottawan-Z5a, Canada
xgrndpounder
1230074708
Posted 1255519157
Reply with quote #2
That is one sucker without a death wish!
nelson20vt
1248707604
Posted 1255524924
Reply with quote #3
I agree thats one determined sucker that tells you something about how figs, seems they can survive in some of the worst conditions most other plants would not have made it that long without any water or sunlight.
2007_giants
1232480304
Posted 1255525898
Reply with quote #4
Nice Save!!!
paully22
1195324538
Posted 1255584985
Reply with quote #5
Ottawan - how can I not believe that you have green fingers. Great that you have a good supervisor.
The_montreal_Fig
1202134065
Posted 1255604846
Reply with quote #6
http://www.figtrees.ca
Dieseler
1215735852
Posted 1255607251
Reply with quote #7
Thats great and shows how resilient most fig plants can be.
Italiangirl74
1189815225
Posted 1255616796
Reply with quote #8
never seem to amaze me! I am happy for you. Ciao
OttawanZ5
1192897779
Posted 1255627128
Reply with quote #9
Paully
Ottawan-Z5a, Canada
