I'm worried about my Black Madeira

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DallasFigs

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Posted 1390321914	Reply with quote #1

I don't have any pictures at the moment, but can try to add one later. Got it from a well known seller on Ebay last September. It was in a one gallon trade pot and I immediately put it in a 2.5 gal SIP and have kept it indoors all winter to prevent dormancy. Kept it in a east facing window for a couple of months, then put it under a 6500K CFL. It had about five good sized leaves. Well, it hasn't grown at all. The leaves never got bigger and it never grew any new leaves. And the leaves feel very dry, but stayed green. Not even changing the shade of green. A couple of weeks ago, i bent one of the leaves downward about 2 inches from the tip (about 45 deg bend), and it snapped the main vein underneath. Some latex dripped from it. Last week, the largest leaf suddenly turned yellow and dropped. I've also noticed that many of the leaves have some dried up edges. I think the SIP has kept the soil too moist. I haven't added water for 2 months and it doesn't seem to be using much. I think I should dump the water from the reservoir and remove the plastic covering from the top and let it air out some. Any other suggestions? Should I repot it in new soil. Should i bare root it and repot, or not quite bare root. __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

bullet08

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Posted 1390322842	Reply with quote #2

maybe your SIP is taking up too much water? i don't use SIP so no clue what's the situation with SIP is. but if the leaves are drying out, that could mean water problem or too much sun/light. sure it's not too close to the light? i don't use indoor light either. i go KISS with my indoor set up and just keep new cuttings alive until the night temp is above 50. all my 1 gal from last spring sleeps in the garage, including Black Madeira. __________________ Pete Durham, NC Zone 7b "don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill "the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." - the baroness thatcher *** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. * * and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...***

ascpete

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Posted 1390324174	Reply with quote #3

James, I would check the roots... Its possible that it may be too wet or not aerated enough, which will both cause root damage.

DallasFigs

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Posts: 990

Posted 1390327822	Reply with quote #4

I've been too afraid to unpot it.. afraid i'd make it worse. Sometime this week, I'll pull it out and check the roots. Hopefully it's not too far gone.. this puppy was pricey.. __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

eboone

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Posts: 1,101

Posted 1390327935	Reply with quote #5

Check under the cover to see how moist the soil is - if you have not had to add water in that long maybe it is not wicking at all and the soil and plant are dry. __________________ Ed Zone 6A - Southwest PA --------------------------- Short wish list: CDDG, LSU Red, Dark Greek (Navid), Col Littman's Black Cross. And any cold hardy early fig.

ejp3

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Posts: 668

Posted 1390328308	Reply with quote #6

I wonder why you didn't let it go dormant? I would never dream of keeping a fig tree inside a house by a window all winter. In my opinion it is better to let the plant rest. __________________ Ed NY zone 7 Wish list CDD Blanca/Negra

DallasFigs

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Posts: 990

Posted 1390328567	Reply with quote #7

Quote: Originally Posted by ejp3 I wonder why you didn't let it go dormant? I would never dream of keeping a fig tree inside a house by a window all winter. In my opinion it is better to let the plant rest. hmm.. inexperience mostly.. lol.. It was a pricey purchase just as the weather was cooling off. So decided to try to keep it going all winter instead of taking the chance that it doesn't wake up after dormancy. __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

rcantor

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Posts: 5,727

Posted 1390334973	Reply with quote #8

Until you know whether the soil's wet or dry it's pointless to give advice. We don't even know what type of soil you're using. It's not dead yet and hopefully we can keep it from dying. If the soil's saturated submerge the whole thing in water, gently separate out the roots without breaking them and let them air out but not dry out. Then take pictures and we can hopefully help you. If the soil's bone dry then water the poor thing. :) __________________ Zone 6, MO Wish list: Galicia Negra, De La Reina - Pons, Genovese Nero - Rafed's, Sbayi, Souadi, Acciano, Any Rimada, Sodus Sicilian, any Bass, Pons or Axier fig, any great tasting fig.

DallasFigs

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Posted 1390335603	Reply with quote #9

Yep.. I'll poke it with my moisture meter first to see what it says.. __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

GRamaley

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Posts: 791

Posted 1390336614	Reply with quote #10

I had a tree given me and I kept it in my basement thinking I could keep it from going dormant and it did anyway... I was afraid it was dead but we had a warm spell and it has started to put out leaves... so maybe there is hope. My basement stays around 60... __________________ Gloria --------------- 7a, maybe 8

SoniSoni

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Posts: 777

Posted 1390337484	Reply with quote #11

James in, I'm with you! I was afraid to let my smallest, 1 ga babies go dormant so I'm keeping them in a greenhouse and they are ruining my life. LOL In and out, and out to regulate the temps. I'm a yearling newbie and where I came from, if it's not green, it's dead! I wish you good luck. __________________ Soni GA. 7-8. seeking Galicia Negra, Bianchi Guido, Violette de Sollies, Emerald Strawberry

bullet08

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Posts: 6,920

Posted 1390338574	Reply with quote #12

newly rooted 1 gal might need to say indoor. but if the cutting is few months old and the woods are hardening, they can be left in the garage to over winter there. indoor is just too dry for the figs, at least our house is. typical plants we buy for the indoor lasts 3 months before they dry up and die. with centralized heating and what not, the top is too dry and the bottom is too wet. one or the other will go sooner or later. i killed two of Persian White last yr by moving them to 1 gal and leaving them indoor. then again, they were too young to stay in the garage. one that i moved to garage died too. but the Conadria i rooted later summer last yr, are green but doing rather well in the garage. __________________ Pete Durham, NC Zone 7b "don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill "the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." - the baroness thatcher *** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. * * and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...***

rcantor

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Posted 1390351049	Reply with quote #13

Quote: Originally Posted by DallasFigs Yep.. I'll poke it with my moisture meter first to see what it says.. So how long does it take you to stick your finger in? :) __________________ Zone 6, MO Wish list: Galicia Negra, De La Reina - Pons, Genovese Nero - Rafed's, Sbayi, Souadi, Acciano, Any Rimada, Sodus Sicilian, any Bass, Pons or Axier fig, any great tasting fig.

gorgi

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Posts: 2,864

Posted 1390351824	Reply with quote #14

I did have problems with Black Madeira before... First they are kind of hard to root... Next past that; a few grew well, but most were kind of stunned. Any signs of FMV? If so, give a regimen of 1/4 -1/2 dose MG food. __________________ George, NJ_z7a.

DallasFigs

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Posted 1390355054	Reply with quote #15

Quote: Originally Posted by rcantor Quote: Originally Posted by DallasFigs Yep.. I'll poke it with my moisture meter first to see what it says.. So how long does it take you to stick your finger in? :) My finger wasn't long enough to reach from work.... :p I'll check it shortly.. __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

pitangadiego

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Posted 1390358686	Reply with quote #16

Doing nothing, showing no growth is not unusual for BM. My ai-layers go into the greenhouse for the winter, but generally do not do anything till spring. They go into the greenhouse precisely because they don't thrive early on, and if they were not in the greenhouse would have a high mortality rate. Keep them inisde, as warm as possible, water appropriately, and be patient. __________________ Encanto Farms Nursery http://encantofarms.com http://figs4fun.com http://webebananas.com "pitangadiego" everywhere

DallasFigs

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Posted 1390365935	Reply with quote #17

It's definitely not drying out. Condensation on the underside of the plastic covering the soil. The moisture meter pegs out at 10 just a few inches below the soil surface. So it's way too damp. Somethings going on under the hood though. After removing the plastic cover, there's another tree coming up on the edge of the pot. How does this sound before uprooting it.. dump the water from the reservoir and leave the plastic off and see it the moisture level goes down. And poke some holes through the soil for aeration. Would it help to put sandwich baggies over the leaves to retain moisture? or a dome over the tree leaving at least half of the soil surface bare? Or should I bare root it, as rcanter suggested, let it air out a little and repot. __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

Grasa

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Posts: 1,819

Posted 1390367898	Reply with quote #18

if I were you, this is what I would do. line an area with newspaper or a large tub. remove the water all together. lean the pot over the news paper and just jiggle a little the wet soil with no roots should fall out. use a spoon to gently loosen more soil, try not to disturbe the roots. replace the wet soil with dry soil (2 or 3 cups). put the pot over a grid or something that will allow to drip excess water. Some will moist the dry soil you added. Wait a few days.. if the new soil is not moist, you may spray a little, remember it is wet in the middle.. eventually gravity will pull it down or the plant will drink it. Do not water for a while and continue monitoring. you may not have to repot it. let the little one alone, perhaps that is why it was busy making a baby... you will be able to airlayer it later on and have a second tree. __________________ Grasa Seattle, WA

FMD

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Posted 1390390783	Reply with quote #19

James, for a notoriously fickle Black Madeira, your tree looks fantastic. Plus, a new shoot is sprouting. Listen to Jon, as he knows of what he speaks. The most I would do is pull out the inner pot and if there is still some water in the reservoir, I would dump it, PS, no surprise that there appears to be some FMV distortion to at least one of the leaves. No biggie! __________________ Frank Tallahassee, FL Zone 8b North Florida Figs

bullet08

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Posts: 6,920

Posted 1390391347	Reply with quote #20

BM grows very slowly. but it will put on ton of figs. your pix looks fine. i think you are over worried with this specific variety. don't over water the tree, that's the quickest way of killing it. __________________ Pete Durham, NC Zone 7b "don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill "the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." - the baroness thatcher *** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. * * and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...***

DallasFigs

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Posted 1390401632	Reply with quote #21

It's just the dryish/brittle (yet dark green) leaves that worry me. I've only seen that once before on a White Texas Everbearing that grew one leaf and stalled for 2 months in the peak of the season. I quit watering it for a month and finally it started growing leaves again, but the root system was very weak. I'll let this one mellow a while w/o watering and see how it goes. Thanks everyone for the advice and support! __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

gorgi

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Posted 1390422019	Reply with quote #22

>>> It's just the dryish/brittle (yet dark green) leaves that worry me. I did notice a similarity to that too. Is this another FMV symptom? __________________ George, NJ_z7a.

rcantor

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Posted 1390425488	Reply with quote #23

I can't open the picture but if the soil is saturated I'd want to look at the roots and cut away anything already dead and then repot the healthy roots. I'd rinse the soil off of the bottom. If the roots there look viable then you could leave the root ball to dry somewhat - wrap it in weedblock or fabric or whatever. It's great that a shoot is coming up! __________________ Zone 6, MO Wish list: Galicia Negra, De La Reina - Pons, Genovese Nero - Rafed's, Sbayi, Souadi, Acciano, Any Rimada, Sodus Sicilian, any Bass, Pons or Axier fig, any great tasting fig.

DallasFigs

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Posted 1392927001	Reply with quote #24

The Black Madeira leaves continued to yellow. After I moved it outside to the green house, it suddenly dropped all it's main leaves. But the little sprout to the side has perked up. It has 4 tiny single lobed leaves. One of them is slightly yellowed. We'll see if it perks back up for spring! I have some more cuttings coming from Jon as backup. __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

buonnatale2u

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Posted 1392928619	Reply with quote #25

I have 2 cuttings of Black Madeira I started last year. They are in a greenhouse, so they have extra time to grow, and yet they are both almost the same size as they were when I started them as cuttings. They only grow a few inches. I am going to try to remember to fertilize them on time every time this year to get them going (I hope). __________________ Christy 7a/6b NJ bonechickchris on GW Wish List: Italian Purple Beefera-where are you?? :) St. Rita, anything Belleclare, anything of the Salerno region of Italy

Dieseler

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Posted 1392931956	Reply with quote #26

If mine i would not mess with it as it usually makes matter worse by up rooting or probing etc etc. Some years back i had Kalamata Black , Madeira and a few others under Lionel train table with a T-6000 or whatever its number is i forget and late winter they suddenly started dropping leaves . I let them be eventually once outside they regrew leaves and did fine. Sometimes we try to play Doctor and wind up harming the patient.

pitangadiego

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Posted 1392936859	Reply with quote #27

Sounds completely normal. They don't grow much in winter, even in a greenhouse. They do decline if not kept warm during the winter, esp the first winter. __________________ Encanto Farms Nursery http://encantofarms.com http://figs4fun.com http://webebananas.com "pitangadiego" everywhere

Figaro

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Posts: 436

Posted 1392957792	Reply with quote #28

Hmmmm....I have to agree with Bob C. on this one. If you haven't watered in over 2 months and your moisture meter is pegging out just below the surface, it's a good indication that your roots may be having problems uptaking the water. And, if roots are left too moist, you can get root rot which will prevent the roots from uptaking water and being a fungus, can spread if left untreated. Also, although I don't grow in SIP, they seem to be a pretty reliable way to grow figs from what I've seen, so perhaps there's some other issue going on with your SIP design (i.e. too high a water/soil ratio, or soil that needs better drainage/aeration, etc.). So, IMHO, IF there truly is a problem, doing nothing may only make things worse in the long run. __________________ ============================ [B]Figaro Zone 10b - South Florida[/I] Growing: Black Mission, Strawberry Verte, LSU Hollier, LSU Purple, LSU Scotts Black, Cajun Gold, Panachee, Excel, UCR 291-4, UCR 143-36, Violette de Bordeaux, Ronde de Bordeaux, Calvert, Black Madeira, Col De Dame Blanc Wish List: CdDN, CdDG, Ischia Black, Galicia Negra ============================

bullet08

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Posted 1392959784	Reply with quote #29

if the cutting is still alive, get rid of water reserve for that SIP, but leave the wick in. the wick should help to drain the water out. leave it to drain the water out and monitor. messing with root is the last resort. unless the root is already rot and the cutting is heading toward death, leaving it alone to drain water will bounce it back. __________________ Pete Durham, NC Zone 7b "don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill "the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." - the baroness thatcher *** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. * * and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...***

DallasFigs

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Posts: 990

Posted 1392986973	Reply with quote #30

I had dumped the water a few weeks back. Maybe that's why it dropped the leaves. We have another cold spell coming next week. Several nights in the 30F's possibly getting down to 32F one night. After we get past that, I'll pull it out of the pot and see how the roots look, without disturbing the root ball. Perhaps I'll put it in a 5 gal then...depending how it looks. __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

jdsfrance

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Posts: 2,591

Posted 1392992069	Reply with quote #31

Hi Dallasfig, I don't know how is the weather at your location, but here it is still winter . So I wouldn't be surprise to have the tree drop the leaves. You bought the tree rooted from someone, so he might have kept the tree warmer than you did and that induced dormancy. At which temp has been the tree kept ? Is it near a window or a door ? Is the pot near/upon a heater (root cooked ?) ? Now that she seems dormant, let she be dormant - don't water her and remove the water from the reservoir if any. Let's see what she does in April or May - don't move the sip around so that the tree is kept at the same status . Did you give some fertilizer to the tree ? What kind of dirt did you put in the SIP ? __________________ ------------------------ Climate from -25°C to + 35°C Only cold hardy figtrees can make it here

DallasFigs

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Posts: 990

Posted 1392992981	Reply with quote #32

I got the tree last oct or nov and kept it indoors until a few weeks ago, I moved it to the garage. was a little cooler, but it didn't affect any of the other stuff I moved to the garage. It's been warmer outside this past week, so i put them in the green house, where older trees are starting to wake up now. Haven't fertlized yet. SIP mix is about 40/40/20 of MG potting mix/perlite/cow manure compost, which worked amazingly well in a 5 gal SIP last year for my LSU Tiger. __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

bullet08

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Posted 1392993383	Reply with quote #33

soil mix doesn't sound bad. i keep all my younger trees in 50/50 MG seedling soil/perlite. they drain well. however, with lower temp outside, the containers are rather heavy even after a month. i last watered them in 1/15/14. i assume that without sun, they are not evaporating fast, and since no leaves, water is not being used too much. typically when i'm rooting, i don't water if i don't have to. when i water it's only when the soil is very dry, but not completed dried out. reason being that the roots are tender and they can rot easily if sits on the water too long. winter rooting sucks with water control. __________________ Pete Durham, NC Zone 7b "don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill "the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." - the baroness thatcher *** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. * * and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...***

DallasFigs

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Posts: 990

Posted 1392994043	Reply with quote #34

yeah.. I've been letting the reservoir completely dry up in my 32oz deli sips for 2 or 3 days before adding a little more water. And they are growing much faster than before when it was wetter. I'm still learning that less is more when it comes to watering.. __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

DallasFigs

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Posted 1393097727	Reply with quote #35

Here's a current pic of it. Leaves dropped from the main stem, but not from the little one coming up on the side. __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

jdsfrance

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Posted 1393178122	Reply with quote #36

Hi DallasFig, The bud is green and the stem looks healthy. I wouldn't worry too much for that tree. Let her make it with her own planning. I've got 3 cuttings growing, and I haven't watered them for the week. I'll wait until Wednesday to see - I normally water them once a week. But for now they are still not asking for a drink and have the leaves look more dark green. Not watering too much is important as well as keeping the temp ok and this as well complicated at this time of the year as we get a day warm and a day cold . __________________ ------------------------ Climate from -25°C to + 35°C Only cold hardy figtrees can make it here

DallasFigs

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Posted 1396117698	Reply with quote #37

It turns out that little sprout coming up on the side of the pot isn't from the tree. I have the exact same thing coming up in several other pots with the exact same leaf shape. And they don't look like fig leaves. And they are extremely fast growing. In one pot, one was a couple inches tall last week and now it's about 6" tall. Still no sign of budding on the Black Madera trunk itself. :( __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

bada_bing

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Posted 1396125852	Reply with quote #38

I have an almost identical experience with BM. I was lucky enough to get a couple BM cuttings in last years F4F cutting. I managed to kill them both, but they were the only cuttings I totally failed with last year. So I bought a 1 gallon rooted BM cutting from a well known member on Ebay last august. I immediately put it in a 5 gallon SIP and put it on the porch in a partial sunlight position. The plant was healthy looking, but did absolutely no growing at all last fall. Fall is a big growth season for figs here in AZ and it was disheartening to see the BM just sit there while all my other trees made good growth. Maybe it was the climate change, as the BM came from back east. The BM went dormant and lost all it's leaves in late December, along with all my other figs. It honestly hadn't made even one new leaf since it arrived, but it didn't look like it was suffering. It is leafed out nicely now and making good progress. It is positioned in full sun now. It still isn't a fast grower, but at least it's growing. Spring is the other growth season here in AZ, so hopefully it will make good progress before the summer furnace starts. I will probably reposition it into partial sunlight before summer really heats up. It will almost certainly not need to be up potted from the current 5 gallon SIP this year unless it really takes off. I also ordered and received BM again in this years F4F cutting. I learned my lesson last go round about my incompetence rooting BM. 10 days ago I grafted both BM cuttings onto a couple tissue culture Brown Turkeys. I bought the BT last year for the purpose of root stock and they are currently in 1 gallons. So far, the BM scions haven't broken bud but are greening up and swelling. It looks like I could have both grafts take, knock on wood. It will be interesting to see how BM grafted onto brown turkey roots progress. Supposedly the tissue culture plants are virus free as well so they shouldn't contribute anything to the obvious virus load of the BM cuttings. I'll try and post pictures in a few weeks when/if the BM grafts are leafing out. __________________ bada_bing in Tucson, zone 9a or at work in Prudhoe bay, I don't think the zones go that low My in ground trees: VdB, Panache My potted figs : Vista, RdB, Strawberry verte, Atreano, Black Madeira Tissue culture plants: Hardy Chicago, "Blue" Ischia, Desert King, LSU Purple, Kadota, Celeste Hope to find: CdDx, Maltese Beauty, BlacK Ischia, desert adapted figs

Sas

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Posted 1396137461	Reply with quote #39

I received only one cutting of BM from UCD Last winter and was successful in making it root. During the summer, I inserted the container into the ground after cutting the bottom. I must say that this fig grows very slowly! I left it outside all winter without irrigation or protection and about a week ago I removed the container and kept the plant as is in the ground.As of today it is still dormant but I'm seeing a small green shoot on the side. The latest freeze caused some winter injuries to the top part of my small fig plant and it's not the only case I have, but I'm happy to see a green shoot on the lower part of the trunk. I will post an update later if and when I see some real growth. __________________ Sas from North Austin TX Zone 8B Wish list: Becane

Sas

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Posted 1398372450	Reply with quote #40

Today I see more growth on my Black Madeira. __________________ Sas from North Austin TX Zone 8B Wish list: Becane

DallasFigs

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Posted 1398376876	Reply with quote #41

Mine has woken up too! It's leafing out very nicely, nearly as much as Sas' right there. I'll try to get a picture of it and post. I believe I'll be putting it in the ground very soon. __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

Sas

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Posted 1398377378	Reply with quote #42

James, after seeing the injuries this year, I think that I should protect this tree for the next two to three winters at the very least. __________________ Sas from North Austin TX Zone 8B Wish list: Becane

DallasFigs

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Posted 1398996671	Reply with quote #43

Black Madeira is growing like crazy, now. This is about 3 weeks growth since it finally broke dormancy. __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

jdsfrance

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Posted 1399022692	Reply with quote #44

Hi Dallasfigs, Nice ! Just asking: Did you fertilize the pot ? The small thing is an oak tree - the third leaf is typical - at least that is what came to my brain when looking at it. Do you have that around ? At least move that small thing to a new pot so that it won't compete with the Madeira . __________________ ------------------------ Climate from -25°C to + 35°C Only cold hardy figtrees can make it here

DallasFigs

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Posted 1399156219	Reply with quote #45

Quote: Originally Posted by jdsfrance Hi Dallasfigs, Nice ! Just asking: Did you fertilize the pot ? The small thing is an oak tree - the third leaf is typical - at least that is what came to my brain when looking at it. Do you have that around ? At least move that small thing to a new pot so that it won't compete with the Madeira . No. I haven't fertilized anything yet this year. I need to. Don't have any nearby Oak Trees. I think it's just some weed. The same thing is in several different pots. __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

DallasFigs

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Posts: 990

Posted 1402406897	Reply with quote #46

Wow.. who said Black Madeira is a slow grower? lol. Right now, it's growing nearly as fast as my Joe Dark and faster than most of my trees. The pictures above in post #43 were taken about mid April. I just up potted it from a 3 gal SIP to a 5 gal SIP this past weekend. Check it out now. It has more new growth than it does old growth. The SIP is a was made exactly like FMD's Mini SIP, but using a 5 gal bucket and an inverted microwave plate cover from Dollar Tree (see link below). It's a perfect fit for these 5 gal pickle buckets. I scalloped the edges of it with a hole puncher so water can flow underneath the rim. Used a plastic tube for the overflow drain (it's on the other side). http://www.dollartree.com/household/paper-plastic/food-storage/Cooking-Concepts-Plastic-Microwave-Plate-Covers-10-/500c509c512p331157/index.pro?method=search __________________ James - Irving, TX - Zone: 8a Follow me on EBay Wish List: 187-25 · Ice Crystal · Maltese Beauty · Maltese Falcon

Rewton

Registered:1291943117
Posts: 1,946

Posted 1402409870	Reply with quote #47

James, it is doing great in the Texas sun. I also have my Black Madeira and Figo Preto in 5 gallon SIPs (made using the global buckets method) and they are doing great too. Somewhere on the forum I read that B.M. is more sensitive than most figs to having wet feet but it does seem to like SIPs! I should get a handful of figs off of both the F.P. and B.M. for the first time this year - can't wait. __________________ Steve MD zone 7a

Figfinatic

Registered:1330272993
Posts: 761

Posted 1402426863	Reply with quote #48

Mine sat around last years putting on small deformed leaves and barely growing. It's finally getting past that this year and putting on growth with normal leaves and figs. Any desert growers tasting these figs? Are they good? __________________ Wish: Sbayi, passiflora incense, quadrangularis or others

Sas

Registered:1350079929
Posts: 1,364

Posted 1402521376	Reply with quote #49

Here's today's picture of my BM after suffering from winter injuries. This BM came from a cutting from UCD last spring and went into the ground almost immediately. It is hardly growing but I'm glad it's green after a harsh winter. As you can see the new growth came from the lower part of the main trunk. __________________ Sas from North Austin TX Zone 8B Wish list: Becane

cis4elk

Registered:1347840383
Posts: 1,719

Posted 1402680235	Reply with quote #50

James, Where did you get your Smith from? The leaves on mine look nothing like the leaves on yours. The leaves of my Smith look very similar to Black Madeira. __________________ Calvin Littleton,CO z5/6 Wants List: For everyone to clean-up after themselves and co-exist peacefully. Let's think more about the future of our planet and less about ourselves. :)

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