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jtmarino

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
Greetings all - this is my first post. I live on Long Island and have fig trees growing here for last 12 years. Several different varieties from different sources including "white fig" or celeste, chicago hardy, giant patrick, and some others.  Some plants are a few years younger than that but they are established. A couple years ago the majority of the trees died down to the roots because of a really cold winter but they came up again from the ground. A couple did not completely die down but Since that cold winter the trees are growing to nice heights and producing many unripened figs but I want to eat some figs off the tree already. I did not get any this year yet and I fear that it is too late now as we are almost done with September. In the past I would get figs late august into September. The white figs and the Hardy used to ripen first and then the rest but they are all stalled. I put 3 "new ones" into the ground that were in pots for 2 years - they are about 2 feet high. I have not wrapped trees for many years but will probably wrap the new ones for this winter. I use burlap and tie them up with that. My uncle used to do the newspaper, tar roofing paper and the metal pail on top method. he wrapped his trees every year even after they got very large.... Advice wanted - THANKS
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pitangadiego

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
It is all about son and heat and length of season. if you have had a shorter season than usual, or cooler, that will be an issue. The freeze damage may have also caused the trees to set fruit late for a few seasons (pushed them into a juvenile state), which should lessen with more age.
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jtmarino

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
We had a long hot/sunny summer which is why I had my hopes up for this year. I am also hoping you are correct about them being back to juvenile state and this will correct eventually. The other factor here was super-storm Sandy which struck right before a really cold winter. Could saltwater damage be a factor?  Do you think that a burlap wrap is effective? I'm curious if others have an easy way to protect from freeze damage in the Northeast. THANKS
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bgli

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
Hi and I am also on LI and wrap my hardy chicago in burlap with tarp over it. It still tends to die back but roars ahead and produces figs. I also put an atreano in the grround this year and will cover in winter and keep fingers crossed. Many say atreano do well on LI.
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pino

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Sounds like you have a proven set of cold hardy fig trees.
As Jon mentioned a severe winter like 2013/14 and 14/15 can set the fig trees back and it will take a few years for them to come back to full production.

In general the better I protect the fig tree for winter the more figs it ripens. 
If I leave tree unprotected the following year it will get huge 6-10' growth with hundreds of figs that only a few ripen. 
The key seems to be to have some of the main trunk and some lateral arms survive the winters and become permanent. 
For the trees that have established trunk 1-2' and arms 1' the new branches that grow from these ripen many figs.

There are many posting here to search on techniques to optimize fig tree production.  

Basically, once you have the basic structure then it also helps to pinch the new growth in July and to drop the figs that don't develop until August.  This helps the tree produce figs early and ripen the figs it has. 
Also thin out any suckers that grow and will interfere.
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Wish; Peace on earth and more figs Italian 258, Galicia Negra, Luv, trade suggestions welcome.
jdsfrance

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Hi,
Welcome to the forum.
Pics of the trees at this season start, and one now would help.
There are several "abuses" that can slow down a fig-tree, at least in my Zone7.

A fig-tree dying back to the roots, here, means no ripe fig the following season - I don't have hardy chicago, nor do I have celeste.
A fig-tree not properly watered AND fertilized, means the tree will be slow to develop and the figs will be late to pop, and thus late to try to ripen.
A fig-tree left with too many root-shoots will develop the main trunks at a slower pace, and the trees really need to develop the fastest they can. So keep 5 trunks and remove ASAP any root-shoot that comes up (unless you need them to propagate the tree).
A fig-tree that is correctly protected for the winter (see for instance my post on 80 liters trashcan winter protection), is in a sunny spot, is regularly watered and fertilized each month, will ripen her fruits faster.
I can make my fig-trees ripen their maincrop a month ahead of trees (of same strain) that are not well cared for !
I gave one of my trees to a neighbor and I can compare how mine grow and produce much more . She never waters and doesn't care for fertilizers ... "they grow the same" she says ...
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DevIsgro

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jdsfrance
Hi,
Welcome to the forum.
Pics of the trees at this season start, and one now would help.
There are several "abuses" that can slow down a fig-tree, at least in my Zone7.

A fig-tree dying back to the roots, here, means no ripe fig the following season - I don't have hardy chicago, nor do I have celeste.
A fig-tree not properly watered AND fertilized, means the tree will be slow to develop and the figs will be late to pop, and thus late to try to ripen.
A fig-tree left with too many root-shoots will develop the main trunks at a slower pace, and the trees really need to develop the fastest they can. So keep 5 trunks and remove ASAP any root-shoot that comes up (unless you need them to propagate the tree).
A fig-tree that is correctly protected for the winter (see for instance my post on 80 liters trashcan winter protection), is in a sunny spot, is regularly watered and fertilized each month, will ripen her fruits faster.
I can make my fig-trees ripen their maincrop a month ahead of trees (of same strain) that are not well cared for !
I gave one of my trees to a neighbor and I can compare how mine grow and produce much more . She never waters and doesn't care for fertilizers ... "they grow the same" she says ...




Good advice! How do you fertilize?
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Currently growing 50-60 varieties, this season's cuttings dependant. Hopefully I'll get to taste a few more this year...
jtmarino

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
My Celeste trees fruited in October and gave nice figs until early November so I did get to enjoy some after all. A strange season here in NY. I pruned and covered most of my trees that did not give fruit so hoping for better results next year. When I pruned I stuck a bunch of cuttings into a pot of soil and most of them are looking good and producing new green leaves. When I was a young kid in Brooklyn the old guys would argue about whose figs are better. My father liked the "white" ones. They never discussed species it was black or white to them. I am thankful now that I have kept his white figs going - they came from cuttings that a neighbor brought from Sicily about a hundred years ago. He took cuttings and planted his in 1983. I took cuttings from him in the late 1990's and planted them where I live now. Funny how you either love or hate figs - when you show somebody fresh figs they either drool or look disgusted.
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PeterC

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Hi JT
I am also in Long Island and was hit with SSS, 4ft of water. My inground trees died back but since, they are growing well. One is about 13 ft and the other is 10 ft. I used a lot of chicken manure and lime this year and apparently the trees like it.

My tree wrapping   consist of heavy moving blankets, 2 inch Styrofoam insulation in a box, followed by wrapping in tarp.

When I uncovered/unboxed my trees this year, they were ready to bust out!

good luck, maybe we can trade in the future as I am looking for a HC
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Growing: Sal's Corleone, Brooklyn Unknown, Peters Honey, White Kadoda, Brown Turkey, Black Mission,  Deanna, Green Irchia, Hollier, Sals E

Wanted: A very cold hardy fig, Hardy Chicago or Celeste

Zone 7  Long Island
jtmarino

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
I have not been good about fertilizing - Funny you mention chicken manure because one of the old Brooklyn guys used to swear by that too. We lived near a live poultry place and he would get it there. Where do you get yours? I live in Long Beach so SSS is not a good memory - glad we past that. I'm not good about labeling but have a few varieties - if you want to trade cuttings that would be OK by me
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JTMarino
PeterC

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
I live in Seaford, I purchased this at Dees in Oceanside, I use this for everything, it smells but it is good stuff.

Next year we will exchange plants for sure, I have many growing in containers now.
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Growing: Sal's Corleone, Brooklyn Unknown, Peters Honey, White Kadoda, Brown Turkey, Black Mission,  Deanna, Green Irchia, Hollier, Sals E

Wanted: A very cold hardy fig, Hardy Chicago or Celeste

Zone 7  Long Island
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