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DesertDance

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
3 years ago or so, I got cuttings from a tree growing wild.  There were figs on the ground, so I knew the tree produced figs.  BUT, no sign of figs in 3 years.  The leaf is pretty and large.  I'm sure the tree has rooted itself into the ground because it is vigorously growing.  There were 2 in this pot, but we put one in ground, and it's not doing as well as the potted one.  Neither show signs of figs.

Do you think it will ever have figs?

WildOne.jpg 

Leaf close up.

WildOne2.jpg 
It was just growing wild, so it might be from a bird or something.  The trees are next to the house, and it rained hard a week ago, so they all look dusty from mud splashes.

Anything I can do to make it produce?  Each leaf node has a little bump that could become a fig, but so far nothing.

Suzi

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Zone 9b, Southern California. "First year they sleep, Second year they creep, Third year they leap!"  Wish List:  I wish all of you happy fig collecting!  My wishes have been fulfilled!
SCfigFanatic

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
Pinch the tops.

I can only tell you how well this worked for me this year.

Doug
lampo

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Yes, you can do a magic graft to make it a valued root stock.
Just select a good variety and try your skills.
It will be simple, fun and enormous satisfaction !!
Just try. Nothing to loose. Left alone and given its past performamce it will just show its nice leaves.

Good luck
Francisco
DesertDance

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
All good suggestions.  I'll start by pinching, and if that doesn't work, I'll try grafting. 

Thanks!

Suzi
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Zone 9b, Southern California. "First year they sleep, Second year they creep, Third year they leap!"  Wish List:  I wish all of you happy fig collecting!  My wishes have been fulfilled!
jdsfrance

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Hi Desertdance,
How much are you patient ?
If you are patient, fertilize that tree like crazy, and sooner or later she will fruit - edible fruit or not ... That will be your surprise.
Do you still have access to th bush ?
How are the figs there now ? Are they all good ? Are there trees with the same leaves ? Loaded with fruits ?
My "Dalmatie tree2" took 2 FULL years to finally expose some tiny figlets ... But now she's ready for next year I guess ... So patience ... patience ...

If you are looking for quick production then toss that one. From her look, it will take you at least one more full season before seeing figlets.
I would cut the main stem where that green-tie is to force branching .
After branching, the tree should start to expose figlets if fertilized and watered .
Just my 2 cents as always; I'm no crystal's ball owner :)
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DesertDance

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Patience is not my best feature, jdsfrance.  LOL!  I already pinched both trees, and if no figlets appear this season, I'll be patient enough for next season.  Then if nothing happens, I will learn to graft.

The fig I took cutting from is a couple hours away from here, so I really don't have access.  Not even sure if it's still there.  But many of my figs still have lots of figs on them.  Some are done for the year.  It will be hot here for 2-3 months.  Late October, it starts to cool off.  I took summer green cuttings from the Mother, and I know she had figs because some were on the ground, and some all dried up hung on the limbs.  I think there is hope.  Will they be "good" figs.  Don't know.

Suzi
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Sas

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
I had a fig tree tree from cutting, that produced great figs in its first year. This summer, not a single fig.
I heard that fig trees could revert to a vegetative state from one year to the next. Some trees might take several years to produce. But once they do they become good producers. Stress could cause a tree not to bear or to drop its fruit. If possible see if you could go back and check the mother tree to see what kind of figs it is producing this summer. I would give any of my trees plenty of time especially if I knew that the mother tree was a producer.
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Sas from North Austin TX Zone 8B
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Speedmaster

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
I wanted to rip my lemon, it flowered to stop me. I wanted to rip my fig, it produced and stopped me. I wanted to rip my roselle but it stopped me and produced...
I guess they feel danger or something...
My guess is next year it will roduce.
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Weather: Winter: 10C+  Summer: 42C+
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erics11

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
One of my lemon trees would not bloom at all this year. I let it dry out a bit to stress it. And then hit it with a hefty dose of liquid fertilizer. Within a few days, many blooms appeared.
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Otmani007

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
You may want to transplant it. Different pot and new soil mix may do the trick. It has always worked for me.
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waynea

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
I have several that have not set fruit, next year will be a lot of pinching and a lot of experimenting with fertilizers. Hopefully?
DesertDance

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Posted Reply with quote  #12 
Just an update.  Spring has come early this year, and everything is starting to bud out.  Just checked my wild unknown, and there are multiple fig bumps on the tree in the pot.  None on the one in ground, but it had the shock of it's life being planted in ground probably.  "First year they sleep, second year they creep, third year they leap."  It's going into year two, so hopefully it will do something.   There is hope, and I'll be back to show photos of any figs that actually appear.  We are planting the potted one close to the other since they are from the same tree.  Fingers crossed the figs are common (not caprifig) and taste good.  Leaves are pretty. 

Should figs appear, I'll start a new topic for ID.

Suzi
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ako1974

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Posted Reply with quote  #13 
Hope and patience are wonderful things :) Good luck.
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Arne
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gabeE2407

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Posted Reply with quote  #14 
I've had a Bearss Lime in-ground that produced nothing for more ten years. Late last year, it suddenly woke up and started
producing (absolutely great limes, especially for G&T). Even as the limes are presently in various stages of maturing, the branches
are also heavily clustered with white blossoms. Prior to this, aside from fertilizing regularly which seemed to have had no effect,
the only thing different I've done when I watered once a week, was adding hydrogen peroxide (1 tablespoon H2O2 per gallon).
I've also done this with rooted fig cuttings and it seems to make a difference.

Here's a link:

http://www.quickgrow.com/gardening_articles/hydrogen_peroxide_horticulture.html
dkirtexas

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Posted Reply with quote  #15 
Suzi - Great to see you again.  Hope all is well and you find the answer.
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Thx, glad to be here

Danny K "EL CAZADOR DE HIGO"
Waskom Tx Zone 7B/8

Wish list: anything anyone wants me to have. LSU RED.  Any LSU fig.
DesertDance

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Posted Reply with quote  #16 
Hey Danny!  I'm sort of busy with life mostly.  Caught the "mother" of all colds on top of a previous cold.  Outdid myself for Superbowl weekend guests and am now paying the price.  Can't go to work (I'm contagious).  But I can catch up on things.

Hope your vines are good.  Mine are dormant.  We prune this week.  Weather rocks!  In the 80's.  Gonna stick a few grape and fig cuttings in ground under rocks and see what happens.  Always damp under those rocks.

Feeling sorry for those buried in snow.  Always was jealous of that until I flipped through 259 photos of the recent Storm in the Midwest/East.  Wow!  Horrible!  Happy now I am a California native.  Not gonna leave, Evah!  My daughter is in Cincinnatti.  She got used to it.  3 little kids under 5 with tons of wiggles!  I always send them stuff.  Kids like new stuff to keep them occupied.

Re the figless fig, JD and I decided to leave the one with figs to be in it's pot with it's roots firmly in ground, rather than cutting those roots, pruning the top and losing the figs.  Better to find out if we even LIKE the figs before doing a whole nasty transplant, putting it in shock for a year... you know the drill..  I can't wait for those figs to develop.  I think they are of the white or gold variety from what I remember of the dried ones hanging on the tree and on the ground when I took my cuttings.

Time will tell

Suzi
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Zone 9b, Southern California. "First year they sleep, Second year they creep, Third year they leap!"  Wish List:  I wish all of you happy fig collecting!  My wishes have been fulfilled!
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