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Subject: Roots not pruned by the air Replies: 6
Posted By: Rob Views: 149
 
Another possibility is that at one point there was soil above the rim of the pot.  Perhaps after the pot was placed, there was a rain or something else that caused some soil to be dumped on the top.  It's actually possible that even just some leaves accumulating on top would create a moist enough environment for a root to grow up and over the edge.  Then once the tip gets over and into the soil outside of the pot, it's free to grow into the soil.  Then rain comes and washes the soil (or leaves) away. 

Another point to note is that air will only prune the newly formed tip of a root.  An established root, as you can see, is hardier and woodier and will not shrivel in air. 


Subject: Moldy Soil Replies: 7
Posted By: Rob Views: 79
 
Are you sure it's mold and not just perlite that has floated to the top?

I've seen various types of fungal growth on the tops of soil, mulch, and potting mix.  Never seen where it hurt anything.

Your tree looks very healthy so it's unlikely this mold (if that's what it is) is causing any problems. 


Subject: How do you rate this potting mix receipe? Replies: 11
Posted By: Rob Views: 312
 
I'd check pH.  Also check wicking properties if you're going to water from below.

Not sure if you need the fertilizer with all that mushroom compost. 


Subject: Woven vs Non-Woven planter/grow bags Replies: 10
Posted By: Rob Views: 175
 
You can do a search here for details on the 5-1-1 mix or pine bark mix.  That would be 5 parts pine bark fines, 1 part peat moss, 1 part perlite.

I am never so precise.  Also I have come to the conclusion that perlite is not useful for my setup, just adds expense.

So I throw a bunch of pine bark fines in there, throw some slow release fertilizer, throw in some peat or professional potting mix, throw in some lime to raise the pH.  Mix it up and call it a day. 

But like I say pine bark doesn't really wick.  You could probably go up to 30-50% pine bark and still get wicking action, but higher than that you might have issues.

Subject: Woven vs Non-Woven planter/grow bags Replies: 10
Posted By: Rob Views: 175
 
Whether the wicking will work depends on the potting mix.  Yours looks like a peat based mix so it should work.  Might be heavy for the large pots, but wicking will work.  My potting mix is mostly pine back fines, which doesn't wick, but is lighter.  So I use drip irrigation to water from above.

Subject: Woven vs Non-Woven planter/grow bags Replies: 10
Posted By: Rob Views: 175
 
Yeah 10 gallon fabric pots are no problem.  You can just grab them and pick them up, even if you don't have a dolly.  I think when you get to 20, 30, 40 gallons the lack of rigid sides poses some challenges.  If there are no handles, well obviously that's a challenge.  And if there are handles, there's some chance they might rip off depending on various factors.  If you have a really nice dolly, then again you can skip over those issues.

But the challenges of moving a loaded fabric pot do not compare to difficulty of removing a fig tree from a 30 gallon fabric pot without destroying one or both. 

Subject: Growing organic figs? What do you use on figs? Replies: 22
Posted By: Rob Views: 493
 
Nothing messes with my figs here.  No need for all that stuff.  Slugs won't touch the leaves; other insects won't either.  Only problem I have is with birds and wasps when the figs start to ripen.  They are so darn sweet the wasps can't help themselves, and bird will peck a hole in any fruit they come across.  Organza bags work reasonably well to limit these types of attacks.

I don't think my potting mix is particularly good.  It's mostly pine bark in various states of decay.  I just think that fig trees are resilient and resistant to pests.  Maybe due to all the latex in the sap.

Subject: Woven vs Non-Woven planter/grow bags Replies: 10
Posted By: Rob Views: 175
 
I have used the root pouch type and a couple other brands.  I don't think I've used a woven but maybe.  In my experience over about 4 years they never rip or tear or develop holes due to normal use.  However, rodents (or some sort of animal) will chew them up sometimes.  Even when this happens they usually do not fail completely.

So I wouldn't advise paying a lot of extra money for woven fabric, or for something that is supposed to be sturdier, etc.

The main problem with these things is that it's very difficult to remove large trees from these large fabric pots.  The roots will grow into the fabric just enough that they won't slide out at all, so you've got to beat the holy heck out of the rootball to loosen it up.  Then you have to sort of peel the pot away.  For a 25 gallon pot I'd say the difficulty level is similar to taking an old tire off a rim with a crowbar. 

But the root growth is great (very little circling) so you can leave them in the pot a good long time. 

I made the mistake of buying them without handles.  Very difficult to get a grip in that situation.  Was trying to save a couple bucks.  Not sure if it was worth it.  But probably once you get to 30 gallons you need to devise a better way to move them than by just grabbing by the handles anyway.

Subject: summer setup Replies: 11
Posted By: Rob Views: 251
 
Should be effective.  One issue I see is that you are going to be soaking the ground as much as the fig trees themselves.  See below for my setup which uses drip emitters instead of soaker hose.  I have 1/2 gallon per hour drip emitters running for 3 minutes every 2 or 3 hours.  Would actually like to set it up so that it doesn't drip at night but haven't gotten around to that yet.

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/drip-irrigation-for-figs-in-pots-7512931?pid=1288015893

It also looks like must have sprayed herbicide to kill the grass where your pots are.  This is OK for now but eventually you'll get weeds, etc there.  Or at best just dirt.  Actually might end up being muck with all the excess water from the soaker hoses.  I'd suggest you put a couple inches of mulch down. 

The technique I use is to just lay down cardboard boxes and then put soil or mulch on top.  The cardboard kills whatever is below it and the mulch prevents or reduces seeds from sprouting through. 

Subject: Rice Husk Ash... Replies: 2
Posted By: Rob Views: 121
 
I wouldn't plant anything in any medium based on any type of ash.  It will be very alkaline.  You could perhaps mix it with something that's acidic.  But ashes have no structure so not that great for a medium.  OK as an amendment in some circumstances.

Subject: Need Florida Fig Advice Replies: 32
Posted By: Rob Views: 496
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chapman
If you had transplanted it while it was dormant it would have been much better.  A tree that large is going to be really stressed to be moved with all that new growth.  Hopefully it will recover without too much die back, but it will be a slow process.


A lot of folks (I used to as well) assume that if you plant a potted fig tree in the early spring that everything will be fine.  However, I have found that this is not the case at all. 

When we use drip irrigation, self watering containers, etc, to increase the amount of water that goes into our pots, the root density in the pot is much higher than it would be for an in ground tree. 

So let's say I have a tree in a 10 gallon pot that was drip irrigated or otherwise experienced a lot more watering than just by rainfall.  The roots are very dense and are able to exhaust a fully saturated pot in maybe a day or two.  Maybe less if it's a very porous medium like pine bark fines and/or perlite.  Then March 15th (maybe earlier in FL), right before the tree puts out any buds, I plop it in a hole.  It buds out nicely and seems to be doing well.  But then sometime in the summer, maybe June or July (May in FL?), there's a bit of a dry spell and it struggles.  Might even drop all its leaves.

I have seen this happen with almost every tree I've planted here in Maryland.  Why?  The roots need time to spread out.  A month or two is not enough time.  The early spring is frequently rainy and cool, so there's enough water constantly being pushed into the existing root area (the size of a 10 gallon bucket, approximately) for quite some time.  But then the tree exhausts this water.  It does push roots out into the surrounding soil, but just not fast enough to support its needs in a hot, dry spell. 

I guess all I'm saying is that there was no great time to move the tree without experiencing some stress, so doing it sooner rather than later probably gets you to the ultimate goal faster.  I would water it every day though for several months, if possible. 

Subject: Cooling Black Pots Replies: 26
Posted By: Rob Views: 578
 
What is the consensus on soil temperature?  Do we think the trees will do better with cooler root zones?  Last year I used reflective insulation, but I'm not convinced it really effected much of anything.  I have drip emitters on all my trees so I figure the constant influx of cool water probably lowers the temp enough already. 

It does look nice either way and seems like a nice solution, maybe even just for looks.

Subject: Need Florida Fig Advice Replies: 32
Posted By: Rob Views: 496
 
Hard to tell from the picture but maybe you have sandy soil.  If you do you may want to amend with organic matter.  I've heard that nematodes like sandy Florida soil with little organic matter, and figs are very susceptible to nematodes.

Don't be surprised if your tree is stressed by the transplant and drops some or all its leaves.  Doesn't mean it's dead, just hasn't built out enough roots to support the tops.  It should come back.  Probably was smart to cut off some of the leaves so that maybe this lessens transplant shock

Subject: Need Florida Fig Advice Replies: 32
Posted By: Rob Views: 496
 
Probably doesn't get enough direct sunlight.  The growth does look leggy.  You can see how the internodal spacing is closer together at the top where it has finally gotten to some real sunshine. 

Why did you put it next to the house?  In Florida, I would say there's no need to do this.  Anywhere you plant it should be able to survive the winters fine. 

Rather than moving this one, why not start with a variety that you know will produce?  There are many to choose from.  There are folks on this forum that live in florida and grow figs successfully and could recommend a good variety.  I'd think that celeste would be one good option. 

In your photo above the leaf you can see the bump.  This could be a new shoot or fig or both.  You can't really tell at this stage. 

Some folks are concerned with putting trees right next to the house because they might grow into the foundation.  I have no idea if this concern is real or imagined.  I guess you probably don't have a basement, just a concrete slab, so I don't know why a root would try to grow into it. 

Subject: Figs still in storage??? Replies: 30
Posted By: Rob Views: 380
 
Dave, a couple questions/thoughts:

1.  What percentage of the sunlight do you think gets through that roof?
2.  When you bring them out after they've leafed out so much, do they get sunburn?  If not, I'd say it's a great way to get a headstart on the season.
3.  When I start my tomatoes indoors, I turn a fan on them to simulate wind for a couple weeks before I set them out.  Maybe you'd want to do this for your fig trees? 

Subject: Brebas fall off. Replies: 6
Posted By: Rob Views: 243
 
Brebas frequently drop on most varieties.  Some varieties show brebas but they drop all of them after a little while.  Some varieties show some brebas but drop most of them, maybe keeping 0 or a small number each year.  Some varieties (almost) never show any brebas.  Still others, like Desert King, tend to keep most or all brebas. 

Subject: Leaf damage? Replies: 3
Posted By: Rob Views: 117
 
Don't worry about that damage.  (almost) nothing eats figs around here.  Even when they do I think they don't like it because they don't come back to it.  Also leave it outside all the time.  Danger of frost has passed in DC/MD.  Only need to bring it in if frost is possible. 


Subject: Vegetation progress in zone 6 and 7 Replies: 12
Posted By: Rob Views: 304
 
I'm theoretically zone 7a but my in ground trees are just showing buds.  None of them have any leaves.  Many of my potted ones have had leaves for a month or so. 

Subject: vdb: rooting but no leaf Replies: 16
Posted By: Rob Views: 316
 
It's also possible that the top has died but there are parts underground that are pushing buds that you can't see. If this is the case it could take awhile for the bud to get above soil level

Subject: Shippingfig plants Replies: 4
Posted By: Rob Views: 307
 
Those are good tips from tryo.  There is also a longer tri-corner box from USPS that is 36 inches long.  I frequently use that.  You may have to ask them to go in the back to get them, because sometimes they don't have them out front at the post office.  Most 1 gallon trees will easily fit 2 or 3 in such a box. 

The great thing about the USPS boxes is that they are free! 

If you have a larger tree you can actually tape together two or more of those tri corner boxes in various ways.  Not sure if you're technically supposed to do this, and often times the lady at the counter gives me dirty looks, but in the end they ship them just the same and are still free. 

I have shipped much larger trees across the country in various shapes, sizes and varieties of gnarly taped together boxes.  Most times it gets there fine, even if it's not the most attractive solution. 


Subject: Should I Up-Pot? Replies: 11
Posted By: Rob Views: 221
 
Roots will grow in any direction until they hit an object that stops them or an area that has sufficiently low humidity that they air prune. 

This is why if you have ever used humidity domes you will see roots growing right up and out of the soil.  Too humid. Not helpful.

Apparently the lower portion of the perlite area is humid enough that the roots can continue to grow into it. 

Probably doesn't much matter but this is why I wouldn't put so much perlite on top.  Maybe just a thin layer, if any. 


Subject: Gro-Pro Warrior Pots Replies: 4
Posted By: Rob Views: 205
 
I don't really see any benefits to this pot.  There isn't going to be that much air transfer in the middle section there.  The tree is still resting on the ground, meaning that fresh air is never going to get into that section in the first place.  In other words the interior air is stagnant.  Kinda like if you wash a cup and place it face down on a flat surface it never dries. 

Not sure if roots would grow into the space in the middle or not.  They might air prune.  But if it's really humid in that interior cave section they might actually grow through it and into the ground.  Don't see how either would be helpful.  Roots would still circle around the outside edge of the pot like crazy. 

The narrow bottom might help to reduce or eliminate the perched water table phenomenon, but I don't think that is really an issue with figs.

Am I missing something?

Subject: OT: Peaches. What to do with them? Replies: 17
Posted By: Rob Views: 361
 
If you have space in your freezer, or better yet an additional freezer for meat or fish or whatever, you can make freezer jam.  We used to do it with wild blackberries that grew where I lived as a child. 

If you don't know about freezer jam, it has some pros and cons vs traditional canned jam or jelly:

Pros:
1. Don't need all that canning equipment
2. Don't have to heat to high temperatures so more flavor is preserved
3. Can use any container you have lying around

Cons:
1. Have to have space in a freezer.
2. Probably doesn't last as long as canned jam.  Probably lasts 6 months to a year at best.  Not an issue if you eat it fairly quickly.
3. Have to take it out of freezer and put in fridge for a couple hours before you use it (not really a big deal).

Subject: Air Pot Replies: 14
Posted By: Rob Views: 365
 
Hoosier, you're right.  My math was off, I was using diameter instead of circumference.  Duh. 

Yeah, they seem really expensive and not significantly better than fabric pots.  In fact, on their website they sell the fabric pots and inserts.  So they must work OK too or they wouldn't sell them.

I do something similar to the root pouches when it's time to get them out. I whack them with a shovel or similar.  Did a 15 gallon the other day that was pretty compacted and it was definitely some work.

I'm hoping that once I get to 30 gallon fabric pot the repotting will be necessary infrequently if at all.

Subject: Air Pot Replies: 14
Posted By: Rob Views: 365
 
I suspect it does work.  However, fabric pots also work pretty well at accomplishing the same thing.  For anything 15 gallons or larger, I've found it is very hard to remove a tree from a fabric pot. 

How would you make a pot out of a roll?  How would you fasten a length into a pot without it coming undone?  Staples?  Seems hard to do.  Maybe overlap a couple of the sets of holes and then thread zip ties through them?

Then how would you fasten the bottom?  What would the bottom be?  landscape fabric?  Plastic?  Does it matter? 

Anybody have any experience with this stuff?

I don't see how you'd get a tree out if you needed to repot without disassembling it.  I guess if you needed to repot you could just cut down the side or cut the zip ties.  Then it should be simple to take the pot off, rather than trying to take the tree out of the pot.

By my calculation, you could build about 50 pots, 33 gallons each, with this size roll.  Of course you'd also have to come up with something for the bottoms, so that would mean more expense.  I wouldn't recommend using this stuff for the bottoms or the roots would grow right through and into the ground and you'd never be able to lift the pot.

So $340/50 = $7, maybe a little more if you include bottom material.  That is similar to what a fabric or large heavy duty pot of the same size costs. 

I would like to try it out but don't want to commit to buying so much of it.

Would rather try it on a few pots first as a trial. 

Subject: Jungle Book figs Replies: 8
Posted By: Rob Views: 360
 
Life is usually not quite as interesting as the movies.  If it were we wouldn't need movies.

Subject: RONDE DE BORDEAUX BREBA Replies: 19
Posted By: Rob Views: 686
 
I'm concerned because my RdB, which is one of my favorite trees, still hasn't shown any signs of coming out of dormancy.  It slept in the garage with the rest of my other 35 or so trees, most of which have leaves and all of which at least have little green buds.  I don't recall this variety being a late starter last year.  But as far as I can tell it doesn't have any dead branches.  Even the tips seem OK.  And if I scratch the trunk, it is green and moist. 

So what is going on? 

I actually want to pot it up to a 30 gallon (it's in 20 gallon now), but don't want to waste the effort if it's a deader.  So each day I look at it, but no buds yet. 

Anyone else had this with RdB? 

Subject: Share 1 tip you've learned that you wish someone had told you in the beginning Replies: 43
Posted By: Rob Views: 1,080
 
I agree with many of the comments here but also disagree with a couple. 

Only thing I'll add is the following:

If you are just starting out and don't have any fig trees yet, start as many cuttings as you want, but also pick a couple well known, productive varieties and buy large trees from an established, reputable source.  This is much more expensive than cuttings, but from cuttings you will be waiting years until you get any substantial amount of figs.  Buy a Hardy Chicago (for example) and get that guy producing in the first or second year.  That way you'll have something to compare to when you start getting yield from all those special, exotic varieties you started from cuttings.

Subject: Keep moving Fig tree in container Replies: 8
Posted By: Rob Views: 241
 
I guess there's nothing to do in Hawaii but move fig trees back and forth twice a day :)

It's hard for me to imagine how a yard could be shaped and sized so that there's one spot that gets 4 hours of sun in the morning, another spot that gets 4 hours in the afternoon, but nowhere that gets more than 4 hours combined.  Geometrically it seems like you'd have to have a very tall row house that faces east or west, a front and back yard that were each very very small (5 feet or less deep?), and a lot of trees or buildings just on the other side of where each yard ends.

If that's all the sun I had to work with, I'd probably either move or take up a different hobby.  Surfing maybe?

Subject: Help Fig Prob Replies: 17
Posted By: Rob Views: 272
 
At this point the damage is done.  They will probably come back fine if it was just sunburn.  Was the root system well developed?  In my opinion the roots are much more important than the leaves on new cuttings.  In other words, I'd rather have a cutting with strong roots and cut off all the leaves than have a cutting with nice leaves but a week root system.

At this point I would leave them where they are if they have strong roots.  Any leaves that form at this point will naturally acclimate to full sunlight.

Subject: Grafting tape used to seal top cutting? Replies: 13
Posted By: Rob Views: 286
 
This can be done as an alternative to using a humidity bin (which I don't use) or covering with an upside down cup.  The purpose is to slow down the drying process for the part of the cutting above the potting mix.  The part below the potting mix presumably does not need this protection because the potting mix is moist and therefore the relative humidity just below the surface of the potting mix is high enough to prevent dehydration. 

Buds certainly have no problem pushing through parafilm.  I suspect roots would be able to push through as well, but I haven't tried covering the lower parts of the cutting. 

In my experience it is equally effective as other methods.  In my opinion most times cutting failure is not caused by the top drying out, but rather other factors. 

Subject: Burnt Leaves Replies: 13
Posted By: Rob Views: 389
 
rcantor, if you think so then please provide an explanation as to why.  I haven't heard a convincing one yet, but am willing to listen.

Subject: Moving Day!!! Replies: 16
Posted By: Rob Views: 343
 
I had about 100 fig trees a couple years ago but had to decide between that and my wife.  So now I'm down to about 30.  Hopefully it was the right call ;)

Subject: Burnt Leaves Replies: 13
Posted By: Rob Views: 389
 
Blackfoot, I don't understand the logic of rotating a plant, even a houseplant.  But especially an outdoor fruit bearing plant. 

There are many evergreen conifers in the northern regions that if you study closely you'll notice something interesting.  The south side of the tree has more leaves (needles, whatever) than the north side.  Why?  Because the south side receives more light, so the tree has optimized itself to put the leaves where they can do more good and produce more energy.  Leaves are somewhat expensive for the tree to maintain, so why put them where it's shady?  

So if you rotate your fig tree, the leaves that were on the north side that had grown accustomed to a certain level of shading from the leaves on the south side all of a sudden can't cope with the increased amount of direct sunlight.  

So like you say, try to think of how the plant would grow if it were in the ground, which is the natural state.   

Subject: Humidity Dome /green house: when to remove Replies: 9
Posted By: Rob Views: 206
 
I agree with Brian's advice in post #7.  I will add the following:

If you dome it so that it's very humid, you will likely experience shriveling at some point.  Therefore I limit the amount of humidity, even when I first put the cutting in a cup.  I use an upside down cup just laid loosely propped on top.  There are intentionally some air gaps between the top and bottom cup.  Also I cut holes in the bottom of all my cups.  That way when the cup is inverted on top of the other cup, there are holes in the top and there are air gaps on the bottom.  This allows excess moisture and heat to escape, but also greatly slows down the drying process so that the cutting can survive.  This way you don't ever get an extreme imbalance between top and bottom.  You don't really want an overly humid environment, you just don't want dehydration to occur at a rapid rate. 

Once I see a lot of roots, I might just slide the top cup over a bit to create a larger air gap.  No need to poke more holes in the cup.  If the air gap is large for a day or two and there are no signs of leaf withering, it's likely safe to remove the cup entirely.  Then once it goes a few days like this, you can start transition to outdoors if weather is appropriate.  I start mine in late fall so they are usually ready in the spring before the weather is.   


Subject: 35 Degrees Overnight ... Uncovered Trees Safe? Replies: 9
Posted By: Rob Views: 200
 
Here's what I've read, although I haven't tested (not sure how you would):

If it's very clear and there is very little wind, it's possible for certain surfaces to actually be lower than the ambient air temperature, due to radiation. 

So for example you can have frost on the ground even if it's not quite 32 degrees.  Probably needs to be 33 or 34. 

If it's 35 degrees the chances are very slim.  And certainly the lamps should compensate for any heat loss due to radiation.  If it's 31 and windy, the lamps would probably be futile.

Also, even freezing temperature shouldn't hurt buds that haven't yet opened.  Although you can kiss any figlets or leaves goodbye if it does freeze.

Good luck. 

Subject: Heads up, gnats galore in Mg Moisture control soil Replies: 15
Posted By: Rob Views: 332
 
I second the Promix suggestion.  Get one of those 3 cf bales.  They are compressed and last a heck of a long time if all you are doing is cuttings.  Worth the money.  And I'm cheap so I don't say that often. 

Subject: Best way to ship trees Replies: 8
Posted By: Rob Views: 201
 
If you're looking to save a few bucks you can take them out of the pots or dig them up and knock off most of the soil and trim off a large portion of roots (especially any more than a foot long).  Then bag them up and smush them up together in a box similar to what is pictured in an earlier post.  I have shipped multiple trees in a single box economically.  You can do the same with the 1 gallon trees.

They may lose a few leaves along the way, but they will recover.

I don't see the point in paying to ship dirt or potting mix.  Furthermore, I don't see this as being much more stressful on the plant than a repotting, which is required periodically anyway. 

Subject: Where to buy fig trees larger than 5 gallon containers Replies: 4
Posted By: Rob Views: 187
 
I think there's a guy in New Jersey who sells large fig trees.  You'd have to email/call or stop by to see what he has for sale.  Doesn't ship but probably not too far for you.  I can't remember his name but I'm sure someone on here will be able to.

EDIT:
It's Bill's Figs in Flemington.  Never been there myself but only hear good things from other members here:

http://figs4fun.com/bills_figs.html

Subject: bark mulch for better roots Replies: 12
Posted By: Rob Views: 542
 
Pine is abundant in the southern united states.  The bark is a by-product from the paper industry.  So pine bark is cheap and plentiful. 

It's not economical to ship it long distances, though. 

The main reason pine bark mulch is good is because it has lots of lignins which slow down the decomposition process.  This has two beneficial effects.  1.  High carbon (wood) items that decompose rapidly use up any available nitrogen.  2. keeps structure and lasts longer.  Structure makes it less dense which allows for more air pockets etc.

It is possible that some other conifers (such as fir/hemlock) might have similar properties, but I wouldn't assume so without doing some research.

Fresh bark mulch is less dense (i.e. it is lighter for the same volume) than the composted/aged variety.  The main reason this is so is because the structure hasn't broken down so there are many micro air pockets.  However, it doesn't hold a lot of water.  As it ages and breaks down over time it holds more water.  I suspect that the fresh stuff has very little (if any) available nitrogen whereas the well composted stuff has some nitrogen. 

I wouldn't recommend using exclusively fresh stuff unless you've got a drip irrigation system and you fertilize often.  The composted stuff will work well by itself, or mixed with some of the fresh stuff or other types of media (peat based potting mixes, etc).

If you use the fresh stuff make sure the pieces aren't too big or they will take forever to decompose. 

Sometimes if all I have is the fresh stuff I will mix it with some peat moss to give it better water retention.  But if you do this you might end up with a highly acidic mixture so lime is required to normalize. 

Figs are pretty resilient and will survive in almost anything but they will bear more/less fruit depending on the conditions.

Subject: Cutting growing figs before roots Replies: 6
Posted By: Rob Views: 139
 
You can just use the tip of your finger or your fingernail to push any baby figs off.  It shouldn't be hard to do.  It is very likely that even if you don't do this, they will fall off on their own. 

I personally wait until I see some roots before I put into cups.  Only because it's a little easier to control humidity levels in my sphagnum box.  I don't use perlite but I guess some folks do.

Be patient and you will have success.

Subject: Does amount of daylight affect fig trees? Replies: 18
Posted By: Rob Views: 427
 
Thought this would be obvious, but...

If you move away from So Cal to anywhere else in the U.S., your fig growing situation is almost assured to get worse, other than possibly being able to afford more land. 

Even that thought you have about maybe the daylight hours being slightly longer is not going to account for much.  First of all, some places that are zone 6a might not be that much further north than L.A. 

But let's assume it's someplace like N.Y or Connecticut, which is somewhat further north than L.A.  Because they get a later start, most of the main crop figs there ripen around late august or early september.  So on August 21st, for example, you're only 1 month away from the fall equinox (day/night equal length).  I have no idea when figs ripen in So Cal, but I'm guessing it's more like June or July.  I haven't looked it up, but I bet a June 21st (summer solstice) day in so cal is longer than an aug 21st day in N.Y. 

The real problem with zone 6a, though, is that there is a significant probability each winter that the tree dies to the ground and has to start over in the spring.  So then you grow in pots, which is a hassle (to move in and out of garage each fall/spring) and also limits growth to some extent.

So you can still grow figs, but it's going to be more labor intensive and likely less successful. 

Subject: Fabric Pots Replies: 5
Posted By: Rob Views: 183
 
Before you make your final decision on which pots to buy...

I use 10, 15, and 20 gallon fabric pots.  I was able to get them for somewhat cheaper than what you show in your first link.  I have all potted my trees on an automatic drip watering system, which is 100% required if you are going to grow in pots in my area.  I like them and they do greatly reduce the root circling problem you encounter when growing figs in pots.

They are a little harder to move but if you get one with very strong handles it's still doable. 

When I move up to 30 or 40 gallon pots (which I should do soon for my best trees), I will probably stick with the fabric.  Root pruning is a whole lot of labor for such a large pot, and I think I will be able to get away with much less root pruning with a fabric pot. 

Was hoping to move to a warmer climate before I got to this point, but doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon... 

This one is slightly cheaper than what you put and it has handles (which believe me you will want):
http://www.horticulturesource.com/25-gallon-prune-pots-fabric-grow-pots-p21291/?keywords=fabric%20grow%20pot

Subject: Will Mold Actually Kill Cuttings? Replies: 7
Posted By: Rob Views: 231
 
My opinion is that mold is a symptom not a cause.  It occurs when there is excess moisture or when your cutting has already failed (or both, often).  I think that mold inhibitors are useless because if the cutting is in decline or there is too much moisture and too little airflow, your cutting will spoil one way or another from some pathogen.  Fungus and bacteria spores are all around, there is no practical way to remove them from a cutting.

Others might disagree on some parts of what I say, but I bet everyone will say that proper moisture levels and fresh air are the best way to keep a cutting healthy.

Subject: Two Corragios? Replies: 7
Posted By: Rob Views: 199
 
My Boris Corragio was started in December 2011.  I've grown it in a pot and have probably neglected it somewhat and not up-potted in a timely fashion, etc.  This year was the first it ripened any fruit.  The first one ripened August 31st.  I didn't write down what the figs or leaves looked like but I recall they were green with dark red interior.  Very good tasting; a keeper.

Subject: Two Corragios? Replies: 7
Posted By: Rob Views: 199
 
I have the Corragio from Boris.  It fruited well for me this year.  I can check my notes when I get home, but if memory serves the figs are green with dark red interior, medium sized.  Don't remember what the leaves look like and they've already fallen off for the season I'm sure.

What else would you like to know about it? 

Subject: Does anyone recommend starting cuttings in winter? Replies: 16
Posted By: Rob Views: 411
 
You can do it.  Might not be any real advantage over spring starts.  But it does pass the winter doldrums

Subject: LSU Purple? Replies: 35
Posted By: Rob Views: 957
 
also would probably be a good candidate for drying.  That condenses the flavor somewhat

Subject: Is my first fig tree a gonner? Help! Replies: 11
Posted By: Rob Views: 578
 
What kind of potting mix are you using?  Is it the same as what's on top, those huge chunks of pine bark?  Or something that will hold more moisture?

Fig trees can take a beating and come back.  Even though it lost all its leaves if you correct the problem it will probably be able to recover by the end of the season.  You definitely won't have any fruit this year though. 

Subject: Can this twig be brought back to life? Replies: 6
Posted By: Rob Views: 222
 
No point to put it in the fridge.  That can only lower your chances.  Go ahead and stick it in the dirt/pot.