Branches die during winter Storage when cutting is taken from.

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OttawanZ5

Registered:1192897779
Posts: 2,551

Posted 1446170088	Reply with quote #1

I am in Zone 5a and winter store my fig plants in a garage heated to above freezing (6C +/-1). I have observed that most of the branches that I take cuttings from do not green-up next summer. Sometimes it die back a few nodes and some time to the next trunk the branch emerge from. Other thinner branches survive on the same plant if no cutting is taken off. Could the cut exposure cause desiccation? What else could be the reason and how to minimize the damage? In deep freeze months (January/February...), when it is normal to have outside temperatures between -20C & -10C, the garage is opened only for less than 2 minutes on garbage collection days. That is unlikely, in my opinion, to cause this problem. __________________ Ottawan-Z5a, Canada

rcantor

Registered:1309799312
Posts: 5,724

Posted 1446171593	Reply with quote #2

Do you water monthly? If I skip a month this seems to happen more often. __________________ 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.

OttawanZ5

Registered:1192897779
Posts: 2,551

Posted 1446705645 · Edited	Reply with quote #3

Bob My pots do not dry out in winter storage so I do not water during winter storage. Also, as I mentioned, other smaller branches with no prune cuts survive. What puzzles me is that thick branches with prune cut die but thinner ones survive on the same plant. Too late to cover the cuts with something to stop desiccation since I have already stored the plants in a messy pile. __________________ Ottawan-Z5a, Canada

elin

Registered:1360863025
Posts: 1,271

Posted 1446727791	Reply with quote #4

I never tought there could be a dieback like that in figs. When u are pruning? is the tree fuly dormant? what is the consensus? __________________ Eli ,Israel ,Zone 10? Too humid and hot, yada yada yada https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1298814119 Growing: Sbayi, Hmadi, Black Portugal, Black Brazil,Excell, Flanders, Hmari , RDB, Niagra Black,Natalina, CDDN,Maya, Preto Torres, Preto Arge

OttawanZ5

Registered:1192897779
Posts: 2,551

Posted 1446735829	Reply with quote #5

In Zone 5a dormancy comes early. I prune in the later half of October because potted plants have to be stored inside before the snow, slush and cold weather sets in because these condition can come unexpectedly at anytime in October. No obvious consensus formed yet. __________________ Ottawan-Z5a, Canada

tylerj

Registered:1347291507
Posts: 646

Posted 1446742138	Reply with quote #6

That is interesting Akram. I have some that will need pruning for sure and was going to do that for ease of storage but now I just might hold off until spring. Those that I have pruned for cuttings I will monitor next year to see if they had any dieback. All mine are kept in a concrete cold cellar (under a covered porch) so I'm not sure just how cold it gets in there. I'll put a thermometer in there this year to see how cold it gets. Tyler __________________ London, Ontario zone 6a Wish List: Martinenca Rimada, Genovese Nero AF, Galicia Negra, Brooklyn White

Frankallen

Registered:1371842383
Posts: 994

Posted 1446746469	Reply with quote #7

I never had that problem?? Wish I could help! __________________ Frank from Bama- Zone 7-b Alabama .................................................... "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever". Mahatma Gandhi

rcantor

Registered:1309799312
Posts: 5,724

Posted 1446771026	Reply with quote #8

Teach me how my pots can stay moist all winter! Given what you told us it's fair to assume that pruning is causing your problem. I guess I'm going to buy some wax :) __________________ 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.

COGardener

Registered:1357441505
Posts: 814

Posted 1446771277	Reply with quote #9

I would say that the tips are drying out from the open cut and low humidity. Just put a little sealer on them and they should be fine.

ross

Registered:1437442979
Posts: 375

Posted 1446773102	Reply with quote #10

Prune in the spring before buds break. Maybe that could help too. __________________ Ross - Zone 6B/7A - Philadelphia My Cultivar List / Pictures! / My YouTube

jdsfrance

Registered:1376988473
Posts: 2,591

Posted 1446799899	Reply with quote #11

Hi Ottawanz5, I've not seen that on my trees. I trim my trees all year round and there is no effect on them. Often when packing my trees for the winter, I wound them - generally just after comes a bad word out of my mouth as I hate wounding my trees when I'm trying to help them. But definitively, I have to water my trees during the winter. Outside they get what the weather gives them, and one watering can if I see the dirt in the trashcans becoming too dry. Dry dirt could attract rodents, and I act before that happens. In pots, they got some water last year. The dirt would be bone dry if I wouldn't and then the dirt gets hydrophobic and that's not good. Last year I snapped a branch while tying it up. It grew a new bud this year. I don't see why you would have such a problem. I would try to water one tree this winter to see if it solves the issue. It could well be that from lack of moisture the wound dries out and kills the bark. I know you said that they are all piled, but you could choose one tree from the first row . __________________ ------------------------ Climate from -25°C to + 35°C Only cold hardy figtrees can make it here

pino

Registered:1383190021
Posts: 2,117

Posted 1446823515	Reply with quote #12

Hi Akram I have seen some of the same effect on some cut branches. That is why I hesitate to cut a young single stem plant. Of course 99% of the time the plant will shoot out new branches and recover but that can screw up your training plans. As you mentioned desiccation may be an issue. I will be getting some wax to seal the ends. I think another cause is whether the branch has healthy buds below the cut. (Notice that some branches only grow near the tips.) If there are healthy buds it will branch out nicely below the cut if not that branch can die and the plant will be forced to push out new growth somewhere else. Also I have seen recommendations that when you do substantial pruning on a plant you should give it a good watering afterwards so it can recover. __________________ Pino, zone 6, Niagara, JCJ Acres Wish; Peace on earth and more figs Italian 258, Galicia Negra, Luv, trade suggestions welcome.

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