Distance between containers-consensus?

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elin

Registered:1360863025
Posts: 1,271

Posted 1449767510	Reply with quote #1

Hi all. Due to space restraints I wanted to ask container growers what is their experience regarding the best space/distance between pots. These days i am trying to put them lined at a small distance and point the branches at a different direction so as to enhance air flow. Are there long term benefits to growing at a good distance (1 meter) vs bundled together. As far as i notice when bundled together the containers stay cooler but long term- are there risks for disease development to the tree this way (scale and leaf diseases)? __________________ 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

Smyfigs

Registered:1443660141
Posts: 1,658

Posted 1449769461	Reply with quote #2

Good question, Elin! My trees are tiny still but I'll have to consider this as they grow. Let's see what the pros say. __________________ Meg-Hardiness Zone 10a Looking for... Socorro Blk Wuhan Jolly Tiger Lamperia Preta Herschtetten St. Jean Black Ischia "The best way to show my gratitude is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy." ~ Mother Teresa "Do not pass by a man in need for you may be the hand of God to him." ~Proverbs 3:27~ "He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." ~Job 5:4

Rewton

Registered:1291943117
Posts: 1,946

Posted 1449769618	Reply with quote #3

A major issue here is sun exposure. The closer they are, the more they shade each other. I think the distance is also a function of the container size and plant size. __________________ Steve MD zone 7a

eboone

Registered:1378418906
Posts: 1,100

Posted 1449769905	Reply with quote #4

It probably depends partly on location. Here, with my relatively short growing season and many cloudy days, I need every bit of sun I can get, can't afford shading of the plants. In your climate, perhaps cooling the adjacent pots with a little shade from leaves is not a bad thing. __________________ 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.

Sas

Registered:1350079929
Posts: 1,363

Posted 1449788357	Reply with quote #5

All my plants are line up with no space between the pots. There's a lot of sun and heat in TX. Even some of the trees that get partial shade in the afternoon have yielded better results that the ones in full sun. __________________ Sas from North Austin TX Zone 8B Wish list: Becane

figpig_66

Registered:1416870358
Posts: 2,678

Posted 1449796626	Reply with quote #6

Sas i agree. I am in south louisiana and they do appreciate some shade. For those who dont have experience in growing in extreme humidity and heat nay not agree. As else where every sun ray makes,a difference. As far as rust is concerned spacing has its advantages of disease and fungus control. If they touch one another a tree at one end can spread fungus / diseases to all the trees richie from louisiana zone 8B __________________ RICHIE BONI HICKORY LOUISIANA ZONE 8B WARM HUMID WINRERS ARE VERY MILD LOW 20'S BUT WARMS RIGHT UP DURING THE DAY. SUMMER IS EXTREMELY HOT & HUMID 100 degrees 100% humidity fig tree grow like crazy but some split from rain & humidity Wish list. Col de dame blanc Col de rimada Lsu numbered figs

71GTO

Registered:1290311646
Posts: 1,002

Posted 1449797598	Reply with quote #7

My experience in NJ is she. I've kept them really close together because I had no choice they grow up high or in in any direction they can get sun more and not always in a nice form. The branches that were shaded die or drop thier leaves and didn't grow. Keep in mind these were a lot of trees very close together, but sometimes ther isn't much you can do if you don't have the space to spread them out. __________________ NJ z7a Wish list :

figpig_66

Registered:1416870358
Posts: 2,678

Posted 1449800443 · Edited	Reply with quote #8

Try growing espaliered. Dont think i spelled that correctly. But it i so easy too train branchs to grow side ways just with string and weights. Pull branches from each tree in the direction you need them to go. I did it to one tree just to try it out. No branches go upward all go straight out . Each branch is about two foot off the ground and goes horizontaly out. It has four branches each about 4 foot long. trunk is 1- 3/4" thick. , This way you can have them closer together and not have as much of a sunlight issue. Just a thought. __________________ RICHIE BONI HICKORY LOUISIANA ZONE 8B WARM HUMID WINRERS ARE VERY MILD LOW 20'S BUT WARMS RIGHT UP DURING THE DAY. SUMMER IS EXTREMELY HOT & HUMID 100 degrees 100% humidity fig tree grow like crazy but some split from rain & humidity Wish list. Col de dame blanc Col de rimada Lsu numbered figs

Smyfigs

Registered:1443660141
Posts: 1,658

Posted 1449810794	Reply with quote #9

Richie: i think I saw some pictures posted of your Espalier (sp?) project, yes? This is a great suggestion! __________________ Meg-Hardiness Zone 10a Looking for... Socorro Blk Wuhan Jolly Tiger Lamperia Preta Herschtetten St. Jean Black Ischia "The best way to show my gratitude is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy." ~ Mother Teresa "Do not pass by a man in need for you may be the hand of God to him." ~Proverbs 3:27~ "He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." ~Job 5:4

elin

Registered:1360863025
Posts: 1,271

Posted 1449825237	Reply with quote #10

:) Thanks,but no way I am espeliering 120 potted trees. The concept is good though as it has the same space saving character as diverting branches from one another. __________________ 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

jdsfrance

Registered:1376988473
Posts: 2,591

Posted 1449826663	Reply with quote #11

Hi all, Up to 1 gallon pots, I keep the trees really close from one another. Some pots do touch it other. As the leaves develop, I space them by 5'' / 15cm. This is for small trees that are still developing. Bigger trees are spaced by 2' / 50cm. Producing trees get at least 2' more of spacing. But keep in mind, that I grow my trees in bush mode. So what I call a tree, you might want to call that 4 trees in one planting hole. Though, I had 8 in a meter of distance this year. But 4 were rooting in ground, one was a fresh bought fig tree, one was a young rooted root-shoot from a swap with a neighbor, and one was a potted whose roots sunk into the dirt. I wasn't expecting production from those trees because of their age. I got a late ripe fig from the potted tree. I'm hoping next year, she'll be even more productive. She's my first started guinea pig for pot culture. None of the trees had a set back, but IMO it was because they didn't have time to build a better canopy. Most were establishing roots. Next year, I'll have to find a new place for the potted one (sleeping in my garden house for now). The others are in ground and in selection step - all unknown to me - meaning they might fly to the compost pile some day if they displease me. But to be honest, I'd rather keep them all and get more figs :) . So to summarize it, it all depends on the size of the tree, the length of your growing season and if you're expecting fruit production. In another corner of the garden, I have a fig tree that got shaded. So she shot some buds but they grew slowly and finally didn't get the figs to ripen, and even got some bud crush due to whatever the cause ( shade? , bugs ?, rodent activity in the roots? , not enough water ? ) . My bro has the sister of that tree. His tree developed stronger and longer new growth on more buds and reportedly ripened some fruits. His tree is full sun. I'm now thinking of removing a rose tree and move that fig tree to that place were she'll get more sun. I now have some regrets as that tree clearly lost a season of growth (could be from rodents) . I like my trees to be strong and healthy growers ... __________________ ------------------------ Climate from -25°C to + 35°C Only cold hardy figtrees can make it here

elin

Registered:1360863025
Posts: 1,271

Posted 1449833365 · Edited	Reply with quote #12

Jds i think you are growing in a different climate with low humidity. I have noticed more scales and meag diseases in humid weather and in places that lack air flow not once. Maybe i have been watering the leaves and the bark on some trees which was harmfull too. I think long term shading and excess humidity play against our trees. Also add that some varieties are more prone to disease too, fmv , scale etc. __________________ 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 1449897880	Reply with quote #13

When I started figs in Zone 5a some ten years ago, I placed some twenty 12+" dia fig pots in a 22ft by 4ft wide area on south side of my garage. It worked fine since the space was less windy and heat reflection from the white wall provided more heat and thus used to get ripe fruit and less problems with half buried pots. Then as I got more plant and to find space for, I added more pots. Later placed 1-gallon pots in front of the row in the south so things got crowded on this section. But it is till the section with better ripening due to 7+ hours sunshine and heat trap. Attached Files Fig_Placement-2007.pdf (19.24 KB, 21 views) __________________ Ottawan-Z5a, Canada

elin

Registered:1360863025
Posts: 1,271

Posted 1450366973 · Edited	Reply with quote #14

here the pots are pretty snug: one of the best clips i found of urban farms. they are using a 15 gal "Jackpots". John is truly amazing with his channel. __________________ 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

johnnyq627

Registered:1366344367
Posts: 710

Posted 1450714874	Reply with quote #15

One issue I discovered this year with keeping my pots close together, was that it created insect heavy areas. The trees that were crowded had much worse problems with SWD and rust than those that had good airflow. __________________ Nick- Youtube: PA Figs \| eBay: tdepoala Zone 6B/7A - Douglassville, PA Wish list - Galicia Negra, Paritjal Rimada, Black Ischia UCD

smatthew

Registered:1423266323
Posts: 180

Posted 1450715358	Reply with quote #16

Quote: Originally Posted by johnnyq627 One issue I discovered this year with keeping my pots close together, was that it created insect heavy areas. The trees that were crowded had much worse problems with SWD and rust than those that had good airflow. Yeah, I've always called that the "Nursery Effect". Having the trees close together allows us to grow more in less space, but it creates the perfect environment for pests. For example: I grow blackberries. In the field they're spaced 3'x8' and the had little to no insect damage. In the nursery, they're in 1G airpots with basically no spacing - and I had horrible problems with grasshoppers. __________________ Blackberry & Fig Farmer in East Bay San Francisco - Sunol. Wanted (4): Emalyn's Purple, IT-258, Pastiliere and Milco Caprifig.

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