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luak

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
Starting this fall and future going to train all new tree's not taller then 3 feet high but about8 or 9 feet wide. They will be fenced in with a 3 feet welded wire fence, Lite duty kind.This area will be filled with leaves in the end of fall and then clean up by April(zone 7).Leaves are not of a problem i am surrounded by tree's. What do you think?
DesertDance

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
I think since they are "in ground," you should let them grow as tall as your highest ladder, and as wide as they want to grow. Fig trees in ground will grow up to 100 feet high.  They will live as long.  In pots, you need to constantly root prune, repot, and the beat goes on....
Suz
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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!
Herman2

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
I would go 3 foot high by 4 foot wide,in the Fall when you are going to Winter protect.
It will become 6 foot tall by 8 foot wide in the Summer!.
The bigger it is the harder is to protect in Winter.
Also in the Summer is hard to net the tree if you start with 3 foot by 9 foot in the Fall.
The fruit nets comes at 12 foot by 14 foot,but the tree has to be much smaller than these dimensions in order to place it over top to bottom.
DesertDance

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
Would be nice Luak if you stated your location on your profile.  You are in Arkansas I think.  So you do get freezes?  Then listen to Herman, not me.  I live in Fig Paradise!
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!
Chivas

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
My neighbour is an older Italian Lady and her family helps with her tree.  Right now it is about 15 feet tall, 15 feet long and 8-10 feet wide, half of it died back in the winter but I think they covered it too soon.  The tree is just trained to grow somewhat horizontal so in the fall they just push the tree down and prune off anything that is higher than 2-3 feet.  Once the tree is secured using ropes and bricks (the branches are tie together and the bricks weigh it down.  They then cover with old rugs, foam and then with a tarp.  It has been working for quite a few years for her, at least 10 from what I understand so depending on what you would like to do, it could be something you like to do.

Near my work there is a house who has a white fig and black fig, they keep them 7 feet tall roughly and maybe 4 feet wide each tree. In the winter they erect a framed building around the figs, cover with clear plastic, then a blanket and then a thick white plastic, this also really helps in the spring when they start to grow early.  Come fall I am sure they will again have a large harvest, how much I am not sure as I just drive past it but it is another idea.
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DesertDance

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Wow!  Chivas!  You are a true figgie!

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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