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louborges

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
I live in Northern Mexico and when I first tried growing figs I was not too successful, the leaves appeared to be stressed (dried out) by the hot dry sun. Very low humidity.
Does anyone grow figs successfully in hot dry areas?

Another problem are gophers. I hear they love the roots, The one fig tree I have in the ground has wire underneath it.
OttawanZ5

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
They grow good quality figs in Tunisia and Morroco which are warm/hot and dry area.
I would love to have hot dry sunny summer here for growing figs.The figs will love it too.
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fignutty

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Hot and dry is perfect fig weather. Eating quality will be at it's best under those conditions. But you need a well rooted tree and adequate but not excessive water. High temperatures of 100F are not too hot.
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aphahn

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
I am having pretty good success growing figs here in CO. They grow great, ripening fruit has been the challenge so far. I haven't had any trouble with the sun on mature trees. I know another forum member in CO Springs (much closer to your altitude) and he hasn't had any issues either as far as I know. 
I have seen leaves get a little droopy in the mid day sun if the tree was over fertilized and grew too quickly, but not dried out. The only time I have had leaves on mature trees dry out is in the late fall when I am withholding water to encourage dormancy, and only then long after they drooped and showed other signs of water stress. Reading your first post, too little water could have been part of the issue.
With small/new trees, it has been a challenge at times to wean them off of humidity. If you go too fast or too soon the leaves will dry out then, but the tree will usually put out more and do just fine in a week or two.

Are you moving the trees in and out of the greenhouse? That might cause some scorching with the increased light intensity and lower humidity. If that is the case, maybe moving outside to shade first, then then slowly into the sun would help.

I am growing my large trees in ~25 gallon pots and they do get pretty dry between waterings during the summer. The potting mix is light and quick to drain, so they do not stay soaking wet after a watering for long. 
I would expect you should be able to grow figs where you are without too much hassle, but don't have experience in your exact climate (though pretty close). I wouldn't give up yet.

As for gophers, I don't get the pleasure of dealing with them here, just tree rats.
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susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
my potted figs did well at temps up to 109.  they did so well they are going in the ground in spring.

i did slowly acclimate them to new mexico sun. they had to be watered daily. the nice thing is that you
can grow varieties that are prone to splitting/spoiling in wetter areas. also, you can let the figs dry out a bit on the tree
to get maximum flavor.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
FrozenJoe

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Lou,

I've seen the same thing happen with leaves curling up and showing stress during high heat / low humidity conditions here in AZ.  Some varieties seem to be more prone to heat stress than others.  As fig trees mature and develop deeper root systems it becomes less of a problem.  Find varieties that are vigorous and tough.  Water deeply and frequently while the trees are small and still getting established.  Shade cloth will help small plants that are struggling.  Mulch heavily because that helps too.  Once the trees get more established they thrive in the desert southwest.  And the fruit ripens up super sweet and flavorful in our summer conditions.  Best of luck.
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louborges

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
The temperatures don't get too high here, only in the 80's and low 90's. I'm at 6500 feet. I think it might be the dry wind that causes the leafs to dry out. This year I will experiment and keep some outside of the greenhouse and see if there is a difference. Last summer they did great inside.
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