Here we GROW!

Author

Comment

RIMike

Registered:1364816253
Posts: 103

Posted 1461333722	Reply with quote #1

Off to a good start here in RI, as all but two trees have woken up and leafed out. RDB and LSU Gold seem to be stuck in dormancy, but there are signs of life and the trees and on year 2 so I'm not concerned. VDB decided to pump out al whole bunch of Breba. I almost gave up on this tree as two years in a row it was covered with rust and didn't produce a single fig, and dropped all its leaves before the end of summer. Hopefully whatever was wrong with it is history. Some new growth along with some breba on JH Adriatic. And everyone else is coming along nicely... Italian black on far left here has put on some new growth after two years of not doing much of anything. I clipped back all the tips of this tree in the fall hoping it would wake up. Seemed to work, now if it will only produce some figs. All of these are still in the greenhouse. The two large VDB will come out sometime in MAY as I'll need room for tomatoes, and the rest might stay in there for the season depending on what else I end up growing in there ( veggies). __________________ Check us out on Twitter @ GrowBigPlants Zone 7A - RI

rcantor

Registered:1309799312
Posts: 5,724

Posted 1461354753 · Edited	Reply with quote #2

The lion wants courage, the tin man wants a heart, scarecrow wants a brain and I want a greenhouse. :) Very nice set up, there. __________________ 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.

eboone

Registered:1378418906
Posts: 1,100

Posted 1461358082	Reply with quote #3

Beautiful Mike - I have been shuffling for a few weeks - you are way ahead. __________________ 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.

RIMike

Registered:1364816253
Posts: 103

Posted 1461360561 · Edited	Reply with quote #4

Best investment I've ever made in regards to gardening for sure. 10ft wide 18ft long. After the first week I knew it was too small. :) Was working on irrigation today. Something I've been meaning to do for the last year but always got occupied with other things. Spaghetti tubing all over, but it works well, and only one small drip leak which I can live with. Every container now has a drip line of some sort which are all adjustable depending on container size. Next will be to add some heavy duty plant saucers to capture the runoff. With the way this spring was, I'm thinking we will have a dry summer. Plus my water bill is high enough with two kids that take 25 minute showers....but that's another story! Tomatoes are in a bucket in a bucket system so they always have a water supply. Just another form of a SIP. Tomatoes should be beginning to flower next week. __________________ Check us out on Twitter @ GrowBigPlants Zone 7A - RI

m_delgo

Registered:1461165600
Posts: 15

Posted 1461381250	Reply with quote #5

That's a NICE greenhouse mike Complimenti!

Jerry_M

Registered:1427223807
Posts: 344

Posted 1461421369	Reply with quote #6

Very nice for sure. It is good to get a project such as this behind you so you can sit back and enjoy it instead of every year wishing you had one. __________________ Jerry Canyon Lake, TX 8b Wanted: Cajun Gold, Louisiana Honey, Schar Israel-114 grams

Rado

Registered:1457005659
Posts: 13

Posted 1461548555	Reply with quote #7

I assume the greenhouse gives you a head start on the season? I live in Ri too and my trees are mostly dormant? Some have mini leaves... I need this.

FigTrees2013

Registered:1371525269
Posts: 66

Posted 1461549979	Reply with quote #8

Fantastic breba on the Adriatic. Very nice set-up. Do you leave your trees in there for the winter with no additional wrapping? Is it heated in the winter? __________________ Zone 6b

djabrik

Registered:1424362284
Posts: 1

Posted 1461564576	Reply with quote #9

Looking good, nice pictures mike...

RIMike

Registered:1364816253
Posts: 103

Posted 1461585602	Reply with quote #10

Rado - yes, you get a huge jumpstart on the growing season with a greenhouse / hightunnel. FigTrees2013 - I bring them into an insulated shed over the winter, as the greenhouse doesn't have heat. I did pick up a propane heater this year though due to the cold snap we had a few weeks back. I ended up wrapping them all in 4 layers of agribon and running the heater all night as many of them had already leafed out and I didn't want to set them back with the freeze. __________________ Check us out on Twitter @ GrowBigPlants Zone 7A - RI

FigTrees2013

Registered:1371525269
Posts: 66

Posted 1461600114	Reply with quote #11

Hi Mike, thanks for your response. I am in Boston, zone 6B, so not too different a climate from yours. I usually bring my potted trees into the basement, and have a few in the ground. Been experimenting the past few years trying to figure out the best way to protect the in ground trees. Some of my older Italian neighbors think I might cover too much (leaves, straw, blankets, and tarps), and the trees suffocate, causing some die back. They allege that it is not the cold, but the wind and water that kills the trees and that they actually need some cold air to breathe. The yield is so much superior when they are in the ground -- if you can get the over-wintering method right up here with all our snow and ice! __________________ Zone 6b

m_delgo

Registered:1461165600
Posts: 15

Posted 1461605504	Reply with quote #12

In ground is definately better yield wise, we actually bury ours, it's a lot of work but little to no die back

Gardengirl271

Registered:1461609869
Posts: 2

Posted 1461610385	Reply with quote #13

Just found your blog have been reading comments. I have a Chicago Brown which I have had for about 3or 5 years. It is potted and over winters in our unheated garage. It had leafed out and had over a dozen figs. I moved it outside and the squirrels ate all but one fig and have been breaking off the leaves. I moved it back in until I find an effective way to protect it. Hoping to have a greenhouse in the fall.

Previous Topic | Next Topic