Hello Dan!

Experiment it is, then.  Should be interesting.

I had to cut off quite a bit of the new growth on the front Celeste because it's gone crazy.  Neither tree had been fertilized yet when the trees started putting out the new growth.  I did fertilize the tree in the front with a straight fertilizer and will do so with the tree in the backyard after we finish putting the new soil layer under the tree.  We're almost finished with that, but will need to put some soil under the edging bricks around the tree, on one end, because they are too low.  I will put some lime under there, too.  Not much, but some.

We removed most of the weed cloth I had under the tree.  The roots underneath it didn't look too good to me, so now the air will be able to get to the roots better.  The new soil will help the growth of the roots we lost to the weed cloth when we pulled it up.  I saved most of the roots by cutting the weed cloth away from them.  Those were the larger roots that had grown through the cloth.  It will be interesting to see if that helps the tree any, as well.

Hi John,

We keep our tree cut lower, too, for the same reason.  It seems to like to argue with us, though.  I'm wondering if the Celestes are genetically stronger trees, or if it's just the two I have.  One was from an orchard in N. Louisiana and the other, from Broussard, which is right next to Lafayette, so they're from different sources, but they act the same.  They're not young trees. 

I still can't get over how the larger diameter branch I sawed off sprouted to thickly from the bark.  There didn't seem to be but a few places that looked like they might have some bud-looking areas, but the branch stub had so many sprouts it looked like grass popping out of it.  What fun this is.

Hi Nana,

I was told by some old-timers South of us that we needed to get the water to the trees, so I did that and it didn't make a bit of difference to the tree.  I don't think Celestes like high temperatures and it has more to do with that and the sun beating down on the leaves than watering regularly.  Just a suspicion on my part.  But you live in zone 7 and we're in zone 9.  It seems to be the very hot, dry weather we've had for the past three years that is the problem.

The people who suggested that I water the trees often, have overhead sprinkler systems for their orchard.  That may make a difference with the water cooling the leaves.  It may be like rain to the leaves.  Don't know.  Perhaps I should rig up a shower over the tree and see what happens.  The squirrel who finally found the tree last season might like the shower too!  :)

Jason,

My one tree, out front is in the ENE position and is in the ell of the carport and the front of the house.  The sun rises diagonally over our house and the front gets the morning to midday sun where the fig trees are out front.  The Celeste lets us know it would like more sun with its growth patterns.  The tree out back is in the SSW and gets sun most of the day.  We have clay soil.  Unfortunately, we have no North side of our house to plant a fig tree on to see what it would do.  Too close to the house next door.

You may just have better climate than we do.  I know it gets very hot there.  Do you get much rain?  I know parts of GA was having drought conditions.  Is it still that way?  Hope not.

Would you pay attention to the placement of those trees?  Are they tucked into the corner of a house, or tall wooden fence, or anything like that?

I may put some weed cloth over the very top of the bird netting this year and see if that makes any kind of difference.  Maybe shade cloth would be better, but if it's black, it would soak up even more heat.  Do they make shade cloth in light colors, does anyone know?