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jvarrati

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
Hello fellow fig enthusiast! I relocated from PA to Fl Plant city area. Before I left a good friend gave me a shoot from his fig tree, I planted in my yard against my house it's been three years and I have not had any figs. It is mid may now I do see little bumps where the figs would be please review pictures and let me know if I should move it or if you think I will be having figs this year. It grows very fast and I cut back every year but no figs :( Do you think I should move so it gets more sun? It gets around 5-6 hours of hot florida sun.
fig-1.jpg  fig2.jpg 
jdsfrance

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
Hi,
Welcome to the forum !
My advise: Stop cutting it .
Let the tree grow for one year or two.
If that tree is a San Pedro type and you keep cutting... You'll never get any fruit out of it .

I see some root-shoots at the base. Try to get them out and with roots and plant them somewhere else in a sunnier spot.
Then you'll see if the tree is lacking light .
From the look of the growth, I would say that the tree is in a shady spot. The stems look leggy.
Good luck !
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jvarrati

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Thanks JD
Rob

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
Probably doesn't get enough direct sunlight.  The growth does look leggy.  You can see how the internodal spacing is closer together at the top where it has finally gotten to some real sunshine. 

Why did you put it next to the house?  In Florida, I would say there's no need to do this.  Anywhere you plant it should be able to survive the winters fine. 

Rather than moving this one, why not start with a variety that you know will produce?  There are many to choose from.  There are folks on this forum that live in florida and grow figs successfully and could recommend a good variety.  I'd think that celeste would be one good option. 

In your photo above the leaf you can see the bump.  This could be a new shoot or fig or both.  You can't really tell at this stage. 

Some folks are concerned with putting trees right next to the house because they might grow into the foundation.  I have no idea if this concern is real or imagined.  I guess you probably don't have a basement, just a concrete slab, so I don't know why a root would try to grow into it. 
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Rob
Maryland Zone 7
http://rbfigs.webs.com/
jvarrati

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Thanks that's what I thought I just moved it, if it survives it will be in full sun all day. I bought a lsu purple fig to try will be here friday. Here is a pic after I just moved and kept the biggest trunk and cut back the tops. 20160517_170108-1.gif 
Rob

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Hard to tell from the picture but maybe you have sandy soil.  If you do you may want to amend with organic matter.  I've heard that nematodes like sandy Florida soil with little organic matter, and figs are very susceptible to nematodes.

Don't be surprised if your tree is stressed by the transplant and drops some or all its leaves.  Doesn't mean it's dead, just hasn't built out enough roots to support the tops.  It should come back.  Probably was smart to cut off some of the leaves so that maybe this lessens transplant shock
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Rob
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http://rbfigs.webs.com/
jvarrati

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
Thanks Rob
jvarrati

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
7 days later still has a few leaves on but I noticed a nub starting
20160524_165104-1 (1).jpg 
20160524_165042-1-1.jpg 
  
NativeSun

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Yes, nematodes are a pervasive problem in a lot of our state... they love our beach sand.

It is an old Southern tradition (and probably up North, too) to plant a fig by your house. My grandfather always told me they liked their roots to be cool.  The more Ive thought about it, and knowing that Nematodes actually have to have sunlight to survive, I'm beginning to think that the fig trees also like having a root structure in a Nematode free (or 'freer') zone as well.

As you build up your soil with nice rich compost you will see a reduction in your nematode problems as well. Ive noticed that over the years as I continuously work on enriching my soil.

The LSU purple fig is a good one for our state... supposedly nematode resistant roots and , when it matures, you will get three crops a year.

If your tree stresses, dont worry too much. Our growing season is so long that they usually bounce back pretty good from a lot of assaults ... which is a good thing because with our climate, soil conditions, bugs, etc etc etc there's always something to contend with :)

Now that they've found Nile Crocs in the southern portion of the state, and the Boas are running amok, Im just waiting for the other shoe to drop and have them develop a taste for figs (or fig fanciers)
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James, North Florida zone 9A
jvarrati

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
Thanks James, I seen a youtube video of a farmer from plant city that cuts the bottom out of a 5 gallon bucket and buries it leaving only a inch above the ground. He then fills it with a couple bags of garden soil and plants the fig inside. He said the roots go down out the bottom of the bucket and nematodes don't live that deep so its a way of combating them.

I may give it a try..

 
jvarrati

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
hine sight I think if I would have pinched when it was planted next to the house it may have produced. It was growning like crazy I cut back several times just never produced any figs so I moved thinking it was not getting enough sun.
Chapman

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Posted Reply with quote  #12 
If you had transplanted it while it was dormant it would have been much better.  A tree that large is going to be really stressed to be moved with all that new growth.  Hopefully it will recover without too much die back, but it will be a slow process.
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adoresfigs45

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Posted Reply with quote  #13 
If this is going to be your first summer here    I would not put anything new out in full sun.   It is going to fry.   Fall best time or spring is what I have found.   Also  you wont find any wonderful figs growing in peoples yards to get cuttings    also   no special figs to be had.   get from forum members.   :)
jvarrati

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Posted Reply with quote  #14 
Thanks guy's

jvarrati

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Posted Reply with quote  #15 
*update my unknown fig tree lost all but 5 leaves and now is starting new growth and I have two figlets.

fig1.jpg  fig2.jpg 
Rob

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Posted Reply with quote  #16 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chapman
If you had transplanted it while it was dormant it would have been much better.  A tree that large is going to be really stressed to be moved with all that new growth.  Hopefully it will recover without too much die back, but it will be a slow process.


A lot of folks (I used to as well) assume that if you plant a potted fig tree in the early spring that everything will be fine.  However, I have found that this is not the case at all. 

When we use drip irrigation, self watering containers, etc, to increase the amount of water that goes into our pots, the root density in the pot is much higher than it would be for an in ground tree. 

So let's say I have a tree in a 10 gallon pot that was drip irrigated or otherwise experienced a lot more watering than just by rainfall.  The roots are very dense and are able to exhaust a fully saturated pot in maybe a day or two.  Maybe less if it's a very porous medium like pine bark fines and/or perlite.  Then March 15th (maybe earlier in FL), right before the tree puts out any buds, I plop it in a hole.  It buds out nicely and seems to be doing well.  But then sometime in the summer, maybe June or July (May in FL?), there's a bit of a dry spell and it struggles.  Might even drop all its leaves.

I have seen this happen with almost every tree I've planted here in Maryland.  Why?  The roots need time to spread out.  A month or two is not enough time.  The early spring is frequently rainy and cool, so there's enough water constantly being pushed into the existing root area (the size of a 10 gallon bucket, approximately) for quite some time.  But then the tree exhausts this water.  It does push roots out into the surrounding soil, but just not fast enough to support its needs in a hot, dry spell. 

I guess all I'm saying is that there was no great time to move the tree without experiencing some stress, so doing it sooner rather than later probably gets you to the ultimate goal faster.  I would water it every day though for several months, if possible. 
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Rob
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http://rbfigs.webs.com/
jvarrati

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Posted Reply with quote  #17 
Thanks Rob!
Chapman

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Posted Reply with quote  #18 
Rob, I wasn't talking about planting a potted tree.  I was talking about digging up a tree with a lot of tender growth and transplanting it.  With a potted tree it is not a big deal if you can keep it watered properly.
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jdsfrance

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Posted Reply with quote  #19 
Hi jvarrati,
You'll need to keep the tree watered every other day at least - if you have no rain . Even if the weather is cloudy, you'll need to water her.
Now, that she's budding out again, the transplant shock is behind ...
I would stake the tree so that the wind doesn't toss her ounce the leaves are grown again.
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Only cold hardy figtrees can make it here
chucklikestofish

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Posted Reply with quote  #20 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jvarrati
Hello fellow fig enthusiast! I relocated from PA to Fl Plant city area. Before I left a good friend gave me a shoot from his fig tree, I planted in my yard against my house it's been three years and I have not had any figs. It is mid may now I do see little bumps where the figs would be please review pictures and let me know if I should move it or if you think I will be having figs this year. It grows very fast and I cut back every year but no figs :( Do you think I should move so it gets more sun? It gets around 5-6 hours of hot florida sun.~yes it needs lots of sun ,to much shade sounds like the problem ,i had same problem,but got more sun to my tree it was cured ~
fig-1.jpg  fig2.jpg 
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jvarrati

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Posted Reply with quote  #21 
Update the tree is rebounding!


20160701_142932.jpg 

And i bought 3 black maderia cuttings off of eBay (from Portugal) and grafted it to one branch and it took!
graft.jpg 

now the rest of the family!
I258 Purchased from Harvey
i258.jpg 
Galacia Negra purchased from Harvey
galacia-negra.jpg 

Lsu Purple from Top Tropicals

lsu-purple.jpg 
VDB from Top Tropicals
vdb.jpg 

and a Walmart Celeste
celeste.jpg 
Apalermo88

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Posted Reply with quote  #22 
My galacia negra looks identical to yours.
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Wish List- I-258, Ponte Teresa, Maltese Beauty, Green/Purple Patalican, BFF, Igo, Noir de Burbentane, CDD MR., CDD Roja, Falls Gold.
jvarrati

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Posted Reply with quote  #23 
Sad day, one of my expensive prize possession fig trees turned into cuttings :(

I went to check on my figs after a rain storm and noticed my Galacia negra laying down.

The graft came out..

gal_dead2.jpg 
gal_dead1.jpg    
Figinfever

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Posted Reply with quote  #24 
Sorry to hear, but from the pic it looks like the scion has roots. Maybe, if you've done nothing yet, an option is to plop it in a pot under shade and lop off the top to graft onto your moved tree.
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Dan, West Central FL 9a

Wishlist- Great tasting dark or light figs with deep red interiors: White Madeira, Craven's Craving, Portugal Black Madeira, Sultani, Violeta, USDA Black Ischia, Dall'Osso, CdDB or CdDB-N
jvarrati

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Posted Reply with quote  #25 
Wow nice catch let me try that!
VeryNew2Figs

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Posted Reply with quote  #26 
Hi:
How long had your graft been in place?  I've been wondering how long it takes for a graft site to get strong enough to not have to worry about it breaking. 
Good luck with finding a way to save it.
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Cheryl
Chicago, Zone 6a (That's what they say, but it still feels like 5)
Growing:  Hardy Chicago, Black Mission, Brunswick, Kadota, Ischia Green, Desert King, Osborne Prolific (slow but steady), Malta Black, Violette de Bordeaux, Texas Everbearing, Beall, White Adriatic, Nolo Pink Eyed Lady.
Rooting: Ronde de Bordeaux, Celeste, Nero 600 m, Violetta Bayernfeing, Marseilles Black VS, Celeste.
VeryNew2Figs

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Posted Reply with quote  #27 
Hi:
How long had your graft been in place?  I've been wondering how long it takes for a graft site to get strong enough to not have to worry about it breaking. 
Good luck with finding a way to save it.
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Cheryl
Chicago, Zone 6a (That's what they say, but it still feels like 5)
Growing:  Hardy Chicago, Black Mission, Brunswick, Kadota, Ischia Green, Desert King, Osborne Prolific (slow but steady), Malta Black, Violette de Bordeaux, Texas Everbearing, Beall, White Adriatic, Nolo Pink Eyed Lady.
Rooting: Ronde de Bordeaux, Celeste, Nero 600 m, Violetta Bayernfeing, Marseilles Black VS, Celeste.
jvarrati

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Posted Reply with quote  #28 
Not sure I emailed Harvey and he said a year and they should be supported during that time. Oh well live and learn expensive lesson, well I grafted two pieces to my unknown tree.
gal_graft.jpg   
covered the little snub that was grafted with grafting tape and buried deeper so the scion that started to have roots was under the soil along with the original root ball since they were still connected at a spot.
gal-plant.jpg  and stuck two in a pot with miracle grow seeding and cutting mix.
root.jpg   I'm wondering if I should just put them outside in the ground? has anyone rooted outside in full sun?
Figinfever

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Posted Reply with quote  #29 
Maybe it will be a blessing in disguise and you'll have more than one tree. As for the two in the pot, I would not suggest putting them out in the full sun now. You want them to have warmth and humidity to root. Too much heat, like in the full sun, and they will die, never mind rooting Taking place. I surmise and speak from reading older posts here, not from experience, and I haven't read about anyone rooting outside in full sun. The closest is outside, under shade and in some sort of humidity dome.
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Dan, West Central FL 9a

Wishlist- Great tasting dark or light figs with deep red interiors: White Madeira, Craven's Craving, Portugal Black Madeira, Sultani, Violeta, USDA Black Ischia, Dall'Osso, CdDB or CdDB-N
jvarrati

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Posted Reply with quote  #30 
My update well the Galacia negra none of the cuttings or the graft took.. the nub I planted in the ground is bouncing back about 4 inches.

galacia.jpg 

My moved fig still is growing crazy new shoots and NO FIGS such a bummer..
I did graft a peters honey, Long de out, black maderia, and a unknown friends white fig from pa.. they all took so maybe next year I will get figs from the grafts.

no fig.jpg 

My Raspberry Latte from KK is doing well has a bunch of figs on it and shows the same
characteristics of figs growing into figs.
two fig latte.jpg 
my KK stella has one figlit and is starting to go
kkstella.jpg 
and my KK RDB
KK RDB.jpg 
My hirts VDB
hirts VDB.jpg 
my Home depot Brown Turkey
hd bturkey.jpg 
My i258
i258.jpg 
my Bananas
bananas.jpg 
My Coconut Mango
coconut mango.jpg  and my friend the Coral Snake NOT!
c1.jpg 
Long growing seasons is overrated lol, I'm hoping next year to finally eat some figs
that celeste and KK's Latte will be the first ones cant wait
Figinfever

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Posted Reply with quote  #31 
Congrats on at least the nub surviving and all others thriving.
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Dan, West Central FL 9a

Wishlist- Great tasting dark or light figs with deep red interiors: White Madeira, Craven's Craving, Portugal Black Madeira, Sultani, Violeta, USDA Black Ischia, Dall'Osso, CdDB or CdDB-N
jdsfrance

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Posted Reply with quote  #32 
Hi,
So do you still have the galicia negra or did all paths fail ?
You should remove the weeds from around your trees as slugs will go from one to the other and shorten your trees.
You could use some fertilizer at Spring time and in the Summer to get much MOOOOOOORE growth.
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Only cold hardy figtrees can make it here
jvarrati

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Posted Reply with quote  #33 
All failed except the nub that was about 2" above the ground, it started a shoot and is about 4-5" now growing great in ground its a year behind but better late than never lol. Everything is growing great I just have that one 3 year old tree that grows like mad but never has figs. My son cut the grass and I do the weeding because I don't trust anyone around them one slip of the trimmer could be fatal for those trees. They are good now i need to mulch them and put a barrier so I don't need to deal with that cuz it's not fun lol.
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