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garden_whisperer

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 

This is kind of a stupid question but please bare with me i have only been growing figs for three years now. I was wondering about how quickly the kinds i have will grow, at what rate per year, and what the avr max hight and width should be once fully mature. my bigges tree is a 6 foot brown turkey. the rest are about 3 foot.

the kinds i have are brown turkey, hardy chicago, Blue celeste, desert king, and purple magnolia.

just looking for some kind of referance point as to where my trees should be at a spacific age.

any help would be great
thanx

dave
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Dave Zone 6b Illinois

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DesertDance

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
Dave, the growth of trees is limited by their genetics and the size of their container!  This is one of those impossible to answer kind of questions!  If the tree is "in-ground," it could grow to 80', but in a pot, that same tree will not grow more than 5-6', and I'm talking a big pot here!!

Suzi
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garden_whisperer

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
All mine are in ground here the turkey and celest spent a year potted up but were latter planted.
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Chapman

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
My LSU fig pamphlet says 1 to 1 1/2 feet of shoot growth per year is a satisfactory amount of growth.
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Centurion

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Lots of factors will affect growth.  All of my trees were planted in ground since April.  We saw growth vary from 5 or 6 inches on my black mission planted in partial shade...to more than five feet on  two trees trees in full sun in raised beds  planting mix.  We currently have 12 varities, and most of them put on 2 to 3 feet of growth this year.  Varietial type, soil conditions, amount of sunlight, heat, water, fertilizer, ph...all will affect growth.  Ph is a big deal.  Figs seem to prefer a 7 to a 7.5  You might want to get a soil test and ammend with lime if necessary.  It is overlooked by a lot of folks and I have found it to be a big deal. 

In good conditions, I would expect a minimum of a couple of feet of annual  growth for a healthy in ground fig tree.
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Dave
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pitangadiego

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Some, when pruned will grow 10+ feet in a season. Some could be 30' tall, maybe more, if unpruned.
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james

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
I have some second year trees with more foliage than some of my five year old trees. I have some trees I rooted this year which are bigger than some I rooted last year.
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bullet08

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
never really paid attention. i always cut them down so they don't grow too tall. i just want the trees to be about 6-7 feet so i can reach the figs easily.
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Pete
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garden_whisperer

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
I have done soil test i have loads of organic matter as i grow everthing organic though i am not certified and never can be do to the fact that my land was once a gas station in the 50's. but i compost everything i can. all the horses that go up and down the streets help with the compost heep. and i worked for 2 years playing dodge cow at the local livestock sale barn and literaly got tons of free poo. and i have rabbits too. ph in all the yard is at a happy 7.2 with the exception of where i had my blueberries. but where i had my blue berries my magnolia fig has grown great. paid four bicks for it online. when i got it i was a little upset as it looked like a few tooth picks in a pot but it quickly grew to 2 1/2 foot with several branches like a bush.

with my composting i even throw the poo in to cook down and this stuff does magic for plants.
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JoAnn749

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
Mine was about 4' tall when I bought it in Jan. Planted in March,  it grew pretty well the first few months them in Aug it really took off!  Here are some pictures Starting in March ending in Nov.

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BronxFigs

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
Hi Dave...

You have gotten some very good answers to your questions...and it's true, this is an impossible question to answer because of all the factors that contribute to a fig tree's growth.

Containerized trees vs. in-ground cultivation will give you completely different results under the same conditions.  Containerized trees will be self-limiting, and will never equal in-ground trees.  They also require constant attention on the part of the grower, and cannot be neglected.  No vacations, etc...unless you can get someone reliable to tend to your trees.

However, what method of growing you chose will depend on your goals.  Do you want very large trees...or, do you want easily managed trees.  You originally asked about growth rates so that you can judge/compare the trees that you are growing to some "standard" yardstick.  We cannot answer this.  Too many variations in growing conditions make these predictions just a guess, but you should get at least 8"-10" of new growth each season.

You live in Zone-6.  Your winter temps. will be a huge factor influencing the ultimate height/spread of your trees.  If you plant a "Black Mission" tree that could grow to 30ft. tall...but, is killed to the roots each year....why will it matter?  Few places in the USA have climates in which a fig tree can reach its genetic potential.  Everywhere else is a hostile environment for a fig tree.  Ultimate growth rates will depend on how you good you are at minimizing the things that will kill your trees.

*By the way...your soil is too acidic...  Fig trees hate acidic soils.  top-dress to roots/dripline with a couple of good handfuls of granular limestone.  Too much acid leads to low production,  poor quality fruit, diseases, and weak trees.  SEE BELOW.

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*********(EDITED COMMENTS/CORRECTION....Please disregard this comment.  Your soil is not too acidic...my pH memories have failed me, and a sharp-eyed forum member pointed out my error.  Thank-you Centurion! Sorry for not being accurate and for not fact-checking before I posted this wrong information). That being said...keep in mind that chemical fertilizers will turn basic soils to be more acidic soils, so it can't hurt to top dress with granular limestone anyway.


Good luck...and your questions are not "stupid".  How will you know if you don't ask? : )  Keep asking!


Frank
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