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potatochips101

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
It's been not all that hot here in Maryland and I have lots of green figs but, they seem stuck in limbo. I am wondering if I could increase the heat for them by using reflective car windshield covers around their leaves and fruit for a few hours each day to concentrate the sunlight on them.

Do you think that this will just toast them or perhaps give them some extra heat as a stimulus to move along in the ripening process? 

All of my trees are in south facing full sun areas in the backyard and some are placed next to the house.

Thank you and have a ripe fig soon.
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Maryland Zone 7a
Seeking: Panache Tiger Stripe, Ronde De Bordeaux,Black Bethlehem, Sicilian Red, Malta Black, Gino's Black, Col de Dame gris, Figo Preto, Orphan, Black Mission, Macool,Pastilliere, Malta Black, Battalagia Green, Maltese Falcon, Galicia

Please PM me if you have any of the above rooted cuttings or trees for sale or trade.
I am new to collecting so I don't have much to trade as yet.

Currently growing in containers:
Brown Turkey, Atreano,Alma Violetta, English Brown Turkey, Celeste, JH Adriatic, LSU Purple, LSU Tiger, Banana, Early Violette, Stanford, Green Ischia, Violette Du Bordeaux, Mary Lane, Petite Negra, Hollier, Alma, Chicago Hardy, Sals Corleone, Black Madiera, Smith, Desert King, Negronne, St. Rita, Atreano Gold,
jdsfrance

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
Hi Potatochips101,
A greenhouse will help but car-windshield might screw them ... Because of solar tainting included in those glasses ...
Just my 2 cents ...
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Climate from -25°C to + 35°C
Only cold hardy figtrees can make it here
ascpete

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Potatochips101,
A Green House, Hoop House, Cold Frame or simply a Tomato Cloche. The cloche can be the simplest to fabricate and assemble. Note attached picture found doing a Google search for "Tomato Cloche". They can be made from garden fence and wrapped with plastic, with the top left open. Good Luck
lg_coveredcages.jpg .

<edit> Here's a simple example of draping plastic on an existing garden fence enclosure...
fig cloche_FenceandPlastic.jpg .
Also keep in mind that figs usually ripen on their schedule, 30-60 / 90 -120.
~30 days to grow from embryo to stagnant stage.
~60 days in stagnant stage.
~90 - 120 days total from embryo to ripe, for Early to Late cultivars.
waynea

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
Nice info Pete, very creative to help the northerners. Now, any suggestions for making it cooler down here, avg. temps this week...94. :(
ascpete

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Waynea,
Substitute Shade Cloth for the Plastic?   ; )
Rob

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
If you tried to use those reflective things it might actually reflect more heat away from the trees and reduce the heat.

I am in the same boat as you as far as those figs just sitting there, but just in the last few days a few have started to ripen.  There is still enough heat in august/september to ripen here.  I think patience will be rewarded
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Rob
Maryland Zone 7
http://rbfigs.webs.com/
pino

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
When it starts getting colder I am getting ready to put up some greenhouse hoops and then secure some poly to keep the heat in and the expected fall rain out. 
For now it is still warm enough to just let it be.

Do figs really ripen faster if hotter or is it really more a combination of; cultivar, reasonable temperature, adequate water, growing conditions, sunshine and most important length of the season before the big frost hits?

There are heat unit studies required for ripening grapes but I am not ware of any information on heat units required for common figs to ripen their main crop. 
It must also depend big time on the variety since some ripen very early and some not until Christmas (i.e. the name Natalina means xmas).
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Pino, zone 6, Niagara,  JCJ Acres
Wish; Peace on earth and more figs Italian 258, Galicia Negra, Luv, trade suggestions welcome.
Ampersand

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
Place big rocks on eastern and northern sides of plants or by a wall that is southfacing. That will absorb and radiate heat. I wouldn't reflect as you'll likely burn the plant.
rafaelissimmo

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
My figs are ripenening here in NY and we've had less heat than you. Patience is the best counsel.
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nhardy

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
Hoping for this week's really good high temp. spike will help my VdB figs ripen. Right now watching the hummingbirds gives me patience with the rest of the town around me in chaos. Otherwise it is a bust for me this year.
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StL  6a (My biggest problem is humidity with the heat during the summer here.)
Potted Violette de Bordeaux - EL, 2009 Roots pruned 2016
Potted Mary Lane - Durio, 2010 Roots pruned 2016
Potted Celeste - Freedom Tree Farms, 2014 OTP Roots pruned 2016
BLB

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
if you could put your pots on concrete or asphalt that helps south side of house with a concrete walk is great, otherwise just hang in there, plenty of time left for ripening
potatochips101

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Posted Reply with quote  #12 
Good info. Thank you all.

I just got one (nearly) ripe fig this morning so I'll wait to see what else ripens.
If it gets too cool I'll try either the hoophouse or cloche.
I won't bother with the reflective materials and if I find some large rocks I'd like to try them.
Last year, I had hard green figs that were stuck in limbo. The cool ending of our summer didn't help one bit. I oiled the figs, they turned brown remained hard and fell off. sigh, that was another learning experience.
My guess is that oiling may work better on figs that are more nearly ripe than my little fig rocks that hadn't budged in weeks.
I may try oiling again on a couple of figs at the end of fall if it comes to that but, I'm praying for miracles.
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Maryland Zone 7a
Seeking: Panache Tiger Stripe, Ronde De Bordeaux,Black Bethlehem, Sicilian Red, Malta Black, Gino's Black, Col de Dame gris, Figo Preto, Orphan, Black Mission, Macool,Pastilliere, Malta Black, Battalagia Green, Maltese Falcon, Galicia

Please PM me if you have any of the above rooted cuttings or trees for sale or trade.
I am new to collecting so I don't have much to trade as yet.

Currently growing in containers:
Brown Turkey, Atreano,Alma Violetta, English Brown Turkey, Celeste, JH Adriatic, LSU Purple, LSU Tiger, Banana, Early Violette, Stanford, Green Ischia, Violette Du Bordeaux, Mary Lane, Petite Negra, Hollier, Alma, Chicago Hardy, Sals Corleone, Black Madiera, Smith, Desert King, Negronne, St. Rita, Atreano Gold,
james

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Posted Reply with quote  #13 
Has anyone tried enclosing the tree in clear plastic totes? I normally do this indoors when rooting cuttings or after repotting a tree/air-layer. I open/close the lid to maintain humidity. I've been thinking the same could be done outdoors as the weather gets cooler. One could put a layer of stones down before the tree goes in to help better maintain temperature.
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In containers - Littleton, CO (zone 5b)
In ground - N.E of Austin, TX (zone 8b) 

2016 Wish List:  Dārk Pōrtuguese, Grānthāms Royāl, Lātarolla, Negrettā, Nōire de Bārbentāne, Rockāway Green, Viōlet Sepōr, Viōlette Dāuphine.  Iranian figs are always welcome.
hblta

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Posted Reply with quote  #14 
It is good to remember that the figs do have a 'dormant' stage, for about 30 or 40 days.
the fruit grows to a certain size and then just  sits there apparently doing nothing,

until that last week to 10 days when they swell, change colour, droop, etc as they ripen.
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Grant
Kitchener Ontario Canada
Z5b
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