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Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > R. Sanford Marin on Black Mission
 
 


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ronke47

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
I learned pruning from Sanford Martin almost fifty years ago (yeah, yeah, I am really that old) and have always followed his advice with good results.  According to him, though, Black Mission only fruits on one-year and older wood, so he advises minimal pruning of the variety.  However, the Black Mission, which I bought from Jon half a dozen years ago, is now threatening to take over my entire yard and I clearly have to do something.  I have heard Jon report how he takes off the top 10' off his Black Missions almost every year and still gets good fruit so was Martin wrong or are Jon's Black Missions just a different beast?  In any case, as soon as this rain dries up, I'm sharpening up the loppers!
eboone

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
I believe that Black Mission would produce on new wood like most other figs.  Is this Sanford in the PNW, where some only get brebas on most varieties due to climate?
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Short wish list: CDDG, LSU Red, Dark Greek (Navid),  Col Littman's Black Cross.   And any cold hardy early fig.
ronke47

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Nope, lived in Los Angeles area, Hollywood and Burbank. 
tyro

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
If that's the Black Mission NL that Jon was distributing it's a very aggressive growth here in SoCa.
It fruited on first year wood but I removed it due to excessive pruning requirements and space
limitations.

If you've let that thing run for the last 6 years I think you'll need something larger than loppers.<G>
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ronke47

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Hah.  I have been doing some pruning and actually wanted the height to shade the bedroom;  but the width and height have both become insane.  We must have had 500 figs this year (not counting another 300 or so on the Janice Kadota) and of course, my fig-eating husband was out of the country most of the season. Okay, I will get out the pruning saw, too.
jdsfrance

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Hi,
I have the same dilemma here. But I settled for making a pruning every five years while having several trees.  Of course, I'll prune half this year, and the next half, the next year or the year after.
That is to secure some fruit production for every year.
Now, when it shall be done, mourn , cry a bit, and go do it. That's what I've been doing (crying for now) . The Day will be somewhere at the end of February 2017 ... It's gonna hurt ... more on me than for the trees, I'm betting !
But, the trees are shading each over and taking over the garden, ... so it shall be done !
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