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Subject: I'mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm back Replies: 18
Posted By: rcantor Views: 241
 
Welcome back!  Should we call you Mr Kotter?

Subject: Durio Nursery Current Availability List Replies: 6
Posted By: rcantor Views: 241
 
Copy and paste here. That link is to a message in your inbox

Subject: Think I have to pot up now! Or not? Replies: 24
Posted By: rcantor Views: 204
 
I would definitely pot that up into a well draining mix.

Subject: Black Marseilles Replies: 13
Posted By: rcantor Views: 309
 
Did this ripen during the summer!

Subject: Cover cropping around fig trees? Replies: 1
Posted By: rcantor Views: 50
 
My guess is that radishes will be fine but anything else will compete with the tree for nutrients.  If you grew clover elsewhere and mulched the tree with it in the fall that's a different story  :)

Subject: Tanning Bed Lights ????? Replies: 11
Posted By: rcantor Views: 165
 
Only UVC kills germs.  UVA does not.

Subject: Potting mix, cheap and easy; also the best? Replies: 7
Posted By: rcantor Views: 205
 
BTW, pine bark is acid so most people add dolomitic limestone.

Subject: Potting mix, cheap and easy; also the best? Replies: 7
Posted By: rcantor Views: 205
 
Well, my bark is worse than my bite but I can tell you that most people use pine bark because it doesn't tie up nitrogen the way hardwood does.  When you try to grow in hardwood chips the organisms that break them down use a lot of nitrogen.  If you don't add enough there's none for the plant.  Then as the wood is broken down, that nitrogen comes flooding back into the system and it will inhibit fruit set.  It works great for foliage plants, though.

Subject: Greenhorn intro Replies: 29
Posted By: rcantor Views: 360
 
Welcome!  Thank you for defending us.  Lack of sunshine (short days) and cool temps are your biggest problems  Having a greenhouse or grow room will help you get more and better figs.

Subject: OT - Look what Santa brought me! Replies: 15
Posted By: rcantor Views: 284
 
Nice wagon!  I second the tree-moving equipment but a bobcat is more versatile.

Subject: Tanning Bed Lights ????? Replies: 11
Posted By: rcantor Views: 165
 
Tanning beds are UVA.  They're the least efficient way of getting light and heat to your plants.  Most plants can use UVA but it's not your best light single source

Subject: Potting mix, cheap and easy; also the best? Replies: 7
Posted By: rcantor Views: 205
 
Well in The Netherlands your cheap garden center soil is probably better than some of the premium stuff here.  You folks grow the finest bulbs and corms on the planet.  I've ordered saffron from several countries but nothing comes close to yours.  You probably have friendly magical beings making everything growing perfectly.  Did you come here just to gloat?   ;)

Does it list the ingredients?

Subject: Buying perlite in bulk???? Replies: 23
Posted By: rcantor Views: 375
 
I get mine in 4 cu' bags from whatever hydroponics store will give it to me the cheapest.  You have to carefully blow or rinse away all the fine particles. I use #3 or 4 perlite, not the much smaller coarse stuff.  I also sprinkle some peat moss over the top.

Subject: Cuttings resurrected from the dead!? Wow... Replies: 4
Posted By: rcantor Views: 194
 
Congratulations no matter how it happened.

Subject: Why did my cuttings, first year, produce, and parent trees were almost barren? Replies: 3
Posted By: rcantor Views: 226
 
It's going to be very difficult to know why they didn't fruit in time.  It could be issues with fertilizer, water, late freezes and on and on.  Some fig varieties will freeze to the ground and then grow back the next year but not fruit.  Typically if they don't freeze to the ground this winter they'll fruit next growing season.  It might be good to protect both trees - theirs and yours so you minimize dieback this winter.

Subject: fruit still holding on ? Replies: 2
Posted By: rcantor Views: 95
 
They are very unlikely to ripen.  I'm worried by the color of the wood.  It may be just the way it appears on my monitor but it doesn't look healthy.  If it's green turning brown that's fine, that's supposed to happen.  If not just barely scratch through the bark in a tiny spot.  If you see green it's fine, if not and you just barely got under the bark then it may be dead.  It's always best to have your location in your sig to get the best help.  In this case if someone experienced is near you and you're not sure you can take it to them.

Welcome to the forum in case no one's said it yet.

Subject: Introduction Replies: 12
Posted By: rcantor Views: 305
 
That's a spectacular setup, congratulations!  If you visit a tropical grower you might think differently.  Some of those tender, long season figs are unbelievably good.

Subject: Introduction Replies: 12
Posted By: rcantor Views: 305
 
Welcome!  You have access to some great figs in the EU so you might want to start looking at a few acres under glass.

Subject: Cuttings of Sandy for postage - - She's alive! - - 12/19/16 12:30 PM EST All Gone! Replies: 12
Posted By: rcantor Views: 532
 
Just for that I'm going to get some Sandy figs.

Subject: Cuttings of Sandy for postage - - She's alive! - - 12/19/16 12:30 PM EST All Gone! Replies: 12
Posted By: rcantor Views: 532
 
For heaven's sake, there was nothing wrong with the post.  I deliberately took your comment out of context for what hopefully was comedic effect.  Put it back!  :)

Subject: Planting a fig with damaged roots Replies: 13
Posted By: rcantor Views: 342
 
Congratulations!  As long as those leaves look good the plant is happy, especially if there's no humidity dome. Let it grow roots and recover and don't worry about a thing. You could try some very dilute fertilizer with your next watering. Beyond that just sit back and wait.

 If there is a dome don't change it now but make sure the soil drains really well and there's lots of air space in the soil.

Subject: Cuttings of Sandy for postage - - She's alive! - - 12/19/16 12:30 PM EST All Gone! Replies: 12
Posted By: rcantor Views: 532
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by nycfig


 It came back very strong throwing up


I've never heard of a plant throwing up before.  Hopefully it's just a stomata ache.

Subject: Idea for the ideal winter-safe fig wall (with picture) Replies: 3
Posted By: rcantor Views: 171
 
How cold do your winters get?

Subject: Pinch, cut, or stay the course? Replies: 24
Posted By: rcantor Views: 323
 
Do you have enough light to get it through the winter?

Subject: Should I pinch sprouting terminal bud tip on cutting freshly put into rooting cups? Replies: 7
Posted By: rcantor Views: 115
 
I don't. The leaves will produce energy for the plant.  There's no way to know if the cutting will have enough energy to put out anything else.  Plus as the leaves evaporate water they should produce hormones that encourage root development.

Subject: Oatmeal fig bars...Yum... Replies: 15
Posted By: rcantor Views: 215
 
Thanks for the recipe!

Subject: Mold on cutting leaves Replies: 5
Posted By: rcantor Views: 181
 
You need to kill any mold you see with peroxide, Physan-20 or similar or dilute bleach. Spray down the chamber and cuttings. Don't get a lot of bleach in the soil, it has too much sodium. Change the chamber so it's less humid. You have to transition the leaves slowly or they'll dry out.

Looking at the leaves my guess is that the roots began to form, then died. The soil in the bags looks very wet.  If you squeeze that soil as hard as you can you shouldn't be able to squeeze any water out. For the perlite, did you get rid of all the fine dust before using it? That dust will fill up the spaces, trap water and drown your roots.

Subject: Phoenix fig varieties rising from the ashes Replies: 11
Posted By: rcantor Views: 318
 
Hardy Chicago will die to the ground and still produce plenty of good figs every year.  You have to bury a lot of wood when you plant it. I comes back from wood buried deeply enough so it doesn't freeze.

Subject: Avatars and Profiles and Signatures Replies: 23
Posted By: rcantor Views: 911
 
It's anyone's right to be anonymous or obscure if they want to be but you'll get much better advice if you give us a zone and vague general location.

Subject: When Do Figs Become Ever-Hardy in Zone 6 Replies: 56
Posted By: rcantor Views: 765
 
Good luck!  I have a Hardy Chicago in the ground in Kansas City, MO, Z6.  One year it was fully dormant, covered with a tarp and snow and there was a low of 17 degrees and that killed all the branches that were still outside. None of the cuttings from them survived.  Someone from zone 8 reported that all of his in ground figs would die back, regrow but never ripen fruit.  That's why most of my plants are in pots.  My in ground Hardy Chicago dies back to the ground every year but regrows to 12' with multiple stems and gives me lots of fruit.  If you try some outside, one should be a Hardy Chicago.  Bury it as deeply as you can. Fig plants come back from underground wood that didn't die, not the roots.

Subject: Dulce Rufina Fig Cuttings -- Unknown Spanish Variety Replies: 6
Posted By: rcantor Views: 196
 
Splendid!  Are you in Oz-stralia?

Subject: Cuttings 2016 Replies: 26
Posted By: rcantor Views: 1,651
 
They help the plant get oxygen.  Google it for more info and pictures.  Sometimes they're little white dots but on figs they become these large, fluffy things.  There are photos on this forum if you search here.

Subject: Overwinter container figs outside in PNW? Replies: 8
Posted By: rcantor Views: 265
 
Best of luck!

Subject: Overwinter container figs outside in PNW? Replies: 8
Posted By: rcantor Views: 265
 
The breba buds form the growing season before they ripen.  The breba buds now on your tree formed last growing season and will expand next growing season.

Subject: To whom do I owe figs? Replies: 3
Posted By: rcantor Views: 294
 
LOL.  Good answers!

Subject: To whom do I owe figs? Replies: 3
Posted By: rcantor Views: 294
 
Hi!  If I'm supposed to send you cuttings speak now or wait till next year.  I will out anyone who makes false claims  :)

Subject: Small pots, Temps down to mid 20s for a few hours: Bring into garage for smaller pots? Larger pots? Replies: 1
Posted By: rcantor Views: 85
 
Fully dormant wood will survive temps in the mid 20s, breba buds may not.  In my experience here, fig wood dies at 17 degrees even if covered by a tarp and snow.  I've had breba buds die at a single exposure to an overnight low of 28.  Green wood will be killed by a frost and may take a lot of more dormant wood with it.  The smaller the pot the worse the effect of freezing is.  I don't know what fig roots can survive but I personally wouldn't leave small pots out in that kind of weather.  

My plants are not fully dormant and since you're almost 500 mi south of me I doubt yours are.  

That's the information I use when making decisions.  I don't know what your operation and plants look like.  If it's not too difficult I'd bring them all in until your lows come up over 29 - 30 for the big pots and over 32 for the little pots.  I can't move them in and out like that so I protected my little pots under 30 and let the big pots ride out 28.  None of my plants had green when those temps came around.  Our version of the big chill comes Weds night with temps down to 11.  Mine are going in to permanent storage on Tuesday.

If you can't bring them in and out you'll want to do your best to keep them under 45 to prolong dormancy until the risk of frost is gone.

Subject: Cuttings 2016 Replies: 26
Posted By: rcantor Views: 1,651
 
Garlic Mike, those are almost certainly lenticels, not roots, forming in 2 days.  They look like that whenever the plant is in a low oxygen environment.  Sometimes roots will emerge from the center of lenticels, sometimes they don't.

Subject: No frost yet in zone 7b should I be planting later ripening varieties? Replies: 13
Posted By: rcantor Views: 257
 
The other thing you can do is plant the varieties that will ripen good figs in cool weather.  Hardy Chicago is the most reliable for me.  It will take longer to ripen them but it will produce good figs when the daytime highs are in the low 60s.  Salem Dark can also do that but it doesn't produce figs as long as my HC does.  It's possible that being in ground helps my HC.

Subject: Overwinter container figs outside in PNW? Replies: 8
Posted By: rcantor Views: 265
 
As always, it depends  :)  I used to live in Sutherlin, just N of Roseburg and an hour S of Eugene.  A lot of rain is never good but they need a little water even when dormant.  How much rain they can handle depends on your soil.  

Temperatures under 28 may kill your breba buds but you may or may not care about that.  Temperatures over 20 won't kill the wood unless it's green.  A hard frost will kill green wood.  

It is bad if it comes out of dormancy early, especially if there's no sun.  The branches develop weak growth.  Then if there's a hard frost the new growth will be killed and the tree set back, meaning it will fruit later than it would have.   Possibly too late to ripen.

Subject: Is It Spring Yet? Replies: 7
Posted By: rcantor Views: 240
 
I hope your business does well!

Subject: How to increase heating mat coverage Replies: 7
Posted By: rcantor Views: 238
 
Nice set up!

Subject: No frost yet in zone 7b should I be planting later ripening varieties? Replies: 13
Posted By: rcantor Views: 257
 
Everything you mentioned affects ripening times.  This was a very warm fall for N America but the other side of the northern hemisphere is very cold.  There's no reason to expect this every year going forward although I hope it does stay like this.

Subject: Cuttings Sale. All prices reduced. Replies: 58
Posted By: rcantor Views: 3,107
 
I'd gladly take the mother GM-125C.  A mature caprifig would help me a lot.  I sent you an email.  Get to it when you can  :)

Subject: OT - Sous Vide Replies: 15
Posted By: rcantor Views: 331
 
If memory serves, my sister loves hers.  As Calvin-san mentioned you don't get the Maillard reaction that browns the outside of the meat.  That's good news health-wise as those glycoproteins are hard on your kidneys but of course bad news flavor-wise.  I think for fish, chicken and maybe pork it would be great.  If I was going to sear something on the grill I'd set the sous vide 5 - 10 degrees lower than I wanted the food to end up at.

Let us know what it's like with vegetables.  Allez Cuisine!

Subject: New fig grower ... already addicted ! Replies: 24
Posted By: rcantor Views: 386
 
Welcome!  You won't even think of stopping at 800.  The only real question is are you going to buy large greenhouses where you are or move the BC or California or the SE US?  :)

Use the search function and ask questions.

Subject: Fig Bundle # 3 Replies: 10
Posted By: rcantor Views: 642
 
Me, too  :)

Subject: Comparing Yellow Long, Yellow Long Neck and White Marseille Replies: 25
Posted By: rcantor Views: 526
 
You're reading this in what I'll call the message column.  If you look to the left you'll see the name of the user who posted the message.  Under the name is some other info.  Scroll up to Tad's name and read the info under it and you'll understand why I said what I did  ;)

Subject: Comparing Yellow Long, Yellow Long Neck and White Marseille Replies: 25
Posted By: rcantor Views: 526
 
Tad, you haven't even registered yet so you can't ask any questions until August of 2017.  White Marseilles is a good, mild flavored fig.  If it tasted like cucumber it either wasn't ripe, was taken off of a young tree or ripened in temperatures under about 75-8 or it had some other problem.  Was it long and green?  :)

Subject: Fall Rooting Trial Replies: 13
Posted By: rcantor Views: 1,356
 
How do you keep the roots from sticking to the moss?