Posts by motownnj

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1476548645

	Subject: Is my tree a dud?	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 231

thanks for the comments. Perhaps i will make it a hardiness test and see if it survives the zone 6 winter without protection. if so i will rethink it in the spring.

1476474992

	Subject: Is my tree a dud?	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 231

I pinched the entire tree this year. Made it shoot out a few branches but that's it.

1476451143

	Subject: Is my tree a dud?	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 231

I have an excell variety tree that is I believe 5-6 years old. Despite growing into a pretty sizable tree (8 ft tall, multi trunked, 2 inch diameter) it has never shown signs of even starting figs.

The tree gets about 6 hours of mid day sun, so not optimal but other varieties in the same spot fruit just fine.

It would be one thing if it produced tiny figs that didn't grow properly but it has no signs at all.

I'd like to use the spot for something else if this thing is never going to fruit.

Is it possible for some trees to be duds? This came from a forum member, so I am assuming it has a good lineage.

Any thoughts?

1399114098

	Subject: Still no sign of breaking dormancy in zone 7	Replies: 48
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,706

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeneDaniels

Quote:

Originally Posted by motownnj
More of the same for me. Top 2 feet of growth or so is pretty crispy and brown on in grounds that were protected. No signs of budding but lower down the bark is gray and scrapes green underneath. I am considering cutting back to the gray wood, hoping it will speed the process. Any thoughts on if pruning now could speed the overall process of stimulating new buds on old, gray wood?

I would not cut the top wood yet. Figs can be very deceptive. I took the top 18in off my young HC, but since I was not SURE it was dead wood I buried it in a pot. Now that "dead" cutting is sending out a shoot. So I would not cut yet, but if you do, save the wood as cuttings and you might just start a new tree.

Thanks for sharing this. Do you think this seasons growth would take off faster though if I cut down, versus waiting to see it the probably dead wood is dead? Or, would the new sprouts from gray wood come at the same time anyway. I don't really need that 24" on the tree, it's big enough without it.

1398989815

	Subject: Still no sign of breaking dormancy in zone 7	Replies: 48
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,706

More of the same for me. Top 2 feet of growth or so is pretty crispy and brown on in grounds that were protected. No signs of budding but lower down the bark is gray and scrapes green underneath.

I am considering cutting back to the gray wood, hoping it will speed the process. Any thoughts on if pruning now could speed the overall process of stimulating new buds on old, gray wood?

1396183739

	Subject: "The Big Kill"....Winter of 2013 - 2014	Replies: 137
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 6,600

Frank, sorry for your figs losses. Seems like you have a good attitude about it, and are on your way already.

I uncovered my in ground trees that were well protected and found one ok, and the other the top 2 feet or so was burnt and brown. Will likely need a severe pruning, but hopefully is ok. The one that was OK was hardy Chicago, so I guess that is true to its name. My low temp I think was -2, so not that low, but the duration of the cold and snow pack i think created an 'ice box' that was too much. This winter was just incredible hard on lots of plants. There are several mature holly trees around here that are severely winter burned.

1387170232

	Subject: Beware: Monsanto at it again	Replies: 79
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 2,814

Takes only a few minutes to join a petition to get GMOs labeled on food products. There are several out there that google can help find, such as "just label it".

1369961851

	Subject: Finally breaking bud.	Replies: 10
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 684

My in grounds leafed out in early may, and are getting full sized leaves and 3-6 inches of growth already. It was a slow spring here too, but I would think everything that was healthy/ not winter damaged would be leafed out now in most zone 6 spots.

1365742451

	Subject: Fig trees for sale in NY?	Replies: 13
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,926

There are plenty of places that sell figs, and people on Craig's list, here in Morris county New Jersey- probably less than 2hrs from you down 87/287. Last year the local Agway sold about 3-4 varieties. Other local nurseries will generally have something, though maybe just brown turkey. You could probably find places on Bergen, rockland or westchester as well, just don't know of any off hand.

1364180606

	Subject: stepover fig - how cool is that!	Replies: 18
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 2,748

thanks for the pics w/details. definitely going to have to try this as the garden space is getting very limited!

1358104875

	Subject: Really good dried figs - anyone know the type?	Replies: 3
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 806

I have had most types of dried figs available at my local grocery stores. These below, from the "Natures Promise" line at Stop n Shop are the best IMO. Very sweet, and not overly dried. Anyone who shops at a Stop n Shop familiar with these, or know the type? All they say is "Turkish Fig".

http://www.shopwell.com/natures-promise-organic-turkish-figs/dried-fruit/p/8826704430

1356547524

	Subject: Overwintering	Replies: 10
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 722

Having similar questions here now that its getting colder. I have a few small plants in 2-3 gal pots that were rooted in June, in my shed now. They are 'protected'/wrapped somewhat in the shed. Vince, or anyone in a similar zone 6, have you ever stored 1st year plants in an uninsulated shed? I suspect in the dead of winter several nights below 20 degrees in the shed.

My other options are:

bringing inside soon and letting them break dormancy in a window,

Putting in the attic (no idea of temps up there, and little access, but has to be warmer than the shed).

Turning the pots on their sides and burying them in now in the garden.

Interested in any POVs. Thanks

1353897269

	Subject: Italian Honey Cuttings	Replies: 18
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,406

NIce of you to offer up the cuttings. Anything inside inside the tarp for insulation? Always interested to hear others wrapping methods.

1351459422

	Subject: Ischia Green Cuttings Available	Replies: 21
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,449

welcome to the forum. I am also in NJ. I'd be interested in any extra Green Ischia cuttings you may have, and may have some to trade. will send you a private message through the site.

1351185472

	Subject: espalier / pruning...	Replies: 17
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 5,119

Squirrels ate about half my figs this year on my standard tree anyway. Who knows, if I could keep a short espalier maybe I could protect wit a screen from the critters!

1351164672

	Subject: espalier / pruning...	Replies: 17
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 5,119

I'd like to try the Japanese method also. A long branch ten inches or so above the ground would be really easy to protect for the winter.

1348629660

	Subject: Overwintering first year cuttings in Z6	Replies: 5
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 566

Thanks all for the suggestions. I've moved these inside. wish I had a garage!

Slingha, we are indeed neighbors. I'm happy to take yo up on your offer, and could trade you also. I'll send you a PM.

1348543975

	Subject: Overwintering first year cuttings in Z6	Replies: 5
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 566

I have a few cuttings that took in Mar-May. I've found a lot of info here on overwintering, but wondering what's safest in my case - my main objective is having them in the best shape for next spring. I am in north NJ a borderline 6a/6b. My options include:

1- bring them inside to a south facing window. If so, should I do that now? Nights are already in the upper 40's

2- bury the pot outside in a sheltered area, and protect as I would an in ground fig. Or bury turning pot on its side.

3- put in my unheated garden shed. could put in a box with some insulation etc. I've got to think it gets down below 20 in here a handful of times, if not more.

I have reservations about all 3. Anyone in a similar zone with any advice? Thanks

1340938624

	Subject: new and wondering?	Replies: 13
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 810

Dan,

I live in north NJ in a borderline 6a/b area. There are tons of figs here, many the result of Italian/portugese immigrants, many decades old, but also you can usually find 2-3 varieties at any nursery or HD.

Here I would say about half to two thirds "protect" during the winter, which involves wrapping (you can find lots of details on that here also). Those who dont end up with a bushy fig ~6ft tall max that suffers dieback on some branches, which can simply be pruned off in the spring. Even these plants still fruit every year. My weather is a little more condusive than your's to figs, but not much.

Neither way (potted or in ground) is really easy in a borderline area, but I would probably argue in ground is easier, because you can basically forget about it all summer and it will do fine. Potted you'll have to be pulling the fig in and out of the shed on hot days in the spring, so it doesnt start to grow too early.

the simplest care that would likely work in your area is in ground, around t-giving throw 6+ inches of mulch on it, then leaves then pine/spruce bows etc. should survive the winter. Also a benefit of this will be the plant will grow suckers which you can dig up in the spring and plant for another tree (easy propigation method)

Kudos to you for trying new things out in WV! Variety is the spice of life!

1335236771

	Subject: cutting stagnated.	Replies: 11
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,010

i've had the same thing happen. continued root and top growth, then I move from the slim bag (new baggie method) to a 1G pot and the top stops growing. only one of mine has kept growing. Glad to know this is somewhat normal...will help me resist the urge to water more or mess with them!

1332732008

	Subject: Freeze advisory	Replies: 58
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 3,209

Mine inground is uncovered, yet to break dormancy. Its pretty small (about 6' tall), so I am going to put an old blanket & sheet over the crown. We have a low of 24 predicted here. I think/hope that should do it.

1331010264

	Subject: Timing the unwrapping of figs	Replies: 21
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 2,288

Around here (morris county NJ) most who wrap unwrap near the end of march. I may take the tarp off wed morning because I am worried about cooking mine in the 65 degree sun. that is coming. at least the top is then open to let some heat escape.

I did a partial unwrap this weekend and noticed some condensation buildup had wet some old cloth I had in for extra protection...I am glad I took a peak, as that would have gotten really steamy and moldy as the temps build.

Lessons learned...ventilation really does matter...make your protection easy to partially undo if you need to.

1326774276

	Subject: Caring for Rooted suckers over winter	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,096

Thanks Jason. My plants current status is in quite a different state- and much less full of life than yours! Mine went dormant outside (before suckers were extracted), and have not woken up yet. They are 3-5 ft long, and basically just sticks, that are drying out from the top down, despite a nicely moist pot in my 55 deg, dark, dry basement.

1326771138

	Subject: Caring for Rooted suckers over winter	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,096

My semi-rooted suckers have not been doing so well. They have some pretty serious dessication going on. if I grab a tip and bend, it snaps off. Still has a green layer inside though.

I think the problem is the basement is just too dry (~40% rel. humidity). I am thinking of cutting my losses and trimming these back to about 1-2 feet, so that I can water then put a bag over the whole thing to trap some humidity. Some of these are long enough that I cant effectively trap humidity without cutting way back.

Any thoughts? Should I perhaps move to a sunny warmer area also?

Thanks for any tips!

1324343760

	Subject: Rooting a semi green cutting	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,362

Thanks alanmercieca. Any thoughts on if I should add a light bulb to maybe speed things along?

1324126606

	Subject: Rooting a semi green cutting	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,362

Here is an update, and of course a question....

8 weeks on, and there is good root development (see pic in link below).

I have been keeping this near a s. facing window, that gets a few hours of sun a day. A freezer bag is kept zipped around the cup - the stick is to hold the plastic off the fig.

While the root growth seems great, there is little development above. The buds seem to be swelling at a very very slow pace. My hunch is it just wants more warmth.

So here is the question - should I pot up now or wait for top growth to begin?

Also, I was thinking about adding more light with a single plant bulb, which may throw a little heat also. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance..this is my first cutting, and seems to be going well so far, so I want to keep it up!

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/file?id=1245733

1324007756

	Subject: Espalier, sort of	Replies: 36
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 3,656

very nice Dave. Thanks for showing the progression...pretty cool

1323487373

	Subject: Organic Dried Figs At Walmart	Replies: 9
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 3,272

I saw some organic figs at the grocery store today and was thinking figs have got to be one of the easier fruits to grow organically, in terms of fertilizer needs, and potential pest issues. Am I right?

1323349053

	Subject: How may one promote lateral growth?	Replies: 18
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,893

I'd like to ultimately grow a plant in the style of those in the Japanese pic for ease of winter protection - only 3-4 ft tall!

1322876343

	Subject: Caring for Rooted suckers over winter	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,096

thanks for the idea. It seems a bit involved, but if I see some of the buds start to green up i will maybe give it a try.

At this point I am more worried that i dried them out by having them in the same room as the boiler. I have watered pretty throughouly and I now have a moisture meter.

I think they are still dormant, and have had probably over 200 hours of cold, dormant driving temps here before they came inside - basically the month from Snowtober to thanksgiving.

And not offense taken at the joke...I'd have to be really uptight to be offended by that!

1322800131

	Subject: Caring for Rooted suckers over winter	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,096

I think keeping these in the workshop side of my basement (where the boiler is) was too dry, with too much warm air moving around. The tips of some are drying/wrinkled pretty badly, more so on the suckers that had fewer roots attached. I have moved to the other corner of the basement, and watered again. Any thoughts on if I should cut off the shriveled parts, back to solid wood? These might turn out to be tougher to keep over the winter then I thought!

1322080580

	Subject: Caring for Rooted suckers over winter	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,096

Thanks for the tips. The attic really isnt an option.

I guess i will wait until I see the buds start to open and then get some plant grow bulbs for the shoplight.

1321964155

	Subject: Caring for Rooted suckers over winter	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,096

Thanks for the tips. These were entering dormancy, or already there. The leaves fell off about 3+ weeks ago, and we've had about 5-6 nights below freezing before they were taken. Should I try to add the light right away, or wait? The shop light situation I could probably set up.

1321930242

	Subject: Caring for Rooted suckers over winter	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,096

I was lucky enough to acquire some suckers with roots. they range from ~24inches to about 5ft in length. a few have fairly substantial roots, while others have just a few small roots. I have potted all up in moisture control potting soil, and added additional perlite to the mix.

My question is how best to care for these over the winter. pretty much the only place to store is in my basement, which averages about 50-55 in the coldest days of winter, but most days is probably in the low 60's. There is also very little humidity down there because of the furnace, and also very low light.

My main question is how much to water these. When I potted them yesterday I only gave the soil a light spray, nothing like a shower I would normally give something i just potted. The soil already feels pretty dry.

I am hoping that the roots can creep and develop over the winter, but not sure if that's how things work.

any advice on water, temp & light would be appreciated.

thanks

1320628121

	Subject: Rooting a semi green cutting	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,362

Any idea why the leaves would fall off. Is that normal?

1320458754

	Subject: Rooting a semi green cutting	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,362

Update - I did end up putting the cutting in a cup with perlite and covered with a bag- watered maybe twice. The bag seems to have kept in humidity, but the other day the couple of small leaves I left fell off. buds still appear green. I have this near a S facing window, but aside when direct sunlight is there it's a cool place. Any ideas? leave it? more heat?

1319320588

	Subject: Is this enough winter protection?	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,163

the mulch is an important line of defense. Worse case scenario if all else fails you can dig out the mulch and grow back from there. You'll be fine though

1319307726

	Subject: Rooting a semi green cutting	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,362

thanks Dominick. i dont have grow lights. hopefully a window will be enough, though not a ton of sun this time of year. Do you usually scrape or rough up the nodes when rooting?

Anyone have any addl suggestions?

1319306288

	Subject: Is this enough winter protection?	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,163

I am in NJ also, Z6. Last year was my figs first winter. What you have described is probably fine, but I would avoid straw - it holds moisture too well. My protection was a bit involved, but it worked well. My tree was about 3 feet tall, pruned as a standard. This is what I did:

Step 1 - mound mulch about 6 inches up. Get tar paper and put that over the mulch (cut a slit in a large square of paper and place around the trunk, flat on the ground.). In theory the tar paper can help to keep water out of the enclosure, from wicking up.

Step 2 - wrap tree with burlap. then tar paper around the burlap. tarpaper is good stuff, and cheap

step 3 - wrap that with plastic/tarp. Put a bucket or some coverage on top to keep moisture out.

step 4 - put a wire cage around everything about a foot or so larger. Fill the gap between the wrapped tree and cage with leaves.

I think the leaves act as a buffer from keeping the plastic from heating up too much int the sun, or too cold in the wind. However, I dont think leaves right around the tree would be good, because they could cause rot. So, its kind of 2 walls of protection! I'll prob do something similar again this year, but now I have an addl 3 ft of tree to work with!

It may be a bit overboard for a 6b. There are figs all over by me, some protected some not. Most that are protected get some sort of tarp treatment. Most that arent suffer ~half dieback, and are cutback and grow back strong in the spring anyway.

1319240986

	Subject: Rooting a semi green cutting	Replies: 14
	Posted By: motownnj	Views: 1,362

Hi all. I have been looking on the forums for a while, and have a question on rooting. I have a cutting that was taken yesterday and I would call semi-green. its about an 8" tip of a branch that is starting to harden off, but still has full green leaves. We havent had a frost here in NJ, so its probably seen a low in the low 40s a few times for lows so far this fall. I know that rooting hardened/dormant cuttings is easier.

My question is would I have a better chance of getting this to root if I take the leaves off and use the baggie in fridge method to force it into dormancy versus rooting now as I would a green cutting? If so how long should I keep in the fridge for?

I have found some good info on techniques for green and dormant rootings, but not sure which is best for this "in-between" time.

Thanks