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Subject: Grafting Replies: 34
Posted By: venturabananas Views: 619
 
Don't graft figs during dormancy.  Bud break or full growth are fine.  At least that has been my experience.

Probably any technique will work.  Whip or whip and tongue, and bark grafts have worked best for me.  If I have a stump to graft to, bark graft, if I have a smaller branch, whip/whip&tongue.  One of my bark grafts put on about 8 feet of growth this year before I tip-pruned it. Crazy.

Subject: $7 fig trees for spring/summer delivery, around 150+ varieties Replies: 775
Posted By: venturabananas Views: 28,737
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenFin
...I openly admit that I have failed to uphold my end of the deal by failing to have the trees ready on time, and I fully recognize that I therefore owe you all something extra, not just as fair compensation for your long wait, but as an apology, too.  I am open to all ideas and would appreciate input...  


James, I think the best thing you could do at this point is get the easy varieties that propagated well shipped out.  

I'd suggest you offer this option, with the catch that anyone who takes you up would have to pay a second shipping fee to ship the other part of their order (the varieties that were harder to propagate and aren't ready yet).  At only $7/plant, you aren't really making money (just covering costs), so you can't afford to cover extra shipping costs.  But this option would not require you to cover those unforeseen costs, it would get some of your nursery stock off off your hands (relieving you a bit), and would make buyers who are eager to get some fig plants happy.  

Of course, those who are happy to wait until their entire order is complete could do so.

It would make some extra work for you -- having to ship two orders per person rather than one -- but would also benefit you in some ways. 

Subject: Cotinis mutabilis, figeater beetle Replies: 28
Posted By: venturabananas Views: 283
 
I found one on my figs, too, which met an untimely death.  But I later read that they only eat rotting fruit.  Any truth to that?

Subject: Bag Rooting Techniques Replies: 108
Posted By: venturabananas Views: 4,080
 
I tried this method for the first time this year.  I'm pretty impressed.  I'm trying different methods to find the most reliable methods that requires the least hassle and space.  This method doesn't have the least hassle, but it takes little space and seems very reliable.

The main change I made was to wrap the tops of the cuttings (the entire part outside of the bag) parafilm or buddy tape (used for grafting).  This allows the scion to retain its moisture without needing to use humidity chambers.  Also, there is no need to baby the newly established plant after rooting to help it adjust to lower humidity when potting it up.  

I put the cuttings in their bags in a spot in the house with decent, indirect light, and normal room temperature (60-70 F).  I'm sure they root more slowly at those temps than warmer ones, but they root nevertheless.

I found some handy bags that hold one cup of potting mix.  The are sold as "portion control snack bags" and are 3.5" x 6" inches.  (They were at my local Target.)

I used a bagged, soilless cactus mix (E.B. Stone) and added no water.  There was enough moisture in it straight out of the bag that condensation would form on the inside of the rooting bag, but it looked pretty dry.

In summary, wrap the top portion of the cutting in parafilm, fill a bag with potting mix, stick the cutting in, close the bag with a rubber band, and viola, you're done!  Wait till you see roots and leaves.

Subject: Grafting tape used to seal top cutting? Replies: 13
Posted By: venturabananas Views: 286
 
And here I thought I was so creative, deciding to wrap the tops (the parts not in potting soil) of my cuttings in parafilm or Buddy tape this year.  Reinventing the wheel, apparently.  Anyway, it seems to have been very effective, and as mentioned, means you don't have to mess around with those annoying humidity boxes.

Subject: Air layering panic Replies: 15
Posted By: venturabananas Views: 354
 
I needed to support a drooping limb last summer and tied it up to stake with some green, nursery tape.  I was surprised to see it had rooted under the tape -- an air layer without using any soil!  Figs are pretty amazing.

Subject: My FIgaholics Youtube Channel Replies: 22
Posted By: venturabananas Views: 601
 
I look forward to your future videos.  I appreciate the time you spend making them.

Subject: My FIgaholics Youtube Channel Replies: 22
Posted By: venturabananas Views: 601
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by HarveyC
The videos were long enough as it was and the timing issue will be addressed in another video that addressed issues common to all types of grafting.  So it's not something I "failed" to cover, it was a conscious choice.

Whip and tongue grafts are also a type of graft I like to use when appropriate.  I received four cuttings of a new unknown variety the other day and two of the cuttings were smaller than I like for rooting and those two became cast members for my two first videos.  I could have used one of the remaining two cuttings for a whip and tongue graft but had already devoted two rootstock trees for this one variety so that would not have been a wise choice.  Stay tuned (subscribe). :)



Harvey, I hope you didn't take my comments as criticism -- they were certainly not meant that way! I just wanted to add some suggestions about grafting that have helped me be successful, to help and encourage other folks.  I am sure you will do a better job addressing those issues than I could, because you are a vastly more experienced grafter than I am.

In fact, I think it was some of the photos you've posted somewhere that made me realize one could make a successful whip-and-tongue graft with a scion of a smaller diameter than the rootstock.  I have one of those just starting to push with a Nero 600m scion from you, grafted on to Desert King.

Subject: My FIgaholics Youtube Channel Replies: 22
Posted By: venturabananas Views: 601
 
Great videos Harvey!  Thanks for making and posting them.  Actually seeing it done is so much more helpful than just having it described.

I have to thank Harvey for encouraging me in my fig grafting.  After my first year of trying it, a few years ago, I was ready to give up after a complete failure in attempting to top-work a fig tree.  But Harvey related that he was quite successful at grafting figs, which convinced me it could be done.

If I recall correctly, at the time, Harvey related that his preferred method for grafting figs was a whip or whip-and-tongue graft.  Ironically, that wasn't one of the approaches he made videos of at -- at least so far.  The whip-and-tongue graft is now my preferred graft for any plant.  It requires similar size scion and rootstock, so it can't be your only grafting method, but it maximizes cambium contact, and makes a very well supported graft union.

For new grafters, the one thing the videos fail to mention (at least I don't recall hearing Harvey mention it), which I think is more important than everything else, is timing.  Graft when your rootstock is pushing new growth.

Grafting figs when the rootstock is dormant, as you would for stone fruits or apples, has resulted in complete failure for me.  On the other hand, grafting (with whip, whip-and-tongue, or bark grafts) when the rootstock is pushing has given me 90+ % success.  I should note those have all been in top-working established trees.

Now go graft something!  It's so satisfying when it works.

Subject: Looking for: Nero 600 cuttings Replies: 4
Posted By: venturabananas Views: 182
 
Harvey appears to still have some at: http://www.figaholics.com/cuttings.htm

I ordered some recently from him and they arrived quickly and in great condition.

Subject: best container fig for coastal So Cal? Replies: 14
Posted By: venturabananas Views: 1,248
 
Brent, love the rodenator videos, thanks.  I'd seen them before, but they're always good for a laugh.  At $1800 per unit, I can't afford one of those!  I'll need a professional who's already bought one.

Subject: best container fig for coastal So Cal? Replies: 14
Posted By: venturabananas Views: 1,248
 
Looks great.  Thanks for the photo.

Subject: best container fig for coastal So Cal? Replies: 14
Posted By: venturabananas Views: 1,248
 
What is this Narragansett of which you speak?  I can't find any photos of it here, on the varieties list, or on the internet.

Subject: best container fig for coastal So Cal? Replies: 14
Posted By: venturabananas Views: 1,248
 
Thanks Jon.  It's pretty darn coastal, 3 miles from the beach, on the flats where they grow strawberries, hence the 95%+ humidity every summer morning.

Subject: best container fig for coastal So Cal? Replies: 14
Posted By: venturabananas Views: 1,248
 
Thanks all for the greetings and advice.  Eli, I have visited Jon several times -- but in a banana-crazed haze, I paid very little attention to the figs at the time, despite the fact he let me sample a few really tasty ones.  For the rest of you, if you ever have a chance to visit "Encanto Farms" (Jon's house), don't miss it.

Subject: best container fig for coastal So Cal? Replies: 14
Posted By: venturabananas Views: 1,248
 
Hi all, I'm a newcomer to the forum.

I'm looking for opinions on great figs that would have the following characteristics:

1.  Does well in coastal Southern California.  Needs to be able to produce quality fruit without rotting in a very moist (95%+ relative humidity most summer mornings), relatively cool (summer highs are high 60's to mid 70's usually) environment.

2.  Can be maintained in a 15-25 gallon container without a huge amount of effort.  (A naturally small variety would be great.)

3.  Tastes great.

4.  Not essential, but it might be fun if the ripe fruit were green.  (I understand there are some on the forum who say 3 and 4 and incompatible.)

I already have Brown Turkey (inherited from previous owner of my house) and VdB.  The BT is very productive and produces big fruit, that to me, frankly are pretty boring.  Very sweet and slightly figgy in flavor.  Something with more exciting flavor would be ideal.  The BT figs also tend to rot before getting ripe, due to the humidity, I assume.  

I bought the VdB in February in a liner.  It tried to produce fruit twice this year, but the first time it failed because I had under potted it and under watered it.  (I had no idea figs could fill a 5 gallon container with roots in just a few months.)  The second time it was just too late in the season and the fruits didn't have enough time to mature.  

The mockingbirds love the BT figs and get most of them before they are ripe unless I protect them with paper (thanks for that tip Jon).  If a green fig was even a little less susceptible to mockingbirds, that would be nice.  

A gopher is currently devouring the roots of the BT, so I may need to replace it.  We'll see.  I can't get at the sucker because his tunnels are all under plants I don't want to dig up (fig, bananas, citrus) or under the driveway or sidewalk.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Mark