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Subject: Shoots and Suckers Replies: 7
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 477
 
I am happy to announce that the Celeste, following a brutal cutting down to the ground in late Spring, has rebounded beautifully and is producing figs! Shown here, I am experimenting with the cup propagation method I saw someone post in forum. I am sorry I don't remember who posted this idea, so I can't give you credit. But it looks interesting so I am giving it a go. I also have a shooter layering at ground level and I will post results if I get anything worth telling about! In any case I am really happy I didn't have to wait 3 years for a crop, like some of my zone 7 friends were predicting.

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Subject: Shoots and Suckers Replies: 7
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 477
 
Thanks TahomaGuy2... I like your idea! I also read on another thread to put cups with soil around the shoots to have them root. I may try that idea and see what happens. Last year at this time I had so many figs..sadly now there are none. Hopefully next year! So hard to wait an entire year for the bounty!

Subject: Shoots and Suckers Replies: 7
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 477
 
Thanks! I guess I will pick the strongest shoots and train it with a stake. The reason I cut them to the ground was due to the harsh winter here in Maryland, the fig trees were very damaged and susceptible to disease, they became infested with wood boring beetles and they did not leaf out. My neighbors' trees experienced the same problems. Everyone in our area ended up cutting their trees to the ground.

Subject: Shoots and Suckers Replies: 7
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 477
 
I cut my fig trees down to the ground this Spring. There is plenty of new growth, multiple 3' shoots or suckers? off the main trunks but they are growing lateral instead of upright. I stalked them. They are green and pliable. All advice and suggestions are welcome to help me to get them to look like trees again instead of ground cover.

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Subject: when to quit on a tree? Replies: 15
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 729
 
Honestly, I put a brown turkey in the ground last fall and this year it was as just as dead as everything else. I dug it up and threw it bare rooted in the garden junk heap last week. After some heavy rains the past few days I was throwing some more debris in the heap today and low and behold the brown turkey was budding new growth at the base! I would repot yours, ruffle up the root system a bit, maybe even trim the roots slightly too, and if you can try a slightly larger pot, although the one you have looks large enough. Good luck, never say say die.

Subject: Fig Tree Borers HELP Replies: 32
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 2,905
 
Way to go...love the flame thrower!

Subject: Fig Tree Borers HELP Replies: 32
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 2,905
 
The trees were not protected, and have been in the ground for 7 yrs. they are planted on the south side approx 5 feet from the house. In a way they are wind protected due to their location but not wrapped or anything.

Subject: Fig Tree Borers HELP Replies: 32
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 2,905
 
I just spoke with the Maryland Dept of Agriculture. The inspector was very concerned and extremely knowledgeable. The good news is, this beetle that has bored into my fig trees is called Ambrosia Beetle and is common to our area, not to be confused with the Long Horn Asian Beetle, which is a threat. The difference is, the Ambrosia Beetle will leave pin holes in the wood whereas the Long Horn will leave dime sized holes. He went on to say the Ambrosia Beetles attack stressed, weak, or dying trees. Given the past winter was so hard on the figs this all makes sense. I have cut the fig trees down to the ground, there are already foot high shoots coming up off the stumps (as my trees were multi trunked) so I have a good feeling that these trees will come back. I don't think there is anything that could have been done differently given the factors that led to this. Cheers to all and may your figs come back with a vengeance! I'll keep you updated on the progress.

Here is an informative link describing the Ambrosia Beetle in more detail. What I came away with is that healthy trees are less susceptible.
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/default/files/_docs/programs/ipmnet/GAB%20Bulletin-UMD.pdf

Subject: Fig Tree Borers HELP Replies: 32
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 2,905
 
Yup, that's it....grrrrrr. I noticed the bugs were in the green wood, closest to the ground, there appeared to be no activity in the dead wood. Blasted bugs!

Subject: Fig Tree Borers HELP Replies: 32
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 2,905
 
Ahh yes...here is the culprit, poster Jim was right from the beginning. According to this site, I was right to cut them to the ground. My next worry is the Maples that are planted not too far away. http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/trees/asian_ambrosia_beetle.htm

Subject: Fig Tree Borers HELP Replies: 32
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 2,905
 
Thanks Chivas...what is the name of the bug that is causing this?

Subject: Fig Tree Borers HELP Replies: 32
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 2,905
 
One hole leads to many. Update on fig tree borer problem. We dug into the trunk where there is outgoing saw dust activity. At the hole side, which is really no bigger than a pin point , we discovered at least 3 more holes deeper inside leading from the one hole inside. We dug into the live wood (poor fig tree!) about 3/4 of an inch deep and could not find any sign of the culprit. Whatever it is, it's tiny and not obvious but has done much damage as the base of the tree has dozens of saw dust holes. So the theory to poke into the holes from the outside and dig into the trunk to gauge the bug will not work as there are more than one hole leading off the main. I am having a piece of the trunk analyzed by an arborist and will let you know if I get any answers.

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Subject: Fig Tree Borers HELP Replies: 32
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 2,905
 
Thanks Jim, Mark and Mike, I think I am going to cut to them to the ground tomorrow, the sawdust holes are increasing in number as we speak. The trees are outside my kitchen window and I can pretty much witness the destruction as it unfolds. There is bleeding sap as well. My neighbor's 25 foot fig is experiencing similar distress. I believe our neighborhood got hit by these bugs and I agree with Jim's earlier assessment, the wet late last summer put the trees in stress and this attracted the borers.

Subject: Fig Tree Borers HELP Replies: 32
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 2,905
 
Side note of nostalgia...this is how good the figs in my garden were last summer...

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Subject: Fig Tree Borers HELP Replies: 32
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 2,905
 
One last thing...I may have done an incredibly stupid thing that may have attracted this bug...I was having a squirrel war last summer, and read somewhere that you can wrap the branch with ripening fruit up with newspaper and clip it with a clothes pin to discourage squirrels and birds from stealing figs. In hindsight I wonder if the dew and rain dampened newspaper set off some kind of chemical that may have attracted these blasted bugs? It's a thought anyway. BTW, was unable to upload my other pics, the website didn't like it and crashed with each attempt, sorry for no further visuals.

Subject: Fig Tree Borers HELP Replies: 32
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 2,905
 
Website doesn't like my pic size, here is the only one I think it will accept....

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Subject: Fig Tree Borers HELP Replies: 32
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 2,905
 
Yes needaclone, there is saw dust activity I am able to push a thin gauge wire into each hole, about an 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Late last summer 2013 there were heavy rains when I first noticed the trees were in distress. The branches were girdled and cracked and with each wind the branches, which were beautifully leafed and loaded with figs would literally just break off at the joints and fall to ground. I would like to believe Rob, and hope it's not a bad infestation of bugs, but judging from the damage on nearby lilacs from borers I think it's inevitable that the figs are under attack and have been since last summer. I pruned off the worst of the galled up branches last fall and pruned off more just the other day. I may need to go nuclear on them and bring them to the ground and paint the stumps, since it looks like even if the main trunk leafs out, the bugs will eventually weaken any new growth. I' am attempting to add two more photos of what they look like at the moment. Again, thank you for all your wisdom and if you have any more thoughts I would love to hear them

PS having difficulty adding photos, website is freezing up my iPad and have to reboot, this is unusual for an iPad

Subject: Fig Tree Borers HELP Replies: 32
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 2,905
 
Thanx needaclone, really useful information. Question, when I paint the trunk, am I keeping the bugs in, keeping them out? Or starving them from oxygen?

Subject: Fig Tree Borers HELP Replies: 32
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 2,905
 
Thank you for welcoming me to the forum, I am so happy to have found you all! I am uncertain of my fig tree variety as one tree (pale purple skin/red flesh) was a rescue from a friends property and the other (bright green skin/deep raspberry colored flesh, the sweetest thing I have ever tasted)was a propagated sucker off another friends tree. Over the past 7 years we've had a good yield and the trees have grown to 15 feet with a luscious green canopy. How 'bout you? What kind do you grow and how many do you have?

I am devastated by the infestation of these wood borers. I hope someone has some helpful advice!

Subject: Fig Tree Borers HELP Replies: 32
Posted By: MaryMary Views: 2,905
 
7 yr old fig trees infested with fig borers, can my trees be saved? Washington, DC

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