So what are the benefits to bringing in with leaves, as opposed to with leaves off?   And pruning after leaves fall off?

I'm inclined this time to bring in with leaves.   I suspect they'll fall off anyway indoors over the winter.

Okay so I have a Black Mission and a Pinoche fig in large tree pots outside.   The Mission is about 7 feet tall, the Pinoche is about 3 ft, little branching.

I have heard that figs need pruned because they fruit only on new growth, and to wait after they bear figs.   These of course are done with figs this year.

I'm in zone 5b, so they are going to have to winter inside downstairs.  I have a spot, there is a window that is not very large and overhead florescent lighting on a 12 hour timer.   I can add clip lights on the timer too if they need more light.

But, at what temps to bring them inside?  First night it dips to 39?   Or 32?

Also, my thoughts were to prune back quite a bit right before bringing in, as this would help space wise and moving them.  But would the double stress of moving inside and pruning at the same time, be too much?

This looks like a fun idea and relatively easy to do.... just wondering how long it lasts 'in the field' until the birds get used to it. 

I won't have figs until next year, but if anyone tries this would be interested let us know if/when they ever catch on and start ignorning it.

Yes, it was moved into the shade.   The plant was apparently burning in the direct sun.

As I said on another thread I always thought figs need 8 hours of direct sun.   The place it was in got 5 at best and it looked like it was frying.   Then it had too much water.

Seems a pretty finicky plant altogether.    And with such variety in taste between crops I kind of marvel that anyone can tell the difference between the 500 or so varieties sold.

OK pictures.  Ripe?

Lots and lots of rain.  One of the tree branches has blackened and gotten white mold on it, hope it isn't some kind of fungal infection.   Maybe I should cut that branch off?

I thought brebas only came in the spring, this being mid August I would have assumed it was the main crop.

Okay I have been having some odd issues with my very first 'crop' of figs.   Black Mission.

First, the young tree only had 10 figlets this year.   But I have had the hardest time telling when they are actually ripe.

I've been waiting until the fig is drooping on the stem, but inevitably every time the fig has very little sweet taste.   I've assumed I'm just picking them too soon.

However, the last one I picked I waited so long it looked almost as if it were about to spoil.   Sure enough a bit of the bottom of the fig appeared to have rotted, which I cut off.

But still, hardly sweet at all and passable, but nothing to write home about.  Pretty bland.

And I have to add that I don't have a sweet tooth myself.  In fact, I was afraid they would taste something like pancake syrup as many Americans you know lap up high fructose corn syrup in everything like hummingbirds.   But even I was disappointed.

The last 4 or 5 figs have been getting larger as they ripen, and the figs are actually swelling and splitting at the seams, but no taste change.   I'm down to two remaining figs on the tree, which are quite big and have split marks on them.  Neither one is remotely drooping on their stem yet, but today I found a little black bug crawling near the end hole on one, and a few fruit flies perched firmly on them both like gold diggers staking their claim.    I also alarmingly had a Cardinal sitting in the tree this morning, looking at them curiously.

Tick, tick tick......  :/

>>>>

You do not plant a young plant in 30 gallon pot.
It is recipe for disaster.

>>>>

Okay, the only reasoning I can find online for not planting a tree in a large pot, is that there is not enough roots to suck up the moisture and allow the pot to dry out in between waterings.

So, in order for this statement above to be true, assuming the plant is 'in disaster', the answer would HAVE to be the plant soil is too moist, and that it is being overwatered.

Secondly..... removing it from the direct sun and putting it in the shade, would I assume slow the drying of the soil further, and make things worse.

This agrees with the moisture meter, so maybe we have an answer.

As far as all Fig trees carrying FMV, it seems to be a popular myth if it isn't true.    There's a chorus of people on garden sites repeating it.  The basic story goes, most figs have it, display it in times of stress, except those grown directly from seed who later become infected through insects anyway.

Yes, very well aware of the bell bottom pots and their drawbacks.   However at 30 gallon I am never going to a larger pot, its already almost too big to be manageable.   The tree is going to be kept under 8 feet as it has to come indoors.    I don't ever plan to repot, so the only time I see it coming out, is after it is dead.

I hesitate to put the trees through more trauma now by repotting again with different soil, after they were just repotted.    I had cactus mix but had not heard anyone suggest this on the Web before now.    I had mixed with Perlite as I said for drainage.

The biggest challenge for me will be finding that precise amount of watering, as the symptoms, and death, appear virtually identical between overwatering and underwatering.  And I agree yes the moisture meter was a bust too as it came needing 'calibration'.    Unfortuantely it was the only one with a long enough probe sold for less than $300.00 (which given the plant was $50, is just out of league).

It seems to look like all figs carry Mosaic and it springs up in times of stress, sort of like a case of psoriasis.   A few leaves have curled up yellow and fallen off now, a few more have curled a bit but still there.   So far no figs dropped, continuing to guess blindly with the water as always hope it rides out.

@snagplus, just read your post.   Wow, I just looked that up and apparently it seems to have just broken out with this.   The other fig has not yet been infected.   

Does it ever grow out of it?    I am reading it is spread by some kind of aphid so the likelihood it will spread to the other tree seems 100%.

Although would this cause the complete yellowing and browning of some leaves, also? 

Still not sure which direction to go in.   However what about the possiblity that the tree, having stood in the direct sun this afternoon, got hot roots with the black soil?    The pot itself was pretty warm before I moved it.

If that was the case, some kind of mulch might be advised to keep the heat off the soil.  I happen to have cedar mulch here.

However, if this its overwatering, that I imagine would be the last thing you would want to do.

It might be worth it to compare the picture from my first post in this thread, to the most recent one as there was a watering in between.

Did it improve, get worse, or remain the same?   To me the leaves seem to be pointing up more after watering, even though perhaps the spottiness increased?

Sheesh.

here's an updated picture with the spots

I used a Menards black potting mix and mixed in some Perlite for drainage.   The pots are 30 gallon, quite tall with bell shaped bottoms.  Each one has about 6 holes in the bottom and a small layer of rocks.

Enough holes so that when I water it water drains out the holes and on to the porch.  

The yellowed leaves are all firmly attached, do not come off, if that is any help.   Some of the big leaves also have some light yellow spottiness.

Because the pot is so deep and flared at the bottom, I have always suspected the soil would not dry out fast.   This is why I've been afraid of overwatering since the beginning.

Well I'm not frustrated, just that the plant is yellowing and dropping leaves and trying to discover and take appropriate action before its too late.   As I said earlier I recently had a Hibiscus tree die after 2 months effort due to a watering issue, in fact it was two, both died.    The new moisture meter I purchased and my post being efforts to help prevent a repeat.

I'm not sure why the forum is showing 3 threads on this same issue, I only opened one.     In fact I only see one thread in the forum when I look now(??) not sure why that would be the case.

The meter read 9 close to the plant and 10 (wettest) at the bottom of the pot, but the plant appears still to be needing water.  Three of the base leaves have yellowed completely and curled/browned as of today, around the lower portion of the trunk.  

I added, so we'll see how it goes.  It seems my own dumb luck I purchased a water meter that seems not to work.

>> throw away the moisture meter >>

I may as well throw away the plant too.   Years of experience killing plants has proven my finger or my guesswork is not a reliable indicator and I need help this time.

These pots are very deep and belled on the bottom (see pic) at least 16" so a few inches down isn't going to tell much.    Which is why I bought the 17" probe.

I gave the plant a good soaking today even though the uncalibrated meter reads 10 wetness on a scale of 1-10.   There is drainage and no plate, though its hard to forget I just recently killed a hibiscus tree OUTSIDE by overwatering in the 90 degree heat, it died of root rot.  Trying to be smarter this time.

If it drops all its fruit by tomorrow, then I suppose I'll have an answer.

Oh no:

https://dengarden.com/gardening/Brown-Leaf-Tips-whats-wrong

".....unsightly brown at the very tips of the leaves or around the edges of the leaves, there are a few things that may be happening. The simplest explanation of this phenomenon is that you have been over-watering your plant...."

"

• Yellow leaves caused by over watering will be a mosaic of both yellow and green throughout the leaf and the leaves will still be firmly attached to the plant.
• Yellow leaves caused by under watering will be solid yellow and will fall of or detach with little to no effort.

"

I have both splotchy leaves firmly attached AND solid yellow leaves on the same plant, some that have fallen.

Ewwwkay then......

There are a number of drain holes in both, but I'm forever defeated having plants by the 'yellow when overwatered, yellow when underwatered' phenomenon.   I have killed plants by overwatering before, though even though the meter said very wet it clearly needed water this time.

Surely the yellow browning, curling leaves and splotchiness is from too much sun, or not enough water?   

I keep reading everywhere that fig trees need a full 8 hours of sunlight a day.

But that is clearly not the case with my figs.   Of the two I purchased the larger one is getting about 2 hours direct light and the smaller about 15 minutes.

Both have yellow, burnt edge leaves and the larger one displayed massive heat stroke today, blotching and burning on almost all of its leaves, in about 85 degree weather.   Its fruit is ripening but several are drooping even though not fully ripe, as if they are about to be aborted.   The tree is clearly under stress.    Moisture meter says they are fully wet but I can't trust the meter, so I added more water which seemed to help.

I moved both trees into the shade and I guess will leave them there for some time now.  I have to say this is a surprise.

OK the fig died, the plant dropped it.

The strange thing is the figlet is much smaller than it was yesterday, and it looks burnt ??!    Seeing as its the only fig currently on the tree, kinda hard to miss.

I didn't know they shrank....

OK so this tree is new, only about a foot tall (I was told it was a 2 year old fig) and it had one figlet coming in already.

However since its potting it has dropped its one large leaf (yellowed and browned at edges) and almost a second.  The logical reason appears to be sunburn.  

SO, I put it more or less out of the sun, it currently gets only about a half hour of direct sunlight a day.   I purchased a moisture meter and the dirt has always been on the wet side, and still is.

Strangely however, I checked the plant this morning, and the figlet has suddenly deflated, and slightly browned.   But to add to the difficulty, the REOTEMP MM17 moisture meter I bought has claims in its Amazon reviews that it reads 'over wet' and needs 'calibration'.   Nice.  So I added more water, but of course it may be too much who knows, thanks to the meter.

So what gives?  I've been told figs need 8 hours of sunlight a day, this is getting 1/2 and browning.   Its got plenty of water but figs are shriveling.   I'm lost.......

I kept thinking the last couple days "Wow I never realized fig trees stink so bad" lol.   I finally figured it out.    I got most of it into a bag and sure enough, its like whiffing an outhouse.    And the dog isn't getting near this stuff I'm not dealing with that breath in the house haha.

I've only got a few figlets on this little tree, maybe I'll get lucky and no one will 'discover' them this year.   Bummer that you can't pick them early and ripen them like bananas.   That really kinda makes it a challenge....

I went and got bone meal on a suggestion to keep the squirrels away and found out after it rains, it stinks like poop!   At least the meal I bought does.   What is worse now I'm reading that it actually attracts animals like possums and even my dog is trying to lick up the stuff.

I think this advice may have backfired :/   I'm thinking of scooping what I can of this stuff out and looking for some other 'topping' to detract fig feasters.   Someone on another forum suggested pecan shells, and one of the trees I bought online actually had them.  But where in the world do you buy those? 

I'm interested in the CDs I might try them if it ever comes to it.   

I have about 6 Hibiscus trees in my backyard, and two I grew from seed in pots, which took months.   It just so happened the weeks after they finally made it to the yard we had a freak drought with 95+ degree temps.  It just would not rain.   I took to a bucket of water on each tree once day, as they would wilt and then come back after watering.   So far so good.

However, at some point, they wilted and water would no longer revive them.   So, I watered more, going by the adage, "I can't imagine over watering would be a problem in this heat".    They finally just plain died.   My strong suspicion is root rot from overwatering, but you'll notice the symptoms of overwatering and underwatering were practically identical.

Sure doesn't make it easy....

I put a layer of rocks in the bottom of the pots, an old habit someone in the family taught me that years ago no idea if it does any good.   Supposedly helps with drainage.

The trees are outside so they get will rain like all the other trees out there, and what's more it will surely pool and run through as the pot edges are about an inch or two higher than the soil.

But if I put the pots in saucers, would that not have the roots in 'standing water', the big no-no that kills figs?   Also as the drain holes are on the bottom, any excess water from rain would collect in and not drain out.

I'm thinking its one day late for a sip, now that I've read up on them a bit.   I already spent $90 on the large tree pots, drilled holes in the bottoms and have potted the plants yesterday.   Its looking like that would be scrapping all and starting over.

Would that I had known this earlier.   Well, hindsight is 20/20.

Check out this Tree Nanny - "Jingle Bells when it needs water".   Too bad it got poor reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/Tree-Nanny-Christmas-Watering-Device/dp/B004C7S6P8

Sips sound fantastic.   Do you have anything you recommend? 

If I knew some really good reliable signs, I'd sure be watching.   So far the web says, if the leaves turn yellow and fall, then its either overwatered or underwatered.  Drooping also means not enough, and too much water I've learned from experience.    Pot weight might help but its a pretty heavy pot.

I've tried a moisture meter in years past with little success.   I still killed the plant.   Though I did great with clay water Nannys.  I don't think they would work for a tree sized plant though.    This plant is also outside, so it will get rain.

I'm in Zone 5b.  I'm pretty sure the browning was heat shock as the delivered plant was still in its bag in the driveway, with the sun directly on it.   Its since been put in a large pot where its roots should stay cooler I'm sure.

Still I've heard that young figs shouldn't be in direct sun.   But then you hear everything online.  It would be a pity though to come home and find it roasted.

I can look into that.   I spent quite a bit of time putting in and wiring overhead plant lights with standard sockets and wall timer and switches already, in general anticipation of growing plants inside (not specifically figs).   And haven't even used it yet.   So it would be nice not to scrap all that start all over and at least build on what I've got.     If they had for instance very bright full spectrum overhead LEDs that fit standard bulb sockets or with converters, it sure would be nice.

I already opted for summers outside after a chorus of encouragement to go that route.... but I did talk to a hydroponics store before that and they started their in-house plant growing kits at $600 bucks and up, ranging into the thousands.  Crimeny for that money I could hire people to fly to Honduras and pick me fresh figs....  and I'm sure what you've got is more cost effective.     I still would like to winter them inside in the spot I had set up and if they do more than remain dormant or die then fantastic.     But growing indoors all year has the plus you don't have to worry about squirrels possums and birds swooping in to harvest your work.

If a fig tree is not getting enough water, the leaves will turn yellow and drop.

If a fig tree is getting too much water, the leaves will turn yellow and drop.

If a fig tree is getting too much sun, the leaves will turn yellow and drop.....

All three statements are on the web.    So how do you know whether a potted fig is starving for water, or drowing and rotting?    Starved for light, or burning.  

Aside from reckless guesswork and if it doesn't die you're right, or teaching your plant to talk.... are there any foolproof indicators of these?

Because yes, a couple days after potting, my fig tree's lower leaves are yellowing and one dropped :/

If you're going to go with outside summer, indoors winter it better to try to trick a fig tree into hibernation late in the fall, say let it get hit by a light frost so it drops its leaves... then put it into a cool dark basement until Spring?

Or can you take it in earlier fully leafed, and leave it inside under the 'feeble' 100 Watt  flourescent lights say 12 hours a day, basically on bare minimum rations  all winter?    Which is the better approach for Summer pot figs?

As far as the dying to the ground approach, I assume as soon as it gets cold enough it drops all its leaves.... and then do you prune it down to the ground before winter, maybe put some mulch over what is left?  Or leave the stalks as-is and wait the following spring to see if anything is still alive.

Unfortunately the only real spot I have for an outdoor fig that gets adequate sun is out in front of the house, and I really need an actual tree there not a come-and-go-bush as whatever is in that spot serves as a much needed privacy hedge.    Without it you're looking down a row of 20 porches lol.

We've definitely got squirrels here.    Someone mentioned cayenne pepper or bone meal in pots would deter them.    Though I wonder if the pepper would affect the taste of the figs?

http://www.thescrapshoppeblog.com/2013/05/5-tricks-to-keep-squirrels-out-of-your.html

I like the idea of organza bags, especially if you just have a potted plant with a few figs.    I imagine you could just put them on the week they start to go ripe and re-use them.   

It seems likely once they 'taste the fruit' once there will be no getting rid of them. 

Not sure about the other approach mentioned of having a squirrel/bird feeder nearby to give them an alternative.   I think that might just attract more regular guests.

What I'm reading as far as someone new to fig growing is that unripe figs taste terrible, and can even burn... figs can't ripen off the tree, so they must be left on and that typically you'll know when they're ripe when a squirrel or bird grabs it.

I understand there's a little sarcasm there but how much of a problem are birds and squirrels normally?   The fig tree I have has about 6 figlets on it this year, so I don't really have a whole lot to spare lol.    I have a cherry tree in the yard that I've yet to see cherries on- it seems the birds eat them before they even appear.

So I gave up on my plan to grow them indoors, and moved them outside.. and now I have to worry about birds getting them at the end after many months?   And what about ants.

Do people normally use nets?    What is reasonable protection, and what is going overboard.....

Central Illinois and so far I plan to keep it in pot outside and winter inside under lights.    Its a Black Mission fig. 

I'm not sure I understand what an 'air layer' is.  The tree came anchored already to a stick, half way up.   The top half the tree is new growth straight up.

The lower half has fruits up to about half way, they're decent size but all green right now.

What would happen if I now, cut the tree about a foot down from the top, and then tried to root the top part.

Wouldn't it redirect more into branching and fruiting then, instead of getting taller?

Can anyone tell me for sure that these so-called cold hardy fig trees almost always die to the ground over winter?    Has anyone had successes actually growing a real tree in these climate zones, as in one that keeps the trunk and doesn't start from the dirt each Spring.

I am thinking I mistook when nurseries say 'cold hardy tree' in this case, as it has never meant this before from my experience buying trees.

Thanks!

OK this is one of two fig trees for first time ever figger.

I bought the tree at a hardware store and it already has 5 or 6 little green figs on it, but its about 5 feet tall and narrow as a blade of grass.

Although it seems to be growing well this is not the shape of tree I want, let alone the fact I'm worried with it outside it may even blow over and break!   

Can I prune off the top say foot or so now, above the figs, or is it recommended to wait to do any pruning until fall after you harvest the fruits?    I would think that would encourage it to fill out width-wise but just wanted to make sure.  

???

Well, so it is to the driveway they go in pots.   If they like humidity they will love it here, lol.   I don't know if they'll get a full 8 hours of direct sunlight but in August when it comes out believe me it bears down hard enough to drop a 1,000 lb polar bear in 10 paces, lol.

Its looking like outside in pots in the summer and 'hibernating' them inside over winter.   Chicago Hardy and Turkey figs claim to be cold hardy, but now I'm hearing they die back all the way to the roots each winter and what's the fun in that?    That's not a tree.

The halide bulbs seem counterproductive.  I mean for $40 a month I could buy buckets of figs all year long at the grocery stores work free.

All the websites proclaim "And figs are easy to grow in pots indoors too!!" but the more you get into it you start realizing no, its not exactly that easy.

Alright I found a sodium bulb that says it puts out 50,000 lumens.    Two of them overhead would then be 100,000 lumens?

If a plant needs a minimum of 30,000 lumens, surely that would work?    I measured direct sunlight outside yesterday with my smartphone and it showed around 135,000 lumens.

Its 400 watts though, so two would be 800 watts.    Although they have a lifespan of about 24,000 hours, I'm wondering if running two of those 12 hours a day would bankrupt me.

Doug can you say a little more......   are you growing fig trees indoors?    Are they also by a window.

What do you mean by using each winter, you mean you summer them outside.

Would two overhead bulbs putting out 10,000-12,000 lumens each be about the same in your opinion?

Where is this information or can you show what you did.

I figured a bigger tree would have more leaves, hence more ability to take in light so that was why I didn't think bigger tree/higher lumens.

Anybody have any thoughts about the two links I posted?   The first bulbs emit red light at least in appearance, claiming the led combo gives "waste free" photosynthesis.

Yet I'm a bit suspicious about LED lights.    It seems they're always feebler in person than you expect.

As for the second link, its basically a mammoth sized CFL, maybe a foot long.   I'm not sure about plain CFLs vs directed light, as in a spotlight.

What I've seen in hardware stores is plain bulbs go as high as 1800 lumens, but you rarely find a spotlight above 1000.   I'm not sure why this is.   Are spotlights more effective, concentrated light?

Well as a last ditch effort I have an enclosed driveway, and can grow them outside in the summer and then bring them indoors say October thru March?   The Turkey fig is listed as 'cold hardy' but the other is not. 

I'm sure the pots will be a pain but it would only be moving them twice a year.

ON A SECOND note, here's the Turkey fig I bought:

https://www.fourwindsgrowers.com/store/other-edibles/fig.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=270&category_id=23

I'm in Zone 6, central Illinois.   Or possibly, 5b.   What are my odds of planting this one in the ground outside?    I obviously don't want to do it if it will be killed this winter.

OK I bought a Tiger Stripe fig, and I'm going to try growing it under track lighting.    It was the right choice for me I like the look, even if it doesn't produce good edible fruit it should be fun to try.   I will have to experiment with the lighting (of course you can get any strength bulbs, and I can set hours of light on timer).    Why not?  You only live once.

The only two things I'm worried about are what usually does me in with potted plants.   One is under/overwatering.    I have the most difficult time figuring out if a plant needs more water, or if its overwatered.   My long term successes have been with clay stake bottle waterers like this:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/7c/32/73/7c327317256a2faf208d42778cb0d125.jpg

Potted fig growers, do you think this would be enough?   And the other thing that frequently does me in is spider mites or aphids.   I don't have so much of a problem if I never move the plant outside (where they can pick them up) but it seems inevitably some plants get them, especially tropicals and I can't seem to shake them off.

Any tips or advice would be much appreciated by me and the plant.   Thanks!!!

By the way, does anybody know the best fig tree to grow in containers?   I keep seeing Brown Turkey fig as the one of choice as it is small and prunes well, but then several people commented after a video NOT to grow Brown Turkey as it is not the best tasting fig.     No other fig plant however was recommended in its place   :/

I will say I don't especially have a sweet tooth myself, so if people are giving Brown Turkey poor reviews just because it doesn't taste like a tablespoon of pancake syrup that would be another issue lol.

What about in potted fig tree indoors, under say full spectrum or track lighting?

Zone 6, and didn't even know I could grow figs!   But there are some varieties now that even will work in 5.    I have been reading up on this and would love to try a fig tree.. possibly a Chicago Hardy, Brown Turkey or Violette de Bordeux.

Unfortunately I have a postage stamp backyard which although has room for a tree already has a tree canopy overhead, and they are far too large and high to remove :(    We're talking branches 20 feet up or more.

I'm wondering if I'm completely out of the game, if the lack of direct sun makes figging for fun not an option in my case.    Any thoughts?