Giant Figs!!

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i got a couple different fig cuttings this past fall & they have been in a bag on top of my fridge trying to root. pulled them a couple weeks ago to check & i see roots starting on them finally.

i can't wait to see when they could give me some figs. i would have to pull mine into the house during the winter. don't think they'd survive outside for me here.

 

[jay dee]

I have wrapped and still had no luck on Brown Turkey fig which is supposed to be hardy for my area. Only year I got figs was the first year when it was still in a large pot, bagged and brought into my basement. :/

i don't think wrapping is the solution -- i've bundled, stuffed with crumpled news paper; wrapped with 3+ layers of paper , then 3 layers of tar paper ... big effort unless you have lots of friends & several ladders. i think it is more an issue of preventing the wood/bark from drying that it is warmth . i'm still looking for a scholarly paper on the topic.

 

[jay dee]

i got a couple different fig cuttings this past fall & they have been in a bag on top of my fridge trying to root. pulled them a couple weeks ago to check & i see roots starting on them finally.

i can't wait to see when they could give me some figs. i would have to pull mine into the house during the winter. don't think they'd survive outside for me here.

try getting a refrigerator box & fill it with leaves ... bury the bottom. this year i tried dumping about 4 ft of horse bedding (sawdust) on the plants and then leaves. who knows ??? the manure should keep things moist.

 

[journey11]

I think windchill has been my problem. There isn't any spot on my hill that doesn't get driving winter winds AND the necessary sunshine. Beginning to think I am not meant to enjoy figs.

 

[jay dee]

I think windchill has been my problem. There isn't any spot on my hill that doesn't get driving winter winds AND the necessary sunshine. Beginning to think I am not meant to enjoy figs.

i don't think it is the cold itself because people wrap & bury them in canada & the frost line is below the tree. i suspect it is desiccation or the bark. i suspect the sun gets sap in the bark flowing and the wind dries it out thus killing the branch. again i don't know. that is why i'm searching for a researc paper on the topic. you appear to have horses, take a loader & drop a ton of sawdust bedding on the tree. what zone are you in? good luck

 

[thistlebloom]

If it's dessication, there are products you can spray on to keep the plants from losing too much moisture. They are applied to evergreens though, at least that's my familiarity with them, I've treated rhodies with them.
I wonder if they would work on trunk bark...

I thought fig trees were deciduous?

 

[Nyboy]

@journey11 I have had good luck with Chicago hardy I can mail you some branches suppose to root very easy. I have most in pots that I put in unheated shed,

 

[jay dee]

If it's dessication, there are products you can spray on to keep the plants from losing too much moisture. They are applied to evergreens though, at least that's my familiarity with them, I've treated rhodies with them.
I wonder if they would work on trunk bark...

I thought fig trees were deciduous?

they are deciduous but the bark is very thin and i've read prone to drying out. good luck with anti-desiccants i tried "wilt pruf" & applied double the amount of two of 10 trees - it didn't seem to help. maybe it needs more?? i'd like to figure out a way to spray them with paraffin.

 

[thistlebloom]

If you're trying to keep the trunk from desicating, why doesn't wrapping help? Not arguing, just curious.

 

[jay dee]

If you're trying to keep the trunk from desicating, why doesn't wrapping help? Not arguing, just curious.

it does for a lot of people - just not for me ... look up this paper

http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/doc...agation_of_figs_in_connecticut_vossbrinck.pdf