Looking for Zone 7b Fig Advice

[alanmercieca]

Okay. I'll make the planting beds. I've been keeping notes on all of your excellent suggestions.

Good thing is I'll always be ahead on knowledge of what you need because of our similar climate to yours.

Also I am remembering while doing research on nut trees in the past the nut trees with the more aggressive vegetation growth did better at high altitude, as a matter of fact some of the more aggressive nut trees die in some of the lowest elevations. So I am thinking that any heat loving fig tree that has very aggressive vegetation growth should do great in your location, also I think that a fig tree needs to be a high production one to do well at high elevation. Just like some people are too weak to hike a high elevation I think plants can be that way too, just like fig trees that are very tough can resist disease way better.

[alanmercieca]

I originally was planning on growing them about 15 feet apart which is what a lot of people do yet I realized that they can be grown about 6 feet apart just fine, and that is a very good thing to do in hot sun like you have helps less sun hit the tree it's self, and the heat is more important than the amount of sunlight hitting each fig leaf, each fig fruit especially in such hot bright sun...

I learned recently buying fig trees small they turn in to more healthy trees than if you buy them big, and fig trees produce so young anyway there is no point in getting them big in my opinion. They can easily grow in to a 4 to 7 foot tree in one season from a tiny to small sized tree, you'd be surprised how tiny or small.

I think you should do as I suggested earlier, use the gravel for mulch and for winter protection after adding composted cow manure. Anything that can grow at such a high elevation can handle the full sun, yet the hot afternoon sun does stress them out some especially the heat in the soil from the hot bright sun, they only need shade from the end once they get strong enough, usually within 1 season they are strong enough, shade cloth would do until they can handle the heat better.

Fig trees actually handle frost with buds very well as long as it's not too extreme especially when they are old enough, and many of them still can produce a large crop after such a freeze. We had that last spring, this fall and this winter actually. One of our fig trees that we've had in the ground for almost 5 years it still has green buds with almost no damage in them after they were hit by a frost of about 16 degrees Fahrenheit, and temperatures below freezing for over a week straight. It's in direct sun in the morning, yet keep in mind it has a lot of composted cow manure above the roots and all the gravel, and on top of that a lot of hay. We have one that was put in ground in the spring doing almost as well, no gravel, no compost, not in the early morning sun yet has hay. If you go look at the recent topic I made of that you will see what I am talking about better. Fig trees tell you when they need watering. If their leaves are drooping extremely then after the sun goes down so that the sun does not heat the water, give them a good watering. You will find they will not always need that on a very hot day especially when they are strong enough.

Okay. I'll make the planting beds. I've been keeping notes on all of your excellent suggestions.

I have started a thread for the Aldo fig tree that I will be giving you. viewtopic.php?t=93

Have you tried any fig fruit besides from Lily's fig tree, Peter's honey, and Panache? Do you like all equally the same?

[CyntheB]

eFigBed+Greenhouse_h7353.jpg (555.65 KiB) Viewed 2672 times

Our two figs (Aldo & Dominick's - propagated by Alan and shipped to Prescott AZ this summer) have made a successful transition to their raised bed with amended soil. The south-facing bed is lined with hardware cloth to prevent gophers from getting in and eating the roots. I've raised the soil around the trees to hold water in a basin. We will be putting the trees on drip irrigation, but for now I've been hand watering.

Here they are with a new greenhouse being assembled beside the bed, which will offer the trees some protection from the scorching late afternoon sun in June. Two oaks on the east (right side) provide protection from the early winter sun when temperatures drop below freezing. We had a very early frost the third week of September this year. Very unusual! Only occurs 10% of the time on average. The trees weren't even phased and are still growing new leaves and shoots.

I'm considering several ideas Alan has shared for winter protection. I also tested some 'water walls' which fit very well around these small young trees, so they are an option. More on this as I decide my strategy.

There are a few other plants growing in the large bed, too: some young iris in back near the house 'til they are strong enough to transplant elsewhere next year, and a peony in the very front.

[alanmercieca]

It's funny how much smaller they look in that bed in the ground than they looked here. Pots do make them look bigger.

It's great to see the greenhouse in place.

I am still carious what you mean by water walls.

[CyntheB]

It's funny how much smaller they look in that bed in the ground than they looked here. Pots do make them look bigger.

It's great to see the greenhouse in place.

I am still carious what you mean by water walls.

Alan ~ Here's the product I bought to protect tomatoes and other individual plants from cold temperatures to extend our short growing season: https://www.gardeners.com/buy/red-tomat ... 4-952.html This company calls them 'Tomato Teepees.' Basically they are circles of plastic with vertical tubes that get filled with water. During the day, the water absorbs solar heat...and at night releases it, making the interior of the circle warmer than the surrounding air. Plus when water starts to freeze, it gives off a subtle amount of heat as well.

[alanmercieca]

Alan ~ Here's the product I bought to protect tomatoes and other individual plants from cold temperatures to extend our short growing season: https://www.gardeners.com/buy/red-tomat ... 4-952.html This company calls them 'Tomato Teepees.' Basically they are circles of plastic with vertical tubes that get filled with water. During the day, the water absorbs solar heat...and at night releases it, making the interior of the circle warmer than the surrounding air. Plus when water starts to freeze, it gives off a subtle amount of heat as well.

Interesting I just found a DIY for making them https://thenewlighterlife.com/how-to-ma ... seedlings/

[Dig]

I bet I have some plants that would do well there. I am in El Paso. Good looking hot house. Is it vented and cooled?

[CyntheB]

It happened Alan. We had our first HARD frost 22F two days ago (was expecting 30F) and the figs weren't adequately protected to avoid damage from the cold. Their leaves are totally ruined: blackened, withered, will likely fall off. And two tender stems on the Dominick's fig are drooping near the top third of their length. A woodier one still seems okay.

The figs had been in full vigorous growth mode, not preparing themselves for autumn dormancy like the other fruit trees on our property.

So now what? Do I cover them at night and open up the pine needles during the day? Do I prune off the drooping stems? Or wait to observe how the baby trees react? I can add a thick mulch to protect their roots. We haven't had any frozen ground yet.

[alanmercieca]

It happened Alan. We had our first HARD frost 22F two days ago (was expecting 30F) and the figs weren't adequately protected to avoid damage from the cold. Their leaves are totally ruined: blackened, withered, will likely fall off. And two tender stems on the Dominick's fig are drooping near the top third of their length. A woodier one still seems okay.

The figs had been in full vigorous growth mode, not preparing themselves for autumn dormancy like the other fruit trees on our property.

So now what? Do I cover them at night and open up the pine needles during the day? Do I prune off the drooping stems? Or wait to observe how the baby trees react? I can add a thick mulch to protect their roots. We haven't had any frozen ground yet.

You have learned your lesson, you were not properly prepared, I have very little idea what your climate is like compared to here. I am shocked that they were sill growing so much this time of the year. When that happens part of the trees will die, part will go dormant. As long as the roots are well enough developed they should survive and take off growing after last chance of frost in the spring. The first winter is often the worst one for the fig trees, especially if they are small and still growing aggressively, especially if the roots are not well enough grown. The best thing would to be bury them with pine needles each day, and remove them before it gets too warm out. Yet if you do that then it would be lots of work, and if you forget to take them away each day the trees would rot.

PS:

I just checked your weather, you have until at least Wednesday until there is any chance of freezing again. These can help too, yet they would have to be delivered if you are willing to get the $33.57 ones they'd ship faster from amazon.com even though they are being sold on ebay, https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R ... 28&_sop=15

If you are not willing to buy from ebay you could then buy it online from sears. It looks like it would take longer for a store pickup than to have sears mail it to you, the ebay amazon one would be way faster delivery though https://www.sears.com/nuvue-products-he ... escription

[Dig]

Also regarding winter hardiness, plants that are properly watered withstand cold damage easier. Only made it down to 40f with that last front here. Anecdotally, the figs around here look pretty bad and are starting to shut down for winter, aside from my trees, which are on drip irrigation.