Author Topic: Fig trees  (Read 7754 times)

sidney

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Fig trees
« on: June 07, 2018, 12:52:48 PM »
Having trouble growing fig trees and getting fruit. Whats the process?

mangomanic12

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2018, 01:14:02 PM »
They like Mediterranean (dry ) climate , not humid climate

kc_moses

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2018, 02:10:21 PM »
Not necessary. Depends on that kind of figs you have. My MBVS figs are fruiting, I bought the cutting from ebay. My violette de bordeaux hasn't fruit yet and it's aready 2 years old. The only thing I need to do it spray them with copper fungicide every now and then, and fertilize it with 10-10-10 fertilizer and it's doing okay so far.

Fygee

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #3 on: June 07, 2018, 02:57:37 PM »
Here in Vegas, they grow like crazy with just some occasional watering. They basically thrive on neglect beyond that. It is, however, really hot and dry here, so if you're somewhere where it's cooler and more humid, you'll want to water it less and make sure it gets full sun.
Continuing my journey to disprove those who say "You can't grow that in the desert" since 2013.

zands

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #4 on: June 07, 2018, 03:01:22 PM »
LSU Purple should be good for hot humid climate like Florida so I bought one. Anyone in Florida have a personal report on LSU purple?

can buy via ebay and the place below ------ and suitable for container growing

http://ediblelandscaping.com/products/shrubs/Figs/LSUPurpleFig.php

LSU Purple Fig Ficus carica

LSU Purple fig is a very reliable, prolific producer of early to late delicious figs. One of the best figs to come along for some time. Excellent for containers, producing early figs as soon as growth starts. Very acclimated to the fluctuating weather of the South, does great in Virginia Beach. Zones 7-9. Has fruited well at our nursery (zone 7). Best to pick a few days after fruit turns black, wrinkles and elongates. Space 10' to 12' circle

 
Plant Characteristics
Pest ResistanceVery Good
Disease ResistanceVery Good
Drought ToleranceVery Good
Heat ToleranceExcellent
Humidity ToleranceGood
Sun ToleranceExcellent
Wet Soil ToleranceFair
Shade TolerancePoor
No SprayGood
Salt ToleranceGood
Fresh for KidsExcellent
Deer ResistanceGood
ThornsNo
Plant TypeShrub
Soil TypeWell Drained
Edible TypeFruit
Self FertileYes
This information is accurate to the best of our knowledge, comments/opinions are always welcome
« Last Edit: June 07, 2018, 03:05:38 PM by zands »

Ulfr

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #5 on: June 07, 2018, 05:31:19 PM »
I grow a few in large pots here. I remember when I looked for varieties I looked for “small eyed” varieties because of the humidity. The fruit enough for me. They get mildew late every summer but eventually lose their leaves and all good the next spring.

Mando408

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2018, 06:26:31 PM »
They grow pretty easy, fruiting though.... you got me. I heard if you pinch the tips off they put more energy into fruiting, it worked for my Peter's Honey, the one I pinched has more/bigger fruits than the one I didn't. It can also depend on variety, after being tipped my Black Mission just stopped doing anything for a while, now it's starting to branch out but no signs of fruit.

KarenRei

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #7 on: June 07, 2018, 06:41:16 PM »
Unlike most plants, figs actually like having their roots constrained.
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achetadomestica

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #8 on: June 07, 2018, 11:09:28 PM »
Figs in humid Florida
I have had figs for 6-7 years and as mangomaniac said they are meant for Dry hot climates.
I have around 9 varieties now including the LSU purple, LSU gold, LSU champagne and LSU black.
Unfortunately the majority of figs ripen in our rainy season and they are washed out flavor wise.
One year I started the LSU gold from a cutting and it had a very late crop of figs that ripened in
November. They had honey dripping out of the eye and were the best figs I have ever eaten.
They were so moist and rich tasting. I only had 6-7 and I couldn't eat more then 2 at once because
they were so rich.
 My figs are in the ground and I add compost and manure and coffee grounds.
It is essential to do this if you want to put them in the ground in Florida. Currently I got about 15 garbage
cans of oak leaves and pine needles and I am putting this around my trees. I know a guy that throws this stuff
away constantly and its clean and perfect. Every winter or early spring you should trim the white branches.
Brown new branches will flush out and have the figs on the new growth. I picked the LSU black because its
suppose to be late and so far this year it doesn't have figs. I ate a couple LSU gold in the past week and they
were ok but nothing compared to when I ate them in November.
 One year my LSU purple had figs for about 6-7 months straight. It constantly had 1-2 ripen and many of them
ripened before and after the rainy season and they were great. Last year it barely had any and late this spring I
really zapped it with the pruners. It is a very bushy tree and currently it is putting out a bunch of new growth and
I am hoping to get late figs in October and November? It has all new growth now and no figs yet? I also am trying to keep
the LSU champagne and LSU gold as trees and not letting the tree bush out which it seems to do naturally. I have a
hard time giving up on trees but I wish I never got any figs to begin with, I hear and see pictures of how good they are
in the right climate and even though the LSU strains were crossed and meant for the humid south, they just don't
taste good when they ripen June though September. I also have a celeste and I have eaten some very good sweet
figs from it at certain times. I have a Texas Everbearing white type and it is 8' tall and 15' wide and has a hundred
figs on it and they have always gotten ripe in the wettest time of the year. By August it is done and not everbearing?

 One good thing about having the multiple varieties is each year 1-2 outperform the others, usually a different
type each year. The LSU champagne was suppose to be O'Roark's favorite fig.( O'Roark did all the work at LSU, )
and this year I should be able to try them for the first time.


 

CA Hockey

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #9 on: June 08, 2018, 12:23:41 AM »
I’m sorry but I am not clear on your question:

1) are you having a hard time growing them?

2) are you having a hard time getting them to bear fruit?

There are hundreds of different cultivars if figs, and you can find varieties for each climate. One popular one right now is colonel littman’s black cross which I believe originated in Florida. You will have to do some research to figure out which ones are best for your climate as they really do seem to be picky re climate. Yes you can zone push, but you may not get ideal growth, or you may get fruit at the wrong time of year.

Case in point, some fig varieties have 2 crops. A Breba crop from last years wood shows up first and can ripen early while the main crop is on new green growth from the current season and typically is later. The main crop usually tastes better and is more developed, but for some climates the breba crop may be the better choice as it may get more sun, heat, and beat the rainy season (I believe the commercial fig cultivars from Oregon are breba crops that happen to ripen in August).l

There are also some varieties that are outstanding but just don’t perform in certain areas. A fig guru I have been getting advice from recommended against the raspberry latte fig  saying that most of his fruit from that cultivar formed odd figs (fig in fig) that had no flavor in his area of California.

There is a very prominent fig forum out there where you can find very expert advice in addition to what you find here.

Buyer beware: lots of fig scammers on eBay. The forum I mentioned above has a working list of trustworthy vs disreputable vendors. There is also a dedicated fig bid website.

K

sidney

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #10 on: June 08, 2018, 05:49:44 AM »
I have an LSU Purple, Two LSU Golds and a BROWN TURKEY . The LSU varieties are in a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket with the bottom cut out and are planted in the groung theu are now two years in the ground and hane grown to about 5 feet and hsve no fruit but look healthy. Also there is an old Celeste on the ptoperty the I pruned back last winter and it is full of smsll figs but they sre not getting larger, it is in the groung and is about 5 feet wide and 4 feet tall. The only star is a brown yurkey that is in about a 25 gallon ceramic pot that is fruit well and have sime large fruit. All tre were mulched the the low cost red mulch when Lowes had the dollar a bag sale in the spring. For some reason that is anout the same time the in ground figs shut down growing. I regolarly fertilise and I water them and dump corree frounds om them weekly, forst one hen the next week the other and so on. The leaves are showing signs of rosr on the brown turkey.


MangoCountry

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #11 on: June 08, 2018, 08:11:10 AM »
Those dyed mulches are commonly made from recycled wood pallets. When the chips break down they can release toxic chemicals into the environment. Arsenic from the CCA is common.

johnb51

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #12 on: June 08, 2018, 08:55:43 AM »
If your soil has root knot nematodes, you won't have any success growing fig trees.  This applies to my sandy South Florida soil.
John

sidney

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #13 on: June 08, 2018, 09:11:19 AM »
I was hoping that was not the explanation but you are probablt correct. I recently pulled up some everglades tomatoes ang the roots were heavily infected with nematodes.

TerraFrutisEcuador

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #14 on: June 08, 2018, 04:25:59 PM »
These are fruiting a little in Ecuador wet humid climate. I would suggest replacing the bottom soil, giving them plenty of nutrition, I mainly use my fermented pee and compost as dressing or at the bottom of the pot. Ive only had a few ripen perfectly. Just a few years in though.




carcarlo

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #15 on: June 08, 2018, 04:40:21 PM »
Hi Sidney,
I'm currently growing Black Madeira and Gallicia Negra, both are growing in 15 & 25 gal. containers and doing fine, they average about 5 to 6 ft in growth a year for me.  I use self feed Miracle Gro soil in the cont. and occasionally feed liquid Mirc. Gro food.
The Black Madeira produces a very heavy Breba crop, while my Galliacia Negras only produce a few in old growth,both are great growers here in West Central Florida (Tampa Bay). My hardest to grow ere has been the Black Madeiras I got from U C Davies, they are almost impossible for me to grow them. I have not tried growing them in the ground, but i will put a plant in the ground this year, just to see how it does.
These are Pics taken Today.

















« Last Edit: June 08, 2018, 04:42:09 PM by carcarlo »

fliptop

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #16 on: June 08, 2018, 05:19:28 PM »
I've had figs in certain parts of my yard that have died or gotten near dead. The near-dead ones, once removed from the ground and then potted, all bounced back nicely. Then when placed in other parts of the yard, sometimes take off.

Here is my biggest best growing Brown Turkey (fenced off to keep my dogs from chewing the tree). When I lived in Largo, FL, the best grower and producer was up next to a Queen Palm and I think the palm fruits really helped it.

So for me, growing figs in hot and humid FLA has been a process of searching out just the right spot. When found, they do well. I do have a young LSU Gold in a pot, as well as the Brown Turkey figs.





achetadomestica

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #17 on: June 08, 2018, 06:03:53 PM »
I have an LSU Purple, Two LSU Golds and a BROWN TURKEY . The LSU varieties are in a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket with the bottom cut out and are planted in the groung theu are now two years in the ground and hane grown to about 5 feet and hsve no fruit but look healthy. Also there is an old Celeste on the ptoperty the I pruned back last winter and it is full of smsll figs but they sre not getting larger, it is in the groung and is about 5 feet wide and 4 feet tall. The only star is a brown yurkey that is in about a 25 gallon ceramic pot that is fruit well and have sime large fruit. All tre were mulched the the low cost red mulch when Lowes had the dollar a bag sale in the spring. For some reason that is anout the same time the in ground figs shut down growing. I regolarly fertilise and I water them and dump corree frounds om them weekly, forst one hen the next week the other and so on. The leaves are showing signs of rosr on the brown turkey.


In Lee county they remove the yard debris weekly and also they take Hendry counties and process
it. I have heard they add human waste to it but haven't confirmed it. They drop this mulch off twice
a week for the residents. It is wonderful stuff with or without the human waste. Unfortunately allot of
people throw away plastic bags and they chop it up so you have to pick out the plastic pieces. I have
added manure and let this stuff sit for 6 months and it turns into the best black compost you could want.
2 or 3 times a year I add this mulch to my trees, If you add organics you build up good nemotodes that eat
the root eating nematodes. This is the only way you can put figs in sandy soil in Florida. I agree the mulch
you used is not the best. If you can get the tree trimmers fresh mulch and let sit for a while you will end up
with compost that is ideal for your figs. I am not sure why the LSU gold and purple didn't produce figs, Don't
worry if the figs are small on the Celeste. They will size up and fairly quickly. The figs form on the new growth,
does the LSU gold or LSU purple have new growth?  I would consider cutting a few inches off the gold and purple
but if your trees are locked up nutrient wise bacause of the mulch they may not grow? That mulch will break down
and it will quickly in the rainy season. Keep adding good organics, I prefer to fertilze the figs with manures.

 As far as the rust it is inevitable in Florida. I have seen pictures of bright green figs as big as oaks in California
but here in Florida the biggest fig I have seen is 15' celeste and it had rust all over it leaves in the summer.

zands

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #18 on: June 08, 2018, 06:38:08 PM »
Unlike most plants, figs actually like having their roots constrained.
Very good to know. I have been told the same about desert rose.

zands

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #19 on: June 08, 2018, 06:42:08 PM »
Thanks to all Florida fig growers for contributing their fig growing experiences. I have brown turkey and Ischia planted in a bad location and have gotten bland figs, good figs and winter figs from them but low quantity. These two plants are neglected. My new purple LSU is container grown.

Mango Stein

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #20 on: June 08, 2018, 07:12:01 PM »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Juyo_rlFIxw
Good video on why Ficus palmata/carica hybrids are the solution for nematode-afflicted soils. And some cultivars like Hava and Digger's Purple Heart are extremely good tasting.
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sidney

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #21 on: June 13, 2018, 06:13:07 PM »
Both my LSU purple and gold figs are growing one shoot mainly. Just got 4figs from the gold, funny looking as the bottoms are flat. My only source of manure os black cow so I will buy some and pile it on. Celeste full of figs but small, all this rain might help.

KarenRei

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #22 on: June 13, 2018, 06:34:28 PM »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Juyo_rlFIxw
Good video on why Ficus palmata/carica hybrids are the solution for nematode-afflicted soils. And some cultivars like Hava and Digger's Purple Heart are extremely good tasting.

Interesting, I haven't investigated F. carica hybrids.  One thing I have investigated is grafting (I was hoping that it would be possible to graft F. carica onto F. religiosa, to get the aesthetics and significance of the former while actually getting a useful fruit).  But apparently ficus are difficult to graft outside of their specific tribe (and even within their tribe there can be incompatibilities).  If I remember right, the purpose of the studies I was looking at was testing grafts with F. carica on different rootstocks to increase nematode resistance.
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ClayMango

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #23 on: June 13, 2018, 06:39:04 PM »
They like Mediterranean (dry ) climate , not humid climate

Not so sure about that.... Check out Ourfigs.com and you'll find Fig lovers growing figs in all kinds of regions, especially tropical. Thailand has a bunch of ourfigs members doing extremely well.
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Orly

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Re: Fig trees
« Reply #24 on: June 13, 2018, 08:34:13 PM »
I'm interested in growing a fig tree in a 20 gal container here in S. FL.  I'll be following this thread looking for what variety would be best suited for my climate.

thx