Comments on: Fig Trees

By: Casey

Casey — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:23:39 +0000

Hi Annmarie
- very young plants get figs on them that fall off before they fully mature. When your tree is about 4 years old you should get figs you can eat. However, if you are fertilizing your tree too much it will harm fig production. Fig trees should only be fertilized 3 times a year or you won’t get any fruit you can eat

By: Kenny Point

Kenny Point — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:27:33 +0000

Susan, it all depends on where you live but I would venture to guess that it is safe to set your fig tree back outside. My fig has been out on the patio for a few weeks now and it can tolerate a bit of cold just fine.
Jim, before you do anything try to get a positive identification of the pest or disease that is affecting your fig tree. Take a sample of the distressed leaves to your local Cooperative Extension Service or Master Gardener Program and see if they can help identify the problem and offer an organic solution. Good luck.

By: Jim Varner

Jim Varner — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:51:17 +0000

Hi-
I have a fig in my yard that is having a problem getting started.
I cut back the dead wood before winter and now the shoots/leaves that are appearing have obvious distress…perhaps a fungus. I’ve not found that plant on my fungicide containers. Would you have any suggestions as to which chemical to use to try to save the plant before it gets worse. Thank you.

By: susan

susan — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:31:53 +0000

I have a fig tree that I keep in a pot in the garage in the winter…. when is it safe to take it out in the spring?

By: Kenny Point

Kenny Point — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:36:42 +0000

Mark, I think I would hold off on pruning the fig tree and just wait to see what form the tree will take on its own. Fig trees are pretty easy to prune and here in the north outdoor grown trees will often self prune by dying back to the ground and then re-sprout from the roots to create a new fig plant. So I think they can handle pretty much anything that you can throw at them in the way of pruning.

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:48:54 +0000

Hello. I live in southeastern PA (near Delaware) and I just planted a Brown Turkey fig tree on the south side of my house in a corner. The tree was purchased for me as a gift, it is a baby tree, and it was in a pot. There are three branches to the tree at this point (the whole tree looks like what your hand looks like when you hold up three fingers.) Being a baby tree, there is obviously no growth on these branches whatsoever, yet. It’s just three naked branches (about 1/2 inch diameter) sticking out of the ground. So from the ground to the tips of the branches (all three branches are about the same length) is about 4 feet. I want this tree to be as fruit-bearing as possible, and I’d like it to be shaped in more of a low-ground/bush shape than a higher, bulbous traditional tree shape. My question is: should I prune this tree down at this early stage? If so, by how much and when should I do this? Or do I wait until the darn thing starts to actually look like a tree before doing any pruning? Thanks so much for your help.

By: Kenny Point

Kenny Point — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:50:57 +0000

Hi Sandy, I think the best time for taking the fig cuttings would be from when the tree goes dormant but before it begins leafing out in the spring. So now would be a great time to take the cuttings, I have heard of gardeners having some success even with fig cuttings that had leaves but I believe that using dormant fig cuttings is the best route for propagating the fig tree through cuttings. Also take a look at the article on propagating blueberries for some other ideas on multiplying fruit and berry plants.

By: sandy

sandy — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:59:14 +0000

Hi, I want to go back to my old home and get some clippings from my old fig tree. The fig tree came from my grandfather, to my dad, and when we moved I didn’t take any clippings. Now I can take the clippings and root them. When do I cut the pieces from the tree? The tree is in central NJ, woodbridge area. Please advise. Very anxious to continue the tree here in my new home.