Should I get rid of this fig tree???

14 years ago

I have had a fig (supposedly a mission, although here in Guatemala you never know for sure what you are buying in the nurseries)for over 4 years now.It is about 5 feet tall, very healthy and always sets lots of figs...but they never ripen. They stay a little on the small side, green, and eventually fall off or are eaten by birds. The plant goes dormant for several months each year.

The climate here averages 75 degrees year round, never colder than 45, and never warmer than 85. Elevation is over a mile high.

My avocado, guava, grapefruit, lime, and tangerine trees all produce bountiful amounts of fruit. The only other fruit tree i have that doesnt do much is a chico zapote.

Is it possible that this climate just isn't good for the fig? I hate to get rid of it,but I am sort of tired of waiting for some edible fruit.

By the way, the locals love to use the leaves medicinally for lung congestion. They make a tea out of the fresh leaves, but not from my tree.

Anyway, any ideas? Thanks

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Comments (6)

geostv
Original Author
14 years ago
here's a foto!
User
14 years ago
When they fall out,get one and taste it,if it is dry and inedible,then tree needs pollination,or is male,and you need to remove it.
If the fruit is edible juicy and tasty you have to install a net over so birds do not steal fruits.
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geostv
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks herman2, after searching the forums for an answer, i wanted to email you directly but didn't want to bug you, but was hoping you would respond since you seem to have a wealth of knowledge about figs. anyway, yes, when they fall they are dry and mealy, so i think its time to retire this plant. I was looking for a spot for a meyer lemon tree i brought back in my suitcase from florida 2 months ago (yes, i am a plant smuggler), so think i will replace the fig with the lemon .Anyway thanks for your help. One of the locals here will adopt it just for the medicinal properties of the leaves, which are very very popular here. Muchas gracias!
User
14 years ago
You Welcome.
Too bad some people take advantage of buyer growing fig trees from seeds,taken off ,from store bought fruits from Turkey and Greece.
Those plants grow very well and fast but ,they need pollination to fruit properly or are male,and in this case do not fruit at all,ever.
If you find someone has a tree in your locality that ripe fruits ,take a few cuttings and grow them ,by rooting them directly in the soil early in the Spring.
Plant it deep in ground like 3 buds in ground and one outside.
Water well and it will grow in a tree identical to mother tree.
ediblelandscaping.sc
14 years ago
I've heard that even figs need chilling hours to produce? maybe if 45F is your yearly low you're not getting the hours of cold weather needed to produce figs. Is this the only fig tree you have? Do others on your farm produce figs? you should try Ficus Sycamorus if all ficus carica fail in your area.
foolishpleasure
14 years ago
Don't kill this tree. I had a brown turkey who does the same thing. The fig never ripen and if ripened it is dry and tastes like wood. I am going to cut all its branches and use the trunk for Woodstock and prapginate on it a branch from my good brown turkey trees or LSU trees. I think that way will produce faster than starting from scratch by cuttings or air-layering.