I figured if I stopped the tree from focusing on growing taller new growth it would focus on growing the fruit. I need to rush them along before the end of next month. Ugh. I hope they grow and sweeten for me. It will be my first success. To tell you the truth , I’m surprise this tree even survived my winter.
It’s a Chicago hardy

Mike,

I've grown figs for many years (and helped my Dad with his fig trees when I was a child). I've have trimmed fig branches (and just did so on some of mine), but I have never noticed it speeding the maturity of the remaining figs. I'm sure it does temporarilty to some extent, but more than anything, I've found that figs are like the mythical Hydra. Cut off one head and two more replace it - it tends to push new growth elsewhere.

The Chicago is definitely hardy enough to live in normal 6a, unless you are in a drastic temperature change area. I have family in 6a that has the Chicago in ground and it's fine. Polar vortex did burn it to the ground, but it pops backup (like a hydra) with many new growths the following spring.

Mike, for now, just tipping, the very top. Shortening branches? No no. This way the energy goes to fruits not leaves. No nitro in fertilizer, something in high Potassium. No need to fertilize after August for ingrounds.

Mike, if you like figs, can give you this advice: If you have a garage and can spare a place for one container fig tree, get a Smith fig tree. They need to go dormant during Nov till March/April. Than outside. It will look like this.

I think pruning is helpful to the extent that keeping the canopy open helps get light and heat in to ripen the figs that set

my trees are seedlings yet

these are my only trees right now

Bobs the expert mike you went to the right person :) mike my figd are just Unfurling it’s first leaves thanks to bob I got the best varieties he really knows his stuff!!

bob your fig is beautiful!!!! I will keep mine in a garage too! our summer here has been so cool hope next year it’ll be searing hot for my first figs ever :)

Jan, I am no expert by far, just like everyone staying with the program. Sooner or later pieces falls together. The one thing you have to remember, what you read might not always true. Just don’t be a swinger, make changes only if you are convinced.

Bob, what a deep saying to Jan. You must come up with those thoughts when sitting on your boat out there on that beautiful lake.

What do you like about the smith tree? I do store many figs on the cold porch and they do go dormant, but the amount of figs on those is nothing compared to the Chicago Hardy in the ground. What a beautiful tree you have there. Wow Lots pf figs!!

Wanted to thank you first thing this morning once I got internet again. None where I was in the woods. Away from crowds and the virus. I am glad I finally got some rest. Been working the front lines since this began and thank god I have been ok and not infected my mom.

I fed the fig tree as suggested since I have never done that before. I swear they grew bigger over night))0 lol I really appreciate it. I will snap a pic soon. Be safe and I might have a few more questions)

Jan, he may not think so but I agree, He;s been a huge help to me too. I don't think my trees would fruit like they did if I didn't listen. I hope you are safe too. Where exactly do you live to be that cool????On the est side of Canada? It seems everyone has been hot except for my area until recently. Even Vermont was hotter than us for weeks.

Bkln, thanks for that tid bit.

Ken,

Thank you for all that info. I hope the figs get big and sweet before the end of August! Keeping my fingers crossed. If not, there is no point in growing that tree in that area. May require an even hotter sunny spot like at the corner of my outside home facing the south where it gets real hot even on cooler days. More protected too. It would probably start growing earlier in spring too.

Howard, what kind of trees are those?

Bob very true it’s hard to sift out what’s right and what’s wrong when we first get into it and also what everyone says works sometimes doesn’t for my specific climate and environment but bob looking at your trees you’re a pro!! :)

every body's soils type is different

Mike, Bob has you covered! I am really not an expert so I can’t be of any help. All I know is to pinch the tips of my trees to have more fruits lolll and it works for me. Oh and also, I just tasted my first Violet de Bordeaux and they were so sweet! Much better than the one I bought in the grocery. The only thing that I don’t like is that the fruits are small. I am not sure if it’s because of the variety or because I should have thin my trees to get bigger fruits.

Bob, do you still give fertilizer to your potted fig tree in August?

Mike, did your Chicago Hardy overwinter in ground? If so, did you protect it from the cold? Is it in a warm microclimate?

Amy, no high nitrogen. If your tree carry a lot of fruits you have to continue fertilizing. Hope you use limestone in the spring. If you use wellwater that’s high in P/H , don’t need lime.

If you want to use Osmocote, 3 month variety for the last time August first. Just watering.

When temps begin to cool things down, depending on your area, like what I do, you can start to trim leaves of to speed up hardening. Do not tip of tops. If you use heavy mulch, remove. If you live in a area with a lot of rain, grow varieties with close eyes, once figs eyes split, they rot pretty quick.

Mike, inground tree’s doesn’t need much attention. The worst thing in the fall is an early Artic blast. If your tree is not fully hardened, it will probably die. The green branch will freeze, than the rest of the branch will dry up, being exposed.(Open wound).

In my area I have been several times by Artic freezes and pretty much messed up my ingrounds. Course, in the spring, when new growth starts, I,ll pinch when new growth is about 3 feet tall, still get figs for the year.

Potted tree? Different story!

Amy , HELLO!!! You are right and I agree. Always kind words from you and I still think about Steve, He was so kind too. They are smaller than I thought but boy do they look tasty. Do you know or have any idea how i can get any? Dam, you make them seem such a good choice, Good work my friend..

Do you think the roots were root bound at all? Or the pot too small? That made a few of mines very small last year. The more room to grow the bigger and more fruit it seems) Hugs

Bob, boy are our trees slaves to what our weather does. I always pray the weather favors good growth for sure. Those arctic blasts are just horrible for so many reasons. I hope we get none this year either. Keeping my fingers crossed. You make in ground growing seem so easy. I appreciate that)))

lemon

amy yours don’t look small to me the ones they sell in the shops here are tiny! I’m so glad you like it! I can’t wait until I get my smith fig and ciccio Nero one to fruit let me know if you Want some cuttings of either! right now they’re just sprouting their first leaves very late I know thanks to the weather lol but hopefully they’ll go crazy next summer! :)

bob what fertilizer did you use? Can I just use osmocote bob? I will look for one with low nitrogen bob should I fertilize when they’re this young?

Mike I hear you! I think two years in a row now we got snow in the middle of may the weather is so crazy these days! mike you’re lucky to be able to grow in ground! My relatives are doing just that with some early varieties like dessert king and they’re getting tons of crops minus what the squirrels eat of course lol! But they never protect their trees even during the extreme cold last year and the trees do just fine. I see tons of fig fruits pictures in your future :)

Jan. I need early varieties too. You know. The year before last we got a sudden arctic blast that froze everything solid for days at the beginning of November. Unusual. My fig still had green leaves then. Bob is right. That’s why it probably died back to ground level that year. Ugh. So good to see you. Brian posted did you see that. ? Yay !! I’ll see you there. Hugs to you too !!)). Stay safe

Jan, yes you can use Osmocote plus, but you still have to lime. You have to use the 6 month kind. It will not last 6 months, maybe 5. The more you water, the shorter it last. Jan don’t buy now and apply , just give them something for the next 2 months.

Next season start with Osmocote plus and lime for all year. One application per year, that sit.

This is what i do in the fall, remove leaves.

I

my trees are lemon seedlings

Mike! Oh you should try the dessert king I don’t know much about figs but I know it’s the mostly widely grown here in Canada because it’s early I believe 90% of in ground trees in Vancouver are dessert king! I haven’t tried one though so couldn’t tell you if they’re sweet or not.

bob I’m curious what is the point of trimming all the leaves? That’s how it goes into your garage bob? And it won’t come out with any more leaves until spring is that right? Wow they’re not very heavy feeders bob just once a month?! Alright I will start next spring then and just use what I have for now :)

to I wouldn't know

I come from the open canopy school of figs. This is in ground and is cut down every year to about 30" high and covered with a garbage pail. I start thinning unnecessary arms and legs, made 2 cuttings for friends from rooted branches and start pinching early (we had a very cold wet spring and it stayed dormant extra long this year). I don't get full sun all day so by keeping canopy open it helps the figs to ripen. I did a second pinch and some late figs are forming, no more I\ll let it get as big as it wants - its all coming down later anyway.

Jan, I have seen that fig for sale at some point and almost bought one! I had no idea they even grew any in the ground up there, how do you like that? Don't you just love figs!!?? By the way Brian is back..Yahoo. I can't believe we all love the same plants, lol. Bob has quite a success with many plants. Thank God we have him too and others. Almost time to bring the plants into the greenhouse. Do you start your dormant stuff early by sticking them into the greenhouse? Do you have a recent pic of it? I love it Hugs Thank you for letting me know)))

Bob, Jan asked some good questions. Can't wait to see what you have to say. I was also wondering why you pick them off instead of letting a frost kill them and then bringing them inside? Is it to get them to sleep earlier than a frost? Do the leaves try ad grow back even when you bring them in? And do you pinch them off even if winter if some decide to not stay so dormant? Thank you)

Howard, cute little trees. I am sure they will grow big!

Mike

Jan, two things first, the fig tree’s in the garage needs to be leafless, second getting rid of leaves, late in the fall will hardened the tree faster.

when you fertilize in the spring for the first time using Osmocote, either the 6 or 9 month variety is the only time for the year, you have to add, gypsum or lime at the time. How easy is that. Only for container tree’s. For inground tree’s: nothing! But if you want to get rid of old fertilizer, your inground might appreciate it.

yes they will appreciate it then don't fertilize until mid winter preparing them for better spring growth

Howard, how many figtrees do you have now, what varieties?

Mike! If we were in the same country I will have sent you dome Violet de Bordeaux in a heartbeat! Actuall, I will have sent you anything you want in my collection. All my fig trees are in 5 gallons container. I rootprune them every year so they won’t get out of hand. Maybe, that’s why O have small fruits. Oh how I wish that I can grow them inground.

Bob, wow your trees are big! You must have a huge harvest every year! Bob, do you also add lime to your citrus trees in container mon cher ami?

No Amy, this is what I do watering citrus, I fill a 32 gl garbage container with 3/4 rainwater (and the rest well water( p/h, 7.8). Rainwater p/h is 5.5. Well water has ca.

Mike I agree! Bob is a treasure on this forum and has so many fruit trees and his knowledge seems endless! Mike what kind of fig is On your wish list? Yes I know I still can’t believe Brian’s back lol!!! So much to catch up on and can’t wait to see his trees :)

bob those trees are huge And so beautiful!! I’m glad you have a tractor to hoist them and move them around! bob I will try it this winter as well! I’m not sure if I’ll have any leaves to trim though seeing as how my figs cuttings are growing ever so slowly bob! I didn’t see any roots coming out the pots yet either hopefully they’re rooted At all! Bob I also love your notes like a scientist :)

Jan and Mike, Smith figs are tops among many others, there is no end of what is the best.

You have to settle with what you like the best. If you don’t know what’s best, you can get input from your friends that has a large variety of excellent varieties and those guy/gals are hard to find. I can rattle a bunch of names that are upper twenties but from what I have grown Smith is an excellent fig by far.

The last picture is an old recipe of homemade fertilizer by Joe Morley from way back with additional info for the rest of the year. Is good reading.

If you want to grow figs in the ground, make sure you grow them away from your flower/ vegetables, figroots find their way and they will make sure to get most of your fertilizer. Figroots can grow longer than 20 feet. They will find moisture.

I have no fig trees what I have is lemon tree seedlings

Bob my fig cuttings now have 3 leaves lol its so slow growing I cant wait until I get to taste some fruits if ever!

Bob that fertilizer recipe do you use it at every single watering? I have jacks fertilizer and do use vinegar but no Epsom salts.