Yesterday I read something on YouTube about pruning off fig leaves (completely) to force the figs at the end of the season to ripen. Siince that was the case on some fig trees I started in January from cuttings which have green figs about half the size of usual (Brown Turkey) I tried removing all the leaves on some of the trees (the trees grew 4-6' with one main branch, I know I should have pruned them back :BangHead:)
Has anyone ever tried removing all the leaves? So much sap dripped out I fear they now won't be in good shape for over-wintering. Was I wrong to try to trick Mother Nature/
i have never heard of this and I am slightly dubious if it would work.
Experiment and learn eh? That's how we discover all these gardening tips and techniques.
Would be interested in how your figs respond to what is basically the same treatment we give our tomatoes as I have a young fig that has half ripend fruit exactly like yours.
I can't offer any advice about removing the leaves - it's something I've never thought of doing - but GrannieAnnie, you say you started the trees off in January as cuttings, were these 'layered' or done as normal cuttings? What was your weather like in January? Maybe here in the UK we should wait till March/April?
My fig tree is massive now, and full of figs which would ripen if we had some half-decent weather (no chance)
but I can't see that happening. I was thinking of cutting off some branches and removing the small figs and trying them as cuttings. In the past I have layered them but maybe cuttings in pots would be easier. Many people want one because it isn't the usual Brown Turkey.
It was an experiment. I'd seen on YouTube (what a great learning tool!) that someone took his prunings and stuck them in water, left them outside for the summer where they all rooted nicely then he put them in soil. I pruned our one pot-grown fig in January and took the cuttings in water to Florida (hot, hot) and left them outside our hotel room where they sent out roots. Gave one away to another vacationer and brought the rest home and planted them outside as soon as the ground thawed using some citrus tree fertilizer we found in Florida which someone recommended on YouTube also. I think that is why they took off like gangbusters and produced figs their very first year (which the original potted parent tree didn't do). Guess it convinced me some fertilizer is in order though often they say not to.
Now comes Experiment #3: to see if some of the trees planted in the vegetable garden will survive the winter with a mulch made with a wire basket over them filled with fall leaves and a "cap" of a plastic bag.The winter climate here is moderated somewhat by air passage over the Appalachian Mountains but frost can penetrate about 10 inches in Delaware (we can go from 110F in the summer to -17 in winter though those are the uncomfortable extremes. Our growing season ranges about 185 days and we can often have a month of 90F humid sticky hot weather (I'm sure more than you wished to know about our weather!)
And Experiment #4 when the leaves fall, I'll transplant two to different parts of the yard to see how the micro-climate effects them. I hope your cuttings work for you...maybe you could bring them inside to root in water?
Hello Annie and nice to see you around again.. :wave: :icon_cheers:
Like others..I've not heard that stripping 'job' before..though exposing the fruit from the shade of the foliage to sun does make sence and should help and rather than plant wasting its efforts to green growth..it 'in theory' divert some of its energy to fruit.
So in my mind it makes sence, but in practice....no idea.
I've rooted cutting before..by just sticking little sticks with half a leaf in the end into compost (in pots) and they've rooted easily. I kept the pots in GH at the bottom shelf of staging to give them some shade..this was in mid summer and it was quite warm too.
Hardly remember that sort of weather..it was such a long time ago..
I'm looking forward hearing how your experiments will turn out to be..
Goodlife,
Will keep you pasted.
Meant posted.
From about the end of July, I regularly stop the new growths and hope that I divert all the Fig's energy to ripening the fruit. I have had the best crop ever this year even the weather has been poor, and they are still ripening.
Agree with realfood: tree is very, very full with figs but still waiting for ripening!
Surely in this country if the figs haven't ripened by now, they aren't going to at all unless we have a heatwave! I massacared my Brown Turkey in early spring as it was massive and I had to climb on to the shed roof to harvest the fruit last year. It looked a pathetic sight after it's short back and sides, but it has sprouted a full compliment of leaves and some embryo fruits now.I read that I have to take these off. I can't imagine why one would strip the leaves though,if they are going to ripen, they will regardless. Hope yours are ok G.A.
Mine keep ripening at a few a day :toothy10:
Just enough to eat/ give away.
Mind you the plot used to belong to an Italian and I am sure that he sends me a bit of extra sunshine from up there!!
Yes, my figs are still ripening, a few more every day so there is still hope. There seems to be a sudden rush now with the days shortening.
Quote from: GrannieAnnie on September 28, 2012, 12:11:45
I hope your cuttings work for you...maybe you could bring them inside to root in water?
Thanks for all the information GA.
I took 5 cuttings today and put them in water inside the greenhouse. Hopefully they will root but if they don't I'll try again in the spring.
I need to do the same as my two trees have got Coral spot :sad3:
I assume that if they are taken from below the level of the infection they will be alright?
I am another with mature fig trees (raised from cuttings when I moved house 13 years ago) full of unripened figs.
It is my impression that all the rain we had earlier in the year made them leaf up much more than usual at the expense of the fruit. They have increased in size MUCH more than in previous years, and when the leaves drop I am going to butcher them. Meaning take out some heavy branches, but leave enough to fruit next year.
All this talk about figs makes me want one to plant on my new plot - me and my big mouth - met a neighbour a few weeks ago who told me that she had been offered the second half of her plot but didn't think she could cope with a full plot. Must remember put brain into gear before engaging mouth. Anyway any recommendations on where to buy a plant, whot type etc. Many thanks.
Quote from: lottie lou on September 29, 2012, 21:21:35
All this talk about figs makes me want one to plant on my new plot - me and my big mouth - met a neighbour a few weeks ago who told me that she had been offered the second half of her plot but didn't think she could cope with a full plot. Must remember put brain into gear before engaging mouth. Anyway any recommendations on where to buy a plant, whot type etc. Many thanks.
You are welcome to try some (un-rooted) cuttings from mine if you want to. It isn't Brown Turkey, it has bigger fruit and is apparently much nicer. I don't know the variety because it was a cutting given to me by my brother-in-law, who had it as a cutting given to him etc etc....
Fancy a trip over to Perry Barr?
thanks a lot Betty. Numb b*m on the No.11 it seems. Can I offer you plants for your next spring sale (next spring of course). Perry Barr is quite scary since I lived over that side of town, they have really poshed up the shopping centre.
Quote from: Squash64 on September 29, 2012, 19:18:51
Quote from: GrannieAnnie on September 28, 2012, 12:11:45
I hope your cuttings work for you...maybe you could bring them inside to root in water?
Thanks for all the information GA.
I took 5 cuttings today and put them in water inside the greenhouse. Hopefully they will root but if they don't I'll try again in the spring.
I FORGOT TO MENTION: the cuttings I took were about the size of a pencil. If that doesn't work for you, layering a branch underground worked very easily also, but maybe not as fast as this.
Quote from: lottie lou on September 29, 2012, 23:02:07
thanks a lot Betty. Numb b*m on the No.11 it seems. Can I offer you plants for your next spring sale (next spring of course). Perry Barr is quite scary since I lived over that side of town, they have really poshed up the shopping centre.
That's kind of you LL but if you are coming on the number 11 don't worry about bringing plants next spring, it might be awkward on the bus. (Perry Barr has always been scary!)
I used to think Perry Barr was very posh when I lived around there (Lozells, Six Ways Aston, Soho Road). I don't mind bringing stuff over on the bus - it will be an interesting exercise. What about some cat food for you friends? I am busy reading up about figs. Do you know when to plant them - as Webbs in Bearwood told me they had sold out. Will PM you to arrange a convenient time.
A Report Back on Removing Leaves from Figs to Speed Ripening:
We just had our first frost.
There seems to be no difference in the figs on the trees with leaves removed compared to the figs on trees with leaves. None are ripe. I should not have let these new trees bear figs at all their first year,
but I give them an A+ for effort.
I've had good results in both spring and autumn by putting a plastic bag over fruits that look as if they are full size and only a few good days away from ripening.
This way they ripen in half the time when the weather stays constant and you still have a good chance of getting them in a week if the weather is poorer than expected.
Sorry to be so late with this advice - the only people who might benefit before next spring are growers in Cornwall - or maybe for figs in polytunnels...
NB. In Spring it's worth putting a hole in the lowest part of the bag or unexpected good weather can create so much condensation that the fig drowns (on TV the bush-tucker man got a drink from a tree doing this on a larger scale).
It also gives some protection against birds - though if they do peck through then the fruit rots even quicker than it would unprotected.
You really have to check them every other day unless the weather's rubbish.
Cheers.
I tried a plastic bag on our potted tree, both to hurry the ripening and to dissuade squirrels. It seemed to work.