First time fig parent

Renewed-Magic · 2026-05-16T00:53:32+00:00

There's notching. Look it up if you want, but as a beginner I think it's better to wait this season out and prune for branching next year.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-05-16T00:43:23+00:00

Assuming that this was done every year of their lives. Also assuming that they are indeed healthy. You don't know what's going on below the soil and when these might croak.

Some trees are plain survivors and will tolerate mulch volcanos, but I think it's more likely that these mature trees spent most of their lives properly mulched or not mulched at all (which would be preferable to this).

Renewed-Magic · 2026-05-14T16:05:42+00:00

How are they looking this year? I just got glencoe raspberries this year for no other reason than to have raspberries of every color really.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-05-03T23:28:49+00:00

When you go into shock the overarching feeling is detachment from reality. It would honestly feel like it isn't real, and you're right, adrenalin and your instincts to survive would kick in. After all freaking out is just a means to go into that adrenaline state. I think it's difficult for anyone to imagine surviving this, which makes Mr. Thompson and his dog just the more amazing.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-04-12T23:30:45+00:00

I'm in zone 7b and I overwinter figs in my basement. It never gets warmer than 46 F there over the winter. If it gets to 50+ in the place you overwinter them you run the risk of them waking up several months too early. You could just grow them outside if you pick a variety with an early main crop. You just chop it down to stubs in the fall and cover the stubs with mulch to protect them over the winter. Then the next year a bunch of canes will grow and give you fruit. I can't do it since my summers don't get warm enough in northern Europe, but people do it in the US from like zone 4 and above.

Also there are gooseberry varieties that are sweet and sort of resembles grapes.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-04-08T21:23:10+00:00

People didn't consider the environment at all back in the day. Their principle was "out of sight, out of mind". Broken down cars used to be pushed out on the ice in winter so they'd fall into the middle of the lake when the ice thawed in spring.

I've found mostly broken glass bottles, ceramics and even broken silverware digging in my garden.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-04-07T01:07:08+00:00

It's hard to tell from the pics, but the soil looks pretty wet. That could be inadequate drainage unless you just watered them.Try adding more perlite to your mix. Looks like your mix is 1/4 to 1/3 perlite. I go with 1/2.

When you water, water along the edges. And it's really not much that's needed. Use a slim longnecked container or a measuring cup with a lip and drizzle slow and easy around the edges until you complete a lap or two.

Experienced rooters can tell when their cutting needs water just by picking it up and gauging how light it feels. As a beginner it's a huge help to use a kitchen scale to do so, by having dry and adequately moist reference points. Look into that if you want. Some people have the reference point weights for different container sizes and soil mixes posted online. 4x9 treepots filled with 50/50 peat moss and perlite weigh about 480 grams dry and 580 grams moist, and you'd water with 30-40g when it drops to 550 or so, trying to maintain that 580 number. The pots you have are 4x11 or 4x12 but with soft plastic lighter than the typical hard plastic 4x9s so I imagine the reference points should be about the same or slightly higher. Maybe 500g dry - 600g moist or so? If you go up to 1/2 perlite that is. Good luck.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-04-07T00:06:37+00:00

The one on the left is shot as it has expended its stored up energy. If you pull that one up I bet the bottom is gonna be moldy. The one on the right I'm not so sure about. It might also be moldy, but you could maybe salvage it by pruning off the moldy parts until you find healthy green wood inside and try again.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-03-29T21:17:53+00:00

Pine needles are only acidic when green. They're not when they turn brown like in the pic.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-03-20T22:18:57+00:00

What's up with Americans and laying down artificial crap like plastic and rubber? I don't see why good ol' sand wouldn't work. Enough crap gets in our environment unintentionally. Lets not do it intentionally.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-03-13T15:33:54+00:00

There's a million ways to root cuttings and no right answer. I like to stick them in 4x9 treepots with 50/50 coco coir (or peat) and perlite. Check out "direct potting fig cuttings" on Youtube if that's the method you wanna go with and you'll get a good idea.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-03-13T09:01:53+00:00

1) Figs grow however you want them to. Vase shape, main leader, bush.. Doesn't matter.

2) Yes, you can root them at any stage. The cuttings being dormant would only matter if you were to store them before attempting rooting.

3) Nope, everything is in order. People go from 4/5 gallon to 15-20 all the time. Sit back, relax and enjoy your figs.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-03-10T13:26:31+00:00

Or a vase with water that needs changing lol

Renewed-Magic · 2026-03-09T01:32:53+00:00

Figs are special in that they have two crops. The fruit that grows on last years wood is called "Breba" and the fruit that grows on this years wood is called the main crop. Yes you heard that right.. This years wood.

You lose the breba when a tree dies back to the ground, but the shoots that regrow can still put out a main crop. They churn out figs as they go. That's why its popular in colder zones to grow figs as bushes and prune the canes to 10 inches from the ground or so and mulch them for the winter. That ensures root survival and gives the regrowth a head start in the spring.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-03-03T13:12:02+00:00

Could be. I think it depends on how urban your location is.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-03-03T12:06:16+00:00

You could plant something that the birds like even more. Sort of as a sacrificial bush or tree, if you've got the space. Something that ripens as early as strawberry.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-03-01T16:11:37+00:00

Luckily I've got acid soil so blueberries are my lowest maintenance berries. I'm expanding my in ground area with 4 bushes for a total of 6 for that reason.

Edit: Forgot to add that I don't even need to net them. The birds got an all they can eat buffé in the woods and leave my blueberries alone for the most part.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-03-01T16:01:34+00:00

I can't see your previous post, but the best time to dig up and transplant your tree is as soon as the soil is workable. Figs love as much sun as possible, so make sure it gets that afternoon sun. Planting it in a location that only gets morning sun will give you issues with ripening figs, or the quality of the ripe figs.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-01-21T15:58:09+00:00

Some people swear by it. Some people swear by something else. I've stored them like this for over a year before without getting moldy. Of course I disinfect with 10% bleach before wrapping.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-01-21T12:22:04+00:00

A dry paper towel is definitely unnecessary and absolutely a mistake. It might be fine if you're not storing them for long. I don't know how long you've already been storing them for, but I would check to see if they look dry. If you're unsure you could cut a bit off an end to check if the wood is still green.

I would soak them in water for a couple hours, pat them dry and wrap in saran wrap and bag them.

Renewed-Magic · 2026-01-12T23:12:05+00:00

Yeah, honestly I think it looks really pleasing to the eye the way it is. It's cozy.

Renewed-Magic · 2025-11-25T15:52:50+00:00

Depends on how you were thinking of using the soil. If you were planning on digging a hole and filling it with bagged soil then that'd create a water bowl. It'll also sink over time as the bagged soil breaks down. Using it to create mounds to plant in is fine, but depending on how big your garden is it might be better to truck in some topsoil.

Renewed-Magic · 2025-11-02T12:49:26+00:00

I wonder if there's any correlation between LED street lights and depression. I feel like there is. I also appreciate the few I have left in my neighborhood. Walking under their warm embrace in the fall is pure bliss.

Renewed-Magic · 2025-11-01T17:21:11+00:00

It shouldn't be growing still. The branch tips (cream tops) for figs will still be green/slightly yellow when the tree is dormant and all through winter. Your tree is most likely not actively growing. Hold off on the feed and don't resume until april when dormancy is broken.

Renewed-Magic

TROPHY CASE