Hi Andrew, This is a common effect of a rough winter. The fig will fight to survive, but there are things you can do to help. I posted this info on several other threads. It seems like most everyone had more die-back than usual this winter. If you don't help it along, the new growth may not have time to harden off before NEXT winter, and would be killed again. First you'll need to trim the existing branch structure to give the new growth as much sun as possible. Do the "scratch test" on the bark to see how much living wood, if any you still have. Starting at the top, scratch the bark with your thumbnail, exposing the inner bark. Most likely it's dead that high up, and the inner bark will be greyish to brown. Go down the trunk until you reach green inner bark (it won't be deep, but just under the outer bark you can easily scratch off). If you find any green, the trunk will be alive from that point down. It has the ability to produce new growth from that point and below. If you had a thick canopy of limbs, I would suggest thinning them to provide more light to the sprouts, but it looks like you have one main trunk (probably a mistake...in colder climates I suggest a bush, not tree form). You can probably wait a while to trim it back. But I think I'd concentrate on the ground level sprouts, in any case. Once you see what's going to sprout, thin the new growth to 3 to 5 sprouts. You don't want the roots trying to support a jungle after being so stressed. To insure that the growth will harden off before next winter, pinch out the growing tips every time 5-7 new full-sized leaves form on each sprout. This will cause the growth below to begin to lignify (harden and form bark), as well as insuring a full, bushy, shrubby growth. IF it were in ground, I would say DON'T fertilize until next year, it only stresses the plant more. Since yours is potted (and I'm assuming in regular potting soil, not Tapla's soilless mix.), it won't hurt to feed a very dilute liquid fertilizer, about 1/4 the recommended strength, but more often. IF your plant is in an inorganic based, well-draining mix, you can use your regular feritilizer regimen after your first growth begins to toughen up. But be sure to halt fertilizing by mid-August to prevent pushing late season growth that can't harden off before frost. You said it's a "mission fig", but I can't be sure of the variety of your fig, so I don't know if it bears on new wood. But if it does form fruit this year, it wouldn't hurt to keep it picked off as it forms, the earlier the better. This will allow the tree to concentrate its energy on growth. John Here is a link that might be useful: Al's Soilless mix-why and how This post was edited by fig_insanity on Fri, May 16, 14 at 21:11

You will have better success with air layers. Since they are coming out of the ground, you have it easy. Bury the bottom three or four inches of the new shoots. Keep the soil moist. Probably best if you also mulch heavily to help retain moisture. Dig the soil back in a couple months and you will find new roots. At that time, cut off each shoot below the new roots and transfer into one gallon pots filled with well drained potting soil.

Welcome to Louisiana ........My guess is Red Tip Photinia..I could be wrong as I do not have any in my yard ) If it is..... lots of imformation if you to a search on the forum..... ....I read this recently :Ten years ago, one of the most popular shrubs in the South was the Red-tip Photinia (Photinia fraseri). Everybody wanted this handsome evergreen shrub and it was widely grown by Southern nursery growers for use in both commercial and residential landscapes. Red-tip is a wonderful, large, evergreen shrub with attractive foliage and showy white flowers. Its claim to fame is brilliant red new foliage that appears in the spring. Nevertheless, in the last 10 years or so, Red-tip has gone from the top of the list to the bottom due to intense pressure from a devastating fungal disease. Red-tip is highly susceptible to the fungal pathogen known as Entomosporium that causes leaf spots and ultimately defoliation. The disease has all but eliminated Red-tip from the list of recommended shrubs for Southern landscapes. In fact, the disease is so widespread that one plant pathologist jokingly explained that there are two types of Red-tip, those that have the disease and those that are going to get it! So, even though newly planted Red-tip bushes may stay disease free for many years, ultimately they will succumb to the inevitable. Carol

I 'm starting to see similar wilt on two of my small trees. From what I've been able to gather, it's a disease called ceraticystis fimbriata and can be treated with propiconazole fungicide. Martins Honor Guard PPZ, which is used on roses, contains this ingredient. I happen to grow roses and was planning to spray my roses today, so now thanks to you, I'll also spray my poms. It's also sold as Banner Maxx.