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Dying Fig Trees - Any Hope?

Nancy Barginear

14 years ago

Hi,

I have two fig trees that we've been trying to grow for around 4-5 years. They are planted out in the open, with some shade from tall trees. We have to water, water, water them just to keep them alive. Every summer, they get wiped out by our Texas heat. This year, we haven't had a drop of rain for over 3 months. The trees are just about gone.

I was thinking maybe I could get our yard worker to dig them up, soak the roots in water for an hour or two, and replant them in an area where they will get more moisture. My mother had huge fig trees in Galveston, but all of them were planted up next to either the house or the garage. A friend of mine's neighbor has a huge one planted on the north side of his garage. He lives a few miles from me in similar conditions.

Do you know if it might be possible to save them? I have nothing to lose by doing something - they will not survive this summer. Your suggestions would be most appreciated.

Thanks,

Nancy

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Comments (4)

jsvand5
14 years ago
How tall are they? If it were me I would try to cover the entire tree with a shade cloth if they were not too tall and wait until they go dormant to try to move them. Maybe even set up something like a tent over it with a tarp? I assume you are already watering daily, but maybe using a soaker hose may help to allow the water to really get down to the roots well. Maybe you could try moving one now and using a shade cloth on one until winter? At least then maybe one or the other may survive.

You could also maybe try to make a few airlayers if there are still any branches healthy enough.
Nancy Barginear
Original Author
14 years ago
They aren't very big - maybe 4-5 feet tall. They haven't grown much since we have had such a battle every summer keeping them alive. They have lost most, if not all, of their leaves now. This has happened before, but we have always been able to pull them back. This summer has been horrible - temps often over 100. I've watched the radar screen and seen rain all around us - within 20 miles, yet we haven't had a bit.

Nancy
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Thousands of fig trees were either killed, or very badly damaged by the Winter of '13-'14. Your tree was probably also damaged. Without photos, it's hard to tell if it's due to a bad winter, disease, or, both. I'll assume it was winter damaged. Prune away all dead/dying wood, and keep the tree watered until it goes dormant. If it survives the coming winter, next spring it will re-sprout. It may take a few years to recover. Keep the tree pruned back for easier harvesting of figs. Many fig tree growers are in the same boat. Good luck. Your tree will most likely survive, and you'll pick figs again. Frank
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It does not seem to late for 2 options. Option 1. Serverely prune the tree and pretty much leave prune very long major branches back to about 2 feet long with no minor branches. The tree should look pretty bare at this point, with very few leaves to catch additional wind. At this point I would prop the tree up to a few fence posts installed to keep it up. This method may work, but the problem is the weak root system, and it may be prone to blow over again. Option 2. If it were my tree I would cut the tree off leaving only a foot worth of trunk. I would also cover the entire trunk with dirt or potting soil and keep it moist. This will help the remaining roots worry about getting restablished rather that support the top of a tree that will prob die anyways. When the tree suckers I would then reprune to train a strong sucker to be my main trunk. My two cents.
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jsvand5
14 years ago
At that height they should be pretty easy to shield from the sun. I would bet they will come back pretty quickly without the sun beating down on them.
newgen
14 years ago
Hi,
I'm in central CA, where the summer heat is pretty intense too. Last couple weeks were over 100, this week high 90s. Very dry and hot. Here's how I help all my plants survive, and thrive even. Keep in mind that I just started this over a month ago, and already see much more growth on them. I have some fruit trees that are not native to my area, and they seem to be doing OK. I have 2 fig trees, about 5' tall, planted about 2.5 years ago when much smaller. They were exposed to the intense heat and cold winter, up until 1 month ago. I built "tree shades" to put around them. Basically, 2 x 4 to form a square base, 2 x 4 for the 4 columns, 1 3/8 to form the square top. Then use some type of tarp, screen, weed screen (I use screen for some trees and weed screen for others) for the roof, and the sides if need be. I don't cover all 4 sides, that's too much enclosure, the plants need some wind, sun, rain exposure too. If you want, I can post some photos. The 2 fig trees have plenty of fruits on them now.

Good luck,

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