Getting ripe fruits in cold climates,in pot!

13 years ago

First rule:Choose early fruitting cultivars.

Second:Grow totally persistant cultivar if ,in containers,avoidding cultivars that drop fruits when stressed.

Third:Bury the container inground 3-6 inches,in the sunnyest spot,in the yard,using side holes for drainage and plugging bottom holes.

These 123 rules will make succesfull the average gardener,with more obligation,outside gardening,like a demanding Job.

I wrote these conclusions because of too many gardener complaining about not getting ripe fruits,after the hard working taking care of the plant.

The one item gardener do not do is burying the pot.

If not done then it is very hard to keep the plant happy by watering it every day,being home all the time,babying it etc.

Burying the pot is the most important item applied to fig and to other tropical plants for that matter.

VS

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Comments (15)

danab_z9_la
13 years ago
Thank you for sharing your fig growing experiences. Nurseries and Ag Departments ought to give such good practical advice.

Dan
organic_aer1
13 years ago
Herman.
Would you post a list of early fruiting cultivars for Southern Burlington County NJ?
Z 6

Al
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Can you take a pictur of it? Have you noticed any bugs or spots on the leaves? I bought a ponderosa lemon for my mom about 4-5 years ago. Last December she called me worried about the same thing. It completly difoliated. I asked heer if it had been repotted with fresh soil. Once she did that, it began growing new leaves,stems, and flower buds. Citrus are heavy feeders and with fruit even more so. How long has it been in the same pot? I know that sometimes root pruning is necessary. It also could be salts built up from fertilizers. I would really like to see what the tree looks like. Also, if you could expose the rootball then you can see what the roots look like. How large is the tree and how often do you water it? These are all important factors in the overall health of the tree. Andrew
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I live near Haddonfield, in Camden county, NJ and am trying my hand at growing figs for the first time this year. I got one tree (variety unknown - maybe Celeste?) at a local farmer's market last September. Per instructions I left it outside 'til the leaves fell and then wintered it over in the basement - but it started growing! Anxious to get it in the ground I made the mistake of planting it in the side yard (western exposure) in early April. We'd had some quite warm weather that fooled me into thinking spring had come early. It had not. The tree suffered terribly in a windstorm with sustained winds over 40 mph and the snow that hit a week later. losing all its leaves and killing the growing tips of all the shoots. The good news is that the tree sprouted new shoots from four of the five "trunks". It is now doing just fine and enjoying a bit of a growth spurt, although I'll be surprised if it yields any fruit this season. Today I purchased a second fig tree. This one is a Hardy Chicago from Lowe's. I put it into a 12" plastic pot where it will stay for at least the first year or so. I plan on bringing this one into my enclosed but unheated porch next winter. A friend and neighbor also has a fig tree of unknown variety that has survived one winter outdoors. I'll try and get a cutting or two from her to plant next year. I look forward to seeing which one performs best for me.
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Awesome pics Herman! I think letting them sit until they droop is a good idea. I wish someone had told me sooner about LSU figs trees. I got one LSU Purple and on LSU Gold from Burnt Farms in May. Both were 3 foot tall. They came as bare root. I soaked the roots in water, then potted them in a 10 gallon pot. Today compared to Swowden and Areano they are my fastest growing trees! The tips started to yellow and curve due to our long hot days in the Carolinas. We've had lots of rain in the past 2 months but our temperature stay in the 90s till September. Now my LSUs are 4 foot tall with figs! I had to repot them yesterday. The roots were very white and no disease but very dry in the center of the root ball. I created a better soil mixture this timed and planted them into a huge plastic tub from Lowe's. This morning I check on them and they are doing fine. My Atreano produced 2 huge golf ball size figs yesterday. I ate them before I could find my camera. They were very sweet...sweeter than my Kadota this year which had 10 huge figs clustered in the center about a month ago. I don't have to worry about birds in my area. I got 2 huge hawks that patrol my back yard. Since I built my green house last month. I'm going to fertilize all my trees again next weekend and plop them in the greenhouse over the winter. Say Herman, do you have any Stella fig trees? I've got one and it is growing so slow! It has one fig on it the size of a pecan the tree is 3 years old! I may repot it and see if that will helps. Any recommendations? Dennis
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herman2_gw
Original Author
13 years ago
Not at this time,but in october,when all my trees are finishing ripening,as all the older trees,(about 50different cultivars )have good crop.
For now my list is very small.
Starting getting ripe to date:
Marseilles vs black Main crop
Improved Celeste(not o rourke) Main crop
Desert King Breba
Lindhurst wht Breba
Kathleen Black Breba
---Personally I disregard breba as an indication,that a fig is early,except for:
Desert King,wich is a Breba only cultivar.
foolishpleasure
13 years ago
Herman
How do you block the lower drainage holes in the pot. I have 20 " pot. In smaller pots I pluck the bottom with foil paper. Can the foil paper work on the big one or I can fill it with a layer of cement. But if I do that when I take inside it will be a mess. By the way Why do we need to block the bottom drainage.
paully22
13 years ago
If you don't plug up the bottom hole, the roots will grow thru & you will end up needing popeye muscles to lift the pots for winterisation. Roots that grow out from the sides can be easily cut with shovel.

You can use duct tape.
foolishpleasure
13 years ago
Thanks Herman

Abe
bonsaist
13 years ago
I agree with Herman, this is an excellent way for northern growers to get a reliable crop. Specially in the heat when need for watering is high. When the roots penetrate into the soil the tree will not suffer as much from the heat.

Bass
foolishpleasure
13 years ago
Herman
I still need help. I have 4 varieties I planted outside and I am planning to use Xmas lights to protect it in freezing weather. But I am also intrigued with your method and I don't want to leave a stone unturned in my endeavor to have delicious ripe figs. I decided to add two varieties and plant it using your method.

Italian Ever-bearing 3 Gallons 4 feet : What Size a pot should I use.

Celestial 1 Gallon 1 1/2 feet: What size a pot I should use.

How many holes in the pot side and should I use specific pattern to make the holes or any thing goes.

In winter time they go into my basement where the heat unit, the hot water unit and the Washer and Dryer reside. I think the room environment will be suitable because temperature never goes below 55.

Inside the house in winter season should I give it any water.
Appreciate your help.
herman2_gw
Original Author
13 years ago
You install a double bottom plastic plate and is done
cath41
13 years ago
Herman,
Peter's Honey is early. The first few main crop figs are very soft, almost ripe. It is in a half whiskey barrel, had very few figs last year and is older. Don't know how much difference these factors make.
Also, thank you for giving me more information on Raintree's Violette de Bordeaux, that is, that it is similar to Gino's Fig only more sesitive to the cold and probably not a true Violette de Bordeaux.
Cath
foolishpleasure
13 years ago
When in the Dormant stage in cold winter say Late December to February does it need any water?
herman2_gw
Original Author
13 years ago
The water problem can be resolved only if you buy a "moisture,light ,ph" meter from Home Depot.
Keep moisture on 4 trough the winter and it will be fine.
Usually fig in storage do not need watering if dormant ,but that could be missleading and you can loose your plant if you do that.
herman2_gw
Original Author
13 years ago
foolishpleasure :55F is too high for fig wintering.
Find a place with 35F for wintering.
Use 5 Gallon pots for the purpose of burying them in and out of ground so you can move them easily .
A 5 Gallon pot buried in ground in the Sommer is much better than a 20 Gallon pot outside the ground.
That makes a huge difference for many resons.
Drill as many holes as you can as close to the end of the container as you can.
The more holes (larger ,smaller,etc)the better.
foolishpleasure
13 years ago
Thanks Herman
It is a great idea I put 90 holes in the pot some holes are small and some are larger. Was not an easy job the plastic is so hard I had to go with my big mack drill. I buried the pot 6 inches.
I am thinking to do the same for my Banana plants. I am so stupid I don't know why I have Banana plants in Zone 7. Probably I will never get even one banana fruit. But the plants are very beautiful and decorative my wife wants to take them in the living room in Winter Huh
Joe8391
8 years ago
you got the wrong Bananas

Getting ripe fruits in cold climates,in pot!

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