I woke up this morning and this is how my fig tree is now... What do I do???? please help me :(

Zone 8 covers a lot of different territory with a wide range of climates. Can you let us know where in z8 you are located. and what type of fig?

Figs will tolerate a pretty wide range of soil conditions as long as it is well drained. Clay soil is not really that much of a problem as long as you did not plant it deeply and with a lot of amendments. If you can come back with an explanation of your planting methods, that could perhaps shed some light on what's going on. How often are you watering it? Without knowing anything more about the situation, this could very well be just a bit of transplant shock.

I reside in El Paso, Texas. I really don't know much about the type of fig, for the nursery wasn't that "specific" (they just sold the plant as what it was, not mentioning the name of the variety, ...). I water it whenever deeper soil feels dry, which is like every week or so. I have now read that because it has a shallow root system, I may have to water it a bit more often, and I also put some bricks around the trunk so that it [water] won't evaporate that easily (see image below). Have I done the right thing??? (I planted it as deep as the depth of the pot it came in *excuse the redundancy)...

PS: The camera makes it look greener than it is...

I had figs in zone 8b with no problems and we have heavy clay and cobbles here along the river

The bricks are not going to help with moisture loss and are basically a waste of time. You need to mulch the tree with something organic, that will not only help with moisture retention, but also break down over time and enrich the soil. I mulch all of my figs with pine straw, and I suggest you do the same. Since it's a newly planted tree, it needs to be watered on a regular basis, at least every other day, until it gets established. New trees also need a lot of nitrogen in order to help the root system get established and the tree to start growing again. I feed my young trees diluted urine which is high in nitrogen and also waters the tree at the same time, and furthermore, it's free.

ANY soil covering will help to prevent moisture loss - the bricks will work as well as an organic mulch, but the placement is incorrect. You want to avoid covering the rootball of newly planted trees....mulch around the dripline (not the base) until the tree becomes established (at least one full growing season).

Nitrogen does not help root establishment - in fact, it does quite the opposite, encouraging canopy growth at the expense of the root system. This is basic tree biology: "During the establishment phase, fertilization needs are
none to minimal on woody plants. High nitrogen fertilization imbalances the canopy-to-root growth ratio, encouraging canopy growth
at the expense of root growth.
Never fertilize trees in the establishment phase that
are showing signs of stress. When a non-established tree is under
stress, nitrogen fertilizer can push out canopy growth that the root
system cannot support in hot windy weather. Woody plants do not respond
to “starter fertilizers” like herbaceous plants."

My primary concern for your tree is the planting depth and if you amended the planting hole. When working with clay soils, it is best to dig a very wide but shallow planting hole and place the tree so that the top of the rootball is above grade. Backfill with unamended soil just to the shoulder of the rootball, not covering the top. Any amendments you want to use can be used as a mulch surrounding the rootball. If you plant deeply - so that the rootball is at or slightly below grade - and with a lot of moisture retentive amendments, you are essentially placing the rootball in what amounts to a bucket of water. The fact that you have not been watering perhaps as frequently as is recommended for new plantings may inadvertently have been to your advantage in this regard.

If this is what occurred at planting, it is best to dig and replant according to recommended practices.

Thank you guys... :P

I'm wondering what nursery in El Paso (where I am) didn't label the type of fig.

In Texas, it's probably a common fig like Brown Turkey. Figs are really hard to kill! Over watering will do it for sure. Recently at an irrigation seminar, we learned that if your soil is mainly clay, you water less. Sandy, well drained, more often.

I see a nice branch on your tree that you could air layer and put in a container with well drained soil for back up. We have over 30 varieties of Fig Trees and I'm always backing them up due to an abundance of dreaded gophers!

You could buy a moisture meter so you know when it's time to water.

Good luck!

So is it like this OK??? I did as told and moved it up so that it won't sit in water... I also moved the bricks, and will be mulching it with some pine straw... :)

Figs do best with organic matter mixed into the planting mix on a raised bed. It would be good to give a 2 to 4 inch mulch to regulate the moisture and provide nutrients. A little nitrogen would not hurt and could make the roots and top grow better. The bathtub effect should not hurt you since El Paso gets less than 10 inches of rain with low humidity. I would side with more water rather than less. Figs have a vigorous root system that demands adequate moisture. They do not like drying out. I have some figs that I planted last year in a five gallon bucket that needs water every other day now and will require water every day when it gets hotter.

I hit submit before I saw your last picture. I would move the bricks to make about a 4 ft square and mulch that entire area. It will help the roots to spread out. That way the area you keep watered would be about 16 sq. feet and would provide a bigger area for the plant to get needed moisture. You will need to water daily since the root ball from the store is small. They were probably watering it daily at the store, if not twice a day. Plant was too big for the pot. I would also let the fig grow out as a bush rather than a tree. If will help prevent sunburn on the trunk.

The bathtub effect will be just as likely to happen with regular irrigation as it will with rainfall.

The root ball should be in the ground, not sitting on top of the ground.

Rootballs do not have to be buried in the ground. In fact, for most trees and soils, it is advised to plant them above grade by 1-2 inches. In very poorly draining clay soils, trees are even planted completely above grade. But soil should be backfilled to the shoulder of the rootball in a mound or small berm to protect the exposed rootball/roots.

Wasn't aware figs could be planted deeper than grade and found documentation to support that (not that I didn't believe you, gary - just like a second opinion:-)). You learn something everyday if you are open to it.

Figs in my area grow to good size (30') trees and need no irrigation once established.