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Will figs ripen in time?

2 years ago

I got a small chicago hardy fig in march and it was about a foot tall. it is now about 3 feet tall and starting to produce fige like two weeks ago. im thinking surely thats way too late and our first froet date is set to october 30th here. and i heard to stop fertizling by the first week of august. i have no idea what to do if i should let them try or pull them off or do what. thanks anything helps even criticism lol.

Featured Answer

raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

My Celeste tree started setting fruit in mid June, and to my surprise I am picking ripe ones the past 3 days. In past years it has been late autumn before I got ripe fruit - one year into November (it can stay in the 50-60 range that late, often, even after first frosts).

I am guessing that is because it has been unusually hot this summer - many more 90F degree days than has been typical - and I keep it in full sun on the blacktop driveway in front of the garage - lots of heat. (The pot doesn't sit on the blacktop, it is on a tray to help keep up with water and that is on a wheeled dolly)

This one didn't come out of garage hibernation with brebas like it did last year, perhaps that also made a difference?

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Comments (6)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years ago
First, it would help to know where you are located....nearest big city name. And second, according to your data, you have almost 3 full months to harvest ripe figs before a frost. Even in my very cool summer climate, that is plenty of time for any fruit that is currently present to ripen. What you may miss is the breba crop which could appear later in the fall.....although I don't know how inclined a first year tree is to produce or attempt to produce a breba crop.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years ago
the farmers lament for just about forever ...

it will be .. what it will be ... and its all in ma natures hands ... and she can be very evil ...

fert as you would fert a tree ... fert is not going to speed fruit ripening in any sense ...

someone once told me.. by the time you see the seed ... which is all a fruit is ... the energy needed to create it was spent a long time ago ... so one might argue.. it wouldnt help anything to take them off now ...

what im wondering about.. is how you got a 3 to 5 year old tree to fruit .... maybe its different with figs ...

is it outside or a houseplant ... if outside .... potted or in the ground ...

ken
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Andrew Darland
Original Author
2 years ago
I live in wichita KS. and i think ive decided to just let it grow and see what happens cause its better than ripping it off and wondering if it could make it. thank you for the questions and advice. its in a pretty good size pot outside getting full morning and afternoon sun. i domt know how either it was a single trunked 6-12 inch green stem fig and like i said now its about 3 feet tall with 2 main trunks. its a hardy chicago fig and the figs are about pea sized right now.
Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)
2 years ago
Andrew, good luck. I know what you mean. I am in the same predicament with the same tree. I have three and all have fruit the size of a penny and smaller. In some years. not enough sunlight and warmth, they do not ripen. Other years, it's warm until October.

Last year it was and I got lots of ripened fruit.

Keep your fingers crossed that we get a late summer) after such a lousy July)
Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)
2 years ago
Goid for you. I’ll bet you just love enjoying the harvest. We are lucky this summer. My July slowed things down so hopefully September will make up for mine. My tree is loaded with fruit that started in July !! I cut the tips off and no productive branches to make the trees energy to focus on the fruit

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