How And When To Stop Fertilizing Fig Trees For Dormancy

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Follow me on Twitter @NCGardening for garden updates and photos! twitter.com/NCGardening

[@dameion24]

The Millennial Gardener I live up in North East New York in the Albany area and yes my tree has some green on it but most of it is nice Brown hardwood. I'm wondering if I should put it on the back porch so it can still experience cold temperatures natural daylight hour so the greenwood can harden off

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@dameion24 that would depend on your forecast. If you have a normal winter where you can expose the tree to light frosts and light freezes, I would let it get hit. For example, if you have a few nights coming in where lows gently ease into the 30-32 degree range, let them get frosted. However, I remember last Thanksgiving in the Philadelphia area, it was a very mild winter, but then out of nowhere around Thanksgiving there was a 17 degree low. If that's the case, bring them inside because suddenly exposing a fig tree that isn't dormant yet to an extreme polar plunge can really damage it. So use your judgment. It's good to expose them to light frosts and freezes, but a sudden polar plunge out of nowhere requires them being protected.

[@debraarizona4809]

@@TheMillennialGardener Nice info to know👍

[@shashakeeleh5468]

Excellent presentation! Wish I'd had you as professor in organic chemistry. LOL!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

shashakeeleh thanks! I was good at high school chem, but the college courses were over my head 😆

[@nazaral-wattar]

Thank you so much, Sir, we really appreciate all your detailed explanation and sharing your experience with us, I'm a beginner in taking care of fig trees and I feel like I have years of experience with your videos that I started to recommend to all ppl near me who share same interest. I love fig trees from the way you are talking about them and feel like they become a member of my family like one of my kids that I need to educate myself to know how to treat them very well. Also, this morning I saw your video about blueberries and you just encouraged me to take that route because I feel like we're in good hands with you as you don't hide any piece of info, so thank you soooooo much, I wish you the best in your life!

[@kzev]

Fantastic! This is the type of content that's much needed. Most of my trees (3 out of 4) are still small and don't have hardwood yet; maybe the colder nights we are starting to get will incentivize them to build it. I am a little concerned and hoping for the best. Will definitely follow your advise on this video.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you for watching. I’m glad you found it helpful.

[@nancynyberg1123]

You have helped me so much - I dug up a sad, short LSU Gold fig this summer and nursed it as you recommend. It has figs, I took a cutting AND IT ROOTED and am getting brave enough to try another. Thanks for sharing your wisdom!

[@emiliamartucci8291]

Thank you for making me a little happier, my fig tree healthier and the world a little better thru the satisfaction of gardening.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@unoruby]

Thanks!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you so much for your support and generosity!! I really appreciate it ❤️!

[@guycolonna5846]

Thank again for the information. I live in St Augustine Fl. I will follow this to fit my schedule.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I'm jealous of your beautiful climate 😆 How do figs grow on the north central Florida coast?

[@guycolonna5846]

@@TheMillennialGardener So far so good. I started my fig journey winter of 2021 with fig cuttings that I purchased on Figbid. I drowned them, my son bought me a Chicago Hardy for Father's Day, and since then my collection is growing. I 258, Figo Perto, Fico Palanzzo, a Norella and a Celeste. All new plants. Hopefully I will see some figs by Thanksgiving.

[@danielle2451]

As always great video and very informative

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@unoruby]

Great this video! Love the board instructions!🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

[@evalynntn4893]

I was looking for some perfect fig varieties that can grow well in Hawaii and found your channel. Thanks for the great knowledge you’re sharing with us! Exactly what I need to know about fertilizing.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching! A little side note about Hawaii: you don’t have “chill hours” more than likely, so you could have a problem fruiting. Figs are deciduous, and since Hawaii doesn’t have a cold season, a low light season, has few problems with rust and very few pests, your trees may stay evergreen. Figs must defoliate completely to fruit the next season. If they do not naturally defoliate, you will want to pull off all the leaves and cut back your trees a little bit to “reset” them during your “winter.” Otherwise, they may not kick into a new fruiting cycle.

[@evalynntn4893]

Oh I see! Yeah, maybe it’s the reason why I have never ever seen any fresh figs here, only ate dried fruit a few times before 😢 I love them so much and I will give it a try. Thank you so much for replying me 👍🏻👍🏻

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Good luck! It certainly is worth a shot. There is nothing like a fresh, perfectly ripened fig.

[@dwingo831]

Great Video ! Thanks so much!

[@darla123]

Awesome! Wish I had seen this sooner!

[@yolandastephens7347]

Thank you for the info since I state following you and pinching my guys I have had so many figs .I did not know anything about pinching ,so thank you so much ,l have already planning for next year.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Yolanda Stephens that’s awesome! Congrats!

[@carlosrivera4660]

Just did my .my friend you are a great help here in jersey was 65 this morning cool weather so far the month of August is been 82 almost every day

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Carlos Rivera lucky you, we are under the jet stream and it has been awful. 75 at night, 95 in the day and humid. It was 97 the other day. Very unusual for it to be so hot here.

[@rociogalvan9402]

Thankful to all information...❤️!!

[@tonyveale691]

Very informative ,thanks.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@carlosrivera4660]

Great video thanks again for sharing 👏👏👏👏

[@idahogardengirl942]

Thank you for the video! This was Very helpful! I bought a few fig seedlings about three years ago. I did not know the first thing to do with them. I planted them in a cedar half-barrel. They nearly died because I could not keep them watered enough. Last year, I put them in plastic pots. they did better (but no fruit). We had a sneaky first frost... killed them back. I thought they were done for. In June, I was shocked to see leaves coming up near the stumps of the "dead" fig trees. I began to give them AK fish fertilizer every two weeks. They have grown a bit, but they are still just tiny little bushes next to their dead stumps. Obviously no fruit. I had no idea about the fertilizing regimen that I should be using to help them achieve their potential. So, I guess I was basically starving them! So sad! My goal now is to help them make it through the fall and winter (this time I will bring them inside my garage for the winter), and next spring see if I can really help them grow the way they should. Thanks again.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Idaho Garden Girl you’re welcome. Containers quickly run out of nutrients. When you grow figs in containers, you need to feed them quite often. I have had so much success feeding every 7 days. That’ll make a huge difference next year!

[@idahogardengirl942]

Thank you so much for responding! Yes, I can really see that I should have fertilized waaaay more than I have. I just hope that I'm not too late and that I can get them through our winter!

[@fludrbywest3886]

Awesome❣️❣️💖🙏🏻thank you so much for sharing !! I can’t wait to get to work! 😊

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching.

[@amossafotu5892]

Much needed answer please and thank u. I'm here in zone 10b long beach CA and you fertilizing schedule is working like it should. My question is since I get no frost here do I still need to stop feeding container trees and let them dry a bit outside till spring them continue. And does this apply to all fruit trees (guava, cherimoya, blueberries, dragonfruit)

[@josephsoreo5149]

Great info! Tell me what next?? Do I bring my plants in before after frost/freeze. The garage will be too cold! Will my basement be too warm? Can I keep the young plants under lights? Thank you in advance for the info you have provided

[@TheMillennialGardener]

This will certainly be a video I will have to create soon. The short answer is it depends on your zone and how cold your garage/basement gets. If you're in a zone where you never see below 25 degrees F on even the coldest nights, you can leave them outside all year. If you're in Zone 7 and below, you're probably going to have to store them somewhere. The ideal temperature is around 40 degrees. You definitely want to keep them above freezing, but you also don't want to keep them in the high 50's and 60's or they may way up too early. It's a fine balance.

[@tlpmyd]

Love your videos man! So informative! Your trees look so healthy and yard is super clean!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

TommyJerzBoy thank you, I appreciate it. The yard is a work in progress. Still lots to do! Glad you found the video informative.

[@user-su5du9ln8r]

I wonder if this applies in areas with no frost date where trees never reach full dormancy.

[@2inthepink1inthestink11]

should you pick off small figs that probably won't ripen before first frost?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

My climate is warm enough and my growing season long enough that I should be able to ripen almost all the figs on my trees. Picking off figs is a liability because with my humidity and thunderstorms, sudden rain can cause ripening figs to burst. Sometimes I have to run through and dispose of them. I need every fig I can get my hands on for an opportunity to ripen properly. If I try to pick off figs and the remainders burst, I’m sunk. Too risky.

[@newbiegarden]

Good job!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks!

[@starjasmine1260]

THANKS A CARLOAD!!!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@VianneyCreates]

Great info! TY!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching.

[@napolissc7]

Have you every over fertilize and what was the result?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I’m sorry, the question is a little unclear. Are you asking if I’ve ever over-fertilized my figs? If so, no. I have never over-fertilized. They may be able to handle even more than I am recommending. But this has worked so well, I don’t see it as worth the risk or extra cost at this time.

[@mimosel1]

Hi. I am a newbie to figs growing. I watched your 4 videos on fertilizer. I am trying to understand the content since I got a bunch of cuttings in December, January, and February. A lot of them gave me leaves so I uppotted them to a 1 gallon plastic bags. Some progressed into small fig plants but majority lost their leaves and stopped growing. I have about 40 plastic pots. I don't know what I should do? If they show sign of rot, I throw them out. Buy some have their sap white. Please help me. I am at lost. For the ones that are growing, I will buy fertilizers and start right away. Thank you so much for helping.

[@cesarcabanillas9333]

So do you not water trees that are in containers during the first frost date and the last frost date? It doesn’t rain to much in Central California the area I live.

[@vonries]

Thanks

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@AM-lz2jr]

Should you buy rooted cuttings with less than 90 of the growing season remaining? Or wait until spring?

[@supernovahk19]

The local nursery just started to have fig tree in stock, I got 2 - 5 gallons of small, young fig tree ( approx. 3’ tall ), they both have few small green figs on them… I still have some 65 -72 F days, zone 10, will I be able to have the fruit in time as I fertertize them with 90 days schedule or I should let them go dormant as soon as November comes? Thank you in advance.

[@carolkandall5438]

Great video but when do I stop adding Epsom salt and bone meal

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You shouldn't add epsom salt more than 2-3 times all year, total, if you're growing in containers. If you're growing in-ground, the trees may never need epsom salt. Epsom salt should only be used if you're seeing signs of a magnesium or sulfur deficiency with in-ground trees, and only 2-3 times in containers because containers get flushed out with rain, so using it a few times a season isn't a terrible ideal. Bone meal you can stop using around 90 days before your first frost or so.

[@donnaz1961]

This is fantastic! Just what I'v been looking for! ❤️ If I may ask, can this process also be used on let's say potted lemon tree, orange tree or how about apomegranate tree? I have so much going on since my retirement and I really don't know what I'm doing. I've been singing it. LOL

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. The short answer is yes, you should ramp down fertilizing for every tree that goes into a dormant period. You don't want to fertilize your tree while it's trying to go to sleep. It could get damaged from a winter freeze that way. However, different trees may require different dates and durations. You may need to modify this plan for other trees, especially something like citrus that usually ripen their fruit December through February. You don't want to starve a tree while they're trying to ripen their fruits, so citrus really need special attention. If you're growing citrus indoors, or in a tropical climate, you probably never want to starve them. That probably goes for other tropical trees like mangoes, avocados and more that don't have a natural dormant period. My avocado flowers in January, so I can't ever starve it. This is really more for deciduous trees.

[@donnaz1961]

@@TheMillennialGardener thank you so much for that complete explanation. Honestly this is the first time I didn't scratch my head wondering, what did I just read, Lol You are very thorough. Don't ever change! 👍❤️ Oh stay healthy and safe thought this madness! 🙏 For all!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

DonnaZ I’m happy to help. Thank you, you stay safe as well.

[@nmaryam9214]

I got new plant. Its around two feet long with bottom two inch stem as hard and brown. It has only three leaves and I see one new leaf coming at tip. Also, it has one fig half grown and one small fig emerging. Should I let figs grow or cut them and allow plant to help in growing? Please reply...

[@AnarchAnjel]

Thank you :)

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome!

[@saadiaahmed3751]

Thanks for sharing yr. knowledge 🙏🏼

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You’re welcome!

[@02155Tony]

After my plants go dormant in zone 6 do I water at any time? They are stored in a basement 40/50 degrees. Should I still cover or leave as is ? Can I prune any time of year? Thank you, Tony Tello

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Yes, you will have to water them, but very sparingly. Maybe only a cup or two every 2-3 weeks. You have to keep an eye on them. You cannot let them completely dry out or they will die. However, you can’t leave the soil damp or the roots will rot. You have to feel your way through it. The best time of year to prune is during dormancy. It doesn’t shock the plant as badly. Pruning during growth phase may shock your plant and disturb the fruiting cycle, or cause fruit to drop.

[@loumonti10]

Fig trees need much more water during dormancy than what has been generally understood! Too many growers are making a big mistake by not watering their trees sufficiently while being stored for the Winter. Do not overwater your trees during this period because it takes too long for them to dry out, but be certain to water them sufficiently, and often, whenever the container becomes light and has obviously become too dry. Rule of thumb, water when needed!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Lou Monti's Figs I’ve found a good indicator is when the soil starts to contract enough that it “pulls away” from the container. That means it is too dry and needs water. It is much harder to find that balance in dormancy when they’re in storage.

[@mimosel1]

Hello. I have subscribed and followed your channel since November 2021 to learn how to grow figs. Could you read my 1st message about the problem of cuttings that died back their leaves. What should I do to save them? It's about 40 plastic pots of 1 gallon in shade. Help me please, please. I am newbie to figs growing.

[@pamdavis9688]

Wonderful and clear video. I have a question though: What to do if the entire growing season is only 90 days? Our last frost date is mid May (sometimes June) and the first in mid September. I had planned to bring the fig into the house for the winter, as is now has a few figs on it and we have already had 35 degrees at night. I am expecting a hard frost next week. Should I start counting the 90 days now for the fertilizing schedule? I can move it to an unheated green house later (or now?) --or to the garage which is heated to 40 degrees. Help!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Main crop figs grow on new year’s wood. It takes fig trees about 45-60 days to bud out and put on new growth and form the first figlets. Then, it takes another 75-90 days to ripen them, and that’s assuming you’re averaging temps in the 80’s at ripening time. A fig, truly, needs around 150 days or so to ripen. Your growing season will make growing figs impossible without some kind of greenhouse, or some method of an enormous head start with grow lights. Bear in mind, it is more than just staying frost-free. They need to ripen in heat to have good flavor. Figs are a fruit that require a long, warm summer for ideal taste.

[@PopPop-cw2tt]

I am in the Charlotte NC area and have one year old fig trees in gallon size pots. Where should I store my fig trees after they are dormant and past date of first frost? Does one of the videos cover this? Should I transfer to larger pots this fall or wait until spring? Thank you for all great videos.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I don't store my fig trees here in Zone 8a in Wilmington. Fig trees are tolerant of hard freezes once dormant and do not suffer damage until nights fall into the teens and single digits. If I know an annual minimum temp is coming, I may push them up against the side of the house, because the house is a radiation heat source and provides several degrees of protection. You should transplant figs into larger containers while they are still dormant, but on the back half of winter closer to spring. Late February is usually a good time to do that here, because the trees are still dormant, but they'll be waking up soon.

[@2010Mrturk]

How does the green growth lignify Isit naturally. Will it still lignify while being fertilised. I have recently up potted and was trying to get as much growth on as I can before dormancy.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Fig wood lignifies on its own over time. It takes something around 3 months for the wood to harden. Eventually, once it gets thick enough in caliper, it'll start turning brown and harden up. Fertilizing helps the lignifying process, because it encourages the plant to grow larger. The wider the caliper, the harder the wood. Just be aware that new growth at this point in the year will not have time to lignify before frost in most locations susceptible to frost damage. This is why I don't give much nitrogen this time of year. I don't want to encourage new growth.

[@maranscandy9350]

Have you evaluated Texas Blue Giant fig? It on the Burpee website.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

No. I have heard it is the same or similar to Brown Turkey / Brunswick /Magnolia. I have come to favor figs that drip honey from the eye with a syrupy interior. I’m not a fan of the melon-y or sugary types. I don’t think I would get much from that variety.

[@saadiaahmed3751]

Hi..... I would like to know what proportion of fertilizer I should used now my fig tree they r budding from tip to get stronger stem & leaves. I am in NC TIA

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Saadia Ahmed I cover it in great detail in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6TFn4dor82Nf8U I recommend your first couple feedings are with a high nitrogen fertilizer, like MiracleGro All Purpose 24-8-16. After the first couple, back off to MiracleGro Tomato 18-18-21 or another balanced type, like a 5-5-5, 10-10-10 or 20-20-20. Too much nitrogen will reduce fruit formation.

[@rickj1135]

Hi, how often do you apply soluble fertilizer throughout the growing season? Is some videos you recommend every 10-14 days, but in this video, your charts shows every 7 days. Thanks

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It varies based on the time of the year. I have a complete playlist dedicated to fertilizing figs based on time of year here: kzbin.info/aero/PL1gY7BoYBGIFNbJEUdApbh_E57uNBLG2j

[@dameion24]

Thanks again for all your great info! I followed all your information to the letter and my baby Violette de Bordeaux literally exploded, this is the first year of its life so I did not get any figs. But I got a bunch of thick big stems and I took out some of the big suckers and routed themand they got really big also following your plan they're pretty big single stem so it's really amazing what your info did for my Violette de Bordeaux thank you, do you have any helpful hints for me about watering over winterization how much how often I'll be keeping it in the basement some people suggested putting a black bag over the figI'm only about 15 to 20 days away from frost in this thing still has a bunch of green leaves on it nothing is dropped or turned yellow yet

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Vinny Bagadonuts thanks for the compliments. Is any of your wood brown hardwood, meaning lignified? If so, I recommend you allow your trees to get hit with frost and drop all their leaves. It is important the trees go into dormancy and drop their leaves before you store them. Technically, you don’t need to bring them in until temps drop below 20F, but if the tree is small and is mostly green wood, 20F could damage it. Watering over the winter is tough. You can’t let the tree dry out, but you also shouldn’t keep the soil moist or it could cause root rot. My rule of thumb is if the soil is “pulling away” from the container, the soil is too dry. What is your climate zone? I am in Zone 8, so I won’t be storing my trees inside. I’ll just move them up against the brick house. I almost never see temps below 20F - maybe 2-3 nights a year and only for a couple hours.

[@dameion24]

@@TheMillennialGardener The Millennial Gardener I live up in North East New York in the Albany areaand yes my tree has some green on it but most of it is nice Brown hardwood I'm wondering if I should just put it on the back porch so it can go through the normal day and night cycles and it will still experience the temperature drop without the freeze I really hate for that new wood to die off it is starting to Brown up

[@Santiago_sleeps]

what if I have a heated greenhouse I can winter over in? I live in zone 6 - Rhode Island.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

There are many folks in RI growing figs. You can keep them in a heated greenhouse, sure, but you should let them go dormant and store them around 40 degrees or so. They should be chilled to discourage leaf growth, but not kept below freezing. A garage is also sufficient if it doesn’t freeze. So is a basement or crawl space that meets those requirements above.

[@nmnate]

We're just over 60 days here to the first frost. Guess we need to start ramping down. What are your thoughts on using something like bone meal / potash / micronutrients at normal levels while keeping the nitrogen levels minimal? I would assume that a lot of those would fall under your slow release fertilizer category.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

NM Nate correct, that’s the idea behind the slow release regimen. I’ve never given any of my plants no nitrogen while supplying P and K. You could certainly try, but I would sooner use a 5-5-5 or find a lower nitrogen feed. Most stores will have a 3-5-5 or a 2-5-3 or something low in N.

[@Moonlight76876]

Thanks for reminder to slow down fertilizing. You where also using Alaska Fish emulsion toghather with soluble 18 18 21, but you didn't mention anything about that ! Please explain. Thanks.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Moonlight D I add Alaska Fish Fertilizer as a source of micro-nutrients. My theory is when it comes to synthetic fertilizers, they only contain what the manufacturer decides to put in there. They aren’t nutritionally complete, and over time if you only fertilize with synthetics, you could develop nutritional deficiencies in your plants. I add fish fertilizer as a source of vitamins and minerals to prevent nutrient deficiencies. My theory is because it is made of whole, decomposing fish, it contains every micronutrient in nature. I don’t use it as a “fertilizer” in my mind because it isn’t very potent, especially compared to synthetics like MiracleGro. It does contain significant nitrogen, but not enough to substantially alter a chemical synthetic unless you use a whole lot of it. If you use it as your main source of N-P-K, you’re going to go broke really fast! It isn’t cheap. That’s the main reason I rely on synthetics. Soluble organics are profoundly expensive.

[@Moonlight76876]

@@TheMillennialGardener So I understand that it is not necessary to use Alaska emulsion the rest of season ? And start using it in spring at first fertilizing ?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Moonlight D at this point in the year, you probably don’t need it unless you live in Zone 9 and warmer where you won’t see frost for a long time yet. It is more important at bud break after frost and getting the trees growing and producing.

[@great0789]

Sounds like I have been starving my one fig I have in a container. I only fertilize in the spring, mid summer, and fall after dormancy with rich organic. I will be putting it into the ground soon. Hopefully it won't take off too much when I do. I will keep the fertilizer low I suppose. Just add organic matter, and pay attention to drainage and mulch. I have an improved Meyer Lemon in another pot that survived temps in the teens!!! It completely defoliated and lost all branches. I pruned them off the next spring and nothing was green. Assumed it was lost. Then it sprung back to life and exploded with growth. In just a single season it is bigger than before actually. The mayor lemon is not supposed to survive below 25F! The part that survived... was as you said... the hardened wood with thick bark. I may plant out that thing into the ground in my front flower bed micro climate. It will survive here in 8a for sure... but get knocked back into a small bush every few years. I can temporarily pile up some deep mulch around the trunk during deep freezes to ensure it comes back the following year. What is cool is the fruit can hang on the tree for 5 months and just gets sweeter. It would do wonderfully in an unheated greenhouse. Survived temps in the teens in one several years ago and had only minimal dieback.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You are definitely starving a container fruit tree fertilizing with compost. That just isn’t going to cut it. That can work in ground if you have built your soil over many years and you’re in rich loam that holds nutrients and you have deep roots to search for food, but doing that in a bucket that washes out every time you water or it rains will starve and stunt your plants. Liquid soluble feed is needed for great production, in my opinion. A cold hardy citrus study was done around Savannah years ago, and is the most definitive study on cold tolerant citrus I’ve ever seen. That was on the 8b/9a line. Meyer lemons could not survive. They aren’t reliable in temps below 20-25. You may have gotten lucky, and I would not expect that poor tree to keep coming back. I do intend to try my luck with a small Meyer, but I want to plant it right up against the brick and keep it small via aggressive pruning and give it a lot of protection as an experiment. I consider them closer to 9a hardy. Same as my avocado. Maybe you have an exceptionally strong one. Plants are like people. Some are runts and have a lot of recessive genes and problems. Others are strong and are the equivalent of bodybuilding centenarians.

[@great0789]

The Millennial Gardener I will pick up the fertilizer routine then on the potted plants. That lemon tree is many years old so the bark in the base trunk is thicker. Probably what saved it. It was only supposed to be 25F that night but it dipped way lower. I suggest keeping citrus in a pot for several years to toughen up before attempting the outside/in ground. They seem to get way tougher after a while. I do have a perfect spot facing due south... with the house to the north and garage/brick steps blocking wind from the west. So it would collect heat and block wind both during the winter. I may order an Arctic Frost satsuma. They are supposed to be hardy down to 9F after three to 5 years. But only mid 20s first couple of years. So I would get a large pot and keep it indoors for three years or so (during the winter) and then put outside into the ground. With a blanket on the super cold days. After a few years just leaving it unprotected and just see what happens.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

MySuburbanHomestead I have heard Arctic Frost is such hype. I’ve read of many disappointed people. The proven winter is Owari. I know that can be grown in north-central SC unprotected. These new fancy-named hybrids aren’t proven yet. An Owari grafted onto trifoliate rootstock is a proven winner, so I went with that.

[@great0789]

The Millennial Gardener OK I will read up on them. How is yours doing? I have 4 improved meyer lemon tree cuttings from last Summer still growing in the aquaponics system outside. They are starting to take off now and get bushy. I will be pulling them up and putting into pots soon when I bring the system down from Virginia Beach. I will let them harden off for a year or two in pots and give two of them a go out in the yard since I only have room for 3 large pots on my small deck(mother plant is there already). I will build the soil up in my protected spot for now. Getting it rich and ready.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@great0789 so far my Owari is doing excellent. It was loaded with hundreds of fruits this spring, but I transplanted it in April and it could not hold them all first year, obviously. You should only keep 1 fruit per 40 leaves or so - all dropped naturally but four, which is ironic because it has 4 strong branches. Perfect! Mother Nature at work. The four are swelling to the size of tennis balls. I expect to harvest them this fall. Here is a cold hardy citrus study to research in depth: www.walterreeves.com/uploads/pdf/coldcitrus.pdf

[@debraarizona4809]

Great info!😊👍I have a Question: what should I do with young fig plants in 2 gallon pots with green stems and leaves?[started cuttings in September.😐 Should I bring them in, or pinch? them?🤔 I live in Phoenix Az.the weather is still warm durning the day 68* and 58* at night. Still learning need your advice teacher I'm confused😳

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Debra Arizona if you’re in Phoenix, you probably don’t need to do much. You should not be fertilizing them anymore at this point and allowing that green growth to lignify (turn into brown hardwood). Don’t fertilize, because that will make new green growth and you don’t want that. Once lignified, figs in your climate will have absolutely no problems. However, keep in mind that green growth will be damaged by frost, so if you think frost is a possibility, bring the tree in that night. I know it doesn’t get truly cold in your climate, but it is actually the reduction of light that triggers dormancy in plants more than temperatures. Your days are still short this time of year, and you need to let your tree go to sleep and drop its leaves. If you think the green growth is still growing, yes, pinch them. You want to stop that green growth if possible.

[@debraarizona4809]

@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions😊👍. I will do as you say, getting right on it. Thank you 🤗 Millennial Gardener (Educator🍎) Sending a little sun shine🌞

[@TheMillennialGardener]

​@@debraarizona4809 I'm happy to say it was 65 and sunny today, and supposed to be between 65-70 and cloudless for the next few days. We don't get Phoenix levels of sun, but out of the 3,111 counties in the continental US, my county is the 384th sunniest (Maricopa County is #9). We still are blessed with amazing sunshine here - we get more annually in southeastern NC than southern Italy! Thanks for the kind words; I'm glad to help where I can.

[@debraarizona4809]

@@TheMillennialGardener 😊

[@lynutermark1454]

According to Farmers Almanac, December 6th is my first frost date.... I likely doubt it tho.

[@brandonhughes0114]

Would you follow this the same for in-ground fig trees, as far as pinching them to stop the green growth 90 days before frost?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Brandon Hughes for an in-ground fig tree, I would pinch only if you live in an area where your in-ground figs experience significant die-back. If you do not see die-back, I wouldn’t worry about pinching. If you do see die-back, it would be a good experiment to see if pinching to stop growth lessens the die-back. Obviously, for fertilizing, the schedule is different. You probably won’t use much soluble fertilizer with an in-ground tree, and would instead be applying much larger quantities of slow-release at less frequent intervals.

[@brandonhughes0114]

I'm just down the road in Southport. A lot of the figs I planted this year haven't grown that much at all. They look fine but not much growth. I'm sure the dry summer hasn't helped but I have watered them a few times when I can. A couple that I planted last year have grown a lot more though with same growing conditions so I don't think I'm doing anything wrong.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Brandon Hughes did you plant them in-ground? If that’s the case, they’ll spend a ton of energy growing roots the first year. One of the benefits of containers is they become rootbound quickly and fruit early because of it. When planted in the ground, their roots will grow and grow and grow. When I put a number of my trees in-ground next year, I’m expecting very little fruit...less than this year as new rooted cuttings.

[@brandonhughes0114]

@@TheMillennialGardener ah, that's good to know. I figured this but still surprised at how slow they've grown. If you're ever selling some cuttings I might be interested. Thanks!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Brandon Hughes I don’t expect to have a lot of cuttings this year since it is year one, but I have an extra Marseilles Black VS in a 1 gal pot that’s too big to ship if you’re interested. I’m right up 133, probably 20 mins from you.

[@samialsahhar9621]

Great job. Thx!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching.

[@francine4509]

Why is my fig tree drooping and figs are soft and shriveled. Tree is planted in a 5 gallon pot.

[@datugintuong464]

But in tropics there is no dormancy .the weather is always optimum for growth and flowering.

[@nickangelovski4358]

👍

[@napolissc7]

About 4 weeks ago I had a bunch of my trees turning yellow. The temp was not dropping yet and it looked like they were over watered. I was thinking I may have added to much time released fertilizer in the beginning of the season and the roots were just experiencing the impact. I was out of the country for about 3 weeks now but the temps are dropping (upstate NY). For sure my soil “may” be too dense and or they were getting root bound but I thought I cut them all back in the spring.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Lee Petraglia figs are deciduous trees. It sounds like you’re just losing your leaves because your season is over. Trees do not lose their leaves based on temperature. It is based on the wavelength of sunlight. As fall approaches, the light waves of the sun that reach us contain less blue wavelengths and more red wavelengths. Leaves are green because they absorb blue light very well. When the sun starts turning orange in the fall, the leaves turn orange and red as a measure to absorb the orange and red wavelengths of light that now dominate the sunshine that reaches us. Your leaves are turning yellow because it is fall and there is very little blue light left to warrant green leaves. Remember, color we see is the ABSORPTION of light. Red leaves absorb red light. Eventually, the sun becomes so weak with low energy red light, the leaves drop and the trees go dormant. This is also what makes cats and dogs shed. Red light makes hair grow. That’s why dogs and cats get thick coats in the fall. It is controlled by the reddening light of the sun, which prepares them for the winter chill. Similarly, blue light makes hair fall out, which is why cats and dogs shed in the spring. As the earth tilts toward the sun in spring and light becomes bluer again, cats and dogs lose their coats, which keeps them cool for the summer. This is why they promote red light therapy as a treatment for hair loss. Cool, right?

[@napolissc7]

The Millennial Gardener OK. Let’s keep in touch. What is your ideal soil mix?

[@marandlen]

“Standing O”

[@marshabalderrama8903]

You are the Fig guru. By the way, how’s your Layla Cold Hardy Avocado Tree doing?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Marsha Balderrama thank you! The Lila Avocado is doing awesome. It has more than doubled in size. Tons of new growth and leaves, but it hasn’t gotten much taller, which is exactly why I selected the variety. I need to do an update soon when I find time after I get my summer garden converted over to my fall garden.