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Poorly Fig Tree

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Wednesday, 30th June 2010

  I bought a fig tree last year, I planned to overwinter it in the house but mid November found it crawling with red spider mite and turfed it back outdoors....Then the snow came....and came...and some more came...
  
  I didn't expect it to survive. One night it was an appaling -12 but May came and finally my little fig tree produced leaves. I was genuinely thinking it was a gonner!
  
  Anyway 3 weeks ago the still very small leaves started to wilt. It wasn't dry, I dug it out of the pot, no vine weevil. I wondered if I had overwatered it but it didn't smell bad as overwatering often does? This week I notice shoots from the roots where the tree meets the soil? Can anyone shed any light on this as I am totally stumped!?
  
  Many Thanks

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by bookertoo (U3655866) on Wednesday, 30th June 2010

  Fig trees do not need any coddling, mine has been outside in a narrow bit of bed to contain the roots, for amny years. It has been alternately baked and frozen, dry and soaked, yet I chop off barowloads each year because I grow it to get the huge leaves as a statement not the fruit (I know, I know, but that is just how it is!)
  
  At some point the branches on the upper part of your tree got damaged, maybe cold after being indoors, and the tree is not going to bother with them any more. It is now putting out new ones to replace those which it feels are damaged. I'd go along with the tree and remove the braches which are looking ill - tree knows best.
  
  It might be feeling the pinch around its roots in the pot, it will need a good sized one if you think how big a fig tree would like to grow - mine is in the ground, with a certain amount of root restriction, it is about 12 foot high and up to 15 foot across where it is tied into the fence, I chop off all that sticks out more than a couple of feet, so it is flat and open work. They really will take an enormous amount of abuse as you can imagine from they way I treat mine. I imagine you want fruit from yours, most people do, so it will like a nice feed when the new shoots get bigger. On the whole they are pretty easy customers, or at least mine is and the many people who have had a rooted cutting of it say theirs are too - and they fruit as well!
  
  Don't suppose this has been alot of help, but maybe will make you feel a but better in that it will almost certainly survive and grow no matter what happends to it.

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• Message 3

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  Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Thursday, 1st July 2010

  Thank you Bookertoo, on the contrary, that's a great help! Bit of a random question but what do you use the leaves for?
  
  It has virtually started again from the ground. Do I chop down the entire tree and start from scratch? the shoots are shooting from where the tree meets the soil?
  
  I saw so many in Portugal last year and assumed with the Medeterranian popularity that they wouldn't be hardy. How wrong I was! That's one tough little tree!

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by bookertoo (U3655866) on Thursday, 1st July 2010

  I'd love to say 'a swim suit'!!
  
  In fact the plant just marks the end of a long border with alot of quite small leaved planting in it, so it comes to `n end with a statement! I don't actually like figs to eat, so the fact I don't let it fruit is no problem to me. I got the plant as a free gift from my lovely neighbour who grows all sorts of exotica from seeds of fruits left over from her greengrocer stall - She had sown several and they all germinated - she was delighted to pass one over the fence to me, about 10 years ago now, and we were very happy to say 'ta ever so', not quite knowing what to do with it. Would not be without it now, everyone loves it, the leaves get huge because I keep cutting it back, its lovely.
  
  If there is no growth coming from the earlier stems, I'd be inclined to take them down, and let the tree grow multi-stemmed from the bottom shoots. As I say, you virtually can't kill it!

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Paull2 (U14064177) on Thursday, 1st July 2010

  Fig trees can be touchy when young but whatever the outcome here, take 3 or 4 6" cuttings to hedge your bets. Figs usually take very well as cuttings throughout the year -- cut clean at the join of old and new wood) and leave a smallish leaf on or cut in half larger one.

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Friday, 2nd July 2010

  Thanks Bookertoo,
  
  Hmmm...you've just given me an idea!
  
  I bought mine 2 years ago from Morrisons. It was in the "sick bay" and only cost £2.50. Turned out the poor thing was just dying for a drink!
  
  I'll chop away then. I know what you mean about the leves though. They are fabulous!
  
  Paull, the problem with cuttings is that I think the whole tree is dead? There are no laves on it whatsoever, the only lively looking bits being the 2 green shoots that have appeared at he base?
  
  I might have a go at raising some seeds though. We tried apples and lemons earlier this year (I have an 8 year old, it was her idea) and they're a good few inches tall now!
  
  Amazing the miracles of this gardening malarky!

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by bookertoo (U3655866) on Friday, 2nd July 2010

  it's wonderful what you can grow from fruit seeds - would not expect your 8 years old fruis seed trees to get fruits though, but they an & do make superb house plants. You do hear of the occasional orange tree that flowers, but even if they did, it would be many years from now - enjoy those lovely glossy leaves meantime.
  
  Be patient with the fig, just let those base shoots grow, he'll do well given a chance.
  
  I love rescuing 'dead' plats from places, I have a lovely contorted hazel which I got from a shop for 99p several years ago - it' a major point in the garden now!! They were quite sure it was dead.

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Saturday, 3rd July 2010

  I'm the worlds worst (or best depending on your outlook!) I'm just outright cheeky. Most of the time all they need is a drink. Some die but...
  
  I've gotten 4 blueberry bushes from B&Q for 10p each as they had no labels and nobody "knew what they were" My peach, apple and pear tree cost a fiver from Woolies, all came with a contorted willow for free and all survived. All my bedding plants this year came in packs, drooping from dryness for 10p for 6 and our local B&Q, if compost gets burst it goes in a crate and gets marked down to half price. As long as you have a boot liner or a hoover. Never fear going to the helpdesk and saying "ths plant looks like it will die, can I have it cheaper please" Works every time!
  
  Seeds though....this is a whole new world of stinginess opening up here I feel!
  
  Thanks Bookertoo

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