Where Did 2016 Go?

I apologize for not updating Figs Fort Smith all year.  It was a good year.  Our figs grew well and we got to eat a lot of good ones and some not so good, but that is to be expected from young trees.

We have determined our favorite figs so far to be mostly among the dark varieties with a few exceptions I will mention in a bit.

Here are a few fig photo's of ones we got to enjoy...

Raspberry Latte took top taste honors for 2016.  It's got a very distinct, intense berry flavor and a not often seen pink flesh under the skin.  Beautiful and delicious.

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Valley Black.  This fig is a new variety, discovered by Brian Melton around Fresno, California as a chance seedling, growing in a back yard.  To our knowledge, we are the first people in the country to have gotten ripe figs from this variety, away from its home state, proving it to be a common fig that sets fruit without caprification by the fig wasp.  

At first we thought it was going to be a smyrna variety, requiring the wasp, because it dropped many of the first figs before they developed.  Then one day this fig was noticed low on the tree and covered by ants.  Ants know a good fig!  

It doesn't look like the pollinated figs from the mother tree, which is expected.  Maroon outer skin with an amber pulp, this fig is definitely one to watch.  It was among the best tasting of the figs this year and should only improve and get larger as the trees age.  

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Some Celeste figs, harvested from a tree in Fort Smith.  We introduced the new owner of the property to her first ever fig.  She said it was like eating a little peach.  

MBVS is very berry and delicious.  Top ten.

Lebanese Yellow, sweet, not much else.

Smith is an excellent fig!

Cucumber, not our favorite but at the recommendation of others we're going to give it some time.

Sal's EL, top ten.

Black Bethlehem, very good, top ten.

All very good figs in the photo below, notably Sister Madeline's Unk Yellow Italian.  We learned not all yellow figs are alike.  This is one excellent fig and earns a top spot among the dark figs.  

Stella, a very good green/yellowish skin fig.  Very cold hardy.

Nero 600M very tasty.

Sister Madeline's Green Greek.  Top Ten.  We have narrowed this variety down to probably be the same as Vasilika Sika (fat leaf).  If not then a very close relative.

We only put a few of the more rare potted varieties into the garage for winter storage.  All the rest are taking a beating outside.  Some partially protected by covering the base of the trunks with dead grass piles and some are just sitting out there in pots.  Those are the ones we can live without and so they are being tested for cold hardiness.  Getting a good test this winter as temperatures have dipped into the low teens some nights.

The 2017 fig season is already underway.  Instead of overwintering fig cuttings outside like last winter, they are in grow bags in the garage...

Mostly Sister Madeline's Green Greek, planned for a community orchard project at Coop Prairie Church and a few other new varieties given to us and traded for.  These will be kept barely moist through the winter and set outside as the weather warms up.

Also as an addition to the Coop Prairie Community Orchard, we received a big box full of Hardy Chicago Fig cuttings from R Cantor in Missouri.  Thanks Bob! 

Washing the cuttings in soapy water.

Set out to dry before dipping the ends in wax.

Our very modest indoor project for the winter.  Got to have something going!

That's about it for now.  In the next week we hope to get some pruning jobs done for people in and around Fort Smith, especially this one we will leave you with.  A very unique fig in the Fort we're going to call Pear Jelly until such a time as a positive ID on the variety may be made.  It looks and tastes like pear jelly with a touch of cinnamon!

Fig Trees/Cuttings, Spring 2016 continued

A lot has happened since our last post on March 10, namely, several killing freeze nights, one in particular down to between 24 and 26 F.  

Every fig we had taken out of the winter grow room project and out of hibernation in the garage were left out, on purpose with a purpose, to see what would survive.  We simply don't want any wimpy fig varieties.

Out of all our varieties, one stands alone as the cold hardy champ, Stella.  She never lost a leaf and kept two of her three breba figs on through it all, never once slowing down or stunting, even with thick, hard frosty ice covering our car, right next to the driveway figs on several nights.

That photo was taken 4/12/16.  Stella was put in-ground a few weeks ago where she continues to grow and enlarge her breba's.

Honorable mention goes to Green Ischia, Armenian (small eye var), Black Jack and Texas BA-1 which all kept some leaves.  

Every other variety suffered partial to total die back of leaves and stem to the ground but all have either pushed out new buds from lower growth that didn't die or have pushed out new shoots from under the soil surface. We did not lose a single plant to cold and only one was a loss in the garage over winter, a small VdB in a terra cotta pot that most certainly dried out from being in a porous container and under-watered.

So, what the heck are we going to do with all these figs that just won't die?  

LOL!  I don't know who created that but I love it!  We will grow all the figs!

Since pushing the boundaries of what figs will survive, we sacrificed a lot of figs we likely would have gotten had we protected all the trees, but we learned in the process. Figs are tougher than some would lead to believe.

Now an update on the fig cuttings we overwintered in compost, in the gallon sized, economy Root Pouch Grow Bags on the back patio and front porch.  They too suffered from quite a long spell of cold to cool nights this Spring and are just now really starting to push out buds and leaves.  

So far the count off the back patio is fourteen each of Hardy Chicago and Sister Madeline's Green Greek, with one Jim Dandy that has already been given to my friend who discovered the mother tree.  Hope we get a few more of those!

From the front porch grow bags surviving. Black Madeira and Galicia Negra which have already been up-potted and set elsewhere, Vista, Valley Black, Unk Sheepshead, Unk Carini, Nero 600 M, Kenny Blackbird Local Green, IGO Yellow, Unk J. Spruill, Texas White Everbear. LSU Tiger, Sal's, Sicilian Red. Safrawi and Unk Durbrow Seedless, still under the porch, look to bust buds any day now.  Many of these we have multiples of since some bags were loaded with more than one cutting. Newly rooted cuttings are sensitive though, time will show the true survivors. 

I'm pretty confident we can consider the rooting of fig cuttings, outdoors over winter, a success.  For the expense and effort involved, not much, we have already gained many new fig starts with surely more to come.  We simply stuck a bunch of cuttings into a bunch of growbags, in compost and let nature have at it, except for keeping the front porch bags moist with a garden hose sprayer about once per week if dry at finger depth..  

All the fig trees which were in white, 5gal pails that overwintered in the garage were set in-ground, along the South border of the yard and in the back yard in neat rows.  The bucket bottoms were removed and the buckets were buried to about 2/3 deep.  This leaves a 1/3 above ground level so we have a small "drier" zone in case of heavy rain and ground saturation, which we have had and all seem to be doing fine, having recovered from freeze and putting out new growth.

We still have many fig trees that overwintered in the garage in plastic, gallon size trade pots and other various shape containers.  The ones in gallon pots, we recycled the winter grow room bucket bottoms to become irrigation reservoirs.  A drain hole is drilled into each, 1" from the bottom so excess drains out in case of heavy rain.  

That's about it for now.  When some more 5gal pails are acquired, we'll set some more of the driveway figs and other rooted cuttings in-ground, somewhere in the yard.  Many will go to friends and other various places where trade deals have been made and promises to keep. 

Fig Trees/Cuttings, Spring 2016

Has been awhile. Winter was pretty mild, compared to the last two and it looks like it ought to be a great year for Figs!

We shuffled ninety-four potted Fig trees and last Fall's rooted cuttings from the garage onto the driveway.  Every one looks to be alive with green buds.  They were only watered one time, about midway through Winter, from the time we put them in till now.

Unknown Lake Spur is the first to throw out a leaf.

We have sixty-eight (added ten since photo was taken), gallon size Root Pouch grow bags with various cuttings that were acquired over Winter in trades and some gifted to us.  More about these particular grow bags later. 

Below we have one-hundred eighty-six grow bags overwintered on the back patio, covered with several inches of leaves as their only protection.  They were uncovered last weekend and all appear to be fresh as the day they were set into the bags and some with green buds.  

One-hundred Hardy Chicago and fifty Jim Dandy (50% of live plants going back to the owners of mother trees that donated cuttings),  along with thirty-six Madelines Green Greek. We'll update on this in a few weeks as they should leaf out soon.

Below we have results of Unk Lake Spur that was left out to overwinter.  Only protection was the compost that covered a portion of the two trunks inside the cut barrel.   All exposed trunk above the compost was Winter killed as it was mostly green wood, not yet lignified or hardened off.  The compost was simply shoveled in and leveled, unpacked and left uncovered.

Removing the barrel and raking back the compost to form a permanent raised mound in our now swamp of a back yard,  we found green wood and pruned off the dead upper material.  There's already a green lateral bud as indicated by the red circle.  These plants should bear figs this year.

I feel it worthy to mention, there was no mold present on the trunks, even though they were covered with moist compost and top left open to rains.  I give credit for this to beneficial microbes in well aerated compost, more below.    

Promised more about the Root Pouch grow bags used this Spring and over the last few months during Winter.  These are the 12-15 month, gallon size from Greenhouse Megastore and cost $0.38 each if purchased in a fifty pack. 

What attracted me to try them?  In my thinking, $0.38 isn't a bad deal if it helps create a healthy rooted Fig cutting that should translate into a Fig tree and as stated on the page...

 "Potted plants and trees will enjoy healthy growth while above-ground, and can be planted directly in the ground, where the pot will biodegrade."

As mentioned in earlier posts in this blog, Fig roots are very easily rotted during the phase of rooting the cuttings, I believe from a combination of plastic or otherwise non-porous containers, too much moisture, too little aeration and not enough beneficial microbes in the mix to combat the nasties like molds and anaerobic bacteria.  

We see the Unk Lake Spur in the above photo.  They sprouted from cuttings that were buried horizontally in compost in the Fall of 2014, overwintered outdoors and came to life in a soggy, saturated pile just a few inches above soggy, saturated mud for ground!  Try that in a plastic bag or pot or cup or anything indoors and see what happens.  

It had to be that the compost was aerated and was full of beneficial microbes that allowed the cuttings to root and eventually flourish.  They out-grew every other rooted cutting last year far as growth.

So, these grow bags just make sense to me, along with the same compost.  They should allow the compost to remain aerated which translates to healthy roots and have the added benefit of being able to go right into the ground or container where roots simply penetrate the bag and keep on growing.  Not ever having to remove the cutting from the bag, often resulting in root shock and delayed growth by transplanting from pots is a big plus in Fig propagation.

That's my theory anyway and I'm sticking to it.  We'll see if I'm correct when all these cuttings leaf out in a few weeks, or not!      

Pruning Fig Trees Around Fort Smith

Rather than re-invent the wheel, so to speak and make a long, repetitive post on how one should prune Fig trees, we would rather refer you to Google and the numerous photo's and pruning tutorials by simply typing "Prune Fig Tree" into the search bar.

What we will do is make some local observations of Fig trees in and around Fort Smith and write why we think you should prune your Fig tree(s) and add to it some degree of Winter protection.

I see them all the time.  Short, stubby Fig bushes that undoubtedly die back to the ground every year and end up with numerous unripe figs at the end of the year.  If the owners do get any ripe figs from them, they are probably of much lesser sweetness and quality than those figs which ripen at the proper time, in the heat of the Summer and early Fall.

To quote a local Fig tree owner when asked if he got to try any ripe figs this year; 

"These aren't very sweet.  I didn't care for them at all"

That was the new owner of the Unknown Lake Spur Fig we have written about previously.  The old mother tree was burned to the ground and re-grew as a bush form from the roots and put on late figs that ripened too late to be any good.  Others have compared this same variety with Ischia Green and JH Adriatic, far as flavor and it ranked right up there with them.

So what's wrong with bush form figs?  Nothing really, providing they are pruned and Winter protected.  Pruning to five or six main trunks on a bush form is much better than say twelve or more trunks that crowd each other out.

Adding Winter protection of some sort to ensure at the very least, the main trunk(s) survive, makes it so the tree does not have to start over from the ground every year, which leads to late forming and late ripening figs, if they ripen at all. 

Pruning will open up space between the limbs, providing aeration and sunlight to the figs, making for a much better fruit quality, taste and size.  Also makes it easier to bind up the limbs come Winter time for wrapping or making a wire cage to fill with leaves or wood chips for insulation.

Getting a Fig tree should be a rewarding experience, yet I know there are countless, disappointed people who think they just can't get a fig tree to make figs!  Prune that bush!  Protect it over Winter and it will reward you in due season.

Now for tree form figs.  These are those which have been pruned early on and/or trained properly to have a main trunk or a few mains.  They usually come up a few feet and branch off to a few main branches which are then pruned back to every year so that new, fruit bearing limbs grow long and healthy, providing bumper crops of figs every season and usually within reach of the owner to easily pick without a very high stepladder.  Nothing particularly wrong with huge fig trees, we're just saying they would produce more, better figs and be easier to harvest and maintain with pruning.

Here is a photo of the Hardy Chicago Fig, owned by the owners of The Squash Blossom Store in Dora, after it's yearly pruning.

This tree is 15 - 20 years old and is considered too tall for some but lets look in detail at the pruning concept behind it.  This year, it has been pruned back to leaving two nodes on limbs of this year's growth.  Next year there will be multiple new limbs grow from every one of those "stubs" as well as random limbs from elsewhere on the tree and they will all put on figs.  It's clear to see it has not been done in this manner all of it's life but has some good main supporting limbs coming off a stout main trunk, nearly the diameter of a five gallon pail.

Some varieties of Fig make two crops each year.  The first, early crop is known as "Breba".  Breba figs form on last year's wood and ripen in early Summer.  The later crop is known as "Main Crop" and will be forming new figlets as the Breba crop is ripening. Main Crop figs usually begin to ripen in the Fort Smith area in August and some varieties continue to ripen Main Crop well into lat Fall, until it gets so cold the figs are of much less sweetness and quality. 

If your particular fig variety is such that makes Breba figs then some year old wood may be desirable if it is a good Breba producer.  Some do not care for Breba figs and prune for new limb production to maximize Main Crop figs.

The Fig forums listed in the right column links contain a lot of information on fig types and pruning techniques, plus a lot of friendly helpful folks who love to answer questions or will gladly guide you to pertinent information.

As for us, we offer free fig tree pruning in and around Fort Smith.  We get the limbs in return and may return some of them back to the owner of the mother tree as rooted cuttings if that is their desire.  Use the contact form in the right column to send us a message if you wish to acquire this service. 

   

Starting a Fig Orchard

Since the Southwest Times Record article, we have been blessed beyond expectation in new fig friends and their trees.  Today begins a new chapter of Figs Fort Smith.  We're going to plant a fig orchard!  

So, John at the Squash Blossom Store in Dora has this huge Hardy Chicago Fig tree we wrote about previously and agreed to let us have all the limbs. We agreed to return a portion of them back to him as rooted cuttings to do with as he will.

Hardy Chicago is a beautiful, cold hardy fig variety and delicious.  It's listed among those figs in the "Berry" category and is a favorite of ours and many other fig enthusiasts.  See how it's just dripping full with fig nectar! 

The tree during early Fall, 2015.

After pruning.  We pruned every limb from two nodes above the previous main limbs.  The five gallon pail gives good size reference to the tree's trunk.  It is situated on the East side of this home so is shaded after noon and has still done fairly well.  Figs usually do best when given full sun.

One hour's worth of pruning, limbs loaded in car and headed home for the real fun of cleaning, cutting and wax sealing the ends and side cuts.

We use a fry daddy, loaded with food grade cheese wax and temperature set at 225 - 250 F.  All the ends are dipped and side cuts are daubed with the handy wax dauber that hangs on the edge of the pot.  Wax and wax daubers are commonly used to seal mushroom log ends and we got both at Field & Forest Products.

Five hours later, we have three, 5 gallon pails of cuttings, sealed and sorted by sizes, small, medium and large.

Our personal "best growing" figs this past year were Unknown Lake Spur that cuttings were buried horizontally under a few inches of wood chips/leaf compost last Winter and sprouted in Spring.  We left them to nature and they showed us what nature can do, other than helping them along with a generous piling on of composted rabbit and sheep manure.

That is somewhat the same plan we have for these and other fig varieties as they are acquired.  Some will be buried horizontally and some will go into Root Pouch grow bags filled with the same compost as last year and then completely covered with it until Spring, when we will update this post as the green shoots appear. :)