pepe said:

our figs are coming on strong now too and with two trees there might need to be some leather making.

Pepe, I made this new thread because I have heavily laden fig tree in the back yard of my rented house. The tree is probably only 2.5 metres high and is so heavily laden that the branches are drooping, the bottom branches sitting on the ground.

Any advice?

I cut one open last weekend, no evidence of fruit fly and frankly the tree is too big for me to try to net. If I loooved figs I might have a different attitude, but (sorry!) have never developed a taste for them.

Yeehah said:

pepe said:

our figs are coming on strong now too and with two trees there might need to be some leather making.

Pepe, I made this new thread because I have heavily laden fig tree in the back yard of my rented house. The tree is probably only 2.5 metres high and is so heavily laden that the branches are drooping, the bottom branches sitting on the ground.

Any advice?

I cut one open last weekend, no evidence of fruit fly and frankly the tree is too big for me to try to net. If I loooved figs I might have a different attitude, but (sorry!) have never developed a taste for them.

my wife loves figs more than i
a ‘leather’ is figs boiled and then pureed in the blender. you get a consistency of puree such that you can spread it ,say, 6mm thick over baking paper. then you dry it in an oven or a dehydrator.
you roll it up and snack on it.

Any other advice re management of the tree?

Also, if the weather is cooling off, are the fruits likely to ripen or not, do you think? We can have frosts in February – haven’t been close to those kind of overnight temperatures yet, though.

And how long do they take to ripen once they start colouring up?

Will they continue to ripen once picked or do they stop?

pepe said:

Yeehah said:

pepe said:

our figs are coming on strong now too and with two trees there might need to be some leather making.

Pepe, I made this new thread because I have heavily laden fig tree in the back yard of my rented house. The tree is probably only 2.5 metres high and is so heavily laden that the branches are drooping, the bottom branches sitting on the ground.

Any advice?

I cut one open last weekend, no evidence of fruit fly and frankly the tree is too big for me to try to net. If I loooved figs I might have a different attitude, but (sorry!) have never developed a taste for them.

my wife loves figs more than i
a ‘leather’ is figs boiled and then pureed in the blender. you get a consistency of puree such that you can spread it ,say, 6mm thick over baking paper. then you dry it in an oven or a dehydrator.
you roll it up and snack on it.

How can anyone not like figs????????????????

Yeehah said:

Any other advice re management of the tree?
Also, if the weather is cooling off, are the fruits likely to ripen or not, do you think? We can have frosts in February – haven’t been close to those kind of overnight temperatures yet, though.
And how long do they take to ripen once they start colouring up?
Will they continue to ripen once picked or do they stop?

i’m a bit cool about figs like you yeehah.
ms pepe picks and eats all in one smooth motion. so i presume they are ripe when picked. ants like figs so if you leave them on the tree there will be an ant invasion.
mine are white figs – but other people will have brown turkeys.

you do prune hard but i’m no expert.

Figs won’t continue to ripen unless you start sun drying them immediately. Usually once picked they will start going off unless something is done with them. They can be refrigerated for a while but not too long. They can be made into great leather as has been suggested or fig jam/conserves. Dried figs are the best way to keep them. Of course they are great to eat fresh and I’ve even seen them cooked on pizza.

Figs won’t ripen once the weather gets too cold. Many fig varieties can have several crops but often the last crop never ripens.

It does pay to pick the best variety for your local climate.

pepe said:

Yeehah said:

Any other advice re management of the tree?
Also, if the weather is cooling off, are the fruits likely to ripen or not, do you think? We can have frosts in February – haven’t been close to those kind of overnight temperatures yet, though.
And how long do they take to ripen once they start colouring up?
Will they continue to ripen once picked or do they stop?

i’m a bit cool about figs like you yeehah.
ms pepe picks and eats all in one smooth motion. so i presume they are ripe when picked. ants like figs so if you leave them on the tree there will be an ant invasion.
mine are white figs – but other people will have brown turkeys.

you do prune hard but i’m no expert.

when I had a fig tree I pruned it hard in winter. Fruit were ripe when it was soft and began to droop on the tree – just after the birds have got to them. although my season was too short, I believe in the right conditions you can get two crops. One in early spring with fruit that has overwintered (no pruning here) and another with fruit that start forming in spring and can be picked summer/autumn.

bubba louie said:

How can anyone not like figs????????????????

Even stranger, there are people in the world who don’t like chocolate. I absolutely cannot understand THAT, lol!!!!!

Yeehah said:

bubba louie said:

How can anyone not like figs????????????????

Even stranger, there are people in the world who don’t like chocolate. I absolutely cannot understand THAT, lol!!!!!

I go through phases with chocolate. At the moment I am off chocolate.

bluegreen said:

when I had a fig tree I pruned it hard in winter. Fruit were ripe when it was soft and began to droop on the tree – just after the birds have got to them. although my season was too short, I believe in the right conditions you can get two crops. One in early spring with fruit that has overwintered (no pruning here) and another with fruit that start forming in spring and can be picked summer/autumn.

Because the weather was so overcast and rainy leading up to about Christmas there was barely any fruit on it – I think I counted less than ten. But after the rain gave up the tree went mad and now literally has hundreds, from barely bigger than buds to a size I’d consider fully grown. But they’re all green. There are couple of other back yards nearby, say less than a block in each direction, that have what looks like the same fig tree. Hard to tell though, without trespassing!

I just hope they do start to ripen before we get some really cold weather happening.

When I had my little cottage on the acre of land I had a cherry plum tree that would be absolutely overwhelmed one year and barely anything the next. In the overwhelmed year I discovered that I actually like plums quite a lot, but in reality there are only so many one can eat without drastic consequences :/

I hope the figs do ripen and I have enough of them to play with and discover, perhaps, that as my tastes may have matured, I could possibly even like them now that I’m in my dotage ;)

Re: dotage. My father-in-law was a fruit-a-holic and figs were high on the list but he confided to me that sadly in later life he had trouble with figs becuse the seeds got stuck in his dentures.

Yes, figs should be pruned hard or the only figs the tree produces will be way out of your reach.. for the birds in other words. Most figs require peeling or break in half eat out the centrs and toss the skin. Some the skin can be eaten but most people prefer the sweet inners to the outers.

Oh fig!
I lerve figs. I ate them often, whenever there was a tree within cooee of me. No space for a fig here though.

bubba louie said:

pepe said:

Yeehah said:

Pepe, I made this new thread because I have heavily laden fig tree in the back yard of my rented house. The tree is probably only 2.5 metres high and is so heavily laden that the branches are drooping, the bottom branches sitting on the ground.

Any advice?

I cut one open last weekend, no evidence of fruit fly and frankly the tree is too big for me to try to net. If I loooved figs I might have a different attitude, but (sorry!) have never developed a taste for them.

my wife loves figs more than i
a ‘leather’ is figs boiled and then pureed in the blender. you get a consistency of puree such that you can spread it ,say, 6mm thick over baking paper. then you dry it in an oven or a dehydrator.
you roll it up and snack on it.

How can anyone not like figs????????????????

raises hand It’s quite easy, actually :D

roughbarked said:

Re: dotage. My father-in-law was a fruit-a-holic and figs were high on the list but he confided to me that sadly in later life he had trouble with figs becuse the seeds got stuck in his dentures.

Yes, figs should be pruned hard or the only figs the tree produces will be way out of your reach.. for the birds in other words. Most figs require peeling or break in half eat out the centrs and toss the skin. Some the skin can be eaten but most people prefer the sweet inners to the outers.

My mother-in-law loves figs, but has the same trouble now she’s had all her teeth pulled out and got dentures instead.

Quick question for your RB – does the top of the fig have to be soft for it to be ripe, or only the bottom? I have never been able to work out the trick to picking them at the right time – one day I’ll check and they’ll be soft at the bottom and hard at the top (with milky sap when you snap them off the tree), but the next time I’ll check they’ll be really soft and droopy and hard to pick without squishing them..

I figure it’s easier to tell when they’re ripe if you actually eat them straight off the tree – but we’re not big fig fans so would prefer to use them for jam or dry them. Moot point for this season though, as my fig tree has finished its second crop for the summer.

Our tree didn’t even have a Single fig on it :(.

figs are great, love ‘em. I’m sure you will too, you have plenty of them :)

trichome said:

figs are great, love ‘em. I’m sure you will too, you have plenty of them :)

love fresh figs, so-so on dried ones, don’t eat jam.

bluegreen said:

trichome said:

figs are great, love ‘em. I’m sure you will too, you have plenty of them :)

love fresh figs, so-so on dried ones, don’t eat jam.

ohh yeah fig jam is great too, what i do miss is the Quince jam, where are all the commercially grown quince trees gone? there used to be a lot more going back a ways in time, as such :)

trichome said:

bluegreen said:

trichome said:

figs are great, love ‘em. I’m sure you will too, you have plenty of them :)

love fresh figs, so-so on dried ones, don’t eat jam.

ohh yeah fig jam is great too, what i do miss is the Quince jam, where are all the commercially grown quince trees gone? there used to be a lot more going back a ways in time, as such :)

I know one nursery that still grows them. When I worked there decades past we used to graft loquats onto quince stock.

roughbarked said:

trichome said:

bluegreen said:

love fresh figs, so-so on dried ones, don’t eat jam.

ohh yeah fig jam is great too, what i do miss is the Quince jam, where are all the commercially grown quince trees gone? there used to be a lot more going back a ways in time, as such :)

I know one nursery that still grows them. When I worked there decades past we used to graft loquats onto quince stock.

loquats are a weed in my district :)

trichome said:

roughbarked said:

trichome said:

ohh yeah fig jam is great too, what i do miss is the Quince jam, where are all the commercially grown quince trees gone? there used to be a lot more going back a ways in time, as such :)

I know one nursery that still grows them. When I worked there decades past we used to graft loquats onto quince stock.

A weed anywhere that gets enough water
loquats are a weed in my district :)

Veg gardener said:

Our tree didn’t even have a Single fig on it :(.

Give it a prune Veg. That’s how ours got the message to produce some fruit.

trichome said:

bluegreen said:

trichome said:

figs are great, love ‘em. I’m sure you will too, you have plenty of them :)

love fresh figs, so-so on dried ones, don’t eat jam.

ohh yeah fig jam is great too, what i do miss is the Quince jam, where are all the commercially grown quince trees gone? there used to be a lot more going back a ways in time, as such :)

Very very seldom do you see quinces in Q. We used to have them quite a lot when I was a kid and I suoppose they came from down south then so what happened. I bet you it’s that the up and coming generations don’t know what to do with them up this way.

pomolo said:

trichome said:

bluegreen said:

love fresh figs, so-so on dried ones, don’t eat jam.

ohh yeah fig jam is great too, what i do miss is the Quince jam, where are all the commercially grown quince trees gone? there used to be a lot more going back a ways in time, as such :)

Very very seldom do you see quinces in Q. We used to have them quite a lot when I was a kid and I suoppose they came from down south then so what happened. I bet you it’s that the up and coming generations don’t know what to do with them up this way.

I just found this recipe for preserved figs while i was looking for images of white plums. Still looking for images of white plums. They are actually yellow I think anyway.

pomolo said:

pomolo said:

trichome said:

ohh yeah fig jam is great too, what i do miss is the Quince jam, where are all the commercially grown quince trees gone? there used to be a lot more going back a ways in time, as such :)

Very very seldom do you see quinces in Q. We used to have them quite a lot when I was a kid and I suoppose they came from down south then so what happened. I bet you it’s that the up and coming generations don’t know what to do with them up this way.

I just found this recipe for preserved figs while i was looking for images of white plums. Still looking for images of white plums. They are actually yellow I think anyway.

Buggadammit. This recipe…………………….

Figs don’t ripen after being picked, and can only be kept for a day or two in a cool pantry. So, with twenty-four perfect figs on hand, it’s time to preserve them for winter feasts.

Select firm, ripe fruit with no marks or splits, rinse gently and let them dry. Prepare a simple medium syrup in one soup pot, dissolving 3 cups of sugar in 6 cups of water and letting it simmer while preparing the 24 figs. If you like, add a stick of cinnamon or a few star anise to the syrup. Wash a lemon and cut into thin slices, to be added to each jar. In another pot half filled with boiling water, blanch the figs for 2 minutes. Scoop them out with a skimmer and immerse in the hot syrup, bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. Sterilize 3 (or 4*) pint jars & lids in a boiling water bath. With tongs, remove the jars; carefully ladle figs into each jar, slip in a lemon slice and top up with the hot syrup, leaving 1/4 ” air space. Wipe rims clean and place lids on, twist to seal. Place in a boiling water bath (use the one in which jars were sterilized), cover and process for 45 minutes. Depending on the size of the fruit, you may need another* jar. Any remaining syrup is ready for poaching pears or nectarines. Let the jars cool away from drafts, let rest for a day, then label and store in a cool, dark place for a month. Then they’ll be ready to serve with a cheese platter, as a sweet garnish for duckling or pork – or as a gift for a fig-loving friend.

pomolo said:

trichome said:

bluegreen said:

love fresh figs, so-so on dried ones, don’t eat jam.

ohh yeah fig jam is great too, what i do miss is the Quince jam, where are all the commercially grown quince trees gone? there used to be a lot more going back a ways in time, as such :)

Very very seldom do you see quinces in Q. We used to have them quite a lot when I was a kid and I suoppose they came from down south then so what happened. I bet you it’s that the up and coming generations don’t know what to do with them up this way.

I hadn’t even heard of them, until I started watching the Cook & The Chef. Mr Bon loves quince paste, but I don’t think it’s safe for me to eat..

pomolo said:

trichome said:

bluegreen said:

love fresh figs, so-so on dried ones, don’t eat jam.

ohh yeah fig jam is great too, what i do miss is the Quince jam, where are all the commercially grown quince trees gone? there used to be a lot more going back a ways in time, as such :)

Very very seldom do you see quinces in Q. We used to have them quite a lot when I was a kid and I suoppose they came from down south then so what happened. I bet you it’s that the up and coming generations don’t know what to do with them up this way.

I see them in greengrocers quite often in season.

bubba louie said:

I see them in greengrocers quite often in season.

i shall have to chat with my greengrocers :)

bubba louie said:

pomolo said:

trichome said:

ohh yeah fig jam is great too, what i do miss is the Quince jam, where are all the commercially grown quince trees gone? there used to be a lot more going back a ways in time, as such :)

Very very seldom do you see quinces in Q. We used to have them quite a lot when I was a kid and I suoppose they came from down south then so what happened. I bet you it’s that the up and coming generations don’t know what to do with them up this way.

I see them in greengrocers quite often in season.

Well they don’t get this far north.

pomolo said:

bubba louie said:

pomolo said:

Very very seldom do you see quinces in Q. We used to have them quite a lot when I was a kid and I suoppose they came from down south then so what happened. I bet you it’s that the up and coming generations don’t know what to do with them up this way.

I see them in greengrocers quite often in season.

Well they don’t get this far north.

If I see any next time I’m due to pay you a visit I’ll bring you a present.

bubba louie said:

pomolo said:

bubba louie said:

I see them in greengrocers quite often in season.

Well they don’t get this far north.

If I see any next time I’m due to pay you a visit I’ll bring you a present.

I’ll be waiting.

pomolo said:

Veg gardener said:

Our tree didn’t even have a Single fig on it :(.

Give it a prune Veg. That’s how ours got the message to produce some fruit.

The tree in the back yard here has probably not been pruned in years and it is seriously overloaded with fruit.

Do figs fruit on this year’s growth, or last year’s or … ?

I can put a fig cutting in the ground and expect to get figs off the new growth within six months from a cutting. Yes new growth.

Love the way this thread is mi?xing and matching without getting too far off topic. why not try quince syrup in the above recipe

roughbarked said:

I can put a fig cutting in the ground and expect to get figs off the new growth within six months from a cutting. Yes new growth.

Love the way this thread is mi?xing and matching without getting too far off topic. why not try quince syrup in the above recipe

Oooh, so if we decide against keeping our fig tree, we could take a cutting and have a fig tree in a pot?

That might be a good compromise – seems a shame to uproot it but I am a bit worried about the plumbing. Could take a whole bunch of cuttings and see if any friends/family/colleagues want some.

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

I can put a fig cutting in the ground and expect to get figs off the new growth within six months from a cutting. Yes new growth.

Love the way this thread is mi?xing and matching without getting too far off topic. why not try quince syrup in the above recipe

Oooh, so if we decide against keeping our fig tree, we could take a cutting and have a fig tree in a pot?

That might be a good compromise – seems a shame to uproot it but I am a bit worried about the plumbing. Could take a whole bunch of cuttings and see if any friends/family/colleagues want some.

As far as propagating from cuttings goes, the fig is one of the easier ones as long the moisture is kept up.

If you try digging under a fig you’ll see why not much else can grow near them.

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

I can put a fig cutting in the ground and expect to get figs off the new growth within six months from a cutting. Yes new growth.

Love the way this thread is mi?xing and matching without getting too far off topic. why not try quince syrup in the above recipe

Oooh, so if we decide against keeping our fig tree, we could take a cutting and have a fig tree in a pot?

That might be a good compromise – seems a shame to uproot it but I am a bit worried about the plumbing. Could take a whole bunch of cuttings and see if any friends/family/colleagues want some.

As far as propagating from cuttings goes, the fig is one of the easier ones as long the moisture is kept up.

If you try digging under a fig you’ll see why not much else can grow near them.

I did try following the advice on Gardening Australia – to go around the tree and shove a spade down to trim the roots. Trouble was, I put my whole weight on the spade and it didn’t sink a mm, so I gave up pretty quickly :D

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

Oooh, so if we decide against keeping our fig tree, we could take a cutting and have a fig tree in a pot?

That might be a good compromise – seems a shame to uproot it but I am a bit worried about the plumbing. Could take a whole bunch of cuttings and see if any friends/family/colleagues want some.

As far as propagating from cuttings goes, the fig is one of the easier ones as long the moisture is kept up.

If you try digging under a fig you’ll see why not much else can grow near them.

I did try following the advice on Gardening Australia – to go around the tree and shove a spade down to trim the roots. Trouble was, I put my whole weight on the spade and it didn’t sink a mm, so I gave up pretty quickly :D

use the motorised path edger to get started.. ;)

My grandmother used an old axe.. I use a mattock.

pomolo said:

Veg gardener said:

Our tree didn’t even have a Single fig on it :(.

Give it a prune Veg. That’s how ours got the message to produce some fruit.

Shall try that when Would be the best time just after winter? It was late growing its leaves back has some bug on it.

Veg gardener said:

pomolo said:

Veg gardener said:

Our tree didn’t even have a Single fig on it :(.

Give it a prune Veg. That’s how ours got the message to produce some fruit.

Shall try that when Would be the best time just after winter? It was late growing its leaves back has some bug on it.

I’ve hacked figs back any old time of year but it is probably easiest when the leaves are off. Aim to keep the tree at an optimal size for you to reach but still able to make use of available light.

roughbarked said:

Veg gardener said:

pomolo said:

Give it a prune Veg. That’s how ours got the message to produce some fruit.

Shall try that when Would be the best time just after winter? It was late growing its leaves back has some bug on it.

I’ve hacked figs back any old time of year but it is probably easiest when the leaves are off. Aim to keep the tree at an optimal size for you to reach but still able to make use of available light.

one of my two figs is kept to a main branch and a diagonal branch. so all the other branches and suckers are removed each winter. when all the leaves have dropped i prune it sooo heavily that it looks like a Y each winter.
it produces good figs and a heck of a leaf canopy each summer.

roughbarked said:

I can put a fig cutting in the ground and expect to get figs off the new growth within six months from a cutting. Yes new growth.

Love the way this thread is mi?xing and matching without getting too far off topic. why not try quince syrup in the above recipe

Okay, so they’re pretty hardy and can cope with a heavy pruning.

So if I prune it back in winter (assuming I’m still living in this house) it will still produce fruit on the new growth in spring?

Just want to double check …

pepe said:

one of my two figs is kept to a main branch and a diagonal branch. so all the other branches and suckers are removed each winter. when all the leaves have dropped i prune it sooo heavily that it looks like a Y each winter.
it produces good figs and a heck of a leaf canopy each summer.

Um, photos? Ideally an archive shot of the winter pruning and perhaps a current shot of the tree in leaf?

How tall / wide is the tree btw Pepe?

And is there a particular reason you’ve done this with only one tree and not the other?

Yeehah said:

roughbarked said:

I can put a fig cutting in the ground and expect to get figs off the new growth within six months from a cutting. Yes new growth.

Love the way this thread is mi?xing and matching without getting too far off topic. why not try quince syrup in the above recipe

Okay, so they’re pretty hardy and can cope with a heavy pruning.

So if I prune it back in winter (assuming I’m still living in this house) it will still produce fruit on the new growth in spring?

Just want to double check …

No problem as long as it has enough water.

roughbarked said:

Yeehah said:

roughbarked said:

I can put a fig cutting in the ground and expect to get figs off the new growth within six months from a cutting. Yes new growth.

Love the way this thread is mi?xing and matching without getting too far off topic. why not try quince syrup in the above recipe

Okay, so they’re pretty hardy and can cope with a heavy pruning.

So if I prune it back in winter (assuming I’m still living in this house) it will still produce fruit on the new growth in spring?

Just want to double check …

No problem as long as it has enough water.

The trunk is thick enough to make me think it’s not a delicate young thing, and that it’s got a very dependable root system. Here we tend (in “normal” years) to have a rainy spring which is very convenient.

(I can’t imagine living in Adelaide, for example, where winters tend to be wet but summers are hot and dry. Having more rain in spring seems so much more logical!)

Yeehah said:

pepe said:

one of my two figs is kept to a main branch and a diagonal branch. so all the other branches and suckers are removed each winter. when all the leaves have dropped i prune it sooo heavily that it looks like a Y each winter.
it produces good figs and a heck of a leaf canopy each summer.

Um, photos? Ideally an archive shot of the winter pruning and perhaps a current shot of the tree in leaf?
How tall / wide is the tree btw Pepe?
And is there a particular reason you’ve done this with only one tree and not the other?

i’m not sure i have such an archived photo – i will look.
the second tree was bought from a local nursery and had been in its pot for many years and was rootbound. the nursery went broke and i bought many trees like this for $10 each but had to plant them in the middle of last summer. when they survived i didn’t dare prune any of them much for fear of killing them.
this year i will prune it to a main trunk and maybe, four branches. drastic pruning is ok if the tree expects it – but normally i slowly increase pruning year by year for fear that too much will kill. some people prune one side drastically but leave the other side unpruned.

pepe said:

some people prune one side drastically but leave the other side unpruned.

prune to available light.

the first two photos show the new white genoa fig that was planted last summer. its 1.5 metres high. the birds have found the fruit in photo two closeup.

this fig has been growing here for 5 years and i do fear that it will grow too big. it’s about 2.4m (8’0”) high. so each year i chop it back to two main branches. it’s a white fig but i’m not sure which.

Fascinating Information here, I just bought a small fig in a pot and I shall save some of the hints in here…good stuff :)

Took some photos on the weekend. The fig tree desperately needs a good hard prune this winter, the branches are so heavy from the fruit that some of the branches are damaged from the weight.

I have mulched under the tree with lawn clippings. In the first photo you can see to the right of the compost bin is the edge of one of the big bales of straw that I plan to spread as mulch … when I get motivated …. same bale to the left of the tree in the second photo.

Yeehah said:

Took some photos on the weekend. The fig tree desperately needs a good hard prune this winter, the branches are so heavy from the fruit that some of the branches are damaged from the weight.

I have mulched under the tree with lawn clippings. In the first photo you can see to the right of the compost bin is the edge of one of the big bales of straw that I plan to spread as mulch … when I get motivated …. same bale to the left of the tree in the second photo.

I have asked the landlords to have a cleanup gardening day during the winter, they’ve agreed to let me know when thery’re able to make it, they’re busy on the farm at the moment.

They’re not gardeners but I don’t want to hack into things that aren’t mine so if we pitch in I can make suggestions as I go and see if they’re interested. I’d like to discuss a few things that would make the garden easier for tenants to look after, but there’s a couple of bare spots that need planting. They had some plants in that died (drowned) in all the rain because they were in a part of the yard that has lousy drainage and it’s all black clay soil.

Yeehah said:

Took some photos on the weekend. The fig tree desperately needs a good hard prune this winter, the branches are so heavy from the fruit that some of the branches are damaged from the weight.

I have mulched under the tree with lawn clippings. In the first photo you can see to the right of the compost bin is the edge of one of the big bales of straw that I plan to spread as mulch … when I get motivated …. same bale to the left of the tree in the second photo.

By the look of the 3rd pic you’re probably lucky to have a fig tree at all. I agree it needs a good cut back after fruiting

pomolo said:

By the look of the 3rd pic you’re probably lucky to have a fig tree at all. I agree it needs a good cut back after fruiting

I have another photo that hasn’t uploaded properly, it looks to me that a bird has had a lovely meal from the fruit – which I didn’t really mind as it had at least done a really thorough job of eating the entire fruit. Not like when I had a huge plum tree and the parrots would take one bite out of each fruit, I swear!!

And when I emptied the compost a couple of days ago, opened up a fig that was a bit soft but hadn’t really coloured up as I thought it would, and it had a very healthy grub in it. So between birds and grubs looks like I may not get to find out what fresh figs taste like.

Yeehah said:

pomolo said:

By the look of the 3rd pic you’re probably lucky to have a fig tree at all. I agree it needs a good cut back after fruiting

I have another photo that hasn’t uploaded properly, it looks to me that a bird has had a lovely meal from the fruit – which I didn’t really mind as it had at least done a really thorough job of eating the entire fruit. Not like when I had a huge plum tree and the parrots would take one bite out of each fruit, I swear!!

And when I emptied the compost a couple of days ago, opened up a fig that was a bit soft but hadn’t really coloured up as I thought it would, and it had a very healthy grub in it. So between birds and grubs looks like I may not get to find out what fresh figs taste like.

Can’t you section off a branch and wrap it in some net or something similar? You can’t miss getting at least one to try.

Yeehah said:

Took some photos on the weekend. The fig tree desperately needs a good hard prune this winter, the branches are so heavy from the fruit that some of the branches are damaged from the weight.

I have mulched under the tree with lawn clippings. In the first photo you can see to the right of the compost bin is the edge of one of the big bales of straw that I plan to spread as mulch … when I get motivated …. same bale to the left of the tree in the second photo.

photos are good.
it definitely needs a heavy prune.

once it’s lost all its leaves – i remove all the suckers from the main trunk to the height of the first main branch.
then decide on which main branches to leave. you can actually remove all branches except the main vertical trunk and one diagonal branch.
that’s a bit drastic for a start so leave the main trunk and, say, three or four of the main branches.

please note – i’m an amateur – listen to others before acting.

pomolo said:

Can’t you section off a branch and wrap it in some net or something similar? You can’t miss getting at least one to try.

Have written on my list of things to do when I get home. If there’s grubs, though, might be a bit late. At least I’ll keep the birds off a bit if I net them.

Isn’t it sad that I thought “oh, tree’s too big to net” but didn’t think just to net a branch.

Can’t blame old age quite yet, so must be lack of use of brain re gardening that’s done it.

pepe said:

photos are good.
it definitely needs a heavy prune.

once it’s lost all its leaves – i remove all the suckers from the main trunk to the height of the first main branch.
then decide on which main branches to leave. you can actually remove all branches except the main vertical trunk and one diagonal branch.
that’s a bit drastic for a start so leave the main trunk and, say, three or four of the main branches.

please note – i’m an amateur – listen to others before acting.

Ta, Pepe. There are a couple of fig trees nearby in other back yards, and they are much more compact, so I guess they’ve had the lovin’ that this one hasn’t.

Best to leave pruning till winter then, so the tree is dormant? Are they decidous or do they just act like it in cold climates?

(Am skiving off at work to write this, no time to research as well, lol!)

Yeehah said:

Took some photos on the weekend. The fig tree desperately needs a good hard prune this winter, the branches are so heavy from the fruit that some of the branches are damaged from the weight.

I have mulched under the tree with lawn clippings. In the first photo you can see to the right of the compost bin is the edge of one of the big bales of straw that I plan to spread as mulch … when I get motivated …. same bale to the left of the tree in the second photo.

the fig would definitely benefit from a good prune. Get rid of all that old wood and allow nice fresh new fruiting growth.

bluegreen said:

Yeehah said:

Took some photos on the weekend. The fig tree desperately needs a good hard prune this winter, the branches are so heavy from the fruit that some of the branches are damaged from the weight.

I have mulched under the tree with lawn clippings. In the first photo you can see to the right of the compost bin is the edge of one of the big bales of straw that I plan to spread as mulch … when I get motivated …. same bale to the left of the tree in the second photo.

the fig would definitely benefit from a good prune. Get rid of all that old wood and allow nice fresh new fruiting growth.

Hack it right back to the best shoot closest to the ground. You don’t have to wait for winter.

roughbarked said:

Hack it right back to the best shoot closest to the ground. You don’t have to wait for winter.

That’s why I wanted the landlords there when I had a go at it. If I say “well, I’ve researched figs and it seems the best thing for the tree in the long term is to give it a good hard prune” that will come across a lot better than me hacking it up and them thinking I’m a murderer! Also, they’ve got either a ute or a trailer and can take the prunings to the tip. Wouldn’t want fig prunings in my little hatchback, apart from it taking several trips!!

Yeehah said:

roughbarked said:

Hack it right back to the best shoot closest to the ground. You don’t have to wait for winter.

That’s why I wanted the landlords there when I had a go at it. If I say “well, I’ve researched figs and it seems the best thing for the tree in the long term is to give it a good hard prune” that will come across a lot better than me hacking it up and them thinking I’m a murderer! Also, they’ve got either a ute or a trailer and can take the prunings to the tip. Wouldn’t want fig prunings in my little hatchback, apart from it taking several trips!!

Fig branches make great firewod when cut into lengths and dried.
Be aware that the alkaloid milky(another drug plant) sap from figs will irritate or burn the skin. Cover up well when cutting it.Surely the landlords will see the logic and perhaps offer to help take the refuse away.
Even if you did hack it as I suggested without permission from landlords. Most land owners should be aware of the kindest cut.

roughbarked said:

Hack it right back to the best shoot closest to the ground. You don’t have to wait for winter.

If you do the above.. then mid-winter, lop the top of the shoot to a level where you want it to branch.

roughbarked said:

Hack it right back to the best shoot closest to the ground. You don’t have to wait for winter.

If you do the above.. then mid-winter, lop the top of the shoot to a level where you want it to branch.

I’d suggest you take into account the weight of fruit bending branches and cut the main shoot as high as you can, so that work can be done under the tree. In the first season after this work, tying the tips of the new branches down will cause them to grow more branches and thus a weeping type framework. Keep the tree pruned this way and figs will always be more easy to reach and net.

i’m getting a dwarf fig in a pot soon, it has been in the existing pot far too long, so a repot it will get. apparently it might reach 2m tall.
anyone here have dwarf fig in a pot ?

edible fig that is

Local supermarket had a single tray of figs, selling at $1.45 EACH.

I am eating about 10-12 figs a day, free from the tree in the rented backyard. I feel rich with each bite!

Turns out that figs really are delicious :)

Yeehah said:

Local supermarket had a single tray of figs, selling at $1.45 EACH.

I am eating about 10-12 figs a day, free from the tree in the rented backyard. I feel rich with each bite!

Turns out that figs really are delicious :)

they are, aren’t they?