A huge THANK YOU to everyone that watched the premiere. If you have any questions, please ask them in the Comments section below and I'll try my best to answer them.
Christopher Rizzo how large are the plants? Is the wood lignified as brown hardwood, or is it still green? How cold is your climate? If you live in Zone 7 or colder and your wood is not yet lignified, it will be challenging.
Tank you. I learned my lesson when I tried rooting some cuttings and keeping them through the winter. It was more work than I had anticipated. It was like raising newly born puppies. I counted days for spring to come. Never again.
Ok. I missed this video. I saw the next video u made and you explained to me why i should wait to make cuttings. I can see why much clearer now. I will wait as long as possible as well, probably until the end of Dec. Then Ill make my cuts and try your rooting method. After the cuts, then this would be the perfect time for me to cover my 2 fig bushes for the Winter as well. Very informative. Thanks, Joe from PA Zone 6B
I am from Toronto Canada love your videos! My family has a house on the outer banks of NC and have 6 large fig trees that produce awesome figs. But we are not there all the time since its a summer home especially now with the boarder shut down. So I have developed 4 potted fig plants in Toronto and follow your advice on northern growing of fig trees. Thanks for all your great tips.
Thank you because you just save me some serious work this winter. My one fig tree is two years old, in a container, that needs to be pruned. It has crazy branches so it is hard protect it from the squirrels. Next year I will and root some cutting instead of buying more trees.
Hello, I have watched your teaching and have been thankful for your knowledge. I wanted to get in line if you will, For getting cuttings from you if I can afford them. I'm on the West coast and should have great climate for growing figs. Thank You for your videos!
I have a bug-zapper in my office / grow-room that is pretty good at keeping the gnats controlled. Additionally, as long as it doesn't freeze hard, if you have a covered porch you can move pots under the cover on nights where frost threatens. Just in case you end up with potted tropicals or figs again.
The latex-based sap from figs isn't exactly the same as the latex we think of when we think of latex gloves. I pruned some of my figs a few weeks ago and got caught in a rainstorm, but powered through it. 3 weeks later, my arms are still full of burns from the fig sap. I was blistering and peeling for a week. Fig sap is no joke - don't prune them during rain in a sleeveless shirt.
Hi , I repotted sucessfully my fig plant out of the ground . There were a lot of worms by the roots ! The 20 gal. fabric pot was the right size for the root ball which had a lot of healthy big roots along with the tiny ones. Thank you so much for all your help !!! The plant isn`t so tall that it wouldn`t be to much trouble to leave by the S. facing big window. I would rather keep it in garage in the dark but having hard time to think how to keep temp between 20 F and 40 F ? Maybe I can keep the garage door open just enough to cool it to a lower temp. ?
Don't let figs see freezing temps or below for extended periods when in containers. If you let your fig trees sit in 20F for an extended period, they will likely die. You do not want your root ball to freeze. About 40F is where you want to be, but 40-50F should be fine. You may want to try covering them with a blanket to keep them in the dark so they sleep. Don't let your garage fall to 32F or below for an extended period.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you so much for the info !!! I scratched the bottom most branch like you did when you were starting roots and went to the green part below the bark. I think it`s called the cambium layer ? No white sap came out. Did I cut deep enough because like I said I scraped the bark off a little , and exposed the green underneath. Thanks so much for your help !
@@markcampolo577 cut a little through the cambium (green). After the green cambium is called the Sapwood, and that's what you want to cut into to see if there is...sap flow :) Here is a diagram. You want to cut into the sapwood, but don't cut so deep you get into the hardwood. 4.bp.blogspot.com/-5O5GosGbf1E/Uk9t8zjwsBI/AAAAAAAABXM/IUzKjrgy4Dw/s1600/tree+cross+section.jpg The cambium in a Fig is really shallow, so you don't need to cut too deep. I mean just gently run a sharp knife to barely get through the green into the light tan wood. It shouldn't be any deeper than a human hair.
Hello again ! There were two small green figs on the tip of one of the branches and I twisted it off and no white sap came out so I take it the tree is doemant. Earlier in Oct. I did the same with most of the other green figs and a little sap came out.
That is a good sign. A better way you can tell is by making a very tiny cut in the wood. Don't go too deep. In my experience, the wood is more likely to bleed than a fig at the node, so if the wood doesn't bleed when you make a surface cut in it, it probably truly is dormant. I can pick off green figs now and the tree won't bleed, but if I slash the wood it still oozes sap.
@@MD-ts3hd it's a mono mic that I'm trying to deal with on the encoding side. I'm not the best editor. Thanks for watching the videos and I'm glad you enjoy the channel. Sorry for the technical difficulties.
Living here on the coast, it's that annoying climate where it doesn't get cold enough to put anything in storage, but it doesn't stay warm enough that we get a lot of frosts and freezes. It turns into me shuffling plants in and out twice a week in the winter.
Hi , Wanted to know about if I should wait till fig plant chicago hardy goes dormant before digging out the ground to pot it ? or should I do it now before maybe the ground gets to hard or frozen to dig out. I live in N.E. Ohio by the lake. Thanks much !
That is a good question. I've never dug up a plant to overwinter it. Chicago Hardy figs are known to survive in-ground to the single digits, so when you start seeing teens at night, you may want to consider digging it up. Try making a little cut into a piece of wood and see if it "bleeds" the white, latex sap. If it doesn't bleed, you can probably dig it up. No bleeding means it is dormant. Of course, if you see temperatures in the single digits coming up, then you cannot wait and have to dig it up before the severe cold hits.
mark campolo you’re welcome. Can I ask why you dig the tree up annually? Who not just leave it in a 10-15 gallon container year-round? Container grown figs are incredibly popular. Maybe even more popular than in-ground trees due to the cold climate most of the US endures.
Hi , Yes, I had it in a 30 gal. container for three years, and my old Italian dear cousin talked me into putting it in ground the season before. It died back half way, so I pruned it back half way to live growth. The main trunk is only a little over a foot tall but came back with a beautiful 5 stem open upide down open hand shape. It was loaded with figs that I knew wouldn`t ripen in time but was bless late Oct. with three sweet ones ! I don`t want to chance it this winter so want to do what I`ve always done ,and have it in a pot . I`ve always put it in my attached garage which is heated and can`t really control the temp because no stat in there , and heater is in there that heats the whole house. Some heat naturally escapes it , and can get to 65 F. I`am wondering if should just put it by south window in my living room all winter? Thank you for responding ! Caio @@TheMillennialGardener
mark campolo that is a tough call. I don’t know if the tree will enjoy full dormancy at 65F. It may leaf out early, and if it leafs out in darkness, the new growth will be spindly and sickly. The safer thing is to place it in front of the window, but that is a really large tree for indoors. Ideally, if you’re storing the tree in the garage, you want it around 40F. That’ll keep it asleep. Temps below freezing may kill it, but too warm and it’ll wake up early. Whatever you do, do not store a container fig below freezing. In-ground trees can tolerate low temps because the ground keeps the roots from freezing. A container tree kept at 32F or below will have its roots freeze. Frozen roots are no good. It could damage or kill the tree.
What are those figs to your left (viewers right)? They look quite large. I'm going to add to my Chicago Hardy's. I want to get a Turkey Fig. I'm looking now for the plant at a local nursery. I have a lot of leaves in my yard. I want to cover the Figs with leaves to keep the cold off them. Good idea? Thoughts? They are outside in the ground
Hello , I hear that fabric pots are not true to size meaning that if you get a 20 gallon tall fabric pot it is the same size as a five gallon joint compound bucket ? Which brand of fabric pot would you recomend, and also which ones to choose because they make a 15 gallon tall and a 15 gallon short? I think the fig plants would better like the 15 gal. short pots because I think the roots grow horizontal instead of deep ? What do you think ? Thank you so much ! Mark
mark campolo any nursery pot isn’t true to size. A 5-gallon nursery pot is nowhere near the size of a 5 gallon bucket. It is 3-point-something gallons. A 20 gallon fabric grow bag is much, much larger than a 5 gallon paint bucket, though. I’ll give you my opinion on this. I love fabric pots, but only for annuals. They’re fantastic for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, herbs (I keep my oregano in a big one), etc. If you want the best brand I’ve found, check out my Amazon Storefront linked in the Video Description under Garden Accessories. The brand is 247 and it is outstanding. However, I hate them for trees. The reason why is lignified roots will grow right through them, and the bags will fall apart. The roots wrap all around them, and when you try to remove the fabric bag because the roots have destroyed it, the bag latches on and you destroy the entire root ball removing it. This happened to me. It was a disaster. Tree roots grow into the bags and ruin them and then you can’t get them off. I will ONLY use hard plastic containers for trees. Fabric grow bags are for annuals because their soft roots won’t damage the bags and when you remove them at the end of the year, it doesn’t matter if you ruin the roots. For anything you eventually want to up-pot, use hard plastic containers. You can’t free plants from the fabric pots. I think the ideal container size for a fig tree is a 10-15 gallon hard plastic nursery pot.
I live in N. E. Ohio and was wondering if keeping cuttings in crisper till Feb. will be o.k. ? Also should I knock off the nodules on cuttings before storing in fridg. Also if had to root them now how long per day to keep them once they leaf do you keep them under the light. Also, if garage is heated how warm should it not be during winter ?
Yes, you should be able to keep fig cuttings in the crisper until February, but the older the cuttings get, the less of a chance they'll root (and the longer they may take). I would recommend not taking your cuttings off your trees for as long as possible to keep them fresh and alive on the tree. Do you mean knock the buds off? If so, you don't need to do that. I do not use grow lights. I root my cuttings out of the light - not in darkness or anything, but I don't keep them in direct light until after they root. When they do root, I put them in front of my south-facing patio window and carry them outside when it's over 40 degrees in a wind-protected area. Ideally, your fig cuttings will grow best with temps in the low 70's. Cooler will slow them down. Too much heat and they may grow too quickly, or rot.
Hello again ! I wanted to ask I think the temp over winter for a potted fig should be between 20 F to 50 F ? My attached garage is heated and don`t know how I can keep the temp this low ? Once dormant should I put the potted fig in my living area where it will be 70 F ? If I do that the leaf growth won`t be strong enough come spring and afraid when acclimating the pot outside the sun will be too strong which might shrivel this growth thus retarding the plants growing season ? HELP ! Thanks, Mark
Sound is great with head set or with out. Great video, so do you sell cuttings? Can you sell cuttings off the same tree year after year? Can you grow any fruit tree from cuttings? I guess you can tell this is all new to me, I have never grown anything yet but I want lots of fruit trees especially figs. I have just ordered two types of fig cuttings I don't even have them yet so I'm really looking forward to there arrival. Thank you for sharing your knowledge I appreciate it. From Georgia, Cathy.
I can sell cuttings, but it has to wait until the winter. I prune my trees in January. Yes, you can take and sell cuttings off the same tree every year. They grow back quickly. Any fig tree can be cloned via cutting because figs are easy to root, but some fruit trees are very difficult to root from cutting and don't work well (like stone fruits). When it comes to cloning most fruit trees, you want to grow a rootstock from seed, head it and graft a piece of scion wood onto it. That's the best way to clone most trees. Figs are an exception because they root so easily, so you don't see them commonly grafted for that reason.
I live in Phoenix Arizona area and this year we haven't had any freezing weather yet and may not get it so what do I do about my tree if it doesn't go dormant can I take cuttings at all or should I air layer
Nola Borrego I am having a similar situation in my area. We have had 4 or 5 freezes, but they have been brief, and it has been 70 degrees here for a week with little end in sight (I’m not complaining!). Long story short, my trees are not truly dormant, either, and I don’t believe they ever will be in my mild climate. For people like us, and other growers in the south, southwest and California where it doesn’t get cold enough to put fig trees in full dormancy, what you can do is simply prune your trees around January 15th. That’s usually the peak of the cold season, so it’ll be the lowest sap flow you can get. That’s what Harvey and Wills do - two of the biggest guys in the fig community. Harvey is in CA and Wills is in FL so neither of them see dormancy, and they just take cuttings mid-Jan. Hope this helps!
When would you say is the best time to up-pot? Is it ok anytime? is it best in active growing season or dormancy period? We had 23 degrees the last two nights, I moved them all inside. What a chore that is. Thanks for your videos!
It is definitely best to up-pot during the dormant season, especially since you'll probably want to do some light root pruning at the same time. You don't want to root prune when the tree is actively growing. I think the best time, personally, is the late end of winter while the tree is dormant but going to wake up soon. In eastern NC, that's going to be mid to late February. The trees are pretty sleepy, but we can expect budding out in March sometime.
Hey man, thanks for the awesome videos. You've really helped me a ton this year. I have a quick question... A friend is giving me some fresh Celeste cuttings. It's mid July now and I'm in New Jersey so should I try and root them now or store them in the fridge and wait till next spring?
I purchased an external wireless microphone, but it only records in mono. I didn't realize that during the exporting of the video, which defaults to stereo. By the time I noticed it, it was already uploaded. If you are using headphones through a 3.5mm headphone jack, if you pull them halfway out so only half the 3.5mm male end is inserted, you'll have dual mono audio and it'll work in both earphones. If you use a Lightning connection, you can't do anything about it, though. Sorry, my fault. I've since returned that mic for a better one.
The coco coresquare you use how big is it, and how much does it expand once hydrated ? It looks more than 2 or 3 cu ft. ? also how big is the cart you use to hydrate it in ? Thanks, Mark
It is 2.25 cubic feet. It is the Expert Gardener brand on Walmart's website. I can't tell you how big the cart is. The cart I use is on my Amazon Storefront page in the video description if you're curious on the exact details.
My cuttings are doing good. One has rust on leaves and read to use copper sulphate to spray on leaves. These leaves are about3 inches in circumfirence. Are they still too small to spray? Is there another way to contain the rust on the leaves?
mark campolo you have rust on the leaves of a rooted cutting? Usually, rust needs high temps and humidity of summer to form since it is a fungal infection. Rust on a fresh cutting in winter sounds strange. If it is indeed rust, look into sulphur powder. I’ll be using it this year because it is preventative for rust and mites. The problem with it is you can’t use anything oil-based though, for months, or the sulphur will react and torch your plants. That means no neem oil, no horticultural oil, no pyrethrin, no nothing with an oil-based cattier all season. Just sulphur and water.
Hi I live in the Boston Ma area my container trees are in my unheated garage which has gone down to 24 degrees the past 2 nights my question is are they still safe at that temp and can I prune them in the spring? Thanks for your videos they are very helpful
My fig trees outside have been exposed to 25F numerous times, but it warms up quickly once day breaks. Did your garage warm up quickly in the morning? The problem with container plants is it exposes the roots to the air temperatures, so there is a chance your roots will freeze. Normally, the ground keeps the roots warm, so container-grown trees are less hardy than trees kept in-ground. The safest thing to do is to get a little space heater for your garage connected to a thermostatically controlled outlet that will kick on when temps fall to 35F or so so your garage stays above freezing.
When fig trees go completely dormant, you actually can store them in a fairly dark area *as long as it stays refrigerator-cold.* A lot of northern growers store their fig containers in their garage, because their garages stay in the 35-45 degree range most of the winter. If that is the case, it will keep them in pretty solid dormancy. The challenge begins in early March when the garages start creeping up into the 50's, because the fig trees will begin to warm up. If they break bud in darkness, they'll develop very sickly, spindly, undesirable growth. At that point, you have to open up your garage door during the daytime when the days are warm enough to bathe them in light, or start dragging them outside during the day and back indoors at night.
As a headphone wearer it was probably easier for me to notice this. Your audio was set to mono and only comes out of one ear cup. There was also an issue with the wind and background noise that you didn't have before that is very noticeable with a heavy base earphone like the Bose I use.
Frostydawg24 interesting, good to know. I will have to investigate further. As for the wind, I was using a windscreen. Unfortunately, my location is very windy because it is so closely situated against the coast. The wind dies down in the summer because my climate is extremely stable then, but in the fall and spring, it gets very windy as the temps fluctuate. The videos I shoot in the spring are plagued with wind noise. It is my windiest season.
Thank you so much! Be careful during the deep freeze next week. They're forecasting 29-30 as a low for me on the coast. A freeze that cold when we haven't even gotten a light frost yet can really cause damage.
@@TheMillennialGardener we've had three days of Frost but my garden seems to be a bit of a microclimate cuz the only thing I've lost so far is my cucumber plant
That's great. I have the opposite problem - I'm in a cold spot. Cucumbers are some of the most cold-sensitive plants out there. Tomatoes and peppers handle cold much better.
Hey man. What is the black cloth or fabric you have everywhere? I am in East Texas and have a massive weed issue and I am planting in 5 gallon buckets. I want to run rows of buckets but I need to hold the weeds back for a year or so.
It is weed barrier. It lasts many years and will "permanently" snuff out all the weeds underneath. It's fantastic, and I have multiple affordable, high quality products linked in my Amazon Storefront in the video description. You'll need a few rolls of the barrier and you'll want garden staples to secure it. I also have the garden staples linked in my Amazon Storefront. If you want to learn more, check out my video on how it works: th-cam.com/video/XT1reOI1-5E/w-d-xo.html
H fig pop method. Then transplanted to a medium of Pete, perlite, and vermiculite. They are inside, Killeen, TX, under grow lights during the day. I might have over watered. Would that hurt them? How can I save them?
Overwatering is certainly problematic for fig cuttings. I don't use grow lights for a whole host of reasons. Once they're overwatered, it becomes difficult to do anything about that. Yon can try setting them on paper towels and make sure the paper towels contact the drain holes, because they can wick water away.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you so much for the reply. I love watching your channel. We all have disappointments but if we learn something from it, that’s a win in my books. Anyway, I took the cuttings yesterday and repotted them in fresh mix. I then put a little bone meal on them and used a debaster to get 3 oz. Of water on each plant. I will let you know if it works. I am sure a few might have been too far gone. Thank you again, Billy`
Since I lost my small Fig tree been watching your videos and I really like the way you explain all step by step, I am in Phoenix AZ, wondering if I can start cutting now as of the first week of Jan or is it too late for our claimate here. I did started few in Nov but the new baby dog destroyed what I had.Thanks in advance.
Now is the PERFECT time for you to take cuttings and start them in your climate. If you struggle with figs due to your heat, 30% shade cloth can be your friend. Once the real heat begins, consider protecting your trees with it. Since your humidity is fairly low, shade makes a big difference in cooling.
@@TheMillennialGardener I appreciate your fast answer and the info, do you sell any cuttings by any chance, I like the green figs not those red ones. Thanks
So am I right to say that it doesn’t matter when you take cuttings as long as it’s within the dormancy period. I am from London so I’m thinking late January as it will still be around freezing temperatures. Thanks in advance
I don't even think cutting in dormancy matters. All of mine were taken off trees while they were putting out figs in summer. I cut the fruit and leaves off and now they are established
Why do you want to take off the tip of your cutting? I just rooted a Black Madeira cutting that I purchased online and it was a branch tip about 7-8" but is fully intact. Does the tip take up too much energy? I have about 4 noticeable leaves budding out plus the tip is showing green, should I nip mine? Thanks again for all your wonderful videos.
@@TheMillennialGardener glad to be able to get in a question and get an answer, i don't know how you do it with all the subs you have these days :) More power to you
Great information! I just received some cuttings from my dad’s trees in Europe yesterday (10/24/20). Im outside of Detroit, zone 7b, and I’ll clean them today with the peroxide, bag them and store them in the refrigerator. My question is when do i start the rooting process? I don’t want to risk leaving them in the fridge too long, and our last frost is usually around end of April. Also, should I keep them in small pots in front of a south facing bay window after the roots form, or keep them in a dark cellar until I can move them out to an unheated detached garage? Thanks.
Oh yes, ask me how I know! I made my life so difficult last year between all my rooted fig cuttings, tomato and pepper seedlings, potted citrus, etc. It took me literally 20 minutes a day to carry everything inside in the morning and back into the garage in the evening. By the time late March rolled around I already had garden fatigue. Learn from my mistake. Sometimes less is more.
I don't. Then again, if you're pruning while sap flow is still flowing, you're pruning too early. Some locations, such as mine, may never go fully dormant and there could always be a little sap flow on some warmer winters, but it shouldn't be pouring out.
That's a good question. I would try some of each - leave some growth undisturbed and remove growth from the others and see which root better. It's tough when things are already leafing out. However, there is a chance they'll wake up and root more quickly.
Thank you for the Great Video well explained! I live in New York and I have my Fig Tree over 10 Years and here this will be the first year that I will propagate , hope it works! I don't know the name of my Fig Tree maybe you can help me
Unfortunately, there are literally thousands of varieties of figs out there and it's impossible to tell what variety it is without knowing its exact lineage. It'll always remain an unknown variety. However, as long as you enjoy it, that's all that matters!
We're in the upper teens now in North Georgia, so my babes have gone to sleep. Have a special spot chosen for a I258 when I can find one. Any suggestions?
Yes. Go to Off The Beaten Path Nursery’s website right this moment. They have a handful left. You’ll never get a better deal. They won’t be around much longer so get them now.
It depends how cold your garage gets. You want to keep the fig trees above freezing. Otherwise, the root ball may freeze and that's not good. If your garage is above freezing, even just barely, you'll be fine. If it stays below freezing, you'll need some type of heater to keep it warm. Problem is, you can't let it get warm, either, or the trees may wake up. Somewhere around 5C is probably ideal.
Once cuttings root, you should keep them actively growing until they are ready for transplant, or they naturally go dormant. This is why I typically root my cuttings in the winter - once they root, they will grow along with the spring since they usually root in early spring. I don't recommend rooting figs in the late summer or fall, because if they root, they may be confused trying to grow as the days get shorter and colder. If you root in fall, you may need to give them supplemental light from grow lights and baby them throughout the winter. The "best time" to root fig cuttings is between December and May.
Jesma Rogilem all my cuttings are from online. The best source is Figbid. I have also gotten cuttings from Big Bill at Off The Beaten Path Nursery, Harvey at Figaholics, Wills at WillsFigs and trades from friends on Ourfigs. You have to buy from collectors, basically.
You're assuming that we aren't taking cuttings in off season. Im in the PNW and I have 100 cuttings of figs that I took in June and they all have fat root balls and leaves. I cut off all the leaves and figs off them and put them in dirt. I'll leave them in my green house over winter and plant in spring. Do you think they'll survive?
I would discourage taking cuttings from figs outside of their dormancy season. 1. You're removing new fruiting wood, which means less figs throughout the season. 2. Taking fig cuttings when sap flow is high stresses the tree and will delay fruiting and ripening. 3. Cuttings taken during the growing season is usually of non-lignified or poorly-lignified wood. You can do it, but it's a generally poor cultural practice unless you have a really good reason to do so, and I would not advocate for this practice to the general public. I generally am not a fan of using a greenhouse to overwinter figs because the daytime temperatures get very high, which can result in a lot of overwinter growth, and many greenhouses provide little to no insulation at night. Keeping figs awake during the winter prevents cold tolerance. If you have a professional high-tunnel setup that stays above freezing all season, you may be okay, but if you have an inexpensive hobbyist greenhouse like you can order off Amazon or from Harbor Freight that provides little to no overnight protection, it can be harmful.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thanks for the reply! I took cuttings from random trees I found around town. My green house has an exhaust from inside the house that pushes excess heat out into it. So it never freezes in the green house but over heating is a concern. So far I've kept tropicals alive in it when it's -10 outside. You recommend leaving them outside to go dormant or bring them in doors under grow lights? They're all locally growing varieties so I'm assuming they handle my northern climate well
Hey I live on Staten Island New York City finally the leaves of my second year container figs are curling from Frost I am going to prune them after the leaves fall off then spray with dormant oil and put them in my garage just wondering if I should root prune also I want to re pot them at the same time is that a good idea I have heard different ideas on it that Thanks
How old are they? Generally, root pruning trees is something you do when the trees need to be refreshed but you can’t up-pot them into a larger container. Let’s say they’re already in 20 gallon pots and you can’t up-pot them because they’d be too heavy to move, and they’ve been in those containers for several years and the soil is going bad...that’s when you root prune. If you have young trees and you can up-pot them, why root prune? That’ll just set them back.
The Millennial Gardener o ok what if I want to change the soil I just used plain potting soil two years ago when I started the cuttings did no fertilizer and received no figs so did some research and came up with a nice soil should I change my soil before I put them away or in spring. Thanks they are two years old
@@stevenscordato6270 if you can up-pot them to a larger container, I would just gently brush off as much existing soil as is practical. You can prune the roots a little if you want to get more soil off, but you don't need to go overboard. Place it in the new, larger pot with a better mix. Just remember to fertilize, fertilize, fertilize this spring once you're safe from frost. The most important thing is to establish a good, consistent, regular fertilizing regimen.
The Millennial Gardener What if my leaves are dry and crack when I squeeze them is the tree doorman enough for me to prune or should I wait for the leaves to completely fall off they are in my garage right now waiting to prune them before I cover them with a paper bag for the winter
You want to wait until all leaves naturally fall off the tree. The best way to tell if a fig tree is dormant is to gently and lightly cut the wood somewhere, like a small slash with a knife. If it still bleeds white sap, it isn't dormant yet. A dormant tree won't bleed when you cut it.
Thank you! The 6 or 7 that did very well will go in the ground. Some I am undecided on and I'll up-pot them and give them another chance. Nearly half of my trees didn't do well enough in my climate and I'm going to get rid of them. The 5 gallon buckets were to trial them as cheaply as possible.
Hustle BigKilz yep, for the most part. Here is an in-depth video I made: th-cam.com/video/ExfavYO0Qos/w-d-xo.html I don’t use Facebook, just Twitter and Instagram. The links are in the video description.
These trees are trials. I live in a very humid, wet summer climate on the NC coast. Figs come from the Mediterranean where it does not rain at all in the summer. Rain contacting the skin of figs usually causes splitting, bursting, molding and souring. It is important for me to trial these figs before I plant them in-ground. Out of the 30+ varieties that I trialed, only 6-7 performed well in my wet, humid climate. Long story short, the 5 gallon buckets are temporary and were designed for a single season. If I were keeping them permanently in containers, I would up-pot them into 10-15 gallon nursery containers as a final up-potting.
Great video, very informative and well thought out. Thanks for sharing your experience with timing fig propagation and the logic behind making decisions about what to do with your plants and when. Too late for me, I have an incubator of potted sticks rooting away already, but good of you to try and save us northeastern novices from our own folly!
Don't worry, I did the same thing last year. I was too excited. Next year, I predict you'll start a little later to give yourself a break. Good luck rooting!
There is no set amount. You have to inspect the trees regularly. When the soil begins to "pull away" from the sides of the pot, that is when you need to water them. You can probably pour a pint of water in an O-patter evenly across the soil, then check back in an hour to see if the dirt has relaxed and is contacting the sides of the container again. It's very important you don't make the soil wet, though, or it could rot.
@@markcampolo577 ohh, that definitely makes it a little tougher. I have a banana and tomatoes in fabric pots and they do not pull away from the sides when they're dry like they would from a plastic pot. The good news is the fabric pots will leave a ring of dampness on concrete if the bottoms are wet. You may have to feel around the top of the soil and the sides, as well as move them around to make sure there is no moisture under the pot. I can tell you for certainty that if they're leaving a moisture ring on concrete, do not water them. I won't lie though, it's tougher to tell when to water in fabric.
I cut my trees back substantially each year. I make sure the trees are cut back symmetrically so they don't become off-balance due to the tendencies of apical dominance. If you allow some branches to be longer than others, those longer branches will tend to collect most of the growth hormone, and the tree will become off-balance and asymmetrical.
I'm not sure what you mean by "normal condition." If you wrap and refrigerate them, they can last 3-6 months. I've heard if some folks discovering cuttings in their crisper that are a year old and they'll sometimes root. However, it's always best to do it as fresh as possible. If you leave them outside, they won't last long. They'll dry out within a couple days, maybe sooner.
Mom Puff the best source online is Figbid. It is an auction website, and you will find the best selection out there, but sometimes prices can get high depending on the variety. It can take patience. Most of my cuttings were from Figbid. I recommend starting your cuttings in late fall/early winter. Something like 120 days before your last frost makes life easier. You can buy them whenever and store them in the fridge crispers wrapped in plastic. Two big sources are Willsfigs and Figabolics, but their cuttings usually come later (Dec/Jan).
Why not build a greenhouse that can cater your container plants so that you will never carry these during winter times. I have one fig plant about one foot tall in container and I live in tropical country. I was amaze on how your fig trees grown and produce fruits. I hope mine will do the same. Thanks for all the information.
A lot of reasons. Cost, footprint, HOA restrictions, mostly. My money would be better spent on a sunroom, in my opinion. However, that’s a $15,000+ endeavor that isn’t in the cards anytime soon 😆 At this point, I’m focusing on trees that can thrive in-ground in my climate. Thank you for watching.
Evalynn TN I use Figbid. I won’t be pruning my trees until December or January, but when I prune them, I will sell the cuttings there. I will also be propagating them and hope to have trees for sale in April.
@@TheMillennialGardener Hey thanks for the response. I'm in NYC zone 7 and have had some success putting cuttings in the ground with my tree, idk the type. I'm looking for a scalable way to produce a lot of cuttings with low effort. The tree has a lot of potential cuttings since it's decades old and short with lateral growth
A huge THANK YOU to everyone that watched the premiere. If you have any questions, please ask them in the Comments section below and I'll try my best to answer them.
Christopher Rizzo is the video not working? It worked well for me...
Christopher Rizzo try changing your video settings (480p 720p or 1080p). It has to be some kind of display error. It worked fine for us.
Christopher Rizzo how large are the plants? Is the wood lignified as brown hardwood, or is it still green? How cold is your climate? If you live in Zone 7 or colder and your wood is not yet lignified, it will be challenging.
More audio issues, appears you recorded in mono not stereo...
@@ryanp2492 it is a mono mic (most mics are). I believe it is an encoding issue. Will investigate further.
Tank you. I learned my lesson when I tried rooting some cuttings and keeping them through the winter. It was more work than I had anticipated. It was like raising newly born puppies. I counted days for spring to come. Never again.
Thank you , taking cuttings off my neighbors tree today , December 2024 🍺👍
This is what I was wondering and searching for last 5 months.
Thanks
Thanks for watching!
Ok. I missed this video. I saw the next video u made and you explained to me why i should wait to make cuttings. I can see why much clearer now.
I will wait as long as possible as well, probably until the end of Dec. Then Ill make my cuts and try your rooting method.
After the cuts, then this would be the perfect time for me to cover my 2 fig bushes for the Winter as well.
Very informative.
Thanks,
Joe from PA Zone 6B
Thanks for watching!
I am from Toronto Canada love your videos! My family has a house on the outer banks of NC and have 6 large fig trees that produce awesome figs. But we are not there all the time since its a summer home especially now with the boarder shut down. So I have developed 4 potted fig plants in Toronto and follow your advice on northern growing of fig trees. Thanks for all your great tips.
Thanks for watching! I hope you'll be able to come down soon. The winters are much milder on the OBX...
Thank you! I found your tips on growing figs in colder climates to be really helpful.
That makes me really happy. I'm glad I can help. Thank you for watching.
I like the “looks” of this mic much better than the hamster mic.
Love your videos!!!
Thank you because you just save me some serious work this winter. My one fig tree is two years old, in a container, that needs to be pruned. It has crazy branches so it is hard protect it from the squirrels. Next year I will and root some cutting instead of buying more trees.
Hello, I have watched your teaching and have been thankful for your knowledge.
I wanted to get in line if you will, For getting cuttings from you if I can afford them. I'm on the West coast and should have great climate for growing figs.
Thank You for your videos!
The sound was excellent
Thanks! I appreciate you watching!
Good evening from Auckland, New Zealand. Great clip bro ...keep it up !!!
Thanks for watching across the pond!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience about timing , it is very important
Thanks for watching!
Love seeing you in the videos. Keep them coming!
Haa Haa, LOL. Sorry it was funny. I adore your persistence!
Thanks for watching.
Beautiful video thanks for sharing my friend I been away for few weeks but now I’m back 👍
Welcome back! Thank you for watching.
Good timing for this video 👍 your audio sounds great thank you 😊
Thank you for the feedback, and thank you for watching!
I have a bug-zapper in my office / grow-room that is pretty good at keeping the gnats controlled. Additionally, as long as it doesn't freeze hard, if you have a covered porch you can move pots under the cover on nights where frost threatens. Just in case you end up with potted tropicals or figs again.
Great video, finally, Can hardly wait for you propagation videos.
I love your videos, I am learning so much!
Thanks for watching!
Thank for your sharing. Love from Vietnam!
Thanks for watching.
I set my reminder. Looking forward to it.
Thank you! I'll see you there 😀
valuable info thanks. apparently you can use that latex in place of rennet for making cheese
The latex-based sap from figs isn't exactly the same as the latex we think of when we think of latex gloves. I pruned some of my figs a few weeks ago and got caught in a rainstorm, but powered through it. 3 weeks later, my arms are still full of burns from the fig sap. I was blistering and peeling for a week. Fig sap is no joke - don't prune them during rain in a sleeveless shirt.
Thank you for the video and sharing your experience! Good valuable lessons for beginners like me.
You're welcome! I'm happy to help. Thank you for watching.
This is the video I was looking for.
Hi , I repotted sucessfully my fig plant out of the ground . There were a lot of worms by the roots ! The 20 gal. fabric pot was the right size for the root ball which had a lot of healthy big roots along with the tiny ones. Thank you so much for all your help !!! The plant isn`t so tall that it wouldn`t be to much trouble to leave by the S. facing big window. I would rather keep it in garage in the dark but having hard time to think how to keep temp between 20 F and 40 F ? Maybe I can keep the garage door open just enough to cool it to a lower temp. ?
Don't let figs see freezing temps or below for extended periods when in containers. If you let your fig trees sit in 20F for an extended period, they will likely die. You do not want your root ball to freeze. About 40F is where you want to be, but 40-50F should be fine. You may want to try covering them with a blanket to keep them in the dark so they sleep. Don't let your garage fall to 32F or below for an extended period.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you so much for the info !!! I scratched the bottom most branch like you did when you were starting roots and went to the green part below the bark. I think it`s called the cambium layer ? No white sap came out. Did I cut deep enough because like I said I scraped the bark off a little , and exposed the green underneath. Thanks so much for your help !
@@markcampolo577 cut a little through the cambium (green). After the green cambium is called the Sapwood, and that's what you want to cut into to see if there is...sap flow :) Here is a diagram. You want to cut into the sapwood, but don't cut so deep you get into the hardwood.
4.bp.blogspot.com/-5O5GosGbf1E/Uk9t8zjwsBI/AAAAAAAABXM/IUzKjrgy4Dw/s1600/tree+cross+section.jpg
The cambium in a Fig is really shallow, so you don't need to cut too deep. I mean just gently run a sharp knife to barely get through the green into the light tan wood. It shouldn't be any deeper than a human hair.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you so much again !
You're welcome.
Absolutely awesome video! Thanks!!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
Great video.. Love from philippines
Thanks for this video! Hope to use this next year!
Thank you for watching. I appreciate it.
Hello again ! There were two small green figs on the tip of one of the branches and I twisted it off and no white sap came out so I take it the tree is doemant. Earlier in Oct. I did the same with most of the other green figs and a little sap came out.
That is a good sign. A better way you can tell is by making a very tiny cut in the wood. Don't go too deep. In my experience, the wood is more likely to bleed than a fig at the node, so if the wood doesn't bleed when you make a surface cut in it, it probably truly is dormant. I can pick off green figs now and the tree won't bleed, but if I slash the wood it still oozes sap.
Great video thank you for sharing .
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the info!! Audio is great!!
Thanks for the feedback, and thanks for watching!
@@TheMillennialGardener Make shure your voice is in both left and right channel. For me now its only in the left channel. Great channel! :)
@@MD-ts3hd it's a mono mic that I'm trying to deal with on the encoding side. I'm not the best editor. Thanks for watching the videos and I'm glad you enjoy the channel. Sorry for the technical difficulties.
Good video. I feel your pain on toting young plants in and out. Between that and watering, I have little spare time.
Living here on the coast, it's that annoying climate where it doesn't get cold enough to put anything in storage, but it doesn't stay warm enough that we get a lot of frosts and freezes. It turns into me shuffling plants in and out twice a week in the winter.
What's up, this video couldn't have come at a better time
Thank you for watching. I'm trying to time these fig-related videos as best as possible to the season. Next will be a rooting video.
Hi , Wanted to know about if I should wait till fig plant chicago hardy goes dormant before digging out the ground to pot it ? or should I do it now before maybe the ground gets to hard or frozen to dig out. I live in N.E. Ohio by the lake. Thanks much !
That is a good question. I've never dug up a plant to overwinter it. Chicago Hardy figs are known to survive in-ground to the single digits, so when you start seeing teens at night, you may want to consider digging it up. Try making a little cut into a piece of wood and see if it "bleeds" the white, latex sap. If it doesn't bleed, you can probably dig it up. No bleeding means it is dormant. Of course, if you see temperatures in the single digits coming up, then you cannot wait and have to dig it up before the severe cold hits.
Thanks so much !!@@TheMillennialGardener
mark campolo you’re welcome. Can I ask why you dig the tree up annually? Who not just leave it in a 10-15 gallon container year-round? Container grown figs are incredibly popular. Maybe even more popular than in-ground trees due to the cold climate most of the US endures.
Hi , Yes, I had it in a 30 gal. container for three years, and my old Italian dear cousin talked me into putting it in ground the season before. It died back half way, so I pruned it back half way to live growth. The main trunk is only a little over a foot tall but came back with a beautiful 5 stem open upide down open hand shape. It was loaded with figs that I knew wouldn`t ripen in time but was bless late Oct. with three sweet ones ! I don`t want to chance it this winter so want to do what I`ve always done ,and have it in a pot . I`ve always put it in my attached garage which is heated and can`t really control the temp because no stat in there , and heater is in there that heats the whole house. Some heat naturally escapes it , and can get to 65 F. I`am wondering if should just put it by south window in my living room all winter? Thank you for responding ! Caio @@TheMillennialGardener
mark campolo that is a tough call. I don’t know if the tree will enjoy full dormancy at 65F. It may leaf out early, and if it leafs out in darkness, the new growth will be spindly and sickly. The safer thing is to place it in front of the window, but that is a really large tree for indoors. Ideally, if you’re storing the tree in the garage, you want it around 40F. That’ll keep it asleep. Temps below freezing may kill it, but too warm and it’ll wake up early. Whatever you do, do not store a container fig below freezing. In-ground trees can tolerate low temps because the ground keeps the roots from freezing. A container tree kept at 32F or below will have its roots freeze. Frozen roots are no good. It could damage or kill the tree.
What are those figs to your left (viewers right)? They look quite large. I'm going to add to my Chicago Hardy's. I want to get a Turkey Fig. I'm looking now for the plant at a local nursery.
I have a lot of leaves in my yard. I want to cover the Figs with leaves to keep the cold off them. Good idea? Thoughts? They are outside in the ground
This time it came through clear, THANKS
Thanks for watching!
Hello , I hear that fabric pots are not true to size meaning that if you get a 20 gallon tall fabric pot it is the same size as a five gallon joint compound bucket ? Which brand of fabric pot would you recomend, and also which ones to choose because they make a 15 gallon tall and a 15 gallon short? I think the fig plants would better like the 15 gal. short pots because I think the roots grow horizontal instead of deep ? What do you think ? Thank you so much ! Mark
mark campolo any nursery pot isn’t true to size. A 5-gallon nursery pot is nowhere near the size of a 5 gallon bucket. It is 3-point-something gallons. A 20 gallon fabric grow bag is much, much larger than a 5 gallon paint bucket, though.
I’ll give you my opinion on this. I love fabric pots, but only for annuals. They’re fantastic for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, herbs (I keep my oregano in a big one), etc. If you want the best brand I’ve found, check out my Amazon Storefront linked in the Video Description under Garden Accessories. The brand is 247 and it is outstanding.
However, I hate them for trees. The reason why is lignified roots will grow right through them, and the bags will fall apart. The roots wrap all around them, and when you try to remove the fabric bag because the roots have destroyed it, the bag latches on and you destroy the entire root ball removing it. This happened to me. It was a disaster. Tree roots grow into the bags and ruin them and then you can’t get them off. I will ONLY use hard plastic containers for trees. Fabric grow bags are for annuals because their soft roots won’t damage the bags and when you remove them at the end of the year, it doesn’t matter if you ruin the roots.
For anything you eventually want to up-pot, use hard plastic containers. You can’t free plants from the fabric pots.
I think the ideal container size for a fig tree is a 10-15 gallon hard plastic nursery pot.
Hey, Great videos! Love what your doing. So I can take a cutting now but need to put it in the fridge until January to plant?
You sound great
I live in N. E. Ohio and was wondering if keeping cuttings in crisper till Feb. will be o.k. ? Also should I knock off the nodules on cuttings before storing in fridg. Also if had to root them now how long per day to keep them once they leaf do you keep them under the light. Also, if garage is heated how warm should it not be during winter ?
Yes, you should be able to keep fig cuttings in the crisper until February, but the older the cuttings get, the less of a chance they'll root (and the longer they may take). I would recommend not taking your cuttings off your trees for as long as possible to keep them fresh and alive on the tree.
Do you mean knock the buds off? If so, you don't need to do that.
I do not use grow lights. I root my cuttings out of the light - not in darkness or anything, but I don't keep them in direct light until after they root. When they do root, I put them in front of my south-facing patio window and carry them outside when it's over 40 degrees in a wind-protected area.
Ideally, your fig cuttings will grow best with temps in the low 70's. Cooler will slow them down. Too much heat and they may grow too quickly, or rot.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you so much !!
the sound level is fine.
Thanks for watching!
Hello again ! I wanted to ask I think the temp over winter for a potted fig should be between 20 F to 50 F ? My attached garage is heated and don`t know how I can keep the temp this low ? Once dormant should I put the potted fig in my living area where it will be 70 F ? If I do that the leaf growth won`t be strong enough come spring and afraid when acclimating the pot outside the sun will be too strong which might shrivel this growth thus retarding the plants growing season ? HELP ! Thanks, Mark
Sound is great with head set or with out. Great video, so do you sell cuttings? Can you sell cuttings off the same tree year after year? Can you grow any fruit tree from cuttings? I guess you can tell this is all new to me, I have never grown anything yet but I want lots of fruit trees especially figs. I have just ordered two types of fig cuttings I don't even have them yet so I'm really looking forward to there arrival. Thank you for sharing your knowledge I appreciate it. From Georgia, Cathy.
I can sell cuttings, but it has to wait until the winter. I prune my trees in January. Yes, you can take and sell cuttings off the same tree every year. They grow back quickly. Any fig tree can be cloned via cutting because figs are easy to root, but some fruit trees are very difficult to root from cutting and don't work well (like stone fruits). When it comes to cloning most fruit trees, you want to grow a rootstock from seed, head it and graft a piece of scion wood onto it. That's the best way to clone most trees. Figs are an exception because they root so easily, so you don't see them commonly grafted for that reason.
I live in Phoenix Arizona area and this year we haven't had any freezing weather yet and may not get it so what do I do about my tree if it doesn't go dormant can I take cuttings at all or should I air layer
Nola Borrego I am having a similar situation in my area. We have had 4 or 5 freezes, but they have been brief, and it has been 70 degrees here for a week with little end in sight (I’m not complaining!). Long story short, my trees are not truly dormant, either, and I don’t believe they ever will be in my mild climate.
For people like us, and other growers in the south, southwest and California where it doesn’t get cold enough to put fig trees in full dormancy, what you can do is simply prune your trees around January 15th. That’s usually the peak of the cold season, so it’ll be the lowest sap flow you can get. That’s what Harvey and Wills do - two of the biggest guys in the fig community. Harvey is in CA and Wills is in FL so neither of them see dormancy, and they just take cuttings mid-Jan.
Hope this helps!
When would you say is the best time to up-pot? Is it ok anytime? is it best in active growing season or dormancy period? We had 23 degrees the last two nights, I moved them all inside. What a chore that is. Thanks for your videos!
It is definitely best to up-pot during the dormant season, especially since you'll probably want to do some light root pruning at the same time. You don't want to root prune when the tree is actively growing. I think the best time, personally, is the late end of winter while the tree is dormant but going to wake up soon. In eastern NC, that's going to be mid to late February. The trees are pretty sleepy, but we can expect budding out in March sometime.
Hey man, thanks for the awesome videos. You've really helped me a ton this year. I have a quick question... A friend is giving me some fresh Celeste cuttings. It's mid July now and I'm in New Jersey so should I try and root them now or store them in the fridge and wait till next spring?
The audio is excellent
Thanks for watching and for the feedback.
I like propagating fig trees
SolidGoldShows me too, but it’s tricky stuff!
@@TheMillennialGardener I think it's fairly easy and fun
Great video as usual. Audio is only on left earphone for me, but sound is perfect. Not sure why it’s only one speaker?
I purchased an external wireless microphone, but it only records in mono. I didn't realize that during the exporting of the video, which defaults to stereo. By the time I noticed it, it was already uploaded. If you are using headphones through a 3.5mm headphone jack, if you pull them halfway out so only half the 3.5mm male end is inserted, you'll have dual mono audio and it'll work in both earphones. If you use a Lightning connection, you can't do anything about it, though. Sorry, my fault. I've since returned that mic for a better one.
The coco coresquare you use how big is it, and how much does it expand once hydrated ? It looks more than 2 or 3 cu ft. ? also how big is the cart you use to hydrate it in ? Thanks, Mark
It is 2.25 cubic feet. It is the Expert Gardener brand on Walmart's website. I can't tell you how big the cart is. The cart I use is on my Amazon Storefront page in the video description if you're curious on the exact details.
My cuttings are doing good. One has rust on leaves and read to use copper sulphate to spray on leaves. These leaves are about3 inches in circumfirence. Are they still too small to spray? Is there another way to contain the rust on the leaves?
mark campolo you have rust on the leaves of a rooted cutting? Usually, rust needs high temps and humidity of summer to form since it is a fungal infection. Rust on a fresh cutting in winter sounds strange.
If it is indeed rust, look into sulphur powder. I’ll be using it this year because it is preventative for rust and mites. The problem with it is you can’t use anything oil-based though, for months, or the sulphur will react and torch your plants. That means no neem oil, no horticultural oil, no pyrethrin, no nothing with an oil-based cattier all season. Just sulphur and water.
Hi I live in the Boston Ma area my container trees are in my unheated garage which has gone down to 24 degrees the past 2 nights my question is are they still safe at that temp and can I prune them in the spring?
Thanks for your videos they are very helpful
My fig trees outside have been exposed to 25F numerous times, but it warms up quickly once day breaks. Did your garage warm up quickly in the morning? The problem with container plants is it exposes the roots to the air temperatures, so there is a chance your roots will freeze. Normally, the ground keeps the roots warm, so container-grown trees are less hardy than trees kept in-ground. The safest thing to do is to get a little space heater for your garage connected to a thermostatically controlled outlet that will kick on when temps fall to 35F or so so your garage stays above freezing.
audio great ! do you ever refrigerate your cuttings until you are ready to root
never mind lol you answered the question later in the video thanks
Yes, I do refrigerate my cuttings sometimes. They do well in 1 gallon Ziploc-style storage bags in your vegetable crisper.
I do have to put them under grow lights can’t you store them for a few months in the dark
When fig trees go completely dormant, you actually can store them in a fairly dark area *as long as it stays refrigerator-cold.* A lot of northern growers store their fig containers in their garage, because their garages stay in the 35-45 degree range most of the winter. If that is the case, it will keep them in pretty solid dormancy. The challenge begins in early March when the garages start creeping up into the 50's, because the fig trees will begin to warm up. If they break bud in darkness, they'll develop very sickly, spindly, undesirable growth. At that point, you have to open up your garage door during the daytime when the days are warm enough to bathe them in light, or start dragging them outside during the day and back indoors at night.
As a headphone wearer it was probably easier for me to notice this. Your audio was set to mono and only comes out of one ear cup. There was also an issue with the wind and background noise that you didn't have before that is very noticeable with a heavy base earphone like the Bose I use.
Frostydawg24 interesting, good to know. I will have to investigate further. As for the wind, I was using a windscreen. Unfortunately, my location is very windy because it is so closely situated against the coast. The wind dies down in the summer because my climate is extremely stable then, but in the fall and spring, it gets very windy as the temps fluctuate. The videos I shoot in the spring are plagued with wind noise. It is my windiest season.
my question is I put a fig cutting in a ziplock bag with a wet paper towel wrap around it and the whole fig cutting started to root what should I do
where are you located - im in northern 5b
will this work for me
PS you do a great job with your videos so I added you to my featured channels on my homepage
Thank you so much! Be careful during the deep freeze next week. They're forecasting 29-30 as a low for me on the coast. A freeze that cold when we haven't even gotten a light frost yet can really cause damage.
@@TheMillennialGardener we've had three days of Frost but my garden seems to be a bit of a microclimate cuz the only thing I've lost so far is my cucumber plant
That's great. I have the opposite problem - I'm in a cold spot. Cucumbers are some of the most cold-sensitive plants out there. Tomatoes and peppers handle cold much better.
@@TheMillennialGardener we are getting down to 26 Friday night.
Boo! It's already 45 here and dropping like a rock. Stay warm!
I’m not getting stereo sound on headphones. Sound is clear just mono.
Good to know. I will investigate further.
same
Hey man. What is the black cloth or fabric you have everywhere? I am in East Texas and have a massive weed issue and I am planting in 5 gallon buckets. I want to run rows of buckets but I need to hold the weeds back for a year or so.
It is weed barrier. It lasts many years and will "permanently" snuff out all the weeds underneath. It's fantastic, and I have multiple affordable, high quality products linked in my Amazon Storefront in the video description. You'll need a few rolls of the barrier and you'll want garden staples to secure it. I also have the garden staples linked in my Amazon Storefront. If you want to learn more, check out my video on how it works: th-cam.com/video/XT1reOI1-5E/w-d-xo.html
H fig pop method. Then transplanted to a medium of Pete, perlite, and vermiculite. They are inside, Killeen, TX, under grow lights during the day. I might have over watered. Would that hurt them? How can I save them?
Overwatering is certainly problematic for fig cuttings. I don't use grow lights for a whole host of reasons. Once they're overwatered, it becomes difficult to do anything about that. Yon can try setting them on paper towels and make sure the paper towels contact the drain holes, because they can wick water away.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you so much for the reply. I love watching your channel. We all have disappointments but if we learn something from it, that’s a win in my books. Anyway, I took the cuttings yesterday and repotted them in fresh mix. I then put a little bone meal on them and used a debaster to get 3 oz. Of water on each plant. I will let you know if it works. I am sure a few might have been too far gone. Thank you again, Billy`
Since I lost my small Fig tree been watching your videos and I really like the way you explain all step by step, I am in Phoenix AZ, wondering if I can start cutting now as of the first week of Jan or is it too late for our claimate here. I did started few in Nov but the new baby dog destroyed what I had.Thanks in advance.
Now is the PERFECT time for you to take cuttings and start them in your climate. If you struggle with figs due to your heat, 30% shade cloth can be your friend. Once the real heat begins, consider protecting your trees with it. Since your humidity is fairly low, shade makes a big difference in cooling.
@@TheMillennialGardener I appreciate your fast answer and the info, do you sell any cuttings by any chance, I like the green figs not those red ones. Thanks
@@NishraRama I intend to have them available very shortly. I hope to be making an announcement soon.
So am I right to say that it doesn’t matter when you take cuttings as long as it’s within the dormancy period. I am from London so I’m thinking late January as it will still be around freezing temperatures. Thanks in advance
I don't even think cutting in dormancy matters. All of mine were taken off trees while they were putting out figs in summer. I cut the fruit and leaves off and now they are established
@@thehuntfortruth I’ve had rooted cuttings but they always seem to die through dormancy.
Why do you want to take off the tip of your cutting? I just rooted a Black Madeira cutting that I purchased online and it was a branch tip about 7-8" but is fully intact. Does the tip take up too much energy? I have about 4 noticeable leaves budding out plus the tip is showing green, should I nip mine? Thanks again for all your wonderful videos.
After I wrote that I thought about it and figured you're basically tipping it to encourage side branching
I generally prefer cuttings with a tip bud because once they root, I get a straighter tree. Thanks for watching!
@@TheMillennialGardener glad to be able to get in a question and get an answer, i don't know how you do it with all the subs you have these days :) More power to you
Great information! I just received some cuttings from my dad’s trees in Europe yesterday (10/24/20). Im outside of Detroit, zone 7b, and I’ll clean them today with the peroxide, bag them and store them in the refrigerator. My question is when do i start the rooting process? I don’t want to risk leaving them in the fridge too long, and our last frost is usually around end of April. Also, should I keep them in small pots in front of a south facing bay window after the roots form, or keep them in a dark cellar until I can move them out to an unheated detached garage? Thanks.
I was surprised to learn Detroit is not zone 5. lol It's somehow zone 6!
Thanks for that. It is really easy to get too excited and start things too soon isn't it?
Oh yes, ask me how I know! I made my life so difficult last year between all my rooted fig cuttings, tomato and pepper seedlings, potted citrus, etc. It took me literally 20 minutes a day to carry everything inside in the morning and back into the garage in the evening. By the time late March rolled around I already had garden fatigue. Learn from my mistake. Sometimes less is more.
Should I seal the ends with wax to hold in the sap?
I don't. Then again, if you're pruning while sap flow is still flowing, you're pruning too early. Some locations, such as mine, may never go fully dormant and there could always be a little sap flow on some warmer winters, but it shouldn't be pouring out.
@@TheMillennialGardener thanks
I just took cuttings now and they already had some spring growth so not dormant. Should I cut off the leaves and new growth or leave them on?
That's a good question. I would try some of each - leave some growth undisturbed and remove growth from the others and see which root better. It's tough when things are already leafing out. However, there is a chance they'll wake up and root more quickly.
Thanks.
Thanks for watching.
Looking buff!
I have a good lighting team 😂
The Millennial Gardener 💪🌞
Bro the vegetable drawer from your fridge was full of stuff from the store lol
Thank you for the Great Video well explained! I live in New York and I have my Fig Tree over 10 Years and here this will be the first year that I will propagate , hope it works! I don't know the name of my Fig Tree maybe you can help me
My channel is Suzi's Home and Garden in New York and The Video is What Kind of Fig is this....if anyone else could help me too I will appreciate 🙂
Unfortunately, there are literally thousands of varieties of figs out there and it's impossible to tell what variety it is without knowing its exact lineage. It'll always remain an unknown variety. However, as long as you enjoy it, that's all that matters!
We're in the upper teens now in North Georgia, so my babes have gone to sleep.
Have a special spot chosen for a I258 when I can find one.
Any suggestions?
Yes. Go to Off The Beaten Path Nursery’s website right this moment. They have a handful left. You’ll never get a better deal. They won’t be around much longer so get them now.
I live in Toronto Canada and temperatures can drop below -0. My question is, can a fig tree survive if kept in the garage that is not heated?
It depends how cold your garage gets. You want to keep the fig trees above freezing. Otherwise, the root ball may freeze and that's not good. If your garage is above freezing, even just barely, you'll be fine. If it stays below freezing, you'll need some type of heater to keep it warm. Problem is, you can't let it get warm, either, or the trees may wake up. Somewhere around 5C is probably ideal.
👍
Can you not let them go dormant once they root?
Once cuttings root, you should keep them actively growing until they are ready for transplant, or they naturally go dormant. This is why I typically root my cuttings in the winter - once they root, they will grow along with the spring since they usually root in early spring. I don't recommend rooting figs in the late summer or fall, because if they root, they may be confused trying to grow as the days get shorter and colder. If you root in fall, you may need to give them supplemental light from grow lights and baby them throughout the winter. The "best time" to root fig cuttings is between December and May.
Where is a good place to get cuttings? I live in the coastal/piedmont are of NC.
Jesma Rogilem all my cuttings are from online. The best source is Figbid. I have also gotten cuttings from Big Bill at Off The Beaten Path Nursery, Harvey at Figaholics, Wills at WillsFigs and trades from friends on Ourfigs. You have to buy from collectors, basically.
You're assuming that we aren't taking cuttings in off season. Im in the PNW and I have 100 cuttings of figs that I took in June and they all have fat root balls and leaves. I cut off all the leaves and figs off them and put them in dirt. I'll leave them in my green house over winter and plant in spring. Do you think they'll survive?
I would discourage taking cuttings from figs outside of their dormancy season.
1. You're removing new fruiting wood, which means less figs throughout the season.
2. Taking fig cuttings when sap flow is high stresses the tree and will delay fruiting and ripening.
3. Cuttings taken during the growing season is usually of non-lignified or poorly-lignified wood.
You can do it, but it's a generally poor cultural practice unless you have a really good reason to do so, and I would not advocate for this practice to the general public. I generally am not a fan of using a greenhouse to overwinter figs because the daytime temperatures get very high, which can result in a lot of overwinter growth, and many greenhouses provide little to no insulation at night. Keeping figs awake during the winter prevents cold tolerance. If you have a professional high-tunnel setup that stays above freezing all season, you may be okay, but if you have an inexpensive hobbyist greenhouse like you can order off Amazon or from Harbor Freight that provides little to no overnight protection, it can be harmful.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thanks for the reply! I took cuttings from random trees I found around town. My green house has an exhaust from inside the house that pushes excess heat out into it. So it never freezes in the green house but over heating is a concern. So far I've kept tropicals alive in it when it's -10 outside. You recommend leaving them outside to go dormant or bring them in doors under grow lights? They're all locally growing varieties so I'm assuming they handle my northern climate well
Hey I live on Staten Island New York City finally the leaves of my second year container figs are curling from Frost I am going to prune them after the leaves fall off then spray with dormant oil and put them in my garage just wondering if I should root prune also I want to re pot them at the same time is that a good idea I have heard different ideas on it that
Thanks
How old are they? Generally, root pruning trees is something you do when the trees need to be refreshed but you can’t up-pot them into a larger container. Let’s say they’re already in 20 gallon pots and you can’t up-pot them because they’d be too heavy to move, and they’ve been in those containers for several years and the soil is going bad...that’s when you root prune. If you have young trees and you can up-pot them, why root prune? That’ll just set them back.
The Millennial Gardener o ok what if I want to change the soil I just used plain potting soil two years ago when I started the cuttings did no fertilizer and received no figs so did some research and came up with a nice soil should I change my soil before I put them away or in spring. Thanks they are two years old
@@stevenscordato6270 if you can up-pot them to a larger container, I would just gently brush off as much existing soil as is practical. You can prune the roots a little if you want to get more soil off, but you don't need to go overboard. Place it in the new, larger pot with a better mix. Just remember to fertilize, fertilize, fertilize this spring once you're safe from frost. The most important thing is to establish a good, consistent, regular fertilizing regimen.
The Millennial Gardener What if my leaves are dry and crack when I squeeze them is the tree doorman enough for me to prune or should I wait for the leaves to completely fall off they are in my garage right now waiting to prune them before I cover them with a paper bag for the winter
You want to wait until all leaves naturally fall off the tree. The best way to tell if a fig tree is dormant is to gently and lightly cut the wood somewhere, like a small slash with a knife. If it still bleeds white sap, it isn't dormant yet. A dormant tree won't bleed when you cut it.
Sorry to bother you, do you drill holes in the bottom of these buckets or just leave them as it is. Thanks in advance.
All containers need a way to drain. I show you how I make my buckets here: th-cam.com/video/qkO0BszVqMQ/w-d-xo.html
@@TheMillennialGardener Really appreciated, love the way you do your videos clear information. and to the point.
@@NishraRama thank you! I appreciate you watching.
Great video! Are you planning on up potting your figs next year or keep em in 5 gallons?
Thank you! The 6 or 7 that did very well will go in the ground. Some I am undecided on and I'll up-pot them and give them another chance. Nearly half of my trees didn't do well enough in my climate and I'm going to get rid of them. The 5 gallon buckets were to trial them as cheaply as possible.
So how do you get the dormant cuttings to strike/wake up? Just plant them as usual and apply heat?do you have a facebook page ?
Hustle BigKilz yep, for the most part. Here is an in-depth video I made:
th-cam.com/video/ExfavYO0Qos/w-d-xo.html
I don’t use Facebook, just Twitter and Instagram. The links are in the video description.
Can hear you just fine, just in mono , if that helps .(no response needed) p. s. great vid ! no bs or acid rock music .
Thanks for watching.
How long do you leave them in 5 gal buckets?
These trees are trials. I live in a very humid, wet summer climate on the NC coast. Figs come from the Mediterranean where it does not rain at all in the summer. Rain contacting the skin of figs usually causes splitting, bursting, molding and souring. It is important for me to trial these figs before I plant them in-ground. Out of the 30+ varieties that I trialed, only 6-7 performed well in my wet, humid climate.
Long story short, the 5 gallon buckets are temporary and were designed for a single season. If I were keeping them permanently in containers, I would up-pot them into 10-15 gallon nursery containers as a final up-potting.
Great video, very informative and well thought out. Thanks for sharing your experience with timing fig propagation and the logic behind making decisions about what to do with your plants and when. Too late for me, I have an incubator of potted sticks rooting away already, but good of you to try and save us northeastern novices from our own folly!
Don't worry, I did the same thing last year. I was too excited. Next year, I predict you'll start a little later to give yourself a break. Good luck rooting!
How much water to give a dormant fig plant per month? Thanks !
There is no set amount. You have to inspect the trees regularly. When the soil begins to "pull away" from the sides of the pot, that is when you need to water them. You can probably pour a pint of water in an O-patter evenly across the soil, then check back in an hour to see if the dirt has relaxed and is contacting the sides of the container again. It's very important you don't make the soil wet, though, or it could rot.
@@TheMillennialGardener I have it in a fabric pot. Will it pull away from the sides also if the plant is in this pot ? Thank you so much! Mark
@@markcampolo577 ohh, that definitely makes it a little tougher. I have a banana and tomatoes in fabric pots and they do not pull away from the sides when they're dry like they would from a plastic pot. The good news is the fabric pots will leave a ring of dampness on concrete if the bottoms are wet. You may have to feel around the top of the soil and the sides, as well as move them around to make sure there is no moisture under the pot. I can tell you for certainty that if they're leaving a moisture ring on concrete, do not water them. I won't lie though, it's tougher to tell when to water in fabric.
Why do you cut off the top bud tops?
I cut my trees back substantially each year. I make sure the trees are cut back symmetrically so they don't become off-balance due to the tendencies of apical dominance. If you allow some branches to be longer than others, those longer branches will tend to collect most of the growth hormone, and the tree will become off-balance and asymmetrical.
Do you sell multiple fig cuttings of different varieties?
I offer cuttings during the dormant season. I always make a formal announcement to my subscribers when the time comes. It is usually in January.
How long fig cuttings last in normal condition???
I'm not sure what you mean by "normal condition." If you wrap and refrigerate them, they can last 3-6 months. I've heard if some folks discovering cuttings in their crisper that are a year old and they'll sometimes root. However, it's always best to do it as fresh as possible. If you leave them outside, they won't last long. They'll dry out within a couple days, maybe sooner.
can you name me where i can buy fig cuttings or bare root online? thanks
Try figbid.com
Why do you cut off the top buds?
I cut off some desiccated wood. It was pretty dry.
Where should I order my cuttings from?? I’m in zone 6. When should I order them?
Mom Puff the best source online is Figbid. It is an auction website, and you will find the best selection out there, but sometimes prices can get high depending on the variety. It can take patience. Most of my cuttings were from Figbid. I recommend starting your cuttings in late fall/early winter. Something like 120 days before your last frost makes life easier. You can buy them whenever and store them in the fridge crispers wrapped in plastic.
Two big sources are Willsfigs and Figabolics, but their cuttings usually come later (Dec/Jan).
The Millennial Gardener thank you for helping me out!! I will try to keep you posted on my success next year!! 👍🏻🦋
Good luck!
Why not build a greenhouse that can cater your container plants so that you will never carry these during winter times. I have one fig plant about one foot tall in container and I live in tropical country. I was amaze on how your fig trees grown and produce fruits. I hope mine will do the same. Thanks for all the information.
A lot of reasons. Cost, footprint, HOA restrictions, mostly. My money would be better spent on a sunroom, in my opinion. However, that’s a $15,000+ endeavor that isn’t in the cards anytime soon 😆 At this point, I’m focusing on trees that can thrive in-ground in my climate. Thank you for watching.
Do you sell fig tree on amazon? I’ve recently purchased many fig trees there but not the varieties that I love to have 😢
Evalynn TN I use Figbid. I won’t be pruning my trees until December or January, but when I prune them, I will sell the cuttings there. I will also be propagating them and hope to have trees for sale in April.
The Millennial Gardener Yay! I will be waiting. Love all of your figs! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you! And thanks for watching.
do you sale cutting? or plants
I offer cuttings to my subscribers during the dormant season. I always formally announce when the time comes, usually in January.
why not just stick the cuttings in the ground for the winter and pot them in the spring?
My winters are too cold for that. Zone 8a is marginal for figs.
@@TheMillennialGardener Hey thanks for the response. I'm in NYC zone 7 and have had some success putting cuttings in the ground with my tree, idk the type. I'm looking for a scalable way to produce a lot of cuttings with low effort. The tree has a lot of potential cuttings since it's decades old and short with lateral growth
Homie has to bring every plant out and back in for 4 months no wonder you swole 😂
I don't move my figs indoors. They sit outside all year.
I have three fig trees...
What varieties?
No sound.
I'm getting reports the audio may be in mono. Check both L and R channels. It works fine over phone and desktop but possibly not a single headphone.