Check out Part 1 of my espalier series here ( th-cam.com/video/9HhiABxJ298/w-d-xo.html ). Are you growing anything espalier in your yard? Let us know in the Comments below!
Thank you! It's a pretty new video. Once May or June rolls around and I get new growth, I will be following up with a double cordon video. Then, over the winter we will have a full double cordon pruning video. I intend for it to be a complete 4-5 part series showing every stage of double cordon espalier.
@@TheMillennialGardener Sounds good! I've got 4 trees, all 3 years old, but with limited growth where I've been stationed here in Washington. This weekend I am moving them out back for better direct sun exposure and less deer activity. They're a little tall for the low espalier (I cut the main trunks at 36") but these videos have been keeping me going. I pruned them back to the same "t" style. Love it, and keep the updates coming! Hopefully this fall I get a real harvest, if not, next year will be golden with all the energy they've built up.
maybe people see the length of the video and skip past. It's good to add a 10 to 20 -second intro of what you will be covering in the video - not that you didn't do that but like key points or something. I appreciate the videos so I don't have any problem with the length.
Great Espalier video, encourage me to try it, I've been considering doing espalier on my "ranch" style fence to be like a natural barrier that produces food, especially with how vigorous figs can produce with cuttings! Between you and Dave Wilson Nursery, I've been learning some great stuff!
This is my thought on the situation: if you want a natural privacy fence, why not make it edible? If you're going to have a hedge, choose one that will feed you and your family. Espalier can turn anything into a fruiting privacy hedge: figs, peaches, apples, plums, pears, etc. You direct the growth where you want it to go. Did you check out my first espalier video? This will show you how to set up your cordons: th-cam.com/video/9HhiABxJ298/w-d-xo.html Another great fruiting hedge is Feijoa. If you're in Zone 8a (or a "warm" southern Zone 7b) or warmer, they can be a true, flowering, fruiting hedge for you that's evergreen all yera and look more like a "traditional" hedge.
@@TheMillennialGardener I'm on the border of 8b/9a. Yes I did watch the first video and your follow up planting of the new trees, it's got me excited to experiment.
I'm in zone 5a, I've been growing a small Chicago Fig from a tiny specimen I got at a box store. I've been told I could plant it outside with heavy mulching and winter freeze protection. My tree is about 40 inches tall and I'm getting ready to plant her outside. The video was wonderful for anyone wanting to learn how to espalia. I also got some great information on fig in general. It is much appreciated.
Thanks so much! You have demystified espalier for me. I have been wanting to tackle this for so long and with your video, I feel confident I can do it!
Outstanding! I'm so happy I could provide some clarity. It sounds complicated, but it's really nothing more than tying a branch to a wire or stake as a guide. It's really simple. You just have to stay on top of things and make sure you tie things down before the new green growth gets too firm. Otherwise, it'll be difficult to guide.
So informative. I learned a lot. I'm rooting some figs now and hope to get them planted in the spring. I will definitely try this method. Makes very good sense.
Glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching. Did you check out my original setup video? It may be helpful if you haven't seen it: th-cam.com/video/9HhiABxJ298/w-d-xo.html
1984 SOMEONE GAVE ME SOME OF HIS FIG FROM HIS TREE,AND I AM IN LOVE WITH IT! CAN'T HAVE A FIG TREE UNTIL 2000 AND BEEN EATING FIGS EVERY SINCE❤❤❤ don't really know which the name ,but they're good!.
Just to let you know, it reads that the video will be available in 25 minutes. I just finished listening to the end of one of your videos that I was watching from last night, and this one popped up.
I live in the exact same region as you I'm near Emerald isle. Finding this channel is perfect because I can just follow what you do to a T. Thanks for making videos!
Awesome! Our climates are virtually identical, so what does well for me should for you as well. I love EI. We used to vacation there before I moved to NC.
I usually find American videos self indulgent and waffly. Thus chap is however very different. The explanation and tips are outstanding, clear and helpful. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing the link where I can see the tree you planted here years ago. I had planted more than 12 pig cuttings, I hope they will survive this year. maybe next year I can move all of them on the ground like you and anticipate them to grow up to a big tree. I am now in Turkey, as you said, the original place of the fig tree. by the way, your videos are very great and your explanation also great.
@@TheMillennialGardener The climate here is you have almost all your rain between December to March. When the spring comes the summer had already there. This year is a little bit late for summer, now is still raining.
This series is incredible. Thank you! When will the video for the second cordon be out? I'm hoping to use this technique to espalier my fig, chokeberries and elderberry. Do you think elderberry would work with this?
I was surprised you didn't top your figs on the last video, but I'm sure you know better then me. I'm new to figs, but I do find them very interesting.
Thank you! Assuming everything goes according to plan, I will be creating another video on creating a double cordon - running a second cable and tying down the new growth. My end goal is to have a complete video series on espalier from initial planting to completion, but it'll be a 3-year project!
My goal is to put all the good figs in ground and get rid of the rest. It is very difficult managing them in containers because you can’t leave the house long. It makes it hard to vacation in the summer. I will probably always have some figs in containers because I love trialing new varieties with friends, but I want to really reduce my numbers to 10 or less in pots. Zone 5 may be too cold for in ground figs, but you can still espalier things. Apples, pears, peaches, persimmons, pawpaws, plums, etc. all respond well to espalier and can thrive in your environment as long as you select proven varieties.
Thank you for watching! Dale will eat practically anything so we are lucky to have an easy dog, but I think those figs are perfect for pill hiding! I know I would still eat it 😂
I wish I have enough room for the ESPALIER I only have 2 trees 1on the ground and 1 just plan in the pot 1 week ago!,maybe someday I'll move to Florida buy a farm and grown alot of fig tree I AM WILL DREAM ON 🤣🤣🤣🤣❤❤❤❤
Thanks for this playlist! I've been following your content the past two years. I finally got two fig cuttings that are a brown turkey fig variety. Unfortunately one of the cuttings I got wasn't a straight cutting. I'm applying the espalier technique for that fig tree. So this playlist has been very informative and helpful with explanations. Do you sell fig cuttings somewhere on a website? I would like to get more varieties.
I'm glad it could be helpful! I offer cuttings in the winter. I always make an official announcement to my subscribers when they're available, so if you subscribe and you have notifications turned on, you'll get the notification.
Thank you for this! great job, thorough and to the point detailing. I know the roots of figs tend to spread ... wondering if they won't encroach into neighbor's yard, or even out into yours and reveal themselves. Any suggestions on blocking that encroachment? Again, thank you for awesome video.
We have espaliered a corky's honey delight fig tree over the past year and a half and have established the horizontal cordons. From the horizontal cordons the vertical branches have grown tremendously, 4 to 5 feet up from their respective horizontal cordon. Our question is do we want to pinch/cut/prune the ends of the vertical branches since we are in between the breba (first) crop and main (second) crop seasons? Each vertical branch has a huge amount of foliage so we're just trying to keep the jungle at bay. Would appreciate your recommendations? Alternatively, do we do nothing and simply let all the vertical branches continue to grow in length during the active growing season, since they will all be cut back to the 1st or 2nd node during the winter dormancy? Thank you We live in San DIego coastal where the lowest temperature in (typically) January is low 40's; never freezes.
I just purchased some 15 gallon buckets for up-potting and root pruning. I will be making a video in March explaining the process. Probably within 3 weeks or so.
Thank you so much. You answered all my questions with this video. Having been inspired by your espalier video series I too have established one. Within a 3.5 metre length I have a white adriatic and a black genoa. They are both 3 year old trees I have purchased. Both are being trained on the first tier and the horizaontal leaders are growing well with quit a few fruit. My only question if you can answer please, would I get new growth on the old wood? I forgot to mention, I'm in Australia.
Excellent. Glad to hear you're espaliering! Espalier requires maintenance. Every year, you will have to prune the vertical growth back to the cordons, but leave a node or two for leafing out the following year. I tried to explain this at 4:36 and 5:56. It is difficult to show right now because my trees aren't far enough along to cut back to the cordons. I will continue to develop this espalier series as they mature to clarify pruning. If you were to make a mistake and cut the trees back to the cordon and leave no new wood on the vertical growth, the tree will probably force buds along the old wood if it isn't too far below the main trunk. Wood down low tends to get neglected if you allow your trees to become too tall because the auxins move to the tops and ends of branches. I hope this response was helpful.
Question, if the plant is say super vigorous right? Say I’ve actually already established what you may call 2nd and 3rd year cordons with chutes already coming off during THIS YEARS growth (grapes but I see how figs grow too). Would it be possible to allow the 2nd and 3rd year cordons to stay? Or would I need to prune it alllllll off to what I see here? Hopefully I’ve made sense friend. My plants are vigorous as all get out and really put on some insane growth this year.
I have one here: th-cam.com/video/ghl5XkLU4d0/w-d-xo.html The best way to fertilize newly rooted cuttings is with diluted, fractional strength synthetic fertilizer.
I take it that fence faces north and provides a protection in the winter? Do you need to provide cover/protection during winter? Also, would you mind sharing your zip code so I can compare your historical temperatures and elevation to mine (37891)?
Great video. Will this work for varieties that produce good quality breba crop like Desert King which grow fruits on previous season growth, or this is simply not a good option for these varieties. Also it would be great later in the season to compare against same age V shape tree.
Yes, you can do this when growing for breba, but breba pruning is a different strategy. Normally, when you grow for main crop, you do your pruning in the winter to cut your trees back to encourage new fruiting wood for the summer. For breba, it's the opposite. For breba, you prune right after you harvest your fruit, which is probably June or July. Then, you allow the trees to put on new wood for the remainder of the summer and leave that wood preserved to make the brebas the following spring. So, basically, with breba, you just adjust your pruning to the opposite season.
Im wondering why you chose cordons. Most use a Fan for Figs since unlike Apples they don't have long lasting spurs which produce fruit. Like a Grape a Fig produces on the new wood. Thus the fan method of training seems more appropriate. If you persist with cordons you might want to leave renewal spurs lower down to eventually replace your main cordons to maintain visor and fruitfulness.
Now's the time to begin the clearing while the temps aren't all sweaty. I usually do my land clearing and prep in March because the dew point is still very low, but we start to get some warmer days. Thanks for watching.
@@TheMillennialGardener Agreed, My land clearing would consist of many 30' to 50' Pines and Oaks, I may be having one of the mills come out this year and clear it for me.
@@ktrain4996 those are some big guys. Problem is the roots underneath the ground. Even if you remove the trees and grind the stumps, you'll have to fight all of those underground roots when trying to plant anything. They take many years to decay. I wonder the cost of having the stumps ripped out...
@@TheMillennialGardener We considered that as well, Looked into having someone turn the land, I've seen where they can get down at least 3', which will get a lot of the big roots and that will hopefully pull a lot of the smaller roots out. It will be a big undertaking by any means....and it may not ALL get done this year. So until it is....pots will have to do, along with the small areas I can squeeze trees in. As long as I keep them pruned well enough, I think it will be ok......for now. lol
@@ktrain4996 honestly, I know the cost will be higher, but real clearing like that instead of just cutting and grinding stumps is worth it if you intend to plant fruit trees. If you just want an open grass field, stump grinding is fine, but for something like an orchard, those roots are going to be rotting and decaying in the soil for years. Maybe decades. I don't really want young fruit tree roots growing into areas of anaerobic rot, or having to compete with those old, huge roots. Those clear cutting operations are pretty amazing, though. The amount of land they can clear in a day is pretty mind-boggling.
It depends what you want out of your fig tree. I want to grow a ton of different varieties, and in order to do that, I need to keep the trees compact. If you want to have a 20 foot tall fig tree for shade, this won't be what you want to do. If I had 100 acres, I would probably give them more space to get larger. However, espalier isn't just about keeping trees smaller. It's about developing beautiful aesthetic patterns with your trees. You can make them bend into any shape you want. It's up to you if you like that look.
In the next growing year (spring) the new vertical growth from the first cordon how tall will you let them grow? i.e. to the second cordon then clip off the growth tip, let it grow completely, other? Thanks
The vertical growth will be cut back to the cordons annually during the dormant season, so it won't really matter how tall they grow. I'll let them get as tall as they want. Once January rolls back, they'll all be cut back to the last new node.
Is the movement of auxin, if mainly depends on temperature and/or light and secondly on species of trees, are there data on that? I wouldn't need exact table but just a verbal summary.
There is probably information out there somewhere, but I'm not aware of it. You'd have to conduct a search. It's been so cold this season that my trees have no sap flow for the first time ever. I can cut them and they don't bleed at all, so I'm guessing the auxins have moved into the roots with the sap. I expect auxins to recollect at the tips when sap flow returns, which should be in a couple weeks.
I have a brown turkey fig that is now reaching 4 years old, I used to cut it low but I espaliered it last year, my problem is the fruit has always been empty, the figs grow very well and lots of them, I thin them down water and feed the tree and I have never been able to get any to an edable state, the figs turn brown then fall off, they are extremely dry in the center not the sweet jucy pulp that it should be, am I doing something wron? Or should I just cut my losses and pull it out and start again? Do figs need a second tree to pollinate? Thanks for your time ☺
It sounds like you have a caprifig. Where did you get your tree? It does not sound like you're growing a female common fig, which is what you must grow to get edible figs in almost all circumstances. What you're stating sounds like a male caprifig, which is the fig tree the fig wasp colonizes. Male caprifigs are rarely edible. They are nothing more than "wasp hives" for the fig wasp to lay their eggs in and emerge coated in pollen. I would get rid of the tree. If it's too much of an undertaking to remove, I would cut it low and graft a new variety onto it.
Thank you, I got the fig tree from Bunnings, what you would call a big box store as a brown turky self pollinating fruit tree, I thought it was a male tree but as I dont know too much I wanted to be sure. ☺
Thanks. I appreciate it. We're fine here, but Ocean Ridge Plantation got devastated by a tornado. 50+ homes damaged or destroyed. At least 3 dead. My parents only live about 4-5 miles from there. I could not believe what I was seeing on the radar. We didn't get above 45 degrees all day and when the storm rolled through at 11PM, it shot up to 70 degrees. The amount of lightning was beyond what we see in the summer. Just insane. Hope you're ok.
@@TheMillennialGardener Glad you guys dodged it. We just got more rain and some nominal wind gusts in Wilmington. But I'm looking forward to two whole days of sun!
Adding a second tier will always cause the lower tier to submit to apical dominance. The bottom tier branch diameter is generally not going to increase after you establish a second tier. Staying at one tier for several years before developing a second tier can give you a first tier that doesn't get dwarfed or overtaken by a younger and larger top tier in the short run, but ultimately apical dominance will prevail. If you don't want to watch your bottom tier atrophy and look scrawny you'll be happier to just do a single tier, (make the bottom tier be the top tier and don't get beat by apical dominance...it's a fight you will never win). Pleaching doesn't get defeated by apical dominance as quickly as a multi horizontal tier method, but it's not as sustainable a configuration as the single tier method.
My backyard faces almost exactly due south (it is SSW). South-facing yards get maximum sunshine because the sun tracks in the southern sky in the Northern Hemisphere. You get the longest amount of sunshine and the least amount of shadows. North-facing yards, on the other hand, tend to be in the shade most of the day. Orientation is very important when selecting a property unless the space is large enough to overcome the shadows. Most residential plots aren't large enough to overcome the shadows from the house itself, so orientation in neighborhoods means a lot.
I want to buy fig cuttings from you but i dont know how,im from Philippines.My worry is will the cuttings arrive in my end in good condition ?Btw thanks for a very informative video.Godbless.
I wish I could, but I cannot ship cuttings or plants internationally. The chances of them arriving are almost zero. Even if they make it through Customs, they will probably be held for awhile and take so long that they'll be ruined by the time they reach you. It's really hard to ship to other continents, unfortunately. But thanks for watching!
I do not know and I'm not the best person to ask. My Smith tree is 2 years old, and in those 2 years, the lowest temp I recorded at my house has been 22.2F. I've recorded three separate 22F minimums over the past 2 winters (never dipping below 22F), and it has caused no damage to my Smith tree. We have had probably 6-10 lows in the 20's this year with dozens of hard frosts and my Smith is unaffected and looks wonderful with no dieback anywhere, but I can't say what will happen in the teens.
Espaliering your trees is just a way of shaping them. You can still espalier your trees and grow for breba, but you’ll want a different pruning strategy. I don’t grow figs for brebas, only for main crop.
I have never heard of cicadas causing damage to any kind of trees. The only way I'm aware of that cicadas can damage a tree is by laying eggs under bark, which causes the bark to split when the eggs hatch. Fig trees barely have bark - it is extremely thin - so I doubt it is a concern. Even if it were possible, and I doubt it is, fig trees grow so vigorously that if you had to remove a branch, it would grow back in no time. Fig trees can grow from total dieback to 8 feet tall in a single season, so I don't see how a cicada can harm them.
Yes. I have been offering them for awhile, but I'm beginning to run low. I still have some available. You can see how to acquire some here: th-cam.com/video/rA5V2QPcpzw/w-d-xo.html
Espalier is "pruning them properly." It's the most efficient way of spacing trees because you're directing their growth instead of fighting against it (which is what normal pruning is). Espalier is proactive whereas pruning is reactive. Doing this, I am able to fit 6 trees in the space that 2-3 would "normally" fit in, and because I'm not hacking them to pieces with more typical pruning practices, I am going to get much better yield since the growth will still be intense, but directed in specific areas. The trees also will not "grow into each other." They'll stay perfectly separated. If you try to just space the figs closely and manage them with reactive pruning, they will grow into each other during the growing season.
Thank you for such an informative video! I have a question though. What is the purpose of keeping the upward shooting branch? Why not top it at the height of your final cordon?
Thanks. I kept the central branch, because I am growing two cordons. The central branch needs to be maintained for the upper cordons. Please see this year's video, which establishes the double cordons. It will all become clear: th-cam.com/video/t4xURf4xi0Y/w-d-xo.html
The problem with figs is that they are not a fruit. They are a syconium - a collection of inverted flowers - so once removed from the tree, they begin withering and dying. They will not ripen off the tree since they aren't a true fruit. Figs have to be eaten right away for best quality before they decline. The other problem is figs are ripe when they're squishy, so they get destroyed in shipment. Therefore, growers pick them *far too early* and they will never ripen and start degrading rapidly. Commercially grown figs are almost universally *awful* for that reason. If you want good figs, you *must* grow them yourself.
I’ve dropped a pill on the floor and Dale ate the pill right off the floor, so he is really easy to give medication to 😂 But I suspect the fig trick will work well on pickier dogs.
Check out Part 1 of my espalier series here ( th-cam.com/video/9HhiABxJ298/w-d-xo.html ). Are you growing anything espalier in your yard? Let us know in the Comments below!
I'm espaliering two pear trees; they are now one year old on the espalier
@@Athabina Very nice! How are they coming along?
@@TheMillennialGardener they are almost ready for spring but we got 10 inches of snow yesterday :D
I don't know why this has so few views, this is literally the best video series about espalier on the internet. Outstanding.
Thank you! It's a pretty new video. Once May or June rolls around and I get new growth, I will be following up with a double cordon video. Then, over the winter we will have a full double cordon pruning video. I intend for it to be a complete 4-5 part series showing every stage of double cordon espalier.
@@TheMillennialGardener Sounds good! I've got 4 trees, all 3 years old, but with limited growth where I've been stationed here in Washington. This weekend I am moving them out back for better direct sun exposure and less deer activity. They're a little tall for the low espalier (I cut the main trunks at 36") but these videos have been keeping me going. I pruned them back to the same "t" style. Love it, and keep the updates coming! Hopefully this fall I get a real harvest, if not, next year will be golden with all the energy they've built up.
maybe people see the length of the video and skip past. It's good to add a 10 to 20 -second intro of what you will be covering in the video - not that you didn't do that but like key points or something. I appreciate the videos so I don't have any problem with the length.
Great Espalier video, encourage me to try it, I've been considering doing espalier on my "ranch" style fence to be like a natural barrier that produces food, especially with how vigorous figs can produce with cuttings!
Between you and Dave Wilson Nursery, I've been learning some great stuff!
This is my thought on the situation: if you want a natural privacy fence, why not make it edible? If you're going to have a hedge, choose one that will feed you and your family. Espalier can turn anything into a fruiting privacy hedge: figs, peaches, apples, plums, pears, etc. You direct the growth where you want it to go. Did you check out my first espalier video? This will show you how to set up your cordons: th-cam.com/video/9HhiABxJ298/w-d-xo.html
Another great fruiting hedge is Feijoa. If you're in Zone 8a (or a "warm" southern Zone 7b) or warmer, they can be a true, flowering, fruiting hedge for you that's evergreen all yera and look more like a "traditional" hedge.
@@TheMillennialGardener I'm on the border of 8b/9a. Yes I did watch the first video and your follow up planting of the new trees, it's got me excited to experiment.
I'm in zone 5a, I've been growing a small Chicago Fig from a tiny specimen I got at a box store. I've been told I could plant it outside with heavy mulching and winter freeze protection. My tree is about 40 inches tall and I'm getting ready to plant her outside. The video was wonderful for anyone wanting to learn how to espalia. I also got some great information on fig in general. It is much appreciated.
Grow it in a sheltered place. I am between zone 6 and 5 in Switzerland. My fig is enormous but protected by a wall on the windy north side.
Thanks so much! You have demystified espalier for me. I have been wanting to tackle this for so long and with your video, I feel confident I can do it!
Outstanding! I'm so happy I could provide some clarity. It sounds complicated, but it's really nothing more than tying a branch to a wire or stake as a guide. It's really simple. You just have to stay on top of things and make sure you tie things down before the new green growth gets too firm. Otherwise, it'll be difficult to guide.
So informative. I learned a lot. I'm rooting some figs now and hope to get them planted in the spring. I will definitely try this method. Makes very good sense.
Glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching.
Super helpful! You've inspired me to try this in my limited space back yard. Thank you
Is there an updated version of this? Would like to see part 3.
This seems like the exact method used for grape Vines. Great video
Very informative videos! Thank you for explaining everything thoroughly that I actually understand after just 1 video.
Glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching. Did you check out my original setup video? It may be helpful if you haven't seen it: th-cam.com/video/9HhiABxJ298/w-d-xo.html
I have learned so much from you, thank you from Germany :)
Amazing teachings. Thank you. Love your channel.👏👏👏👏👏👏
THANK YOU FOR THE CLIP IT'S VERY HELPFUL SOMEDAY ❤❤❤💙💙💙
1984 SOMEONE GAVE ME SOME OF HIS FIG
FROM HIS TREE,AND I AM IN LOVE WITH IT!
CAN'T HAVE A FIG TREE UNTIL 2000
AND BEEN EATING FIGS EVERY SINCE❤❤❤ don't really know which the name ,but they're good!.
Fantastic advice and video explained clearly and slowly, your video is excellent, thank you
Thank you! I'm glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching!
Just to let you know, it reads that the video will be available in 25 minutes. I just finished listening to the end of one of your videos that I was watching from last night, and this one popped up.
The TH-cam notifications for premiers are a little confusing, for sure.
I live in the exact same region as you I'm near Emerald isle. Finding this channel is perfect because I can just follow what you do to a T. Thanks for making videos!
Awesome! Our climates are virtually identical, so what does well for me should for you as well. I love EI. We used to vacation there before I moved to NC.
Thank you so much. It’s very educational. I planted a fig sapling 3 weeks ago. I’ll follow your instructions to espalier this one.
I'm glad it was helpful. Thank you for watching!
I usually find American videos self indulgent and waffly. Thus chap is however very different. The explanation and tips are outstanding, clear and helpful. Thank you.
I'm happy to hear the videos are helpful! I really appreciate you watching!
Thanks for sharing the link where I can see the tree you planted here years ago. I had planted more than 12 pig cuttings, I hope they will survive this year. maybe next year I can move all of them on the ground like you and anticipate them to grow up to a big tree. I am now in Turkey, as you said, the original place of the fig tree. by the way, your videos are very great and your explanation also great.
Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying them. I wish I had your climate for figs!
@@TheMillennialGardener The climate here is you have almost all your rain between December to March. When the spring comes the summer had already there. This year is a little bit late for summer, now is still raining.
Very nice information and good teaching Thanks .Keep it up !
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!
This series is incredible. Thank you! When will the video for the second cordon be out? I'm hoping to use this technique to espalier my fig, chokeberries and elderberry. Do you think elderberry would work with this?
I was surprised you didn't top your figs on the last video, but I'm sure you know better then me. I'm new to figs, but I do find them very interesting.
Thank you for sharing another fantastic video.
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for the espalier videos. Last update I can find is a year ago. Are you planning on another. Would love to see how they’re doing now.
Awsome like your videos bud. Like to see how the espalier trees do this summer. Keep us posted
Thank you! Assuming everything goes according to plan, I will be creating another video on creating a double cordon - running a second cable and tying down the new growth. My end goal is to have a complete video series on espalier from initial planting to completion, but it'll be a 3-year project!
@@TheMillennialGardener are your plans is to have just the espalier trees instead of having them in pots? Wish I could do this in zone 5.
My goal is to put all the good figs in ground and get rid of the rest. It is very difficult managing them in containers because you can’t leave the house long. It makes it hard to vacation in the summer. I will probably always have some figs in containers because I love trialing new varieties with friends, but I want to really reduce my numbers to 10 or less in pots.
Zone 5 may be too cold for in ground figs, but you can still espalier things. Apples, pears, peaches, persimmons, pawpaws, plums, etc. all respond well to espalier and can thrive in your environment as long as you select proven varieties.
Thank you for sharing this very informative video with us. Oh by the way, thanks for the tip on how to give our pets their medication 😃👍
Thank you for watching! Dale will eat practically anything so we are lucky to have an easy dog, but I think those figs are perfect for pill hiding! I know I would still eat it 😂
I wish I have enough room for the ESPALIER
I only have 2 trees 1on the ground and 1 just plan in the pot 1 week ago!,maybe someday
I'll move to Florida buy a farm and grown alot of fig tree I AM WILL DREAM ON 🤣🤣🤣🤣❤❤❤❤
Thanks for this playlist! I've been following your content the past two years. I finally got two fig cuttings that are a brown turkey fig variety. Unfortunately one of the cuttings I got wasn't a straight cutting. I'm applying the espalier technique for that fig tree. So this playlist has been very informative and helpful with explanations. Do you sell fig cuttings somewhere on a website? I would like to get more varieties.
I'm glad it could be helpful! I offer cuttings in the winter. I always make an official announcement to my subscribers when they're available, so if you subscribe and you have notifications turned on, you'll get the notification.
Thank you for this! great job, thorough and to the point detailing. I know the roots of figs tend to spread ... wondering if they won't encroach into neighbor's yard, or even out into yours and reveal themselves. Any suggestions on blocking that encroachment? Again, thank you for awesome video.
We have espaliered a corky's honey delight fig tree over the past year and a half and have established the horizontal cordons. From the horizontal cordons the vertical branches have grown tremendously, 4 to 5 feet up from their respective horizontal cordon. Our question is do we want to pinch/cut/prune the ends of the vertical branches since we are in between the breba (first) crop and main (second) crop seasons? Each vertical branch has a huge amount of foliage so we're just trying to keep the jungle at bay. Would appreciate your recommendations? Alternatively, do we do nothing and simply let all the vertical branches continue to grow in length during the active growing season, since they will all be cut back to the 1st or 2nd node during the winter dormancy? Thank you
We live in San DIego coastal where the lowest temperature in (typically) January is low 40's; never freezes.
Excellent.
Thanks for watching!
Great job need to know how often you trim roots in buckets
I just purchased some 15 gallon buckets for up-potting and root pruning. I will be making a video in March explaining the process. Probably within 3 weeks or so.
Thank you so much. You answered all my questions with this video. Having been inspired by your espalier video series I too have established one. Within a 3.5 metre length I have a white adriatic and a black genoa. They are both 3 year old trees I have purchased. Both are being trained on the first tier and the horizaontal leaders are growing well with quit a few fruit. My only question if you can answer please, would I get new growth on the old wood? I forgot to mention, I'm in Australia.
Excellent. Glad to hear you're espaliering! Espalier requires maintenance. Every year, you will have to prune the vertical growth back to the cordons, but leave a node or two for leafing out the following year. I tried to explain this at 4:36 and 5:56. It is difficult to show right now because my trees aren't far enough along to cut back to the cordons. I will continue to develop this espalier series as they mature to clarify pruning.
If you were to make a mistake and cut the trees back to the cordon and leave no new wood on the vertical growth, the tree will probably force buds along the old wood if it isn't too far below the main trunk. Wood down low tends to get neglected if you allow your trees to become too tall because the auxins move to the tops and ends of branches. I hope this response was helpful.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you, clearly understood. Looking forward to more of your espalier series with these fig trees.
Question, if the plant is say super vigorous right? Say I’ve actually already established what you may call 2nd and 3rd year cordons with chutes already coming off during THIS YEARS growth (grapes but I see how figs grow too).
Would it be possible to allow the 2nd and 3rd year cordons to stay? Or would I need to prune it alllllll off to what I see here?
Hopefully I’ve made sense friend. My plants are vigorous as all get out and really put on some insane growth this year.
Very helpful thx
You're welcome!
I hope you will make a video on fertilizing figs in a 4x4x9 tree pots
I have one here: th-cam.com/video/ghl5XkLU4d0/w-d-xo.html
The best way to fertilize newly rooted cuttings is with diluted, fractional strength synthetic fertilizer.
When you store your cuttings, what RH do you shoot for in a zip lock bag in veg crisper? I am thinking 65 percent.
I take it that fence faces north and provides a protection in the winter? Do you need to provide cover/protection during winter? Also, would you mind sharing your zip code so I can compare your historical temperatures and elevation to mine (37891)?
What time of year were you pruning? Just before growth started?
can you eventually untie it from the cable when the branch gets stronger and hold its form
Great video. Will this work for varieties that produce good quality breba crop like Desert King which grow fruits on previous season growth, or this is simply not a good option for these varieties.
Also it would be great later in the season to compare against same age V shape tree.
Yes, you can do this when growing for breba, but breba pruning is a different strategy. Normally, when you grow for main crop, you do your pruning in the winter to cut your trees back to encourage new fruiting wood for the summer. For breba, it's the opposite. For breba, you prune right after you harvest your fruit, which is probably June or July. Then, you allow the trees to put on new wood for the remainder of the summer and leave that wood preserved to make the brebas the following spring. So, basically, with breba, you just adjust your pruning to the opposite season.
Im wondering why you chose cordons. Most use a Fan for Figs since unlike Apples they don't have long lasting spurs which produce fruit. Like a Grape a Fig produces on the new wood. Thus the fan method of training seems more appropriate. If you persist with cordons you might want to leave renewal spurs lower down to eventually replace your main cordons to maintain visor and fruitfulness.
I would like to do this, But I currently have no where to do it. Have to clear some land and then it's on. Good video as usual.
Now's the time to begin the clearing while the temps aren't all sweaty. I usually do my land clearing and prep in March because the dew point is still very low, but we start to get some warmer days. Thanks for watching.
@@TheMillennialGardener Agreed, My land clearing would consist of many 30' to 50' Pines and Oaks, I may be having one of the mills come out this year and clear it for me.
@@ktrain4996 those are some big guys. Problem is the roots underneath the ground. Even if you remove the trees and grind the stumps, you'll have to fight all of those underground roots when trying to plant anything. They take many years to decay. I wonder the cost of having the stumps ripped out...
@@TheMillennialGardener We considered that as well, Looked into having someone turn the land, I've seen where they can get down at least 3', which will get a lot of the big roots and that will hopefully pull a lot of the smaller roots out. It will be a big undertaking by any means....and it may not ALL get done this year. So until it is....pots will have to do, along with the small areas I can squeeze trees in. As long as I keep them pruned well enough, I think it will be ok......for now. lol
@@ktrain4996 honestly, I know the cost will be higher, but real clearing like that instead of just cutting and grinding stumps is worth it if you intend to plant fruit trees. If you just want an open grass field, stump grinding is fine, but for something like an orchard, those roots are going to be rotting and decaying in the soil for years. Maybe decades. I don't really want young fruit tree roots growing into areas of anaerobic rot, or having to compete with those old, huge roots. Those clear cutting operations are pretty amazing, though. The amount of land they can clear in a day is pretty mind-boggling.
Do you recommend this method even if you have a good amount of space?
It depends what you want out of your fig tree. I want to grow a ton of different varieties, and in order to do that, I need to keep the trees compact. If you want to have a 20 foot tall fig tree for shade, this won't be what you want to do. If I had 100 acres, I would probably give them more space to get larger. However, espalier isn't just about keeping trees smaller. It's about developing beautiful aesthetic patterns with your trees. You can make them bend into any shape you want. It's up to you if you like that look.
In the next growing year (spring) the new vertical growth from the first cordon how tall will you let them grow? i.e. to the second cordon then clip off the growth tip, let it grow completely, other? Thanks
The vertical growth will be cut back to the cordons annually during the dormant season, so it won't really matter how tall they grow. I'll let them get as tall as they want. Once January rolls back, they'll all be cut back to the last new node.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thanks, I'll be doing mine this January in Ninety Six SC.
Is the movement of auxin, if mainly depends on temperature and/or light and secondly on species of trees, are there data on that? I wouldn't need exact table but just a verbal summary.
There is probably information out there somewhere, but I'm not aware of it. You'd have to conduct a search. It's been so cold this season that my trees have no sap flow for the first time ever. I can cut them and they don't bleed at all, so I'm guessing the auxins have moved into the roots with the sap. I expect auxins to recollect at the tips when sap flow returns, which should be in a couple weeks.
I have a brown turkey fig that is now reaching 4 years old, I used to cut it low but I espaliered it last year, my problem is the fruit has always been empty, the figs grow very well and lots of them, I thin them down water and feed the tree and I have never been able to get any to an edable state, the figs turn brown then fall off, they are extremely dry in the center not the sweet jucy pulp that it should be, am I doing something wron? Or should I just cut my losses and pull it out and start again? Do figs need a second tree to pollinate? Thanks for your time ☺
It sounds like you have a caprifig. Where did you get your tree? It does not sound like you're growing a female common fig, which is what you must grow to get edible figs in almost all circumstances. What you're stating sounds like a male caprifig, which is the fig tree the fig wasp colonizes. Male caprifigs are rarely edible. They are nothing more than "wasp hives" for the fig wasp to lay their eggs in and emerge coated in pollen. I would get rid of the tree. If it's too much of an undertaking to remove, I would cut it low and graft a new variety onto it.
Thank you, I got the fig tree from Bunnings, what you would call a big box store as a brown turky self pollinating fruit tree, I thought it was a male tree but as I dont know too much I wanted to be sure. ☺
2nd level final product pictures or video available anywhere?
The second cordons will be established later this summer. I'll have another video on this within the next couple months.
Hey, man. Hope you're doing ok. You guys got some serious weather last night!
Thanks. I appreciate it. We're fine here, but Ocean Ridge Plantation got devastated by a tornado. 50+ homes damaged or destroyed. At least 3 dead. My parents only live about 4-5 miles from there. I could not believe what I was seeing on the radar. We didn't get above 45 degrees all day and when the storm rolled through at 11PM, it shot up to 70 degrees. The amount of lightning was beyond what we see in the summer. Just insane. Hope you're ok.
@@TheMillennialGardener Glad you guys dodged it. We just got more rain and some nominal wind gusts in Wilmington. But I'm looking forward to two whole days of sun!
Adding a second tier will always cause the lower tier to submit to apical dominance. The bottom tier branch diameter is generally not going to increase after you establish a second tier. Staying at one tier for several years before developing a second tier can give you a first tier that doesn't get dwarfed or overtaken by a younger and larger top tier in the short run, but ultimately apical dominance will prevail. If you don't want to watch your bottom tier atrophy and look scrawny you'll be happier to just do a single tier, (make the bottom tier be the top tier and don't get beat by apical dominance...it's a fight you will never win). Pleaching doesn't get defeated by apical dominance as quickly as a multi horizontal tier method, but it's not as sustainable a configuration as the single tier method.
As it looks Your fence has N-S orientation. Is it the best?
My backyard faces almost exactly due south (it is SSW). South-facing yards get maximum sunshine because the sun tracks in the southern sky in the Northern Hemisphere. You get the longest amount of sunshine and the least amount of shadows. North-facing yards, on the other hand, tend to be in the shade most of the day. Orientation is very important when selecting a property unless the space is large enough to overcome the shadows. Most residential plots aren't large enough to overcome the shadows from the house itself, so orientation in neighborhoods means a lot.
I want to buy fig cuttings from you but i dont know how,im from Philippines.My worry is will the cuttings arrive in my end in good condition ?Btw thanks for a very informative video.Godbless.
I wish I could, but I cannot ship cuttings or plants internationally. The chances of them arriving are almost zero. Even if they make it through Customs, they will probably be held for awhile and take so long that they'll be ruined by the time they reach you. It's really hard to ship to other continents, unfortunately. But thanks for watching!
Smith is it cold hardy variety appalachian mountains western Virginia???
I do not know and I'm not the best person to ask. My Smith tree is 2 years old, and in those 2 years, the lowest temp I recorded at my house has been 22.2F. I've recorded three separate 22F minimums over the past 2 winters (never dipping below 22F), and it has caused no damage to my Smith tree. We have had probably 6-10 lows in the 20's this year with dozens of hard frosts and my Smith is unaffected and looks wonderful with no dieback anywhere, but I can't say what will happen in the teens.
❤
I guess espalier is not possible if you want breba crop, which is formed on previous year's wood?
Espaliering your trees is just a way of shaping them. You can still espalier your trees and grow for breba, but you’ll want a different pruning strategy. I don’t grow figs for brebas, only for main crop.
I have a question for you do cicadas damage fig trees?
I have never heard of cicadas causing damage to any kind of trees. The only way I'm aware of that cicadas can damage a tree is by laying eggs under bark, which causes the bark to split when the eggs hatch. Fig trees barely have bark - it is extremely thin - so I doubt it is a concern. Even if it were possible, and I doubt it is, fig trees grow so vigorously that if you had to remove a branch, it would grow back in no time. Fig trees can grow from total dieback to 8 feet tall in a single season, so I don't see how a cicada can harm them.
Ok thank you very much
Do you ever sell any of your fig cuttings to the public?
Yes. I have been offering them for awhile, but I'm beginning to run low. I still have some available. You can see how to acquire some here: th-cam.com/video/rA5V2QPcpzw/w-d-xo.html
What does an espaliered tree provide that multiple plants couldn't? Couldn't you just have more trees and prune them properly?
Espalier is "pruning them properly." It's the most efficient way of spacing trees because you're directing their growth instead of fighting against it (which is what normal pruning is). Espalier is proactive whereas pruning is reactive. Doing this, I am able to fit 6 trees in the space that 2-3 would "normally" fit in, and because I'm not hacking them to pieces with more typical pruning practices, I am going to get much better yield since the growth will still be intense, but directed in specific areas. The trees also will not "grow into each other." They'll stay perfectly separated. If you try to just space the figs closely and manage them with reactive pruning, they will grow into each other during the growing season.
Thank you for such an informative video! I have a question though. What is the purpose of keeping the upward shooting branch? Why not top it at the height of your final cordon?
Thanks. I kept the central branch, because I am growing two cordons. The central branch needs to be maintained for the upper cordons. Please see this year's video, which establishes the double cordons. It will all become clear: th-cam.com/video/t4xURf4xi0Y/w-d-xo.html
I got some figs in the store never done it again the FIG picked too early not taste very good.
The problem with figs is that they are not a fruit. They are a syconium - a collection of inverted flowers - so once removed from the tree, they begin withering and dying. They will not ripen off the tree since they aren't a true fruit. Figs have to be eaten right away for best quality before they decline. The other problem is figs are ripe when they're squishy, so they get destroyed in shipment. Therefore, growers pick them *far too early* and they will never ripen and start degrading rapidly. Commercially grown figs are almost universally *awful* for that reason. If you want good figs, you *must* grow them yourself.
😁nice trick to get the dog to drink his pills.
I’ve dropped a pill on the floor and Dale ate the pill right off the floor, so he is really easy to give medication to 😂 But I suspect the fig trick will work well on pickier dogs.