Tree or bush

[Firefly]

So when I bought my house the first thing I planted was a fig tree, I don't know anything about them, just that I tried one (fresh off bush) years ago and it was so good. So I just happen to see one at Lowes hardware garden center and grabbed one, it was only a stick, and planted it in 2019 (or 2018?) so this thing grew so fast! but this is the first year I got ripened fruit, last year I had about a dozen but never ripened in time. so this year the tree is loaded. It wasn't till Aug 28th that they started to ripen few at a time, right now Sept 28, it's slowing down, still loaded with green ones.
So I still have the box, it is a Hardy Chicago and says it can grow up to 30 feet! yikes, so that's too big near the house and will have to cut it back to keep it down for now, but I want to find a fig bush to replace it, get it started for couple years before I take this one down. so in my search I found this forum, wow, so much info here.

so which ones are bushes or dwarfs?

 

[Figology]

Depends on what zone you’re in. That tree is beautiful, hopefully it transplants well.

 

[Figology]

I just saw you’re in NC on another post. Shaft will probably be able to better answer you. The Millennial Gardener has a few in ground trees that seem to survive the winters there.

 

[Rigo007]

I wish my friend Klaudia was here to also give her 2 cents on this. I'm sure by now she has more recommendations.

 

[Firefly]

Reading around and seems Hardy C is a good one to have, and just need to keep it pruned.

found this site https://www.wikihow.com/Prune-a-Fig-Tree
so I am concerned that mine got 4 branches coming from the ground level and think the bark is damaged on the fatter one.
what would you do?

 

[Figology]

You could put some kind of plant guard. A watered down latex paint is safe for the plant bark. There’s organic alternatives too.

 

[Shaft]

Hi. I made it. Didn't die I promise. We've been swamped at the nursery

So all figs are bushes, technically speaking. Very, VERY large bushes. But how you prune will determine which shape the fig takes. Some varieties grow one way naturally but all varieties can be pruned in that way with varying efficacy.

Pruning is the key to both the shape, fig or Bush, as well as the height. In my experience "dwarf" isn't dwarf. Ot reaches the same heights, it just takes longer. Less growth per year means more fruit, there's an inverse relationship there. But at the end of the day pruning is king. There is no substitute.

You could keep the fig near the house, I've heard of people doing such on the south side. There might be some concerns regarding foundation but I haven't heard of any Ill effects yet

 

[Firefly]

Hi Shaft, late is better than never.

So this is a picture of the damaged bark I mentioned.

 

[Shaft]

Hi Shaft, late is better than never.

So this is a picture of the damaged bark I mentioned.
View attachment 802

How's the other side look? Doesn't appear to be girdles. Can I see more of the tree from different angles including the upper half of tree in some as well?

 

[Firefly]

I need pruning advise, the biggest branch is the one damaged, and it got too tall. I think need to cut it off.

Let me know what you think. Thanks.

 

[Shaft]

Looks like rabbit or vole damage to me. As long as the tree isn't showing any signs of being hindered by it you're fine. I'd let it continue growing, but I would certainly protect that trunk. They make trunk guards for trees; pvc pipe also works. Cats and birds love to eat the rodents doing this type of damage. Or you could leave some low branches for the critters.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpnK00Cyn5I


If you really want to cut that trunk, it's about the perfect size imho for cuttings. I like thick cuttings.

 

[Firefly]

Perfect size?, are you saying you can get this whole thing to grow new roots? or you mean cut parts off it to start new trees?
and what is a good procedure to get cuttings to root?

 

[Firefly]

Ok, so I just watched a few videos, so cut up in foot long sections and refrigerate to plant in early spring.
or is it better to leave it there and cut in spring?

 

[Shaft]

So, this is a complex question. Many people will disagree on some of the finer details, but this is what I do, and what I was recommending to you.

1. I suggest keeping that trunk, that's just my opinion though
2. if you decide to get rid of that trunk, you have a few options:
   1. Dig with a shovel around the base of that trunk, then cut with loppers behind the roots that already exist. Place this into a pot filled with potting medium, and cut off part of the top. How much of the top? Depends on how many roots you were able to keep attached to the tree. This is sucker-cloning. Anything from the top you cut off can be rooted via cutting method
   2. If you can't get to any roots on that trunk, which seems unlikely to me, you could cut it to soil level and take cuttings from it. I LOVE thick cuttings, there are tons of advantages to them. I've rooted entire LOGS before. I have some cuttings I have taken that are over 7 feet tall and rooted. Instant-tree.
3. I would do this in early spring but you could do it as early as today if you wanted to. If you do it now, the roots will establish over the winter, but then you have to deal with winter stuff. I don't like figging in winter.
4. Rooting cuttings is easiest imho in spring and summer
   1. Sanitize the cuttings by placing the cutting in 10% hydrogen peroxide, 90% water, rubbing them with a rag as I go on both sides.
   2. Cut the callous off the bottom, score the sides up to the first node lightly and thinly, you don't want gashes and you don't want to cut past the cambium layer
   3. Place rooting hormone into a tall narrow glass, fill with water (willow water if you have it) til it's 1/3 the way up the cuttings. Use 1 cutting to measure, then use it to stir as well until the powder has dissolved. Leave all cuttings in this vessel for 20 minutes, up to overnight. If you're leaving it for a longer soak, place a ziploc bag over the top to prevent drying.
   4. Once the soak period is over, hand dry and allow to air dry for a few minutes. Once dry, label with a white acryllic marker like these. Label the top of your cutting, so you can read it over the soil line.
   5. Wrap in parafilm
   6. I like to place my medium into 3x8 treepots. You can fit 25 into a tray. Hose those down until soaked, then allow to drain for an hour or so while you get the cuttings sanitized and wrapped. I generally wet the medium while the cuttings are soaking. Then it'll have time to drain while the cuttings soak, dry, are labeled and wrapped. Once that is done, place each cutting into the medium, two nodes in the soil, and the rest sticking out. Throw some more medium on top to firm down, and label the container with the white acrylic marker in two or more locations. You can use 1 gallon containers full of bark medium if you prefer, just stick 2-3 cuttings in each container with some room for them to develop roots. Alternatively, you can use this soho cup method that I like a lot as well
   7. There's no need to water this for like 6 weeks. You want it to be pretty dry, just pick up the cups every few days and gauge their weight. You'll notice the weight go down with time. You can use weight to determine whether the cuttings need water. Remember, just because it has leaves doesn't mean it's got a ton of roots, so water sparingly. Root rot is the biggest enemy of fig cuttings IMHO.

this is the bark I use https://www.lowes.com/pd/Just-Natural-Organic-Moisture-Control/3426618?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-lwn-_-google-_-lia-_-179-_-soil-_-3426618-_-0&store_code=2837&placeholder=null&ds_rl=1286981&gclid=CjwKCAjwvuGJBhB1EiwACU1AiTdGLdEtU9etNjriAXAY6O8cVpV16tW-SmH6OXh0UclatvpWOjZohxoCgt8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[jmrtsus]

Reading around and seems Hardy C is a good one to have, and just need to keep it pruned.

found this site https://www.wikihow.com/Prune-a-Fig-Tree
so I am concerned that mine got 4 branches coming from the ground level and think the bark is damaged on the fatter one.
what would you do?

You have a Tissue Cultured plant that will naturally grow in a bush form unless you actively stay involved in training and pruning. For a tree pick the best main trunk, cut the rest to the ground and train it to a single trunk tree. You can prune to the size you want keeping suckers from the base cut back. The HC is a good fig but you must control the plant to keep it from growing wild.

 

[Firefly]

I guess I should of took cuttings from main trunk before winter. The main trunk did not survive the bark damage

 

[jmrtsus]

It happens, you can prune it back to a single trunk or let it bush out. If you have ground critters keep in mind they will eat your lower figs on a bush type. Like Raccoons and possums.

 

[Shaft]

I had a lot of dieback this year as well. Like... OMG why didn't I take cuttings, I lost some plants type dieback. I'm pretty sad =(

 

[jmrtsus]

I was lucky on figs, just minor tip damage but lost both mulberry trees to temps. Will try to find Native types. Lost Shangri-La and a Pakistan.

 

[Firefly]

I went out to cut it yesterday and saw little green on the tips, looks like its gonna try!
I had taken two cuttings late February, they don't appear to be rooting, I think I will try couple more cuttings.
any tips on methods?, I tried the first two clipings potted in large clear cups and put in a sealed tub and it got moldy.

I will have to try again following what Shaft posted above #14,

https://www.figdatabase.com/figforum/threads/tree-or-bush.81/post-618