This is going to be the Year of the Fig . . according to me! You know how I’ve always moaned and complained that our big fig tree freezes completely back every year and has to start from the ground up? We planted our first fig tree in March, 2012. That winter, it froze back and not a single sprout was visible in the spring. We thought it had died and in late spring, we saw shoots coming from the ground. We waited to see if any new growth appeared on last year’s growth and there was nothing so and we cut it off a few inches above the ground in Spring, 2013. Same thing happened in 2014 and 2015.
Fig Tree
Finally, in summer, 2015, it grew and produced lots of figs. It was over 10′ tall. For comparison, look at the water hose next to the diameter of the branches. That had to take a lot of effort in a few months.
Fig Tree
Yesterday when I was out walking around, looking at the fruit trees, I was so excited to see sprouts coming from last year’s growth! I’m thinking . . if that tree doesn’t have to start from the ground up, we could get LOTS of figs and hopefully sooner this year. That makes me happy!
We have 10 fig trees and 9 are showing new growth on last year’s wood. I suppose that’s because we didn’t have much winter this year. I’d like to think it’s because the trees are older but since 4 of the trees were newly planted last year, I’m pretty sure it’s because of our lack of freezing temps.
The bad news is . . no winter means LOTS of bugs this summer. Figs? Bugs? Can’t have everything I guess.
Karen Sutton says
My grandfather and my father had fig trees. My grandfather lived in Joliet IL and we lived in St Louis so the climate was not conducive to growing fig trees. Every fall before the first frost they would bend the fig trees and bury the tops under a pile of mulch and leaves. In the spring they would ‘unbury’ the trees. They had figs every year. Dad finally had to quit when the tree got too big to bury!