Figs Are Not Ripening

By Lou (Guest Post)

Same here. I'm in North-Central AR, have 2 fig trees. Have been getting a very few good ones off my Brown Turkey, but the Celeste's are all green. All the top ones of the Brown Turkey are not ripening, and now are turning dark and falling off hard and discolored.

Although I have mulched them heavily in years past, I have not fertilized them recently except with some dilute urine earlier in the year. I gave them a bit of rock phosphate for the first time last winter.

By colorfulveggies (Guest Post)

I'm in Oregon and I'm experiencing the same thing. This is the first year my huge fig trees have not been loaded with ripe fruit this time of year. I'm sure the problem has little to do with pruning or fertilizing or even watering, as I never do anything special to the trees. I'm looking for answers but guessing it has to do with the weather.

By

byd106

Another Long Islander here;
I have two fig trees, one white figs and one purple. I've been experiencing the same thing for the last 3 years. My white tree is 15Ft high and I've been training it from a bush into a tree for the last 3 years. I've gone from a dozen trunks down to 4. I thought the bad fruit production was from the heavy cutting the last 3 fall pruning.
I'm finished with the heavy pruning and have high hopes for next year. From info I've gathered, you should try to pick branches that point outward and keep the center open like an umbrella.
The purple tree is only three years old and 8Ft tall with less fruit, thats smaller, but ripens a lot faster.
I left 70% of the fruit unripe and on th tree last year. And look to do the same this year. I'm hoping for better production as the trees get older.
You do'nt want to hear about my peach tree;
Billy

By byd106 (Guest Post)

Another Long Islander here;
I have two fig trees, one white figs and one purple. I've been experiencing the same thing for the last 3 years. My white tree is 15Ft high and I've been training it from a bush into a tree for the last 3 years. I've gone from a dozen trunks down to 4. I thought the bad fruit production was from the heavy cutting the last 3 fall pruning.
I'm finished with the heavy pruning and have high hopes for next year. From info I've gathered, you should try to pick branches that point outward and keep the center open like an umbrella.
The purple tree is only three years old and 8Ft tall with less fruit, thats smaller, but ripens a lot faster.
I left 70% of the fruit unripe and on th tree last year. And look to do the same this year. I'm hoping for better production as the trees get older.
You do'nt want to hear about my peach tree;
Billy

By Lynda (Guest Post)

My mother's fig tree was loaded each year AFTER we began to add used coffee grounds and chopped banana peelings to the soil in the spring, and compost all year long for overall health.

(There are several varieties of Fig trees/bushes. Go to the Library and look through gardening encyclopedias to view what sort you may have and what sort does best for your area/zone.)

In the Fall, we pruned many small branches out, leaving it thin enough for birds to fly through. It always lost all leaves, went dormant in winter in Texas, but returned robust in Spring. It requires a lot of water and never got many pests except squirrels, and a tiny fly that would sometimes bore the fruit. It got morning and noon sun, but shade in the late afternoon.

It appeared that the secret to having ripe fruit was to keep the numbers of branches to a minimum, and to keep evenly watered, not picking the fruit until it LOOKED and tasted ripe. We never pruned anytime other than Fall.

By JOANNE (Guest Post)

Hi Kelly,

i am also a Long Islander and our fig tree is huge this year and loaded with medium sized figs that are not ripening. I am also looking for a reason why this happened. I feel like buying figs in the grocery store and pretending they came off my tree. I do know some people who are picking ripe fruit though.

Joanne

By floppy4me (Guest Post)

I live in Tennessee about two miles from the Alabama border. My figs are maturing slowly as well. My tomatoes however took off so fast that my freezer and cabinets are full of canned and frozen tomato products.

By

susanmajp

Just want to say that I'm in Arkansas, and my figs are not ripe yet either. Last year, we ate them by now. My tomatoes are 1-1 1/2 months behind their usual ripening schedule too. My corn matured early and my green peppers set earlier than usual. Everything seems out of sorts this year.