Fig problems

lhustonsmith · Joined: 02 Jun 2004 Posts: 8 Location: San Angelo, Texas

:?: I have issues with my fig tree - it is in its second year and continues to die off from the top down, it puts on lots of leaves then the leaves begin to turn brown, shrivel and fall off. How can I save it? We live in hot, dry West Texas.

drchelo · Joined: 13 Jun 2003 Posts: 147 Location: Dallas,TEXAS

My fig tree did not really start bearing fruit until its third year or so, and then i got only three or four fruit with each "season". The last two years, the tree has started putting out fruit that ripens in early June, and another that ripens in August or so - that is until this year, when I started giving the tree doses of Garrett Juice. I started with the foliar feeding as soon as leaves and fruit started to bud out.
I live in North Dallas. The tree faces north, and gets a full day of sun. I don't water it any more than any other tree in my yard. It sounds to me as if your little tree may be getting sunburned, or perhaps it needs a little boost of potassium rich compost tea...or some composted manure/rabbit dung fertilizer. Do you know what kind of fig? Is it a turkish brown or a Calimyrna fig?

lhustonsmith · Joined: 02 Jun 2004 Posts: 8 Location: San Angelo, Texas

It is a Turkish Brown Fig. It had about 10 figs on it last year, I think I ate two of them, they ripened when they were still very small, about 1/2" or so. It is planted by a brick fence and faces southwest, there is a pecan tree nearby but the canopy is not very large so it gets LOTS of sun. I will feed it some compost tee today and try to come up with a way to shield it for the rest of this summer. Thanks