I picked up what was labeled as Brown Turkey Fig at a nursery back in May of this year. Planted it in the ground. It was topped three times before it started showing baby figs in early September.
May 28 a few days after it was planted
Sept 26
05/14/19
Update
It’s already out grown last years size, unbelievable! I figured it out that the fig growing season in it’s location is about 8 months. (April-Nov)
I bought this Brown a turkey and garage kept it this winter. With only one fig remaining from the breba crop, it is quite large.
I would like to know when I should expect the fall crop to start up.It might put out a few, but the new growth looks stunted so maybe not. I’d give it some
high nitrogen fertilizer and maybe uppot it or let the roots grow into the ground.
where are you located Rob? Depends on your climate. We gets figs all summer here continue into the fall. So fall crop would start to show up in late August.
I am located in central NJ, zone 7A.
I just upsized the pot this spring. Surprisingly enough, that fig started growing while the tree was still wintering in my garage. I have another fig growing in a separate pot right along side this one, it is much taller and has a few tiny (smaller than a fingernail) figs. I do not know the type of this fig though, as it was sold to me locally under the title common fig.
Hopefully it will start growing again. If not then you might try pruning it back after the breba ripens to spur some growth, that is the traditional method for breba production, and English Brown Turkey brebas tend to be better than the main crop. You will need to protect it from cold because the new growth won’t be hardy.
I put both fig trees in an insulated, attached garage over the winter. I definitely notice both trees started growing figs before they ever see an ounce of light. However the common fig lost all of its Breba crop meanwhile the brown turkey had a few, but only kept the one pictured above. It’s like the tree knew it could only healthily produce one fig.
When I say protect from cold, I’m talking about hard frost or a light freeze for fresh green branches like you will get from summer pruning. Figs are only hardy if the wood is lignified, and even then a sudden cold snap can damage them.
@hoosierbanana is right to say that growth seems a bit stunted. And I have figs like that too. But my healthier figs have lots of new, long, green stems between leaves, whereas the stunted ones like yours just seem to barely send out new growth at the top (I mean new stem material-they still put on new leaves). For me, the stunted growth is almost always a sign that they have outgrown their pots OR I get it the first year when I move one from a pot into the ground. Seems like it just takes them several months to realize they have unlimited ground to send roots into. Good luck.
I’m a believer in planting young trees, they always take off after a few weeks and grow the rest of the season for me.
I’ve proven that soooo much this year. I put out 3 very large fig trees that were in 1/2 55 gallon drums- now that is a HUGE POT. THey had been in those half-drums about 4 years and sort of stalled out and I was sick of moving those giant things in and out each fall and spring. So I planted them in-ground this spring. They leafed out but have put on almost no new stem growth/height at the tips. I also planted out 3 fig plants that I rooted last summer so they have only been in a pot since last fall. When I put them in the ground the same day as my big figs, they took off like crazy. They are now almost as tall as the 4 year old figs.
This is my typical long winded way of saying you are absolutely right…young trees do much better . Oh, I also ordered a bunch of bare root trees from Vaughns this year. Vaughns is known for very small trees and mine were indeed tiny and I was a bit worried. But again, they took off like crazy and now most are every bit as large as bare root trees from other vendors that arrive much larger. Yep, young trees are great.
I pinched all the tips at fifth leaf 10 days ago and now the main crops are forming like wild fire. I think the two applications of Urea Nitrogen 46-0-0 also help with that flush growth.
Tony
Pinch all the branches and in about 2 weeks you will see a bunch of main crops forming.
