Figs, Rain, Splitting

General Fruit Growing
#1

I do not have much experience with figs. I live in the “Great North-wet”. I know that rain can cause figs to split/get mushy etc.
Question… is the problem caused by the rain actually hitting or getting on the fig or just the increased humidity while it is raining? Do figs in a greenhouse during rain have splitting problems?
I have a partially covered patio. I am wondering if I had a few splitting prone figs in pots with rolling bases… and I rolled them under cover when it is raining and I have fruit just about ripe, would I save those figs from splitting?
This inquiring mind wants to know… :grin:
thank you, mary

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#2

I think it is the shift in humidity. Figs in a greenhouse still split despite not getting wet or overwatered. Also, outdoor figs won’t split after rain if it is followed by dry wind.

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#3

The Desert King is not prone to splitting
but
Summer rains can cause the ripe fruit to rot
We seldom get rain in August.
I’m in Port Orchard.

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#4

Thanks… good info.

#5

I agree re: Desert King. They rarely split here in PNW (near Anacortes) unless beyond ripe. But you have to pick daily, just before that ripe-to-split point. When I’ve let it go for 2 days, the tree becomes a house party for wasps.
Rot is not usual in a normal dry summer. But this past August, 1 day of heavy rain (very unusual) caused quite a few figs to rot. More wasps!
Chris

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#6

There was a study done, that said too much nitrogen can cause figs to split, and of course the more rain the more nitrogen can get in to a plant’s roots faster, supposedly our soil is naturally high in nitrogen and I fertilize on top of that, I will test our soil to see how much nitrogen is in the soil naturally. Yet I know that it’s not just too much nitrogen that makes them split, it’s a well known fact that some varieties split way more easily than others, even in a dry place like Malta some of the figs split. To some extent as a tree ages it’s fruit splits less, yet aging does not stop splitting all by it’s self. I think that too much nutrition, too much water, especially after a long dry spell, are things that can cause splitting.

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#7

Thank you. Desert king is one of the varieties I have and I haven’t really had a splitting issue. I’ve been bitten by the “get more fig varieties” bug and some that sound interesting are also known to split easily. So… just wondering what I could do to help.
Alan… very interesting… about nitrogen be connected to splitting. thank you for sharing that.