I would leave them, if they start to wilt and appear to be going south, remove. It should root, figs are easy. Keep it moist etc,
3 Likes
Do I need to worry about birds eating my almost ripe figs?
1 Like
Thanks guys! I wish I would have seen Fruitnuts post before I pulled and planted, was kinda worried the leaves were wilting. Drew thanks, I’ll leave as is and keep her moist, If the leaves look bad I’ll remove. The biggest lesson I’ve learned here is the suckers break off super easy and you better be prepared if you put any downward pressure on a branch,and also dig out roots rather than pulling like Fruitnut pointed out.
1 Like
To be expected. And you did need to act at that point. I have pulled off air layers with lots of roots and some of the leaves wilted. On some I pulled all the leaves off. They all recovered great. So considering yours has almost no roots, I would expect all leaves to wilt. I said leave them on because once I had a fig like yours with very small roots, and the leaves, a few of them were OK, so you never know.
2 Likes
My purple figs get hit pretty good, but my green figs hardly ever get bothered. There are excellent Green and purple figs. If you have a bird problem go green!
1 Like
What you’re calling a sucker I’d call a branch at the soil line. 
When I pull a sucker it is coming up from roots.
I think you’ve received good advice here. What you’ve planted is rather big compared to what I usually go after. All the leaves will probably fall off in my experience – that’s normal.
I wouldn’t cut it back at all until you see growth buds in the spring – a sure sign it has rooted. But in subsequent years I’d always prune it during dormancy.
1 Like
14 Likes
And you guys kept saying figs are easy 
I went through couple drop all their leaves and bounced back later.
1 Like
From reading this forum, I’ve learned that figs are trouble free where they have no problems!
4 Likes
As in CA, the perfect weather for them and home of the fig wasps. Well, except these couple years, even CA growers have problems with the heat. One can only hope for another season.
1 Like
A home of the fig wasps. Neither the wasp nor figs in general are native here. Further, the wasp has zero benefit for fruit quality of Ficus carica cultivars.
1 Like
Fig wasps were introduced to CA in 1880 so this has been their home for the last 137 years. They may not native but that is long enough time to call it home. And I found out they don’t live in other places in the continental US.
Many fig growers claimed fig wasps pollinate their common figs and enhanced its flavor and size. I haven’t seen a side by side comparison between two sets of common figs, one pollinated by wasps, the other protected from them at the same location, same cultivar, same age. In absence of these kind of comparison, it is difficult to substantiate a claim or counterclaim on whether common figs benefit from fig wasps pollination or not.
Again, I am new to figs. May be you know evidence that would suggest one way or the other?
1 Like
And I’ll bet none of them ran agricultural trials. For that, check with publications by UC ANR.
I hope you didn’t put too much on that bet 
“This demonstrated that caprification is necessary not only for San Pedro and Smyrna type varieties, but also for Common type varieties. Caprification, whether required or not, can increase fruit-set and improve several organoleptic quality aspects”
http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/files/261881.pdf
That is not the only trial with that conclusion.
I won the bet. San Pedro is a Capri fig.
If you go to the GRIN Repository page for Davis, you can look up the names of ANR investigators of fig crops. They’re a cheery group for the most part and can help you with your inquiries. I’d also recommend you go up there for a visit when they have one of their “public” days. I was there on Sunday at the repository orchards.
Did you read the paper? That quote was directly from the paper. They tested all 3 types of figs with fig wasps. And therefore, the title of the paper:
“Characterization of edible fig germplasm from Puglia, southeastern
Italy: Is the distinction of three fig types (Smyrna, San Pedro and
Common) still valid?”
I’ve read that paper and others that followed. I’ve also discussed those fig groups and individual cultivars with the investigators while looking at the very same trees in the repository. I urge you to follow in my footsteps.
That is a little vague. You don’t agree with their methods or their results?
I couldn’t disagree with that. 
Wolfskill isn’t exactly in my backyard. Not sure they will just let me walk in or make an appointment? Who should I talk to about this? Crisosto from UC Davis was actually on that trial. He wouldn’t disagree with his own team’s findings, would he? Or I need to find someone disagree with him from Wolfskill?
Do you have any research paper(s)/trials that suggest evidence to the contrary of their claims? I would love to read about it.