Is August about right time in 7B to stop fertilizing a fig in a pot? The leaves look pale to me, not the deep green of my in-ground figs. So it may need N but hesitate to fertilize at this late date.
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Here’s a good discussion on this topic:
Basically, stop providing N about 2 to 2.5 months prior to first frost. This will allow the figs to harden off prior to freezing temps.
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@JCT Thanks. I searched Our Figs but failed to bring up this subject. Think I’ll do one more Tomato Tone dose then quit by Sept 1.
Tried to find a Malta Black plant for sale for years, gave up and managed to root one cutting in March. Really eager to taste it. I also grafted it a couple places, not having much confidence in my rooting chances. Wonder if there’s still time to complete an air layer?
This may not help you a lot but I use Osmocote plus 15-9-12 once beginning of the season two scopes in five gallons pot. That will last for whole season. If I have to use anything else at this time of the year I would give fish Emulsion and that will take care of yellow leaves.
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I’ve got some fish, thanks.
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I’ve been wondering this same thing, but with my black/raspberries. They are all in large containers and grow bags now, and they’re almost all fall bearing types so they are either in bloom or about to soon. I’ve read to not feed (in ground) after July, but how about some extra P-K for strengthening the roots before dormancy.
This subject has always interested me, especially since learning in hort school that early experiments were erroneous in concluding that P builds roots and N builds tops. They are both essential to all growth but N is the only nutrient to consistently create a growth response in most soils of both roots and tops. Usually plants can find adequate P because of help from their fungus allies- the mychorizal relationship. Potting soils are different, especially non-inoculated ones.
As far as hardening off for winter, the common claim that Aug N may encourage a flush of growth that threatens a trees survival has long seemed questionable to me because summer drought that ends with lots of rain in August stimulates the same thing (also undoubtedly releasing a sudden burst of available organic N). What I noticed one year with plums where this happened and was followed by a very harsh winter was that the late flush was killed but the rest of the trees were fine. It seems as though a late flush of growth brought on by drought and then rain is common enough that trees would have evolved defense mechanisms.
It leads me to wonder if this caution isn’t the result of deductive reasoning more than genuine research. Maybe one of you can enlighten me.
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@Alan- I agree with what you say except I think figs are a special case as their winter hardiness is iffy/marginal in my zone when young so figgers pay special attention to hardening off their young figs.
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I stopped fertilize my potted figs in the 3 weeks of July and start to enjoy the main crops now starting with Florea and Celeste.
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What has worked for me is I fertilize the first week of August and no more. My figs seem to harden off in time. I have not been doing this long but for me the worst plants are blueberries. They seem to suffer the most damage for me anyway, from growing late in the year. I’m done fertilizing anything now.
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Good to hear so think I’m safe with one more dose before mid- August here in 7B. Great sense of satisfaction having grown this Malta Black from cutting. Now just need to over-winter it in unheated, uninsulated garage. Then in the ground it goes next April or so.
Yes zones matter! Notice Tony is a half zone colder than me and quits a week earlier. So yeah you should probably set August 14th as the last possible date. Sounds right in line with Tony and I.
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I don’t have nearly adequate information to question your deduction. I’m not even familiar with specific research on the issue with any species, let alone figs. Here, the good figs seem to only form on this years growth anyway, the breba crop tends to be foamy and nearly worthless. However, we need to wrap or otherwise protect our figs so keeping them juiced until they get to desired size might be the best method- late growth is probably as good as any to get you there if you are where its warm or you wrap figs up for winter.
I wheel large inground bagged trees into my unheated wellhouse. It’s actually heated, but by the side of the hill it’s built into- like the root “cellars” they have around here. Barely touches freezing in there, and only on the floor.
I"m a fig rookie but as I understand it the going dormant process takes a fairly long time and it’s desirable to wait to bury with mulch until the natural dormancy process is substantially complete, or late Nov-ish around here. This is Tim Clymer’s method from Threefold Farm in PA. Trying to avoid wrapping the tops but may have to do it.
When to stop fertilizing depends on your medium and nutrients. The plant needs nitrogen throughout the growth phases, but in varying amounts. Urea tends to have a milder effect on growth than nitrates, so I think it is better for late season use. A heavy dose of nitrogen can trigger vegetative growth, but the same amount spread over several waterings may not. Cal-mag+ at 1/10 strength for every watering in the flowering phase does wonders.
I have moved on to dry hydroponic solution. The General Hydroponics I use tends to run nitrogen-hot, so I use 1/2 tsp per gallon, instead of the 1-2 tsp recommended.
This is my basic arsenal
It is as easy to use as Miracle gro.
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I am still fertilizing my figs right now, but with a higher potassium fertilizer. They really need fertilizer when they’re maturing a lot of fruit. Some of my trees were dropping old leaves when I neglected to fertilize for a few weeks. @hambone are your trees still pushing new growth or have they stopped and mostly fruiting?
What I like about the Hydro solution is that you can get a favorable N-P-K ratio for many plants by adjusting the ratio of Grow/Bloom solution. A 1:1 has an effective N-P-K of 7.5-10-14. A 1:2 is 6.7-11.7-14, and 2:1 is 8.3-8.3-14.
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This is a spring rooted cutting, potted, still pushing leaves.
I’d give it some nitrogen. The new growth will demand a lot of it. Hardening off completely isn’t as much of an issue if you’re going to overwinter it inside. You can pluck the growth tip off to try to arrest further growth if it continues too late into the season.
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