topic Re: Does anyone have fruit trees? in Garden

Does anyone have fruit trees?

happycat — Thu, 18 May 2017 13:30:58 GMT

We have several fruit trees that we planted I think 3 years ago. Up to this point, the wild animals have reaped the benefits of our harvest. We still have the wildlife, but I now have ripe plums! I am so excited and they are delicious, they are however, the size of cherries. We have 2 trees. One was Santa Rosa, not sure which one this is.

My question is, will these trees produce bigger fruit as the years go by?

Re: Does anyone have fruit trees?

jaxs mom — Thu, 18 May 2017 13:36:15 GMT

You need to thin the fruit when is small so that the energy goes to make the remaining fruit larger.

Re: Does anyone have fruit trees?

software — Thu, 18 May 2017 13:42:04 GMT

Good for you, that's an accomplishment!

I'm trying to grow a couple of fig trees. not much luck yet but the weather hasn't cooperated. We had a bit of a drought last year and this year I was in the hospital when the final cold snap occurred. If I have been home, I would have tried to cover the trees. They are about 5 feet tall now.

Could your trees benefit from some pruning? Maybe do some research with your state agriculture department.

I also just found out that I can probably grow an olive tree. I said I would stop at the figs and now the blackberries but I would love to have an olive tree. I'm located in Zone 7B.

@happycat

Re: Does anyone have fruit trees?

happycat — Thu, 18 May 2017 14:06:23 GMT

@jaxs mom, we did thin it, but I think it sould have been done earlier than we did it. I bet that has something to do with it. Thanks.

Re: Does anyone have fruit trees?

happycat — Thu, 18 May 2017 14:15:29 GMT

@software, my husband pruned them, we probably need to look into that, to see if he pruned them enough. Thanks for bringing that up.

I wish you luck with your fig trees. Hopefully the weather will settle down where you are and they can flourish.

I'm going to have to look up Olive trees now, lol.

Re: Does anyone have fruit trees?

Dazlin — Thu, 18 May 2017 17:41:11 GMT

We have fig trees, and a lemon lime tree. Although I live in Florida, when the trees were young, we covered when a brief frost was predicted. Now we don't cover anything. When I lived up north, the fig trees always got wrapped, and covered. But I had neighbors that didn't cover their fig trees, and they came back just fine. I know, they like a lot of water, so just give it a good drenching. I love figs...last year I made a fig preserve...sooo delish on toast! Software, water your fig trees well, and I hope they do well. Hope your feeling better too!!

Re: Does anyone have fruit trees?

Dazlin — Thu, 18 May 2017 17:42:33 GMT

Oh I forgot to say...figs grow on old wood...dont cut them back.

Re: Does anyone have fruit trees?

software — Thu, 18 May 2017 17:59:39 GMT

I think the care of a fig tree depends on the age. My neighbor across the street has an enormous fig tree, taller than her house. I know she did nothing to care for it. Not sure the location of "up north" but if you are talking about anything above FL and the south, that would explain the wrapping. There are some figs more hardy than others, some can be as far north as Zone 5.

Mine are very young, getting established and I've been told they do best against a wind break, like the side of your house or a wall. Well, mine are in the middle of my yard! And that late frost did them no good. But I was unable to save them. But they seem to be coming back OK but their growth has been set back a year, I'm sure.

Did I mention I have a black thumb?

I did water them faithfully but we had a drought last year and watering alone just wasn't enough. There's no substitute for a good shower from Mother Nature.

Thanks for your encouragement.

@Dazlin

Re: Does anyone have fruit trees?

JustJazzmom — Thu, 18 May 2017 21:19:50 GMT

Fig tree care for Northern climates (Hardiness Zone 7)

http://ccenassau.org/resources/-fig-culture

Re: Does anyone have fruit trees?

software — Fri, 19 May 2017 20:58:19 GMT

@happycat wrote:
We have several fruit trees that we planted I think 3 years ago. Up to this point, the wild animals have reaped the benefits of our harvest. We still have the wildlife, but I now have ripe plums! I am so excited and they are delicious, they are however, the size of cherries. We have 2 trees. One was Santa Rosa, not sure which one this is.
My question is, will these trees produce bigger fruit as the years go by?

I thought of something else. Do you fertilize? Any kind of spraying? My neighbor had a blueberry bush, it was like a small tree and he sprayed it when it was in bloom. It was supposed to make a healthy fruit. I don't know what it was, and he's moved away or I would ask.

I know you have plums, not blueberries. What kind of maintenance are you doing?

Re: Does anyone have fruit trees?

happycat — Sun, 21 May 2017 21:31:12 GMT

@software, my husband did fertilize them early in the spring. He sprayed them with something else and I am not sure what that was.

He also pruned them in the late winter.

Thank you everyone for your replies. I know now I need some stone fruit fertilizer.

Re: Does anyone have fruit trees?

Puzzle Piece — Mon, 22 May 2017 17:26:30 GMT

What JaxsMom said.