First leaf tree?

MiaD

MiaD

Well-known member
Is that a rooted cutting or air layer in its first season of growth, or the next season after coming out of its first dormancy?
Thanks
 
This is a great question. I'd like to understand how others interpret this in the context of a fig tree. To me, first leaf, second leaf has always been in the context of a seedling. I've never understood it in the context of a rooted cutting or layer.
As far as describing first or second season.... I usually consider the year after it was potted to be the, "first season"... But that's because I'm in a shorter, cool climate and they usually don't do much growing in the year they were clipped. There are no shortage of accounts where people fruited trees the same year they were rooted... so yeah... I want to hear what others are saying.
 
I think nearly half of our rooted cuttings fruited this year, but I was removing figlets at first because I thought you weren’t supposed to let them fruit yet. I finally just let them do what they wanted, because I decided any fig was better than none in the first year.
 
The way I interpret is that first leaf means it's first whole year after dormancy. I have some trees that were started last November from cutting that are 8ft tall...from cutting. I'm sure some of you have the same thing happen but not until next spring will it become its first leaf IMO.
 
Great question as there seems to be a lot of variance in definitions. Here’s what I mean when I use the terms.

First leaf means the 1st time a cutting has leaves. So a cutting rooted that season (start in Jan and it’s now Sept) I call first leaf.  A rooted cutting stays first leaf until it enters dormancy and forms its 2nd set of leaves the following Spring. Then, I start calling them 2-yr trees until they go thru dormancy again and become 3-yr trees.

I tend to use first season when speaking of air layers.
 
@"MiaD"#88 LOL I don't use the term first leaf because I've never really understood the context of it. For me first year or first season is referring to the year subsequent to it's being rooted in early spring, or winter. I will call them first year till their first dormancy after propagation. So in that context my entire Garden is first year. And nobody is first leaf because that's just too confusing to me. After they come out of dormancy in spring with Bud break I will call them second year. LOL I think I'm going to be stubborn, and stay with that type of terminology no matter what is said on this thread. No offense meant. There's just too much latitude, and referring to first year as first year seems logical to me.
 
Figless said:
@"MiaD"#88 LOL I don't use the term first leaf because I've never really understood the context of it. For me first year or first season is referring to the year subsequent to it's being rooted in early spring, or winter. I will call them first year till their first dormancy after propagation. So in that context my entire Garden is first year. And nobody is first leaf because that's just too confusing to me. After they come out of dormancy in spring with Bud break I will call them second year. LOL I think I'm going to be stubborn, and stay with that type of terminology no matter what is said on this thread. No offense meant. There's just too much latitude, and referring to first year as first year seems logical to me.
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Agree - that’s my thought as well, including the stubborness. I think I’ve referred to my trees as either ‘x year’ or ‘x growing season’ in the past.
 
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