Late ripening - not sure if they will make it before frost...

The Greek

Active member
I have a number of older trees (3-4 years old) that have had some excellent branch/leaf growth this season. All of them produced figlets around August 1, a bit later than I would like, and then on 9/1 they entered Stage 2 and just froze (no more swelling/growth). They should be entering Stage 3 any day now, but my fear is that most will not fully ripen before our first frost here in Georgia (end of October)

Some background info: 
  • All my trees got slow-release stuff in May: Osmocote, lime pellets, oyster shell
  • I have always watered daily
  • From May until Aug 1 - fertilized once a week with 1/2 dosage of MG AP soluble + Alaska fish + Liquid silica blast
  • On 8/1 switched to once a week with MG Tomato (less N, more P and K) + Liquid Silica Blast

So my question is 2 parts:

1. First, am I doing something wrong? Should I change the nutrients/plant food?

Possible causes for a slowdown in the ripening process:
Nutrient Imbalance, such as excessive nitrogen
Water Stress: Both overwatering and underwatering can hinder fruit development. Consistent watering is crucial, especially during dry spells.
Sunlight: Insufficient sunlight can prevent fruit development. Ensure the tree receives adequate light.
Pests and Diseases: Issues like root-knot nematodes or Fig Mosaic
Or... maybe it's just normal because it's in Stage 2 for a bit

2. Second, are there any methods I can use to accelerate ripening, without hurting my trees?

I have seen the methods below online, but wanted to get advice from the community here as to what actually works and doesn't work well.

Summary of Common Tips I have seen:
1. Provide extra heat. Figs need an average daytime temperature of at least 60°F to ripen, so maintaining warmth is crucial for accelerating the process.
Place potted fig trees in warm locations like dark-colored driveways or next to brick walls, especially south-facing. Use temporary greenhouses or shelters to increase heat around the trees, especially in spring and fall.

2. Other methods:
- Pinch off the tips of branches in mid-September to redirect energy to ripening existing fruit.
- Remove the smallest, greenest figs furthest from the trunk to focus the tree's energy on ripening the remaining fruit.
- Reduce watering. Some arborists recommend reducing watering to encourage ripening, as overwatering can delay the process.
- Removing some leaves in late fall can hasten ripening by allowing more sunlight to reach the fruits.

I would love to hear your experiences on what has worked (or not worked). Any advice is greatly appreciated, thank you!
 
Unfortunately even if you go by the 90-day rule starting August 1st puts you at the end of October and by then the temps of cool down quite a bit.
If they did ripen they may not be as good as they should have been in the hotter months.
Usually anything that starts to show new figs during July I usually pull off.
But that's just me I'd rather my trees focus on ripening the ones they have and growth.
 
Yea that's what I was afraid of... this is uncharted territory for me, so I have nothing to lose by experimenting a bit!
 
The Greek said:
Yea that's what I was afraid of... this is uncharted territory for me, so I have nothing to lose by experimenting a bit!

Yes Sir,

Gotta see what works for you in your area.
I did that for the first 2 years.
It's the only way to really know. :)
 
@"The Greek"#39 Hello my friend.. Your thread is certainly a most appropriate subject for this time of year. The one thing I noticed in your post was fertilization only one time a week, maybe you could fertilize more than once a week but watering almost everyday. Maybe you could add nutrient fertilizer more than one time a week . The other that jump to mind while reading your post was no mention of pH balancing. Could it be your only fertilizing one time a week, and maybe having the potassium and phosphorus locked up in the soil by pH imbalance. I was wondering also if a little hi tunnel G house might help you lengthen your season?
 
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