Suggestions Needed ASAP

t_corey89

t_corey89

Well-known member
So I bought a little miss figgy last year from a local nursery. It was the first fig tree I ever bought and what got me basically started with all of yall. Once I got it I uppotted it into a 7 gallon grow bag (important point to me you’ll see in a sec why) based off of directives from the old place. I noticed that last year that particular tree ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS seemed SO THIRSTY. I know I live in Texas and it’s HARD on plants in the middle of summer, but none of my other trees I got were like this. So I chalked it up to the grow bag constantly wicking water away and that’d why it was always thirsty. I’d have to water it every day. I didn’t water it for two days one time and it dam near dropped all of the leaves. Which brings me to today… I was fertilizing my trees when I noticed something strange looking by the trunk of the tree. Something had been digging in my pot and exposed this. This little piece was already mostly broken off so I popped it the rest of the way off.

From the best of my knowledge, which isn’t much AT ALL, is root knot nematode damage or symptoms of them. Whatever. Other than being thirsty all the time the plant SEEMS healthy. Put on a good bit of new growth and has a bunch of baby figs on it right now.

None, of the other plants that are around my yard seem to have any of this on their roots. Now I didn’t go pull up everything and 100% make sure, but I pulled up a few things around the yard with the same soils I would’ve used for this when I up potted it and they didn’t have this. So I’m not 100% confident, but I’m fairly certain it’s localized to this one tree.

What do I do now? Do I just set an air layer and start from scratch? Is there anything I can do to save this tree or is it a “dead man walking type of deal?” What are yalls experiences with this?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3726.jpeg
    IMG_3726.jpeg
    235.1 KB · Views: 28
tendergardener.com

How to get rid of Root knot nematodes organically - The Tender Gardener

Looking to get rid of root knot nematodes in your soil? Here are 5 effective ways on how you can control nematodes organically.
tendergardener.com tendergardener.com

I try to be as organic as possible, due to dogs and a previous cancer issue (15 plus years ago) I shun chemicals. I won't even use organic pest control on my garden because even the organic pest control will kill the beneficial insects.

Personally, if I couldn't get rid of these root nematodes organically I would just air layer the fig and start over. I'd be p i s s e d enough to quarantine the existing roots and soil in a plastic container to personally kill the buggers with extreme heat. It would be war.
 
rayray said:
tendergardener.com

How to get rid of Root knot nematodes organically - The Tender Gardener

Looking to get rid of root knot nematodes in your soil? Here are 5 effective ways on how you can control nematodes organically.
tendergardener.com tendergardener.com

I try to be as organic as possible, due to dogs and a previous cancer issue (15 plus years ago) I shun chemicals. I won't even use organic pest control on my garden because even the organic pest control will kill the beneficial insects.

Personally, if I couldn't get rid of these root nematodes organically I would just air layer the fig and start over. I'd be p i s s e d enough to quarantine the existing roots and soil in a plastic container to personally kill the buggers with extreme heat. It would be war.
Click to expand...
Burn it in the chiminea. Hahaha. I’ll read that once I get back from the store.
 
Your safest option is to throw it away or burn it sooner than later.

A member on the other forum noted that if you don’t set the airlayer high enough above soil (I think 18 or 24” was mentioned) water splashing from soil and/or ants can infect the airlayer.

My potted tree with RKN produced well the first two seasons, then displayed smaller leaves and smaller figs the third season - I ditched it at that point.
 
Well fml. I isolated this tree to my front yard and have the pot wrapped with a trash bag. Set two air layers on the best looking branches as high as I could. Will give it a few weeks. If they take they take. If not, into the chiminea it goes. I can’t risk all of my other fig tree projects for this one.

THANKS EVERYONE who posted, I figured I’d have to do this. Kinda sucks man I’m not going to lie. This being my first fig tree and have to kill it with fire.
 
I’d take an air layer with healthy soil and burn the root ball later if I were you - you save the tree and still get rid of the problem.

May even be able to set multiple air layers in order to multiply you chances of success
 
Ikibahd said:
I’d take an air layer with healthy soil and burn the root ball later if I were you - you save the tree and still get rid of the problem.

May even be able to set multiple air layers in order to multiply you chances of success
Click to expand...
Yea, I set two as high as I possibly could with brand new miracle grow soil. So I’ll give them a few weeks to see what happens.
 
RKN can spread throughout your yard . Not passively but only if you start moving soil around. If I really thought I had rkn isolated in just one pot I wouldn't worry about saving the variety LOL I would just be concerned about how soon I could burn the blank blank blank Little Miss figgy is not going to be that hard to replace.
 
Reading the advice here I'd say don't win the battle to just lose the war. Burn it.

Maybe cut some branches and see if you can root them? If the tree means something to you.
 
Figless said:
@bushdoctor82 I believe ran into some interesting things in his backyard with rkm if I'm remembering correctly he might have some excellent advice.
Click to expand...
I’m deff going to burn it. I have the pot wrapped in a trash bag to try and stop anything from leaving. I also moved it to my front yard in the rock bed thing. Hoping the air layers take. I’d like to at least try and save a piece of it lol. It was my first fig tree. I always suspected something was off with it since it was always so thirsty. Now I know why. I started digging around in my other fig tree pots (after washing my hands really really well) and all of their roots seems fine as far as I can tell without completely removing them and all of their soil.
 
If you're going to keep it to make a copy, sit it on concrete or plastic, away from your other trees.

You may want to treat the area where the pot was sitting as well.
 
Figless said:
@bushdoctor82 I believe ran into some interesting things in his backyard with rkm if I'm remembering correctly he might have some excellent advice.
Click to expand...
Side yard too and most likely front yard as well.

I was (and still am to a point) a lunatic on constantly digging up and moving plants around the yard each year. Bad thing is that any pests in the soil get transferred to the new locations. My inground fig trees are going on year 4 without any noticeable drop in vigor or production yet. At some point in time, maybe this season, the slow descent to death will commence.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top