Roscoff Fig Tree. 7.1.22

The convent fig tree in Roscoff, France was planted in 1610. The wide ranging branches were supported by granite pillars. The branches covered an area of 600 square metres. The trunk itself had a circumference of 1.75 metres. The tree could shelter five hundred people. The tree lived into the 1980s, when it was removed.

Roscoff is a community in coastal Brittany, in NW France.  

Brutally Pruned "Hardy Chicago" Fig Tree Made A Comeback. 7.1.22

 Here is the Hardy Chicago fig tree that I pruned in March, as of today.

Here is how it looked just after pruning, 15 March 22.

I tipped the most vigorous new shoots, as I usually do, to promote formation of fig buds.  Given the severity of the pruning, it may not bear this year.  Or it might.

(The house has been repaired and painted recently, but it's the same tree).

Removing Rain Cover From Genetic Dwarf Peach Trees. 6.28.22

I removed the rain cover from the genetic dwarf peaches.  It worked - no leaf curl at all  except one branch that was sticking out in the rain.  The bigger tree is Garden Gold (I think).

This tree is very lush, but only about five feet tall.  Under all those leaves one can find growing peaches.  They were too thick so I removed about 90% of them, a few weeks ago.

The First Squash Blossoms. 6.28.22

 The winner for the first squash blossom, is yellow summer squash "Saffron".

The heirloom zucchini, Costata romanesca has a lot of flower buds.  The plants are incredibly vigorous.  They look like rhubarb plants at this stage.

The first flowers this year are all female, which usually means they won't form squashes.  Sometimes they do anyway.

Having an irrigation system on these is a real life saver.  It's a lot less carrying of buckets and hoses.  Squash leaves show water stress by wilting, and there is none of that so far.

Fig Tree TLC. 6.28.22

 So far, this looks like a good fig year.  I counted forming figs on Lattarula and stopped at 50 figs.  There must be at least 30 on Desert King, and at least "several" in Brunswick (a special treat) and even Petite Aubique (heavenly but a poor producer).  I think buds are forming for a fall crop on Celeste and Louisiana Tiger.  The fig trees that bear summer crop have branches drooping to the ground.  The wood is willowy, new growth and figs are heavy.  That would be great, except it places the ripening figs at salad bar height for deer.

I tie the branches upright, using the trunk or other branches for support.  I was cleaning the garden shed and found more yellow jacket traps, so cleaned those and added new bait.

For fig trees that make a fall crop, removing the tips from vigorous new growth stimulates new figs to form.  It's simple.  The growth tips are brittle.  I just bend them and they snap off.  Before.

After