Many commercial vineyards use a similar procedure to get larger grapes. I've never tried it, but I've seen the results. I may try this on my desert king figs.
I have been growing fig trees for 3 years now, what I have noticed was when I do an air layer on inground trees, that branch gets figs where others do not. Not only that but they come up faster. What U will be trying next season is girdling selective branches but actually putting soil just like and air layer and leaving it until it starts growing roots. When figs appear I will remove the soil. What I'm hoping is not only to get more figs but faster. Meaning earlier ripening figs. On my area if I can get 3 to 4 weeks earlier figs it will make the difference between fruit ripening in the heat instead of cooler weather. I will be doing a few branches on each tree leaving the others alone. That will give me a time baseline to see which ripen first. My only question would be when to remove the soil or if I should just let it grow out. I'm not sure what will happen if I remove the soil and let the roots dry out and die. Also will be incorporating pinching at the proper time.
I might be wrong but you should be able to achieve sort of the same results with foliar feeding. Also as far as I know the carbs go down to the roots not only for root growth but also a part of that will be delivered to the soil microbes in form of root exudates, in order to be 'traded' for nutrients from the soil. Not sure if girdling is worth cutting out the soil microbiome.
@@RossRaddi I'm not so sure about that. I know that foliar feeding is very useful when quickly tackling nutrient deficiencies or to steer the plant into a desired direction. When growing tomatoes this would mean to change the live cycle from vegitative to reproductive mode. In KNF foliar feeding is also a very frequently applied method for different stages of growth as well as overall plant health. The good thing about foliar feeding is that it can work almost in an instant. I don't know yet if this method is applicable with figs as well but at least I do know from experience, that it works with many other fruiting vegetables. For further information I suggest you check out the podcast of John Kempf covering many interviews on feeding plants & plant health as well as the RUclips chanel of Chris Trump for KNF related stuff.
Hi Ross! Have you tried sea buckthorn? The yield from them are enormous every year (like blueberrys) here in Sweden zone 5. You should see it! And they taste great!
Ross Raddi 15 varieties of seaberry, there a few favorites. We use many varieties from russia and latvia, also our own from Sweden. Do you have Instagram or Facebook? The nursery’s name is Räveboda Plantskola.
Hi Ross! I did girdled my fig tree for an airlayering, it now has roots. And lots of fruit too. I’ve changed my mind, don’t want to cut it down and grow it as a new plant since I don’t want to risk losing all those fruits. Can I remove all those roots and let the girdled part heal by itself??? Thank you!
Hey Ross have you ever experienced or heard of this before. So I have a fig tree at my mothers house I planted years ago & eaten off it many times. Today I’m over there, picked a whole bunch & 20 minutes later my hands are uncontrollably itchy, wanted to rub them with sand paper. Had to use itch cream & Benadryl just to get it to subside. Ate another fig later & had a milder effect. Can the sap do that?
I live in Bakersfield California I guess you consider southern California we grow lots of grapes here they Gerd the grapes every year they have a special knife they use in the Grapevine they make it look easy. I guess it is once you learn how to do it.
I girdle my fig potted plants and they will be forced to fruit.. Once harvest season is over , cut off the whole branch and reroot them anyway.. you have to prune the fig tree anyway... so Girdle were you want to eventually prune
Be very careful using this technique schould only be done by experts, and only for certain reasons, Ross i think your overthinking it, could be a fun experament but probaly not needed , are you going to do it to all your figs?
Many commercial vineyards use a similar procedure to get larger grapes. I've never tried it, but I've seen the results. I may try this on my desert king figs.
I have been growing fig trees for 3 years now, what I have noticed was when I do an air layer on inground trees, that branch gets figs where others do not. Not only that but they come up faster. What U will be trying next season is girdling selective branches but actually putting soil just like and air layer and leaving it until it starts growing roots. When figs appear I will remove the soil. What I'm hoping is not only to get more figs but faster. Meaning earlier ripening figs. On my area if I can get 3 to 4 weeks earlier figs it will make the difference between fruit ripening in the heat instead of cooler weather. I will be doing a few branches on each tree leaving the others alone. That will give me a time baseline to see which ripen first. My only question would be when to remove the soil or if I should just let it grow out. I'm not sure what will happen if I remove the soil and let the roots dry out and die. Also will be incorporating pinching at the proper time.
I always love to hear your thoughts on figs. Keep up the great work and say safe my friend.
I will definitely try this out! Hopefully will not cut it too deep. Thanks for the study I love to read these!
I might be wrong but you should be able to achieve sort of the same results with foliar feeding. Also as far as I know the carbs go down to the roots not only for root growth but also a part of that will be delivered to the soil microbes in form of root exudates, in order to be 'traded' for nutrients from the soil. Not sure if girdling is worth cutting out the soil microbiome.
The nutrients from a foliar feed should be different than those produced through photosynthesis, no?
@@RossRaddi I'm not so sure about that. I know that foliar feeding is very useful when quickly tackling nutrient deficiencies or to steer the plant into a desired direction. When growing tomatoes this would mean to change the live cycle from vegitative to reproductive mode. In KNF foliar feeding is also a very frequently applied method for different stages of growth as well as overall plant health. The good thing about foliar feeding is that it can work almost in an instant. I don't know yet if this method is applicable with figs as well but at least I do know from experience, that it works with many other fruiting vegetables. For further information I suggest you check out the podcast of John Kempf covering many interviews on feeding plants & plant health as well as the RUclips chanel of Chris Trump for KNF related stuff.
Hi Ross! Have you tried sea buckthorn? The yield from them are enormous every year (like blueberrys) here in Sweden zone 5. You should see it! And they taste great!
No. You need a male and female. Seemed like too big of a space investment.
At some point I'll try them.
Ross Raddi yes that’s true. I have about 15 different varieties! I also have a nursery for edible plants. Thanks for a informative channel!
@@jazzjan Nice. What nursery? Is that 15 varieties of seaberry or fig? Which are your favorite?
Ross Raddi 15 varieties of seaberry, there a few favorites. We use many varieties from russia and latvia, also our own from Sweden. Do you have Instagram or Facebook? The nursery’s name is Räveboda Plantskola.
Thank you Ross😊😊
Cant wait to see your follow up video on this
Hi Ross! I did girdled my fig tree for an airlayering, it now has roots. And lots of fruit too. I’ve changed my mind, don’t want to cut it down and grow it as a new plant since I don’t want to risk losing all those fruits. Can I remove all those roots and let the girdled part heal by itself??? Thank you!
Just leave the air layer on until dormancy or remove it after the fruits have ripened.
@@RossRaddi thank you so much!
Good information, I will definitely be trying this.
Hey Ross have you ever experienced or heard of this before. So I have a fig tree at my mothers house I planted years ago & eaten off it many times. Today I’m over there, picked a whole bunch & 20 minutes later my hands are uncontrollably itchy, wanted to rub them with sand paper. Had to use itch cream & Benadryl just to get it to subside. Ate another fig later & had a milder effect. Can the sap do that?
Yes the sap is very Caustic.
I live in Bakersfield California I guess you consider southern California we grow lots of grapes here they Gerd the grapes every year they have a special knife they use in the Grapevine they make it look easy. I guess it is once you learn how to do it.
you are so smart, you are actually using the knowledge I learned in Bio class in real life!!
I girdle my fig potted plants and they will be forced to fruit.. Once harvest season is over , cut off the whole branch and reroot them anyway.. you have to prune the fig tree anyway... so Girdle were you want to eventually prune
You might want to show the process of girdling next time.
Be very careful using this technique schould only be done by experts, and only for certain reasons, Ross i think your overthinking it, could be a fun experament but probaly not needed , are you going to do it to all your figs?
Never girdle branches all the way around. It can kill the branch. Good discussion of theory and hormones (off topic?), no presentation of results!