If you enjoyed this video, please "Like" it and share it to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching🙂TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 Introduction To Transplanting Fig Seedlings 0:20 Fig Tree Growing Process 2:07 Nursery Containers For Transplanting Fig Trees 2:27 How To Make Potting Mix For Transplanting Seedlings 4:43 How To Transplant Fig Trees In Peat Pellets 5:43 Transplanting Fig Trees From 6-Cell Seedling Trays 7:51 Fertilizing Fig Seedlings 10:45 Fig Tree Seedling Acclimation Process 11:40 7 Day Fig Seedling Progress 11:59 How To Thin The Fig Seedlings 15:34 Results Of Thinning Seedlings 16:59 Adventures With Dale
I've been growing figs from seed for the last five years. The problem with thinning out the weaker plants is that there is no rule that says the stronger ones will produce the best fruit. In fact it might even be that the stronger ones are the male plants. I leave them in small groups until they get to about six inches high. By then the roots have become more woody and you can safely tease them all apart and pot them up individually without loosing any. Brilliant set of video's. I'm following closely.
Yes, that's true, but that's why you have to grow out a whole lot of plants. By the numbers, 75% will be male or smyrna females, so they'll get junked. I'll be lucky if I walk away with 10 edible figs after all this work. Chances are, 1-3 will be pretty good. I give myself far better odds than natural selection, because I chose extremely high end female parents. Always select the strongest seedling, because the strongest seedling has the same odds as the weaker seedlings at producing good fruit. Therefore, pick the vigorous one. The ideal varieties have both vigor and taste.
If you enjoyed this video, the biggest thanks you can give is to hit the LIKE button! Please share it to extend its reach and help as many people as possible!
HELP !..... I have a very old fig tree ( 1982 ) I had to cut down because of the freeze here in Houston, Texas last year....... it has shot up 10 shoots about 6 foot tall ( 3/4"" diameter ) and has figs. As winter is coming. what do I with it now?...... Should I just let them grow through the winter and then cut them back ....whats the best thing to do ( I want to keep the tree about 6' tall ).
@@richardletell4062 I would recommend a two-step process: 1. Select the strongest sucker as the main trunk. Cut out ALL the other ones. I strongly prefer going figs as a single trunk. If you decide you prefer 2 or 3 trunks for a certain look, that's fine, but remove all the others. 2. Head the main trunk at the height you want to encourage branching for next season. I suggest cutting it somewhere in the 12-24" range to encourage low branching. I personally head my trees around 14 inches. If you decide you want 2 or 3 main trunks, "head" them all at the exact same height so they all grow symmetrically. Don't worry about the figs on it this year. It's probably too late at this point, unless you're going to be 80-90 degrees with warm nights for awhile to come. The more important thing is to rebuild the structure of the tree for next season. It is VERY important to remove any suckers that come up from the base, because they will "rob" energy from what you're trying to establish as the main trunk. The tree should be producing well next season if you follow this. Do your pruning after dormancy, though. Don't do it just yet. Since it doesn't often get too cold your way aside from that freak freeze last year, maybe wait til January to do this.
HELP... I found a wild growing Capri (I think) growing in the Orlando area. How can I identify it for sure (have pics), what can I do with it and how can I contact you for more info?
I remembered when you started this process. I planted my fig seeds not to long after that video. My black mission seeds have all came up and are beautiful. Will thin them today. Thanks for the update! ✌
I brought figs from my local store I didn't expect much. I believe from 20 seeds 14 germinated. Just up- potted them all. They look a little sad only from the wind getting them. But I'm hoping for the best.
I didn't think to try store bought fig seeds, do the figs need to be fresh? Or can you use the dried figs from store? And will you get figs off of those plants? Or they will need to be polinated?
@@HVACRTECH-83 hi there! It was just an experiment for me. I think fresh figs will be best. Although I have heard that dried figs seeds will work as well. Try it let me know I'm curious. ✌
I love all your videos, your attention to detail is wonderful. You have a large following of fig fans who love this stuff. Dale is gorgeous. Wishing you the very best.
Thank you! I really appreciate that. And I agree, Dale is a looker. I wish I was 10% of the looker that boy is. He's the Derek Zoolander of dogs, but smarter 😂
@@TheMillennialGardener you are definitely a very nice looking young man!! But as much as that you have a really warming personality. You and Dale are a killer duo!! Take care from your fans in Australia.
Back in July/August I took on a project for a local nursing home fundraiser. An enormous turkey fig grows on the southwest side of the nursing home, which is bricked. The last couple of years the fig production on this tree has been considerably less than years before due to the large number of shoots growing out of the trunk's base. So, back in the summer I took out the shoots and successfully rooted about 50 of them. Soon, I will pot them and next spring the nursing home's recreation director will sell them.
That's a lot of trees. With all these seedlings to manage, I'm going to be up to 90-100 trees to deal with next year 😂 This hobby can get out of hand quickly if you're not careful.
I started our fig plot last year and cannot wait for all of my trees to be mature and “figging out”! This series is great and since I only live an hour west of you, it is fitting to my climate. Thank you!
Thank you. I'm not sure what to expect in terms of maturity time. Most fruit trees take 7-10 years to fruit, but I'm hoping figs can do it in 2. I think fruit next summer will be unlikely, but I'm crossing my fingers for 2023. I really don't know what to expect.
Now that it’s April 9th how did the seedlings fair over winter? Where were they kept? Did they drop leaves? Did they survive? Also, how did you know if you had a male or female plant to collect pollen? And would you want the male or female plant for fruit production? All these questions are important and I hope you explain them in future videos.
Thank you! It has been so interesting to watch this experiment come to fruition. I hope they fruit within a reasonable timeframe. I honestly don’t know how long seed-grown figs take to bear fruit.
Me, too 😂 This has been a ton of work getting this far. So much planning! Now, I'm going to have to get these babies through the winter, and probably wait another 2 years until something fruits. It certainly is an investment, and it goes to show you how critical plant breeders are. They're the backbone of our food supply.
@@TheMillennialGardener absolutely! Patience-testing work, which in the face of climate change is even more difficult and critical. Hope something exciting comes from your experiment! Are you planning to move them inside or to one of your lighted hoop houses for the winter?
It’s best to start trees seeds in “root trainer” trays. These are much deeper so you can leave your seedlings longer before transplanting, and will give you a better root ball shape. Also, using the top 1” of vermiculite on top of potting soil has worked for me. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of your seed trays after planting to prevent damping off.
I haven't had any problems with the pots I've used. They've been outstanding. My only problem is they're growing too quickly in the winter, so they really need an up-potting, and it's too cold outside right now to leave them outside. Once the frosts stop, they're going in 1 gallon containers.
Have you thought about mixing in a slow-release fertilizer? My thought behind it is that it might help cause faster growth and if you use a slow-release fertilizer you're less likely to burn the plants. Especially if you bury it a little below where you're putting the roots, so the roots have to grow down into it Edit I got ahead of myself and just got to the part where you are talking about the fertilizer that you are using. Do I still wonder if using a slow-release would be easier followed by a liquid. I'm basing this off of an experiment that I was a part of years ago involving some vegetables. Actually on that note we also tested out soils and found that leaving the chunky would actually was good. It probably isn't good in your specific case because of the small pots and you are up potting, but it added additional drainage, that the vermiculite probably is actually adding in for you, and it also kept the soil from compacting too much and gave some room for the soil to degrade into more nutrients. That's what we concluded anyways. It's been awhile and I don't have any of my notes anymore to cite anything specific
Hey Dale, the nose knows! Thank you for making these videos. I found them to be very interesting. I am just starting my fig journey, but maybe someday I will be growing them from seeds. I'm still trying to get cuttings to root. Ha! Thanks again. Keep up the good work.
The nose knows all! It is omnipotent! 🐕😂 You're welcome! If you need some help rooting, I just posted a new video on the subject: ruclips.net/video/_g7JlxQ8TDQ/видео.html
Well, 50% will be male and useless to me, and half of the females will be smyrna's. If I were to grow out all 42 seedlings, chances are I'll only walk away with around 10 varieties that are even edible. From there, most of them may not even be that good. It's tough to say. The reason why I chose some of my highest-end female figs as mothers is I hope I wind up with some decent selections. I guess time will tell. It could take another 2-3 years before I find out what's what, unfortunately.
I got a seedling fig in February and I’m in New England and it has a little tiny leaves, so shall I let that go dormant like all of my other new figs, and then pot it in the spring when it gets in May
It takes some planning ahead, because it takes a caprifig 2 years to produce pollen since the profichi form on the previous year's wood. If you're interested, I recommend picking up caprifig cuttings this winter.
If you want high end figs, Figbid is the best website to find them. You can search through hundreds of varieties. I am very reluctant to sell any of these, because there is a 75% chance you'll find up with either a male fig or a smyrna female, so you won't get fruit. If you want a guaranteed good variety, buy something well-known on Figbid from a reputable seller. You can check out Harvey's website and read some descriptions: www.figaholics.com/cuttings.htm Find a list of 10-15 that sound attractive, watch his videos, and try to get them on Figbid.
I just bought a Celeste, Brown Turkey, and an Olympion Fig sapplings. How long can they stay in the small plastic cup they are in? I won't be able to get them larger pots until Saturday
Another home run! Hey what do you think of the Brown Turkey fig for South Carolina? At least mine is growing monstrously large. Only had breba and this year no figs at all except one.
Thank you! You won't like my answer to your question, but I'll be honest nonetheless. If you're speaking of the variety California Brown Turkey, is a variety I don't personally care for. There is something unique about the flavor that has melon tones. I do not like figs that taste like "melon." Because of that, I don't personally grow it, so I can't comment on its performance. Most people say it's fairly large and early-ish, so for South Carolina, it probably won't have much trouble aside from the rain. If you enjoy the flavor, then that is all that matters because taste is 100% subjective. If you aren't so hot on the tree, I would recommend several others that I prefer: Smith, Col de Dame Blanc, White Madeira #1, Olympian and Sao Miguel Roxo are some of my favorites for our climate. I-258 is one of my favorite figs in the world, but it struggles badly in rain, so that's sort of a judgment call.
They will have to be carried inside every night where a frost or freeze is a possibility, and then carried back outside during the day when temperatures allow. They will not go dormant at this stage, so they need to be kept frost-free and in full sun to keep growing active until next year.
The reason why fruit trees fruit faster when grafted is because scion wood is taken from a mother tree that's mature and in the fruiting phase. The scion wood thinks it's a mature tree, so it will fruit like it always has been. This isn't the case for these seedlings. If I were to graft them onto some rootstock, they'd still be babies not ready to fruit yet. I don't think grafting will help speed them up. If anything, it will slow them down, because the tree will sit and have to recover from the graft. It'll cause an idle period of months. It's best to just let them grow on their own roots so there is no interruption to their development.
Fish emulsion is soluble. It's been broken down into readily available nutrients, probably from the fermentation process. It doesn't need soil biology to be readily available. That being said, my mix is something like 40% potting mix, so there is some bacteria and fungi in there. Granted, it's extremely limited in those containers, so the trees will be fed soluble feed for the foreseeable future.
@@TheMillennialGardener I think I will try some of that today! I didn't want to use anything really strong this time of year, but little slow release should do the trick for the winter.
This is a great experiment... If im not mistaken the caprifigs are all from the same tree right? Couple questions... 1) Is there a way to know which male figs is best to use? Other than the "persistent gene" that u already have... Like is there any particular characteristic to look for? Since they're not edible we cant really choose "taste" as a criteria right, can we even know if the male is hardy enough or rain resistance enough? 2) If u were to do a second round of this, will u choose the next males among the males with "good mothers"? ( Sounds rude... Haha) Wish u good luck, so that maybe one day i can buy one of these new variety cuttings n plant them myself... 👍👍👍
Yes, I only have one caprifig tree. It is a UCR 271-1 Saleeb. 1) Not enough research is done to know what male caprifigs are best. You want to make sure it is persistent if you are going to breed figs, because smyrna varieties have very little value. The caprifigs usually considered "best" are Enderud and Saleed due to the pollen quantity, but there are very few persistent caprifigs that are tracked or well-known. Other than pollen quality, you'd want to look for fruit size and fruit color. Saleeb is a very large, green caprifig, so my guess is many of my offspring will tend to be on the larger side and green. If you want to breed purple figs, you may not want Saleeb. 2) I probably will dispose of 100% of the males. The reason why is this: you can tell when a female fig is persistent right away. If they hold their fruit and you can eat it, you bred a persistent female. It takes years to figure out if a male fig is persistent, because they have 3 crops of figs. I don't want to sit around and wait to see if they'll ripen all of them. If it happens by accident, it happens, but I don't intend to do this on purpose. It's a lot of work to keep all of these trees alive, so the trees I can't eat need to be disposed of in rapid fashion.
Love your videos but I don’t think I’d have the heart to cut a growing plant. I would definitely try to separate and repot when they’re slightly bigger.
They will not go dormant at this age. I will have to baby them indoors throughout the winter. I will have to carry them inside at night and back outside during the day every time it freezes at night to keep them growing.
Been watching this journey. Just wanted to confirm how did you get your male fig tree? Not sure which video you talked about this? But what kind of variety is the male fig that you got? Would like to also do some mutual experimentation, looks interesting. Would it be possible to get a few cuttings of your male fig tree? Please PM me.
The caprifig is a UCR 271-1 persistent caprifig. I obtained the male fig tree through a network of acquaintances I've made over the years being an active contributor on fig forums and producing these videos. Because male figs produce profichi (the pollen bearing figs) as a breba on previous year's wood, I will be taking little to no cuttings of the tree this winter. If you need caprifig cuttings, you can search on Figbid, as they are occasionally offered. You must verify if they are persistent, though, because the overwhelming majority are not.
@@TheMillennialGardener well dang! I’ll take them all then! 😁 my mom normally let it get a bit bigger and taller before she parted/thin them. But I wish you best of luck!
Down our way we have this Tomato Maker bagged organic compost that is extremely fine would be great...no sticks. We have also a biz called Soli cubed...they deliver with a bobcat type vehicle on your property 4 cubic feet of very fine compost for $200.
When I originally had my raised beds filled, I had two 10-cubic yard truckloads of local turkey compost delivered. At the time, they were $450 a truckload, but with inflation these days, I'm sure they've gone up. Bulk delivery is definitely the way to go, for sure. But I'd prefer not to manually haul 10 yards of compost with a wheelbarrow ever again if possible 😂
Do you ship outside the us I live in the bahamas I want to start a orchard I bought a ron de Bordeaux 2years got good results but I don't have any other varietys
As long as they take to fruit and ripen the fruit. That is going to vary per plant. It could take 1 year. It could take 5. All trees will be different.
No. Fig seeds need to be pollinated by male figs. Unless you have a male fig tree growing nearby and a means of the tree being pollinated, all the endocarps will be hollow and infertile.
Millennial, have yo germinate the fig trees from Seeds?, 😃 I love Dale, looks sad he want to get outside and hang with you thank you, so much and cheers. From Tucson Arizona the land of forever figs hehehe.
I hand-pollinated all the seeds myself using a controlled breeding process. I've documented the entire method here: ruclips.net/p/PL1gY7BoYBGIHWDFykCI-TRAt-Gm45Wwyw It's been very successful. These are all controlled crosses to yield a specific result. Check out the series. You may enjoy it.
Fig seedlings germinate best in vermiculite. They need even, constant moisture and a sterile environment for best results. Mixes did not work well, because the tops dry out too quickly and they aren't sterile.
They are seedlings. Every single seedling is genetically unique, so all 42 trees are 42 brand new varieties. Whether they'll be male, female, persistent or caducous, I don't know. It'll take a few years to find out. You can follow along with the breeding experiment here: ruclips.net/p/PL1gY7BoYBGIHWDFykCI-TRAt-Gm45Wwyw It's fairly complicated, in the sense that you need to use Punnett Squares to determine what you'll get.
Thinning is necessary. Not only is that a ton of work trying to separate seedlings, but you'll likely suffer high losses and spend even more time trying to limp along seedlings lacking vigor. Thinning is part of the selection process. It's in our best interest to cull the weak seedlings. Our goal with the breeding process is not to save every seedling - it is to develop high quality new cultivars. It's very important to save the strongest seedlings with the most health and vigor while culling the rest. The best varieties have both vigor and high quality fruit.
I've considered having a giveaway, but I'm a bit reluctant. By the time they're old enough for shipment, it may be too cold to send them to people and they may not survive the trip. Also, 75% of them will either be male or smyrna females, so they won't provide fruit. Chances are, they won't work out. I may think of something later. It's a hard decision to make.
Luck of the draw. By simple math, 75% of the figs I'm growing will be either male or smyrna, which makes them useless and will eventually wind up on the "burn pile." Breeding is tough business, which is why so few people do it. Plant breeders are the most valuable people on Earth. We'd literally starve to death without them. They hold the world in their hands.
Breeding is tough business. You can't keep all the seedlings, so selection is always a part of the job. The way we've turned wild, seedy fruits into big, beautiful, sweet, low-seed fruit is over generations of this process. Save the most vigorous seedlings, grow them out into trees and save the best handful. Repeat for hundreds of years 😀
I offer cuttings during the dormant season to my subscribers. If you're a subscriber, you'll receive a notification when they become available, usually in January.
If you enjoyed this video, please "Like" it and share it to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching🙂TIMESTAMPS for convenience:
0:00 Introduction To Transplanting Fig Seedlings
0:20 Fig Tree Growing Process
2:07 Nursery Containers For Transplanting Fig Trees
2:27 How To Make Potting Mix For Transplanting Seedlings
4:43 How To Transplant Fig Trees In Peat Pellets
5:43 Transplanting Fig Trees From 6-Cell Seedling Trays
7:51 Fertilizing Fig Seedlings
10:45 Fig Tree Seedling Acclimation Process
11:40 7 Day Fig Seedling Progress
11:59 How To Thin The Fig Seedlings
15:34 Results Of Thinning Seedlings
16:59 Adventures With Dale
I've been growing figs from seed for the last five years. The problem with thinning out the weaker plants is that there is no rule that says the stronger ones will produce the best fruit. In fact it might even be that the stronger ones are the male plants. I leave them in small groups until they get to about six inches high. By then the roots have become more woody and you can safely tease them all apart and pot them up individually without loosing any. Brilliant set of video's. I'm following closely.
Yes, that's true, but that's why you have to grow out a whole lot of plants. By the numbers, 75% will be male or smyrna females, so they'll get junked. I'll be lucky if I walk away with 10 edible figs after all this work. Chances are, 1-3 will be pretty good. I give myself far better odds than natural selection, because I chose extremely high end female parents. Always select the strongest seedling, because the strongest seedling has the same odds as the weaker seedlings at producing good fruit. Therefore, pick the vigorous one. The ideal varieties have both vigor and taste.
If you enjoyed this video, the biggest thanks you can give is to hit the LIKE button! Please share it to extend its reach and help as many people as possible!
HELP !..... I have a very old fig tree ( 1982 ) I had to cut down because of the freeze here in Houston, Texas last year....... it has shot up 10 shoots about 6 foot tall ( 3/4"" diameter ) and has figs. As winter is coming. what do I with it now?...... Should I just let them grow through the winter and then cut them back ....whats the best thing to do ( I want to keep the tree about 6' tall ).
@@richardletell4062 I would recommend a two-step process:
1. Select the strongest sucker as the main trunk. Cut out ALL the other ones. I strongly prefer going figs as a single trunk. If you decide you prefer 2 or 3 trunks for a certain look, that's fine, but remove all the others.
2. Head the main trunk at the height you want to encourage branching for next season. I suggest cutting it somewhere in the 12-24" range to encourage low branching. I personally head my trees around 14 inches. If you decide you want 2 or 3 main trunks, "head" them all at the exact same height so they all grow symmetrically.
Don't worry about the figs on it this year. It's probably too late at this point, unless you're going to be 80-90 degrees with warm nights for awhile to come. The more important thing is to rebuild the structure of the tree for next season. It is VERY important to remove any suckers that come up from the base, because they will "rob" energy from what you're trying to establish as the main trunk. The tree should be producing well next season if you follow this. Do your pruning after dormancy, though. Don't do it just yet. Since it doesn't often get too cold your way aside from that freak freeze last year, maybe wait til January to do this.
HELP... I found a wild growing Capri (I think) growing in the Orlando area. How can I identify it for sure (have pics), what can I do with it and how can I contact you for more info?
I remembered when you started this process. I planted my fig seeds not to long after that video. My black mission seeds have all came up and are beautiful. Will thin them today. Thanks for the update! ✌
That's great! Did you hand pollinate, or did you plant store-bought figs?
I brought figs from my local store I didn't expect much. I believe from 20 seeds 14 germinated. Just up- potted them all. They look a little sad only from the wind getting them. But I'm hoping for the best.
I didn't think to try store bought fig seeds, do the figs need to be fresh? Or can you use the dried figs from store? And will you get figs off of those plants? Or they will need to be polinated?
@@HVACRTECH-83 hi there! It was just an experiment for me. I think fresh figs will be best. Although I have heard that dried figs seeds will work as well. Try it let me know I'm curious. ✌
@@backyardfarmingwithashley me too. Will do. Thanks
I'm gonna give them a try this year,,,fingers crossed,,,,thanks for the info.
I love all your videos, your attention to detail is wonderful. You have a large following of fig fans who love this stuff. Dale is gorgeous. Wishing you the very best.
Thank you! I really appreciate that. And I agree, Dale is a looker. I wish I was 10% of the looker that boy is. He's the Derek Zoolander of dogs, but smarter 😂
@@TheMillennialGardener you are definitely a very nice looking young man!! But as much as that you have a really warming personality. You and Dale are a killer duo!! Take care from your fans in Australia.
Thanks love, your video is very helpful as I’m a first time fig grower.
You’re welcome!
Back in July/August I took on a project for a local nursing home fundraiser. An enormous turkey fig grows on the southwest side of the nursing home, which is bricked. The last couple of years the fig production on this tree has been considerably less than years before due to the large number of shoots growing out of the trunk's base. So, back in the summer I took out the shoots and successfully rooted about 50 of them. Soon, I will pot them and next spring the nursing home's recreation director will sell them.
That's a lot of trees. With all these seedlings to manage, I'm going to be up to 90-100 trees to deal with next year 😂 This hobby can get out of hand quickly if you're not careful.
I started our fig plot last year and cannot wait for all of my trees to be mature and “figging out”! This series is great and since I only live an hour west of you, it is fitting to my climate. Thank you!
You're welcome! I appreciate you watching.
Thank you for the update! The seedlings look healthy😊
You're welcome! So far, so good. Hopefully they make it through the winter.
The figlets look awesome! Can’t wait to see them mature.
Thank you. I'm not sure what to expect in terms of maturity time. Most fruit trees take 7-10 years to fruit, but I'm hoping figs can do it in 2. I think fruit next summer will be unlikely, but I'm crossing my fingers for 2023. I really don't know what to expect.
Now that it’s April 9th how did the seedlings fair over winter? Where were they kept? Did they drop leaves? Did they survive?
Also, how did you know if you had a male or female plant to collect pollen? And would you want the male or female plant for fruit production?
All these questions are important and I hope you explain them in future videos.
That's an amazing crop of fig seedlings; well done! Can't wait to see what they will become as adults!
Thank you! I'm excited about the process. Hopefully, they won't take many years to fruit.
Wow that’s pretty cool seeing how you’ve been able to successfully do this experiment, thank you for showing us you’re doing a great job! 👍
Thank you! It has been so interesting to watch this experiment come to fruition. I hope they fruit within a reasonable timeframe. I honestly don’t know how long seed-grown figs take to bear fruit.
Yep! My backyard is fast becoming a fig forest thanks to MG.
That's outstanding. That's my favorite kind of forest 😂
Thank you for putting the details in your videos.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Dale - watch out the Seedlings ;-)
Dale is always on guard 🐕
Feel like I’ve been waiting for this episode forever!
Me, too 😂 This has been a ton of work getting this far. So much planning! Now, I'm going to have to get these babies through the winter, and probably wait another 2 years until something fruits. It certainly is an investment, and it goes to show you how critical plant breeders are. They're the backbone of our food supply.
@@TheMillennialGardener absolutely! Patience-testing work, which in the face of climate change is even more difficult and critical.
Hope something exciting comes from your experiment!
Are you planning to move them inside or to one of your lighted hoop houses for the winter?
It’s best to start trees seeds in “root trainer” trays. These are much deeper so you can leave your seedlings longer before transplanting, and will give you a better root ball shape. Also, using the top 1” of vermiculite on top of potting soil has worked for me. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of your seed trays after planting to prevent damping off.
I haven't had any problems with the pots I've used. They've been outstanding. My only problem is they're growing too quickly in the winter, so they really need an up-potting, and it's too cold outside right now to leave them outside. Once the frosts stop, they're going in 1 gallon containers.
Have you thought about mixing in a slow-release fertilizer? My thought behind it is that it might help cause faster growth and if you use a slow-release fertilizer you're less likely to burn the plants. Especially if you bury it a little below where you're putting the roots, so the roots have to grow down into it
Edit I got ahead of myself and just got to the part where you are talking about the fertilizer that you are using. Do I still wonder if using a slow-release would be easier followed by a liquid. I'm basing this off of an experiment that I was a part of years ago involving some vegetables. Actually on that note we also tested out soils and found that leaving the chunky would actually was good. It probably isn't good in your specific case because of the small pots and you are up potting, but it added additional drainage, that the vermiculite probably is actually adding in for you, and it also kept the soil from compacting too much and gave some room for the soil to degrade into more nutrients. That's what we concluded anyways. It's been awhile and I don't have any of my notes anymore to cite anything specific
Slow release is great AFTER they get up a bit. Liquid fertilizer is more readily available.
subbing..cant wait to watch the update on those seedlings
Thank you! They're getting big. They're all 6-8 inches tall now! I may have to move them into 6" pots sooner than I thought.
Hey Dale, the nose knows! Thank you for making these videos. I found them to be very interesting. I am just starting my fig journey, but maybe someday I will be growing them from seeds. I'm still trying to get cuttings to root. Ha! Thanks again. Keep up the good work.
The nose knows all! It is omnipotent! 🐕😂 You're welcome! If you need some help rooting, I just posted a new video on the subject: ruclips.net/video/_g7JlxQ8TDQ/видео.html
@@TheMillennialGardener I just watched it. Thank you! I'm going to go get some vermiculite!
Great video. Tks!
🇨🇱🇺🇸✝️❤️🙏
Thanks for watching!
dude this is sooo cool, thanks for the video!
You're welcome! Thank you for watching!
Hey, I love your videos. Any updates on these trees? It's been 6 months.
I look forward to seeing the results. For me any edible fig would be an achievement.
You can follow the experiment here: ruclips.net/p/PL1gY7BoYBGIHWDFykCI-TRAt-Gm45Wwyw
Enjoyed your video
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Nice!
Thanks for watching!
Vanilla farmers come from Indonesia
Thanks for watching!
It's a neat process. I mean if Celeste can churn out all those different varieties you're gonna have some tough decisions to make. 😁
Well, 50% will be male and useless to me, and half of the females will be smyrna's. If I were to grow out all 42 seedlings, chances are I'll only walk away with around 10 varieties that are even edible. From there, most of them may not even be that good. It's tough to say. The reason why I chose some of my highest-end female figs as mothers is I hope I wind up with some decent selections. I guess time will tell. It could take another 2-3 years before I find out what's what, unfortunately.
@@TheMillennialGardener Do you think that a caprifig offspring of your highest-end female fig would be a good pollen source ?
I got a seedling fig in February and I’m in New England and it has a little tiny leaves, so shall I let that go dormant like all of my other new figs, and then pot it in the spring when it gets in May
Awsome bro, someday I want to try this, I don't have alot of time to devote to it yet
It takes some planning ahead, because it takes a caprifig 2 years to produce pollen since the profichi form on the previous year's wood. If you're interested, I recommend picking up caprifig cuttings this winter.
I’ve just collected some tiger fig seeds from my plant I’m hoping I might be able to create a new verity
Would love to buy one of the seedling crosses in the spring if you are considering selling any. Only ones I can find around here are brown turkey.
If you want high end figs, Figbid is the best website to find them. You can search through hundreds of varieties. I am very reluctant to sell any of these, because there is a 75% chance you'll find up with either a male fig or a smyrna female, so you won't get fruit. If you want a guaranteed good variety, buy something well-known on Figbid from a reputable seller. You can check out Harvey's website and read some descriptions: www.figaholics.com/cuttings.htm
Find a list of 10-15 that sound attractive, watch his videos, and try to get them on Figbid.
I just bought a Celeste, Brown Turkey, and an Olympion Fig sapplings. How long can they stay in the small plastic cup they are in? I won't be able to get them larger pots until Saturday
Another home run! Hey what do you think of the Brown Turkey fig for South Carolina? At least mine is growing monstrously large. Only had breba and this year no figs at all except one.
Thank you! You won't like my answer to your question, but I'll be honest nonetheless. If you're speaking of the variety California Brown Turkey, is a variety I don't personally care for. There is something unique about the flavor that has melon tones. I do not like figs that taste like "melon." Because of that, I don't personally grow it, so I can't comment on its performance. Most people say it's fairly large and early-ish, so for South Carolina, it probably won't have much trouble aside from the rain. If you enjoy the flavor, then that is all that matters because taste is 100% subjective. If you aren't so hot on the tree, I would recommend several others that I prefer: Smith, Col de Dame Blanc, White Madeira #1, Olympian and Sao Miguel Roxo are some of my favorites for our climate. I-258 is one of my favorite figs in the world, but it struggles badly in rain, so that's sort of a judgment call.
Great video. How do you plan to overwinter them? I have one seeding that i don't know what to do with when it starts getting cold.
They will have to be carried inside every night where a frost or freeze is a possibility, and then carried back outside during the day when temperatures allow. They will not go dormant at this stage, so they need to be kept frost-free and in full sun to keep growing active until next year.
@@TheMillennialGardener thank you👍👍
Any plans to graft to speed up the growth and fruit? 👍
The reason why fruit trees fruit faster when grafted is because scion wood is taken from a mother tree that's mature and in the fruiting phase. The scion wood thinks it's a mature tree, so it will fruit like it always has been. This isn't the case for these seedlings. If I were to graft them onto some rootstock, they'd still be babies not ready to fruit yet. I don't think grafting will help speed them up. If anything, it will slow them down, because the tree will sit and have to recover from the graft. It'll cause an idle period of months. It's best to just let them grow on their own roots so there is no interruption to their development.
@@TheMillennialGardener thanks for the info. That’s an interesting perspective
I love it
Thank you!
outstanding! How does the fish emulsion release with such a sterile mix? Gotta love it when the weather cooperates.
Fish emulsion is soluble. It's been broken down into readily available nutrients, probably from the fermentation process. It doesn't need soil biology to be readily available. That being said, my mix is something like 40% potting mix, so there is some bacteria and fungi in there. Granted, it's extremely limited in those containers, so the trees will be fed soluble feed for the foreseeable future.
@@TheMillennialGardener I think I will try some of that today! I didn't want to use anything really strong this time of year, but little slow release should do the trick for the winter.
How far down into the vermiculite do you plant the seeds?
This is a great experiment... If im not mistaken the caprifigs are all from the same tree right?
Couple questions...
1) Is there a way to know which male figs is best to use? Other than the "persistent gene" that u already have... Like is there any particular characteristic to look for? Since they're not edible we cant really choose "taste" as a criteria right, can we even know if the male is hardy
enough or rain resistance enough?
2) If u were to do a second round of this, will u choose the next males among the males with "good mothers"? ( Sounds rude... Haha)
Wish u good luck, so that maybe one day i can buy one of these new variety cuttings n plant them myself... 👍👍👍
Yes, I only have one caprifig tree. It is a UCR 271-1 Saleeb.
1) Not enough research is done to know what male caprifigs are best. You want to make sure it is persistent if you are going to breed figs, because smyrna varieties have very little value. The caprifigs usually considered "best" are Enderud and Saleed due to the pollen quantity, but there are very few persistent caprifigs that are tracked or well-known. Other than pollen quality, you'd want to look for fruit size and fruit color. Saleeb is a very large, green caprifig, so my guess is many of my offspring will tend to be on the larger side and green. If you want to breed purple figs, you may not want Saleeb.
2) I probably will dispose of 100% of the males. The reason why is this: you can tell when a female fig is persistent right away. If they hold their fruit and you can eat it, you bred a persistent female. It takes years to figure out if a male fig is persistent, because they have 3 crops of figs. I don't want to sit around and wait to see if they'll ripen all of them. If it happens by accident, it happens, but I don't intend to do this on purpose. It's a lot of work to keep all of these trees alive, so the trees I can't eat need to be disposed of in rapid fashion.
@@TheMillennialGardener Understood... We definitely need to know more about this... Thank you for all your hard work... 👍👍👍
Love your videos but I don’t think I’d have the heart to cut a growing plant. I would definitely try to separate and repot when they’re slightly bigger.
How do you overwinter those baby fig pants? they do go dormant?
They will not go dormant at this age. I will have to baby them indoors throughout the winter. I will have to carry them inside at night and back outside during the day every time it freezes at night to keep them growing.
Been watching this journey. Just wanted to confirm how did you get your male fig tree? Not sure which video you talked about this? But what kind of variety is the male fig that you got? Would like to also do some mutual experimentation, looks interesting. Would it be possible to get a few cuttings of your male fig tree? Please PM me.
The caprifig is a UCR 271-1 persistent caprifig. I obtained the male fig tree through a network of acquaintances I've made over the years being an active contributor on fig forums and producing these videos. Because male figs produce profichi (the pollen bearing figs) as a breba on previous year's wood, I will be taking little to no cuttings of the tree this winter. If you need caprifig cuttings, you can search on Figbid, as they are occasionally offered. You must verify if they are persistent, though, because the overwhelming majority are not.
Niceee… Can I have that 1gal big fig tree? 😂
There's actually like 6 trees in there. I need to thin it still. I am crossing my fingers and hoping they all make it through the winter.
@@TheMillennialGardener well dang! I’ll take them all then! 😁 my mom normally let it get a bit bigger and taller before she parted/thin them. But I wish you best of luck!
Down our way we have this Tomato Maker bagged organic compost that is extremely fine would be great...no sticks. We have also a biz called Soli cubed...they deliver with a bobcat type vehicle on your property 4 cubic feet of very fine compost for $200.
When I originally had my raised beds filled, I had two 10-cubic yard truckloads of local turkey compost delivered. At the time, they were $450 a truckload, but with inflation these days, I'm sure they've gone up. Bulk delivery is definitely the way to go, for sure. But I'd prefer not to manually haul 10 yards of compost with a wheelbarrow ever again if possible 😂
So.. If I germinate in vermiculite, on a heat mat, under grow lights, is this ideal?
It worked fantastic for me. I didn't use grow lights, though. I just put them in front of a sunny window.
Do you ship outside the us I live in the bahamas I want to start a orchard I bought a ron de Bordeaux 2years got good results but I don't have any other varietys
How long does it take to know if you have a self fertile plant?
As long as they take to fruit and ripen the fruit. That is going to vary per plant. It could take 1 year. It could take 5. All trees will be different.
So what if I only have 1 fig tree, will the seeds grow another fig tree or do they have to be cross polinated?
No. Fig seeds need to be pollinated by male figs. Unless you have a male fig tree growing nearby and a means of the tree being pollinated, all the endocarps will be hollow and infertile.
@@TheMillennialGardener how would you know it it's male or female?
Millennial, have yo germinate the fig trees from Seeds?, 😃 I love Dale, looks sad he want to get outside and hang with you thank you, so much and cheers. From Tucson Arizona the land of forever figs hehehe.
I hand-pollinated all the seeds myself using a controlled breeding process. I've documented the entire method here: ruclips.net/p/PL1gY7BoYBGIHWDFykCI-TRAt-Gm45Wwyw
It's been very successful. These are all controlled crosses to yield a specific result. Check out the series. You may enjoy it.
hi how do i get to the first 3 i have a few fig trees one year old 2 gave fruit this year about 22 total the other one no fruit yet. thank you
Do you mean the other 3 videos in the series? I have a link to the playlist here: ruclips.net/p/PL1gY7BoYBGIHWDFykCI-TRAt-Gm45Wwyw
@@TheMillennialGardener thank you so much cant wait to sit back and watch them enjoy your videos
Why didn't you use your half peat moss half compost mix for this?
Fig seedlings germinate best in vermiculite. They need even, constant moisture and a sterile environment for best results. Mixes did not work well, because the tops dry out too quickly and they aren't sterile.
👍
Thanks for watching!
Can you list the types of figs, please ?
They are seedlings. Every single seedling is genetically unique, so all 42 trees are 42 brand new varieties. Whether they'll be male, female, persistent or caducous, I don't know. It'll take a few years to find out. You can follow along with the breeding experiment here: ruclips.net/p/PL1gY7BoYBGIHWDFykCI-TRAt-Gm45Wwyw
It's fairly complicated, in the sense that you need to use Punnett Squares to determine what you'll get.
Great videos. I will be trying this and appreciate your videos. Can you do a short video on how your seedlings are wintering?
I actually posted a photo today on the Community tab. I am going to be due for an update soon. I can probably make a short this week.
Thinning is not necessary, just soak the soil in a pail of water and gently pull the plants apart.
Thinning is necessary. Not only is that a ton of work trying to separate seedlings, but you'll likely suffer high losses and spend even more time trying to limp along seedlings lacking vigor. Thinning is part of the selection process. It's in our best interest to cull the weak seedlings. Our goal with the breeding process is not to save every seedling - it is to develop high quality new cultivars. It's very important to save the strongest seedlings with the most health and vigor while culling the rest. The best varieties have both vigor and high quality fruit.
I think you could share some of the seedlings to nearby subscriber to help with those number
I've considered having a giveaway, but I'm a bit reluctant. By the time they're old enough for shipment, it may be too cold to send them to people and they may not survive the trip. Also, 75% of them will either be male or smyrna females, so they won't provide fruit. Chances are, they won't work out. I may think of something later. It's a hard decision to make.
Id like to purchase some of your seeds plz
All the seeds are long gone. Only these seedlings remain. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all of them, yet. It's going to be a busy winter.
But what if...the weaker seedlings had the better tasting future figs?
Luck of the draw. By simple math, 75% of the figs I'm growing will be either male or smyrna, which makes them useless and will eventually wind up on the "burn pile." Breeding is tough business, which is why so few people do it. Plant breeders are the most valuable people on Earth. We'd literally starve to death without them. They hold the world in their hands.
Ugh, it was so hard to watch you prune those babies- I had to turn my head, ha ha
Breeding is tough business. You can't keep all the seedlings, so selection is always a part of the job. The way we've turned wild, seedy fruits into big, beautiful, sweet, low-seed fruit is over generations of this process. Save the most vigorous seedlings, grow them out into trees and save the best handful. Repeat for hundreds of years 😀
Hi do you sell cutting
I offer cuttings during the dormant season to my subscribers. If you're a subscriber, you'll receive a notification when they become available, usually in January.
Rain dance2
You can have some of mine. We're finally drying out here. It's been a crazy wet summer, here.
I love it
Thank you!