I live in Florida, where we have high heat for 5 months, and humidity so thick you get drenched walking out to check the mail. Fig trees so quite well here. But your trees may not be accustomed to the heat, so perhaps this is the case.

even during last summer's drought the figs around did pretty well. how old/large is your tree? once establish they are very drought and heat tolerant.

Are they getting enough water?

I was bad about watering one of my potted figs a few weeks ago and a lot of leaves started turning yellow and dying. Since then, I've been much better about watering and the yellow leaves are disappearing (falling off) and being replaced by green ones.

Heat and humidity are fertile environment for a host of plant viral infections. Last year I lost all my crops of figs, apricots, peaches and grapes. I was told to have a spray program. Every 10 days all my trees are sprayed by Fungicide called Spectracide.I am glad to say I have no yellow leaves or curled ones, The trees are loaded with fruits which still hanging on them. Last year I spent lots of hours cleaning dead little fruits dropped under the trees. If it rains hard you have to spray because this thing gets washed by the rain. The recommendation is not to exceed 7-8 sprays per one season and untill harvest. I have 4 sprays to go until mid-august.

I live in same area as poster just south of Chicago but no yellow leaves on any of my plants from 1 gallon to 30 gallon size.
It may indeed be lack of water even though they appear to not need it the roots in pots can get to hot if not cooled down im watering mine quite often and the smaller pots every day.
Martin

Is Spectracide the name of the company? I thought Spectracide was a type of insecticide spray to kill pests, not diseases. Just checking because I don't think it is supposed to be used on fig trees if it's the insecticide.

noss

The tree grows in the ground, not a potted tree. The leave turned yellow happened over night when the temp. was in high 90s and low 100s with very high humidity. I am pretty sure it is not over water or underwater problem. I spread it with fungicide. it seems took care of the problem, or, at least slows down the leave yellow problem.
Thanks all for your help.

I also have inground this season an elder plant of mine put there this spring and its just fine you can see picture of it on other forum, same screen name .
Martin

Do you have any/many fig trees in your neighborhoods? Look at them as you are driving along, and observe how they look compared to your trees. Are they all showing the same symptoms? Probably not. If your tree doesn't look as healthy, something is obviously wrong, and it's usually culture, overheating at the root zone, lack of water, the wrong food, acidic soils/mediums, etc.

Go over everything from A to Z. Make sure culture is perfect. Make sure roots are really getting wet when watered. Try to shade the leaves at the hottest part of the day. Keep roots cool, and mulch heavily, but add limestone to the soil/mediums.

Just a place to start. Hope this helps.

Frank

I have lots of fruit trees all kinds.4 different kind of figs.I live in south MS very high heat very high humidity so for I haven't had to spray my fig trees with any thing.I do spray peaches,plums,apples,with spectracide for bugs with captan fungicide for fungus.The only spray for figs that I know is sulfur I think.I would do a lot of checking before I sprayed anything on my figs.That is why I belong to the forum you get all kinds of people wanting to help.I hope you find your problem.

Spectracide is a chemical company. They produce and sell variety of item to kill bugs, weeds and fungus. I use a product called multi-purpose fungicide. That spray saved my sanity. Without it I would not get even one peach, one apricot, one nectarine or any grapes. I use it on figs with the idea if it does not help it will not hurt. I use the same spray on all my vegetables. It fights rotting of the tomatoes, and egg plants. I was frustrated when I see my big beautiful tomatoes get rotten as soon as it starts to get red, I used to remove it green and letting it get red in the kitchen. but the best tasting tomatoes are the one who get red on the mother tree. I almost gave up that tree and vegetable hubby until my county agriculture extension advised me about the fungicide spray.

That's why I like the garden forums I did not know Spectracide made fungicide have not tried but will as soon as I can find it in my area.Thanks a lot"""""

olympia_gardener I lived in Lacey in the early 1990's and my oldest son was born at St Peter's. Figs respond very well to high heat and humidity so you can rule those factors out. Being a prior resident of your locality I do acknowledge that fungus is a significant issue so I think you are heading in the right direction. The one issue I haven't seen addressed is drainage. Figs do very poorly with wet feet and your watering may be having the opposite effect that you desire. If I was a betting man your fig is drowning. You might want to transplant the tree to a spot that gets full sun and is on high ground that drains well.

P.S. I used to be a test pilot stationed at Fort Lewis

Good Luck
Vinnie

FP, Thanks for cluing me in on Spectracide being a company. Did not know that. Do now.

noss

Thank all for the helpful advise.

Martin, Thank you for confirming that my fig tree yellow leaves issue is not heat related, which allow me to narrow down to possible individual tree caring problem. It looks like that you are living in the same area as I do, I remember you have helped me in the past thread on how to winterize the trees. What type of mulch works the best according to your own experience?

Frank, I will add some lime into the soil next spring, Thanks for remind me of this. In zone5, fig is not popular grown in ground. There are same people grow fig in the pots but still is not very popular plant except few people like members in this forum who really like to grow figs.
John, Vinnie, Thanks for confirming the growing enviroment of the fig trees. You both are right. Hardy Chicago originally came from sicily Italy where is an island, growing climate should be very humid. It naturally should be able to take moist air without developing disease. I am looking into the overwater issue and on the caution side, spayed the fungicide which I try to use as seldom as possible. Currently, it appears the problem has stopped developing after few yellowed leave fell off. foolishpleasure, Thank you for the Spectracide info. I do have a small vegetable garden and occasionally have blosom rot on those large heirloom tomatoes.

Hi Olympia ,
i use no mulch in my potted trees or my inground hardy chicago.
Not to say its no good but i have no need for it.
Regards,
Martin

Martin, you puzzled me. Can Hardy Chicago take -20 degree? or you grow it in well protected area?

It faces North and west in open area and i have little portable 89.00 greenhouse that i put together this late fall .

Plant was in container since 2003 so its limbs are aged somewhat i decide to put inground May 18th this season, it looks the same today ( green ) despite the heat but with figs on it and some more leaves.
I have backup from this plant in container.
Showing facing North

View from West

Martin