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snaglpus

Why my young trees keep dying?

I need your help. I grow figs as a hobby. For years living in Marietta, Ga I tried growing brown turkeys and celeste in my yard with no success. Now I live in Charlotte, NC and have so many varieties growing beautifully on my deck in containers. Some are golf ball size figs! However, over the past 3 months I bought 3 fig trees from a nice gent off eBay. The trees grow fine after a few days of replanting, then the leaves fall off and the plant just dies. At first I thought it was my soil but that can't be because all my other 20 varieties of fig trees were planted the same way and produce figs every year. But not these 3. One is a Big Ark, and the others are native to Arkansas too. This guy on eBay felt sorry for me after I called him and sent me 2 additional trees but I am afraid to replant these, so I left them in their container and just placed them in my garage. So far the leaves have fallen off but they are still alive but sad. Does anybody have any idea why these trees are dying? I might try replanting them in 60% perlite and 40% compost. Any recommendations?

Comments (9)

  • chills71
    15 years ago

    how much root mass did the plants have? also what are you potting them in? Lastly are you putting them into full sun immediately or getting them used to it gradually?

    Lastly how big are the trees?

    There are many different things that could be gonig wrong, its hard to guess what it could be without more information.

    ~Chills

  • loslunasfarms
    15 years ago

    Are these the Arkansas trees from that "cold hardy native Arkansas fig?"

  • italiangirl74
    15 years ago

    You need to bring the others out of the garage!!! They certainly wont last long through the summer there. Gradually move them to the sun. Be cautious what your getting off ebay. Especially wrong names and varieties. There is no fig tree native to the U.S. Ciao

  • loslunasfarms
    15 years ago

    This "Native Arkansas" fig guy drives me nuts with his really awkward listings, then insults people at the same time. I bought one also and it died, it was also shipped in the box just like that, it arrived half open with upside down ALL THE SOIL POURING OUT. He was a pain when email him about the poor condition of the tree when shipped.

    I hope you left negative feedback!

    I bolded some of the stuff he says. Here is what he says about the Ark fig(arrr):

    I found this fig tree when I bought this very very old house over a 100 years old. It still has a well in the back and the walls were just 2 by 12 stood straight up. The Fig Tree had lots of very old looking large roots that ran along the bank of the creek but the tree was almost dead from the lack of light. So I cut the trees around it and BOOM the next year it came back huge with more figs than I count. The figs are sweet as sugar and are a golden light brown when ripe. This is not a Brown Turkey fig. This is a very hardy native Hot Springs Ar fig. It is not a hybrid of any kind. It is also very cold hardy. It freezes pretty hard up here. This year we had a very very late freeze. (note photo another fig in my yard with burnt leaves) my other figs lost most of there fruit this tree lost none. This fig tree has been here as long as the house. No one seems to know what the name of the fig is so I am going to call it.

    Historic Ar Fig Tree

    I am a fig tree collector and I have never seen a fig tree like this.

    It is very Cold Hardy very sweet.

    Grows Fast.

    2quart plant one plant growing on one container

    Rooted in Full sun

    Ready to go in full sun

    pretty heavy so shipping 12.99

    this is a very very hardy fig if you kill it you had to realy mess up!!!

    all plants sold as is no refund

    no returns

    people do strange things with plants.

    Happy Bidding :)
    all figs I sell are self polinating
    all plants sold as is I am not resoponsble if fig dies
    people do strange things with plants.


    Here is the other one called a Capitola long big green:

    one one gallon CARICA CAPITOLA LONG fig
    makes large green yellow figs with long neck on the figs center is white very sweet. one crops hot summers makes figs sweeter

    I have only one like this to sell the price is the price
    sold as is no refunds people do strange
    things with plants

  • vern_2006
    15 years ago

    Snaglpus, I live in Arkansas and have watched this guy's listings on Ebay. For while everytime I heard of someone that had a fig tree I tried to get a cutting. I found out that most of the fig trees in Arkansas are either Brown Turkey or Celeste. The man at one time showed his tree in his listing. The tree looked to me like a Brown Turkey or a Celeste. To me these two fig trees leaves look almost identical. If he would post the fruit we might get a better understanding what he is selling.

    Now then, It is very possibe that the tree could be something else. Hot Springs, Arkansas was an illegal wide open gambling place until the late 1960s when Governor Rockefeller had them closed down. There were many people with Italian sounding names came to Hot Spring to be associated with the gamling in one capasity or another It is possible that some of these people brought their favoriate fig tree with them.

    Vern

  • Dennis AKA Snaglpus
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    How much root mass did the plants have? Quite a much. The roots were coming out of the bottom. What am I potting them in? I have a mixture of compost, vermculite, and peat moss. My other trees are taking off in this combination. And yes, I am putting them into full sun immediately? How big are the trees? they are 12 inches long.
    italiangirl74, so far the ones placed in the garage have lost all their leaves but are still alive and budding again.
    loslunasfarms, you are correct! All 3 of my trees came from that guy in Arkansas. Everything you said is correct! And every time I try to replant the trees, wet or dry, the soil just runs out! I am pissed but not much I can do. Thank you, I thought I was doing something wrong in planting, but it's not me. I feel pretty pissed off now.

    thanks for the the info Vern. Well, guys, I wasted a lot of money to this guy. But it was a lesson well learned. I guess I need to stay away from eBay. Thanks!

  • loslunasfarms
    15 years ago

    Snagl, dont stay away from ebay, ask questions. If the guy is legit you will get some very honest and courteous answers. This guys makes it a point to be a jerk.

    There are some very legitimate sellers from the forum that sell there. If you look at the guys feedback now, it is pretty poor, not to mention all the people complain about all the same things.

  • Dennis AKA Snaglpus
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    loslunasfarms, I think I will take your advice. I love eBay. I sold a car there a few years ago and it was gone in 10 days. However, the Lord and figs are my passion. Yesterday I received a Bournabat, Diredo, and Celese from eBay and planted them in containers last night. Today, they look stunning on my deck! I know it's a little late to be planting but I just could not pass these up. My wife's going to scream if I buy any more! One of the trees "Big Ark" trees a I got from eBay is trying to bounce back. It lost all its leaves but still alive. I'm going to keep it there till Fall then try to replant it again and see what happens. The other 2 are about dead. I'm going to just water them once a week till this Fall and see it they come back. I have a huge garage with a backend workshop. It has 2 huge windows so the trees are getting sunlight, but not direct sunlight. I will keep you posted on how they turn out. Thank you!
    Snaglpus

  • loslunasfarms
    15 years ago

    Snagl, good passions.. Glad you got those other figs. All I can say is that the guy that sold them to you is prob one of the most knowledgeable guys and very picky in terms of plant naming and care. I bet that box of all your figs was packed like a vault!

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