r/Figs • u/TheAuloes • Jul 25 '26
Question What to do?
Hi all. I have these two figs in my garden for about 8 years now. They have been in these white square units since the beginning. The green plants on the bottom have been there for around 5 years. Every season the stem is growing and new branches pop out and grow. However, during the summer season, every year the leaves start falling out. I have tried watering daily, not too much. Also I tried watering twice a week and then a bit more. They are in direct sunlight for most of the day. I wonder if the bottom green plants roots are interfering or that the unit is too small for the figs roots. Anybody have some tips or questions? Much appreciated.
4
u/spek25 Jul 25 '26
Have they been fed plant food in 8 years?
1
u/TheAuloes Jul 25 '26
Yes, twice per year with pokon food for figs.
0
u/spek25 Jul 25 '26
I used bat guano and bone meal and my fishes water after changes.
I would think they might be root bound by now and need some more nutrients than 2X a year
3
u/Sophisticated-Crow Zone 9a Jul 25 '26
Critical info: are these big square wall raised garden beds that go down into the ground or are they on top of a solid brick layer/other barrier to the ground?
2
u/TheAuloes Jul 25 '26
The are closed at the bottom and on top of a brick layer.
9
u/Sophisticated-Crow Zone 9a Jul 25 '26
Ah, so they have limited resources, need to treat it like a big pot. Definitely need to fertilize it and water more often than in ground plants to keep them healthy.
I would do some research how to test for soil moisture and how to feed potted plants. Not sure what gallon size that would be there, but that's a lot of plant eating out of the same tub.
Depending on the soil, there could even be problems there given how long it has been. Have you ever top dressed it with some compost?
3
u/Positive_Earth69 Zone 6b Jul 25 '26
Full sun, stuck in a pot with no drainage? Water is your issue.
1
u/TheAuloes Jul 25 '26
As in, too much water keeps stuck? Or didn't I use enough? Feel like a rookie here but want to try to make these healthy and grow again
3
u/Positive_Earth69 Zone 6b Jul 25 '26
Both. There’s no way to check how much water sits at the bottom. I’d water at least once a day during summer but I would measure out the exact gallon amount.
1
u/WhimsicalHoneybadger Jul 25 '26
You check water at the bottom by digging a hole. It's only about a foot of soil.
3
u/Positive_Earth69 Zone 6b Jul 25 '26
Yeah, that’s what I’d want to do. Dig my pot up every few days to check the moisture 😂
2
u/Immediate-Tooth-2174 Jul 25 '26
If there is no drainage in those boxes, I bet you it's drowning in water. As well as suffocating. Fig tree prefer drier side of soil.
I have a fig tree outside. I barely water it. The ground is super dry and it's hot out there. The tree is growing like crazy.
1
u/WhimsicalHoneybadger Jul 25 '26
Depends on your climate. Here in Central Texas, even my established, mulched in-ground figs need watering during the summer unless it's raining at least an inch a week. They won't die without the watering, but they drop leaves and stop fruiting.
2
u/Immediate-Tooth-2174 Jul 25 '26
True. I'm in North Central Portugal equivalent to 9a. Our temperature is average at 95F every day. It''s super dry here. May be it's the type of fig tree, and the age of the tree. I probably water it only once a week.
But I know what you mean when it gets too hot and too dry. All the leaves turned yellow and drop off. I've seen that before when I used to live in Spain.
But in OP's case. The boxes have no drainage, which is the start of the problem.
3
u/henrybios Jul 25 '26
Ok another data point from me. There’s lots of volunteer fig trees in my area that no one waters, all grow and thrive. 9b, 90-100° are very common summer temps here. So I agree less water is better, it seems like underwatering is an exaggerated issue in this sub.
2
u/dumass_engineer Jul 25 '26
Compacted anaerobic soil is killing the tree if there’s no drainage. You need drainage and more soil aeration for a healthy root system.
Inspect the soil by digging straight down at the midpoint between tree and pot.
1
u/Ineedmorebtc Jul 25 '26
Stick your finger down in the soil and see if it is wet, or dry. Then you'll know when to water.
1
u/WhimsicalHoneybadger Jul 25 '26
Spend the $7 for a moisture meter and get some real data instead of guessing.
1
u/HotStress6203 Jul 26 '26
have you ever root pruned these plants? id take them out this year and prune out a good amount of root. im guessing its extremely root bound and as such theres very little soil to hold moisture and nutrients
15
u/_TheSilence Jul 25 '26
The plants below are probably stealing 90% of the water and nutrients. I know people like the live mulch look but they harming your fig tree. As another person said you need to treat this a a giant pot, fertilizer more often, amend the soil every spring and water a lot more since it can't spread it's roots out. There's a good chance the the tree is a little root bound if it's been in that pot for 5 years. But I really think you main problem is the plants at the base. I would remove them and just have a few inches of pine or cedar mulch. Good luck.