# My fig tree



## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

I bought a 3 gallon fig tree from a reputable local nursery & planted it about a week ago. It's native to our area but it doesn't look well to me. Anyone have any idea what could be wrong with it?:dunno:


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## marlas1too (Feb 28, 2010)

more water and manure


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## JustCliff (May 21, 2011)

When young, the fig tree often commits suicide. 
That is all.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Organic matter and plenty of moisture ... (and a little mulch to hold that moisture in)

I would also give it a little more time. I always give my replants a few weeks to get a hold of the new home.

Best of Luck!


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## Gians (Nov 8, 2012)

If you're near that nursery and have that picture on your phone, might want to stop in and ask them if its normal...or you could zip bag up one of the worse leaves to take. If it's not water or food that's needed, it's possible to kill em with kindness.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I also say give it more time also but if it keeps going downhill you can try adding some Calcium to the soil and dowse the leaves down also.

You can use Calcium-Chloride(Blossom or Yield Booster) from your local garden store or "Light-Salt" from the grocery store. Just mix 1/8th teaspoon(light salt) in a gallon of water and drench. Go easy on the stuff though, too much calcium is worse than not enough. The commercial stuff is more reliable for most people since it has mixing and application instructions.

Your soil looks pretty sandy and I know that in our part of Texas, that means deficiencies in about everything so it's worth checking out. About 5 or 6 years ago I bought 8 fig trees and before I figured out what was wrong(low calcium in the soil) 6 of them had died.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I looked in my garden notes and scratch that lite salt for calcium.

The lite salt is a source of potassium, stick with the "Yield or Blossom" booster from your local garden store if you decide to try it.

I know there is a kitchen source for calcium, will keep looking and post if/when I find what it is.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

I put some Osmocote Plus on it Sunday so it got a little bit of lots of goodies, hopefully that will do it. It doesn't look any worse so I guess that's a good thing! Thank y'all for your help!


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I hope that works for you, if it doesn't - or if you have other issues with the tree, update the thread and we can go from there.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

If you clean and dry some egg shells, then powder them in a blender you will have a source for calcium. I expect this is more of a long term answer than one to meet your immediate need.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

Caribou said:


> If you clean and dry some egg shells, then powder them in a blender you will have a source for calcium. I expect this is more of a long term answer than one to meet your immediate need.


Just rinsed out some egg shells today! We keep them all in an old peanut jug & crunch them up around the base of our tomato plants. No blossom end rot & can cut up the under bellies of soft bellied pests.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

I don't clean mine ... just bake on low heat a few minutes and add to the rest.

But thanks for the thought!


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

tsrwivey said:


> Just rinsed out some egg shells today! We keep them all in an old peanut jug & crunch them up around the base of our tomato plants. No blossom end rot & can cut up the under bellies of soft bellied pests.


there was a fight on garden Web over eggshells in the garden.
one side said it did wonders in week or months.
Other side said it took years for the shells to break down to plant food.

It was a stand still 
til a lovely lady posted to ground up your shells & add some vinegar, & mix.
This beaks down the shell.
BUT you should not put it on your transplant & out from any plant base roots.


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## HardCider (Dec 13, 2013)

Our soil is filled with oyster, conch and crab shell bits and chips. After a several weeks of rain they come up on the surface by the handful. They don't seem to cut up any pests though. I've been picking the potato beetle larva off all month. I wonder if ducklings would eat them without damaging the plants?


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

crabapple said:


> there was a fight on garden Web over eggshells in the garden.
> one side said it did wonders in week or months.
> Other side said it took years for the shells to break down to plant food.
> 
> ...


It makes sense both ways but we had blossom end rot until we read somewhere about the eggshells. Once we put them out, no more blossom end rot. We did crush them up very small & were generous with how much we put on each plant. We watered a lot because it's east Texas & we live on a sandy hill. :dunno:


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## gam46 (Jan 24, 2011)

Not an answer to what your tree's problem may be nor a response about calcium, but other fig tree info which may interest someone.

Two successive years my young tree waited so late in the season to put on fruit that it could not ripen before cold weather.

Seems that it had needed more water. The next year I mulched it deeply with cardboard and leaves and made a point of keeping it well watered. It made a good crop that year.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

tsrwivey said:


> It makes sense both ways but we had blossom end rot until we read somewhere about the eggshells. Once we put them out, no more blossom end rot. We did crush them up very small & were generous with how much we put on each plant. We watered a lot because it's east Texas & we live on a sandy hill. :dunno:


We have the same sandy seashore here.
Never had BER at the time of the debate, many people said the same thing you have posted. I put egg shells in my garden at the time just to keep them out of the land fill. I use gypson pills now, but never had bloom end rot until I tryed a new sauce tomato, & only on that tomato plant.


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