A friend rooted a cutting from a fig tree in the neighborhood, I planted it in a pot, and miraculously, it grew. A couple of months ago, I planted it in the front yard. I am the world’s WORST when it comes to keeping plants alive, so I need advice.
Thisis what it looks like now. What does it need? Water, no water, food, a radio, cable TV? It’s in full sun, and it’s already in the low 90s here (South Texas) and will be through, probably, September. I planted another little fig tree in the back yard, in sun but not full, blazing sun, and it looks better. Right after I planted them, we had lots and lots of rain for a couple of weeks, but now it’s been dry for a couple more weeks. I usually kill a plant with too much water (but I have other methods in my arsenal, too).
There are several from the parent plant in the neighborhood and they are gigantic! Well over six feet and lush. If I can get this one through its formative years, I believe it will thrive. Hard to tell from this picture, but it’s about four feet tall.
Sorry, I have no advice for you as I kill everything I touch too. But I did want to say that I love the line about “raising a tree from a pup” and intend to use it. (With proper attribution of course. --What did you say your name was??:))
It’s chlorotic.
Try spraying it with a micro-nutrient solution, and working some organic fertilizer into the soil around it. When I say organic, I mean well-composted organic matter.
I would avoid dry fertilizer, because that runs the risk of “burning” it.
Yeah, I compost our horse manure and that’s what your tree looks like it needs. Making a manure tea (manure and water in a 5 gallon bucket, stirred and stirred and allowed to stand) and use it to water around the tree.
Water it heavily at least once a week, more if it gets wilty at all. Just water the ground, not the leaves. Miracle Gro or Ra-Pid-Gro fertilizer (the kind you dissolve in water) will help the leaves green up quick. Again, apply it to the ground around the roots, according to instructions. You really can’t burn a plant with it if you use it according to instructions, but I would advise not getting any on the leaves until this tree is much better established.
Thanks for the advice, all.
Awww…I always wanted to be in someone’s citation. (Not the Chevy Citation, which was a car made out of tv dinner trays.)
A suuuuper easy fertilizer is Osmocote Plus. Its these little waxy granules that do time-release, and last about 3 months. You can get it at Home Depot or online or at many gardening stores. Just make sure its “plus” (pink jar) not “regular” (green jar).
I gave my mom some for her fig tree and it just exploded in leaves.
It is NOT a powdered fertilizer and it can’t cause burn.
Try putting some worm castings around the base, and occasionally add some micro-nutrient containing organic fertilizers when watering. The castings provide slow-release nitrogen over a couple growing seasons.
I avoid Miracle Gro and its ilk on food producing plants as I can taste a difference between the organic and chemical-based fertilizers, but that is just my opinion.
Also, it is going to like a slightly acidic soil so you might need to adjust either way. I add agricultural limestone to keep the soil around neutral, and then let the added manures adjust it slightly to the acidic side.
Well when I get a new plant at work, people say “is this your next victim?” so I’m no help but I wish you good luck!
“Water plants regularly during the summer season, but do not give them too much…”
<Cue solemn, passionate music with a chorus in the background…>
If I translate this into Latin and set it to the Mozart Requiem, it could be the funeral dirge for many a plant that has had the misfortune to come into my home…
Well, you are in Texas. Can you actually water too much this time of year? 
