How to: Overwintering Fig Trees

So, you've tried your hand at propagating fig trees, via either soil or water, and want to know what to do now that the weather is turning cold. Well, good news! After all your hard work at getting your little cutting to leaf and root, you're about to get a little bit of a break.

By now, the leaves of your tree are probably starting to turn yellow, or may have begun to fall off. This may seem like the tree is not doing well, but in actuality this is exactly what is supposed to happen. This is the natural process of the tree going into dormancy for the winter, and is a sign that it is about time to overwinter your tree until the spring.

What does it mean to overwinter your tree? It means to provide your potted tree with a space to spend the winter in dormancy. The tree essentially goes into hibernation and will wake up in the spring when it begins to grow new leaves. To effectively overwinter your tree it needs a cold environment but away from the elements of frost and strong icy winds.

When should you overwinter your tree? When the last leaf has fallen off of your tree naturally.

What's needed to overwinter your potted fig tree? An area of your home, like a garage, that is unheated. Some people specify that the area needs to be without light, but our garage gets a good amount of sunlight and I've never had a problem with it affecting our fig trees. The area however should remain unheated, as the presence of heat can effect the tree's natural cycle.

How to care for your overwintered tree? When I said you get a break, I meant it. Once the tree goes into dormancy it does not need a lot of care to survive. One to two cups of water (depending on the size of the tree) every two weeks is all the tree needs to survive. (Many say you only need to water the tree once a month, but I prefer twice a month.) For our trees in large pots, I give them two cups of water during feedings, and one cup of water for the trees in smaller pots at those same feedings. Once the tree begins to grow new leaves, usually in the early spring (though this may vary depending on where you live), I slowly ramp up how often I feed the plants. By May 10th, back outside they go.   

 



Now wish your tree a happy sleep and good luck!

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey 



DIY: Propagating succulents

 

A quick post this Saturday morning before I use the last of my energy to go out thrifting and garden shopping with Doc. This week has been tough, and I was sure I was going into labor about 8 different times last night. I keep bargaining with Homekid to try to wait until early to mid-week to make their appearance, as I really want this weekend to continue to work on his/her room, relax with Doc, and watch PSU (my alma mater) crush IU (Doc's) in some college football. I've also been promised nachos. Homekid has been informed that they do not get to enjoy the nachos if they decide to show up today, but there really is no reasoning with an unborn Homekid, is there?

 

But I digress, as per usual. Earlier this week I noticed that a little side project I had started about 6 weeks ago had made some progress, and I wanted to share it with you guys. I had heard that it's easy to propagate and root succulents merely by removing a few leaves, leaving them on a sunny windowsill, and forgetting about them. I decided to put that propagation method to the test, and low and behold, about 6 weeks later, 2 out of the 4 little leaves that I had so haphazardly placed on the windowsill and forgotten about decided to root! So that's fun. (The other 2 shriveled up and died rather quickly...) Sorry for the horrendous picture, but it's rather difficult with a 38+ week belly to lean over and worry about lighting. :)

 

DIY: Propagating Succulent Leaves:

 

1. Gently remove a few leaves from your succulent plant. (I'm not sure what the exact name of this plant is, as my mom got it for me as a present last year, but when we go to the garden center today I will scout it out...)

 

2. Put said leaves on a sunny windowsill.

 

3. Seriously, forget about them. You don't have to do a damn thing. Either they will root, or they will shrivel up, and I don't think there's really anything you can do to ensure one or the other, based on what I've read about the process. Just make sure they stay dry and get some sun.

 

4. One day, a few weeks later, for the ones that didn't shrivel up and die, roots will magically appear. Yes, magically. This process took about 6 weeks for us, but that may differ based on your climate/time of year that you attempt this.

 

5. Plant in a pot as you would any other succulent. Remember they don't like a lot of water, so don't oversaturate it when you water it. Just a little bit of water will suffice.

 

Sidenote: I also tried another method of rooting, and I think it worked as well. It's hard to tell, because it involved gently removing a leaf, and just sticking it in the soil, with the cut side down in the soil. I say I think it worked because the little leaf is still green, and that was a long time ago, so if it were dead it would not be green. I say I can't tell if it worked because I can't see the presence of roots, being that it is in soil. But I imagine that if it hadn't worked it would have shriveled up and died, like one of its counterparts that I tried in the same pot. So give both methods a go and see which works best for you.

 

Do you have any other methods for propagating and rooting succulents? I'm all ears as I'm new to this type of propagation!

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey



DIY: Propagating Rosemary

{Never mind the dust bunnies. Whoops.}

 

I'm excited to share another propagation DIY with you all today, especially since I was pretty sure this one didn't work. That is, until about 2 days ago.

 

At the end of June I decided that we needed more rosemary. But I didn't want to buy it, and wasn't feeling much like planting seeds. So I decided to try to propagate my own with a branch from our current rosemary plant. Low and behold, with a little patience, it worked! It was really easy too, the hardest part was the waiting for something, anything to happen.

 

Want to propagate your own rosemary? Here's how!

 

Propagating Rosemary DIY:

 

1. Find a rosemary plant. Cut off a sprig (mine was about 6 inches long).

 

2. Remove leaves from bottom 1/3 - 1/2 of sprig. Make sure enough leaves are removed so that there will be no leaves under the water line.

 

3. Put in a small jar on a sunny windowsill. (I used a glass yogurt jar.) Fill with water to just below the bottom most leaf. Refill water as necessary.

 

4. Wait and wait and wait. Curse at it a bit. Forget about it for awhile. Remember it exists on the windowsill and curse at it again to do SOMETHING. Eventually, after roots begin to form (for me that was about 3 months) pot in soil.

 

 

This little guy is getting potted this weekend, and I can't wait. I've been in serious fresh rosemary withdrawal as of late.

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey



A New Twist: Fig Tree Propagation Update Dix (and final)

Here we are, after 10 weeks, at the conclusion of our figs in water experiment. Here you will find the final update on all five original fig cuttings, regardless of whether they have departed to fig cutting heaven, or are happily living in a pot of soil.

 



Le sigh, Cutting #1, in the left living room window. I think it's safe that we can officially declare you dead. 



Some cuttings just don't root my friends.

 





Ok, so I know that last week I said that I was going to pot rock star Cutting #2. I changed my mind. I've since had a better idea. Why not spin off of this experiment, shall we? I've already got 2 cuttings that have been transplanted from water into soil, so why not try something different with this third one. Awhile back while perusing Pinterest, I came across this picture:

 

{Pic via here.}

 

Looks pretty amazeballs, doesn't it? I'm not entirely sure how the person has set this up so that the tree not only survives, but looks incredibly awesome, but I'd like to try my hand at it. (That or maybe they just set it up for the photo shoot? The sense of wonder in me hopes this is not the case...) This weekend we have to pick up some things for Homekid at IKEA, so I'm going to pick up one of these vases, albeit smaller in size since the cutting isn't nearly as big as the one in the picture, and give this DIY a go. I'm pretty sure that is a little bit of soil and rocks at the bottom, with a layer of water on top, but to me it seems like if that were the set up that it would just rot. We'll see I guess. I'm not going to update every week on this new project, but will do so as it becomes appropriate. So keep an eye out (and your fingers crossed).





As for the roots, it looks like the slightly warmer weather we've had the last few days may have helped increase the root growth a bit from last week...

 



...but I don't notice any difference in the leaves, good or bad. I can't wait to see what happens with this little guy in my new project!

 

And, as promised, Cuttings #3 and #4, potted in soil several weeks ago.

 



Cutting #3 is looking the strongest of the two, which is consistent with how it looked while in water. He loves his little spot on the windowsill, (still in the right living room window), as well as the espresso grounds that I've been feeding him.

 



I think it's also safe to say that this new branch coming out of the side of the main branch has doubled in size since potting him in soil.

 

 

Cutting #4 - He may not look as big and strong as Cutting #3, but this guy is nothing to shake a stick at either.

 

 

I love this picture. Looks like such a happy little fig. I've kept the two of them together in that same right window that they were in as little cuttings in water, and also have given this guy a healthy serving of espresso grounds. Also, if you're wondering how much I'm watering them now that they are in pots, it's been about once a week. As it gets colder I will start watering them less, probably somewhere between every 10-14 days. I give them just enough water to moisten the entire top layer of soil, without over saturating them. I'm also going to start misting them with warm soapy water every week or so, just to help keep away any indoor bugs that might decide to make them their winter home.

 

 

And last but certainly not least, Mr. Consistency. Still no changes from the cutting in our bedroom window. For WEEKS now.

 

 

Something has to happen at some point, right? I mean, either it has to fully root or those leaves are going to have to die off like Cutting #1? Even though this experiment is ending I'm not going to give up on this little guy, but I'm also not going to update weekly on him. I will however, let you all know what happens with him, whenever that is (I have a feeling that will be once our room goes from being the hottest and most humid in the house to the coldest and dampest). Until then I'll let him keep on, keeping on, or whatever it is that he is currently doing.

 

Final Rooting Tally:

 

2 Rooted

1 Died

1 Undecided

 

Conclusions:

 

1. I'm happy I did this experiment, though I think that for future cuttings, 9 out of 10 times I'll use my old method of propagating straight into soil. I've never had a cutting not root in soil, where with this method my current outcome rating is not 100%. I am happy however to have an alternative way to root cuttings, and it's fun to switch it up sometimes.

 

2. From what I've seen with this experiment, and with a few other cuttings that I was trying in water not associated with this experiment, it is more difficult to acclimate a newly rooted cutting from water to being an outdoors tree, than it is when the cutting is in soil and outside to begin with. (In the warmer weather I typically put the cuttings directly outside, though against the house to protect it from the elements.) To go from being in the somewhat constant temperature and conditions of the house, to outside with drastic changes in temperature, rain and wind was too much for some. Of those, one died, and one is struggling along. A lot of attention needs to be paid to the new cuttings once you put them outside, as too strong of rain can kill the new little baby leaves that are starting. They also shouldn't be allowed to dry out too much in the beginning weeks. I think that the propagating fig cuttings in water method is fine if you're trying to make a strictly indoor fig tree however.

 

Phew. What a ten weeks! Thanks for sticking with me!

 

Confused with what I was trying to accomplish here? Want to review past week updates? Here's some links for you then!

 

What I'm trying to do here.

Week 1 update.

Week 2 update.

Week 3 update.

Week 4 update.

Week 5 update.

Week 6 update.

Week 7 update.

Week 8 update.

Week 9 update.

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey



French thrifting, gardening and harvesting.

{Bruyere}

 

As usual, the weekend went by way too fast. Or maybe it's because I feel like nowadays I only really get one weekend day with Doc, and then have to spend Sunday as my recovery day. Le sigh. Who knew non-drinking fun could be so exhausting?  

 

{Feeling very Beastie Boys-esque in our reflection}

 

Where Saturday was filled with French thrifting, gardening, and buying some necessary items for mama and Homekid, Sunday was spent in my pyjamas, watching college football games from the day before, and wishing I had the energy to go outside and play. Or cook. Or wash my hair. Or just feel like a human being in general.  

 

 

I've been trying to not let myself become discouraged by my complete lack of energy and general ability to move my bigger self through space, so we've been focusing on little projects that I can actually accomplish. For instance, on Saturday we picked up some Mache plants to start our winter lettuce garden with...

 

 

...and I obsessed over all of the bulbs I would plant if we had any actual land to plant them in. Oh purple Allium, one day you will be mine!

 

 

I've also been going through some serious thrifting withdraw, since I haven't had the energy to go all the way into Geneva on Saturdays for les puces, so we've been trying to hit up the local scene for sweet vintage finds. I was so excited when we found this needlepoint, with it's vibrant colors and old timey French scene (except for the one house with the white picket fence, I don't quite get that...), I knew we absolutely needed it for Homekid's room. And for just 3 euros, it was a no brainer.

 

 

On this same trip we also found a wine carafe that says "Vin de Pays," (which means "Wine of the region"), a large white Swiss-made porcelain soup tureen with a lion head on each side, a pretty robin's egg blue milk glass vase, and surprisingly (and to Doc's absolute delight), a black Eastman left handed infielder's glove, child size and already broken in. The baseball glove was such a bizarre find here in France, how could we NOT pick it up? When we went to pay, we realized that everything together, including the needlepoint, cost all of 10 euro. Winner winner poulet dinner!

 

 

That brings us to Sunday. It amazes me that I'm so surprised each and every week that I feel horrible on Sunday. As if I still have some glimmering hope that all of sudden my super pregnant self is going to be doing somersaults out the door to the market.

 

 

Luckily Doc has been an incredibly doting papa-to-be, and always makes sure that Sundays are as easy for me as possible. (He is, it should be noted, NOT continually surprised that I feel horrible on Sundays.) He picks up fresh bread and boulangerie treats from my favorite boulangerie, makes sure there is plenty of food being made for Homekid and I, and helps me with projects I want to get accomplished, but might not have the energy to do on my own.

 

{Harvesting figs}

 

 

This Sunday that project was to start pressing some fig leaves from our fig trees in pots on the terrace. We've got some ideas for them, and I can't wait to crack open the flower press in a few weeks to see how they turned out. The only question is, what will come first, the dried fig leaves, or Homekid?

 

Hope everyone had a great weekend in your part of the world!

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey  



A New Twist: Fig Tree Propagation Update Neuf

 

Well here we are, in our next to last update on my propagating figs in water experiment. Next week I'll do a final update including all five cuttings, even the ones that have been potted in soil.

 

 

On Cutting #1, I still feel like these root nubs look alive, though a glance at the picture below tells a different story.

 

 

I will say though that the wood on the top of the cutting looks very different than the wood at the bottom where the root nubs are. The wood at the top is hard and dried out, and the wood at the root nubs is still flexible. Though my gut tells me it may too be too late for this little guy.

 

 

My rockstar of a cutting (#2) still looks really good, despite the fact that growth has dramatically slowed. His leaves still look healthy and green, with no curling or yellowing. I plan on potting this cutting before the Week 10 final update of this experiment.

 

 

I'm also going to continue to hypothesize that slowed growth in the leaves and roots means that it is indeed time to be potted in soil. I think that potting it this week will be perfect timing for this particular cutting.

 

 

Cutting #5 in our bedroom window still looks identical (to me at least) from last week...

 

 

...both in terms of root nub growth and the leaves. I just compared the above picture to last week's, and they look pretty much identical (I swear I took 2 separate pictures). I'm intrigued by what will happen to this cutting, as I feel like it's been weeks upon weeks since there were any significant changes, so I will continue to monitor it after the experiment has concluded next week. I won't continue to do a weekly update, but once this cutting decides whether it's going to fully root or die off, I'll be sure to let you all know.

 

Where are Cuttings #3 and #4 you ask? Here's the link to the post where I announced that they had been potted in soil, as they were definitely ready to move out of their jars of water. They both continue to look great in their pots, and I'm excited to share their progress with you all next week.

 

Check back here on Monday for my Week 10 (and final official) update!

 

Confused with what's going on here? Want to review past week updates? Here's some links for you then!

 

What I'm trying to do here.

Week 1 update.

Week 2 update.

Week 3 update.

Week 4 update.

Week 5 update.

Week 6 update.

Week 7 update.

Week 8 update.

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey



A New Twist: Fig Tree Propagation Update Huit

 

Slow week over here in terms of the experiment, as I think we're winding down with changes that we can expect to happen. I think I'll keep updating until Week 10 just to be sure.

 

 

Cutting #1 in the left living room window continues to confuse me. The root nubs look bigger to me...

 

 

...but the tip of the cutting tells a different story. The leaves are dead and dried, and the cutting itself is hard, rather than flexible (as you see in a healthy cutting).

 

 

Cutting #2 continues to be my little rock star. I plan on potting this cutting sometime soon. As you can see, lots of growth going on at the roots...

 

 

...and the leaves have gotten bigger since last week.

 

 

It's also interesting to remember that Cutting #1 and Cutting #2, despite their difference after 8 weeks, came from the same original cutting (it was a little long so I cut it in half when beginning this experiment), have spent the same amount of time in the same window, and have lived together in the same 1 liter Le Parfait jar. Some cuttings make it, and some just don't I guess...

 

 

As for Cutting #5, I honestly don't see any difference in the root nubs...

 

 

...or in the leaves. It seems to have halted all growth for the time being, but doesn't look as if it's dying either. I'm intrigued.

 

Where are Cuttings #3 and #4 you ask? Here's the link to the last post where I announced that they had been potted in soil, as they were definitely ready to move out of their jars of water. They are both looking great in their pots, and I'll give an update photo on each in my final wrap-up post of this experiment in Week 10.

 

Check back here on Monday for my Week 9 update!

 

Confused with what's going on here? Want to review past week updates? Here's some links for you then!

 

What I'm trying to do here.

Week 1 update.

Week 2 update.

Week 3 update.

Week 4 update.

Week 5 update.

Week 6 update.

Week 7 update.

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey



A New Twist: Fig Tree Propagation Update 7

 

 

More changes this week - some good, some ugly. But [spoiler alert] at least Cuttings #3 and #4 made it into their new homes in soil this week!

 

 

Ohhh Cutting #1, why must you toy with my emotions? I swear it looks like the root nubs have gotten bigger on this guy...

 

 

...but the fact that the leaves are completely dried up, and that the tip of the cutting is hard and dry as well speaks otherwise. Or so I think. It typically doesn't speak well for the plant when the end looks like a gnarled old dead stick. Normally I'd have pruned the tip off just below the dead looking part, as this often saves the plant (in soil at least) and causes leaves to grow lower on the cutting, but for the sake of science and this experiment I'm just going sit back and see what happens.

 

 

Don't get too sad though, as Cutting #2, in the same window and jar of water, is a total rock star. Look at those big beautiful, green leaves! They've gotten a lot bigger since last week...maybe the fact that it's jar-mate appears to be dying is helping it's growth?

 

 

And those roots! This cutting just seems to be growing so much neater and tidier than it's rooted counterparts of Cuttings #3 and #4.

 

 

I could probably pot this guy now, but I'd like to wait for the root system to develop more if possible. However, if the leaves start looking a little sad and/or yellow, I'll definitely pot this cutting sooner rather than later.

 

 

It finally happened - Cuttings #3 and #4 have found their new homes in terra cotta pots with soil. I plan on trying my hand at making these strictly indoor fig trees, as I've never tried that before. I've said I'm going to try it multiple times, but then once the weather warms up in the spring I always end up putting those designated for inside on the terrace. Fingers crossed I can stick to the plan with these fig trees.

 

 

Pardon the atrocious lighting on these, I need to remember to take these pictures earlier in the day. But I did want to showcase a point I had made way back in the beginning: if I am to do this again, I will not submerge the cuttings so much in water. This was a decently long cutting, but I had the cutting submerged in water so much (2/3 of the way up the cutting to be precise), that when I went to plant the cutting there was only a few inches of growth coming out the top. In fact the cutting is pushed all the way down to the bottom of the pot, and we were just barely able to cover the roots. That being said, I highly anticipate lots of shoots coming out of the soil in the future from various spots lower on the stem, as that often happens when a cutting is planted too far in the ground. (I have a habit of doing that, but I've never had to bury a cutting this far...)

 

 

I'm not sure if I'm going to continue to update on Cuttings #3 and #4 since they are in soil now. We'll see. Maybe more from a "how are they doing as indoor plants" standpoint.

 

 

Oh such horrendous lighting. Many apologies. But as you can see Cutting #4 also appears to doing well in it's new home...

 

 

...and is also buried all the way down in the pot to cover it's root system.

 

 

As for the sleeper cutting upstairs in our bedroom window, Cutting #5, I feel like his root nubs are a little bigger, but if they are it's only by a little bit...

 

 

...and as for the leaves, I just can't tell. I keep switching back and forth between last week's update, and I really just cannot tell. But at least it doesn't look like Cutting #1, right?

 

Check back here on Monday for my Week 8 update!

 

Confused with what's going on here? Want to review past week updates? Here's some links for you then!

 

What I'm trying to do here.

Week 1 update.

Week 2 update.

Week 3 update.

Week 4 update.

Week 5 update.

Week 6 update.

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey