Looking for Fig and Grape cuttings

[Chris Byers]

Looking for people willing to let us take some cuttings off of fig trees and grapevines. The variety does not matter, just looking for people willing to allow trimming some pieces to see if I can generate some new plants from cuttings.

[Chris Byers]

Tell me more about the papaya plants from seed, please. I have read just take one you like from the store and wash the seeds and plant them and wait. From about one hundred seeds you should get 3-4 mature plants. What method have you tried and how successful was it.

As for the cuttings, I do have some that at least for now are looking okay, a few weeks from now I will let you know how they look. I am trying kind of a interesting method that is said to get reasonable success. Involves taking cutting anything from 2-4 feet long. Picking all of the stems off except a couple at the very tip, and burying the rest in potting soil, or at least a sterile medium. Keep them inside until something happens, life or death and then harden them off for a week or two before planting. I have had various success in the northwest harvesting cuttings and just need to figure out a reasonable way down here. It will come, it always does.

If you are having success with herbs you will have success with other plants too, just keep adjusting what you do and it will work. Biggest thing is to not let the cuttings dry out between the time you cut them and the time they are put into your growing medium. I use a plastic bag to move them in and then soak them for an hour or two before I put them in soaking wet soil.

[Michele]

The papaya came from Food City. I didn't wash the seeds, but set them aside for a couple of weeks until they were completely dry. I planted 8 seeds and 4 are little plants. I can transplant one to give you on Saturday, if you'd like it.

Another experiment was planting date pits and I have 3 little stalks poking up.

Have you ever transplanted a fruit tree? A neighbor is moving and offered her apricot, 5-10 years old, maybe 20 feet tall. sounds difficult on several fronts. (equipment, chance of success).

[Chris Byers]

I plan on going to Food City today so maybe I need to look for a papaya. :)

I would love a to get one on Saturday if you have one to spare. Your technique is very different from what I have read and makes a great deal of sense to me. All too often I have found people make too much work for themselves and others when it comes to growing plants, so thank you for getting me re-centered in my gardening of tropical plants. They are new for me and hold a great deal of excitement.

The dates sound interesting, do you have an idea of how long before they may fruit, I have read that 10 to 15 years is common and it can be very hard to get a true strain from the seeds. Most dates are from pups, (a root clone) in order to get true strains. Should be interesting and lots of fun no matter what. Earlier this year I planted some catalope seeds I harvested form a store one, most curious what I would get for fruit. Will find out before too much longer as the are starting to set fruit and are growing well. I think it is wonderful to have a 12 months growing season, I have only had between 6 and 8 before.

Yes I have transplanted numerous trees and large plants in the past. A 20 foot apricot is a project but I would love to help you if you want to give it a try. This a pretty good size to attempt without the big transplant equipment but I think with some thought and work we could do it. It is not as much about the height as it is the diameter of the trunk that matters. We are coming into the best time to attempt this and I know how to prune it for the move both on top and below. I have an idea how to save us some work and make the move safer for the tree.
The only big equipment we will need is possible a trailer or pickup if we have very far to move it, other wise we can make a quick travois to move it if it proves too large to carry.

I think we have a good chance of success and would be happy to help you with this project. And yes the bigger plants I have moved did live and prospered. Some much better than where they had been, better space to be.

[Denise]

Chris - my neighbor has a fig tree that hangs over the wall and we have Thompson seedless grapes. They did better before our neighbor put in the block wall, but the plants are old and well established. Let us know if you want to come by...

[Chris Byers]

Would love to come over and get some cuttings. When would be a good time this coming week?

[Anita Mahaffey]

Chris, I was just outside looking at the fig tree that shelters our chicken coop. There are a bunch of new shoots coming out from the bottom of the tree that are currently fruiting. I didn't realize it until now, because there are no noticeable flowers on that tree. It's a really beautiful tree, approximately 50 years old. I used to feel guilty about no one harvesting the figs, but I've since learned that nothing goes to waste in this harsh environment. The chickens really love figs, both fresh and dried, and there's plenty enough for the insects and the wild birds as well. The second crop ripening now is not getting decimated by the birds like our springtime crop was. You are welcome to come and take cuttings.

[Chris Byers]

Would love to get some cuttings, thanks.
I have some cuttings from grapes at this time and am now waiting for some of this cooler weather we are having because I have learned waiting until the end of November, into December increasing the chance of being successful with the cuttings.