In-Ground Fig Propagation

If you want to propagate a virtually unlimited number of fig trees try "sticking" fig cuttings in the fall.

In fairly level, well drained soil, dig or till a stip approximately 18" wide and 10"-12" deep and whatever length you want.

I like to smooth and mound the trench by raking but it's not necessary.

"Stick" 6"- 8" 1/2"- 3/4" thick cuttings cuttings with at least three to four nodes into the soil. The picture shows part of the cutting sticking out but I've since determined it's best to push them all the way under the soil to protect from cold temps. Make sure you keep track of the top and bottom of the cuttings. For this method, I cut the bottom on a diagonal and the top flat. You can also bury the fig cuttings 3"- 4" horizontally below the soil. I like to space the cuttings 16"-18" apart.

Your cuttings will set shoots in the spring and for some varieties will even produce figs.

I've used this method successfully for Celeste, Ischia, and Alma.

I usually wait until the trees go dormant to transplant them to their new location.

I found this method @: https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/diy-instructions/propagating-hardwood-cuttings/

Soil and Water Conservation: Swale Construction

Priorities here at the farm include working to prevent erosion, increasing water infiltration and providing habitat for wildlife. One method that has worked very well for us is the construction of swales on contour.

Wikipedia provides a good definition: Swales as used in permaculture are designed to slow and capture runoff by spreading it horizontally across the landscape (along an elevation contour line), facilitating runoff infiltration into the soil. This type of swale is created by digging a ditch on contour and piling the dirt on the downhill side of the ditch to create a berm.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swale_(landform)

In the December of 2015, we laid out a swale with a bucket water level. Here's a link to building one: https://www.buildeazy.com/waterlevel.php

After layout we  pushed the initial swale berm with our tractor.

We leveled the swale off using the tractor and by hand raking.

After the first heavy rains, we were able to check the layout to make sure the swale ditch was holding water evenly. It was important during all phases of construction to keep our live stock from trampling and compacting the swale berm.

The swale berm was fenced off.

All hay was fed up hill of the swale.

The hay and livestock dung accumulated.

And accumulated

As the 2017 rains arrived we could start to see the effects of the bale grazing and swale construction.

The swale was doing its job of preventing erosion and capturing the nutrient rich runoff.

Now, in the summer of 2018, in the the middle of a severe to extreme drought, we have 8-10 foot tall Kiowa and Natchez blackberries and a multitude of native plants growing without any input from us.

Typical Kiowa cane

Typical Natchez cane

For comparison, here's a Natchez cane growing in our garden under care. Berry plants growing untended are growing as well or better than those in out garden.

Huge pokeberries

Look at the stems on these pokeberry plants.

 Swales have worked well for us. We hope you'll give them a try.

A Little Water Makes a BIG Difference

The difference just .5 gallons of water per hour (GPH)  4 or 5 hours a day, 3-5 days per week can make in the growth of a Jujube tree is quite remarkable.

Both of these Jujube trees are the same age. What looks like rebar in the bottom picture is the exact same  orange survey flags you can see in the top picture.  The one on the top has been on a .5 GPH dripper, the one on the bottom has received no water except for rain. Neither tree has received fertilizer or any other treatments. The only difference is the amount of water.

Garden Weed Control

Serious confession, "weeds in the garden really don't bother me."

WHAT!!!

How can I stand weeds growing in my tomatoes? What about the grass in my peppers? Pigweed in the pumpkins?

Truth is, to me, leafy weeds and grass are just standing mulch waiting to be chopped down with the string trimmer to feed soil biology and help retain moisture.

Weeds and grass steal nutrients from my plants you say, rob my precious produce of moisture? I say this has not been my experience. The exact opposite has been true for me. Allowing the weeds and grass to grow and then wacking them down has had a positive effect on my garden, my back and my mental health.

Does a weedy nightmare work for everything? No, it doesn't. Carrots, radishes, onions, strawberries and other low growing crops won't tolerate the competition and are hard to find in the brush.

Tall crops like tomatoes, peppers, and corn will benefit from a living cover crop as will pumpkins, most squash and cucumbers. Any plant that will grow taller than the weeds or cover the weeds like black eyed peas all do fine here on our farm growing up and over the goatweed.

YIKES!! Just look at that mess. How can you stand it? Simple truth is that I don't really like the way it looks either but it works and quite well. Those tomatoes are 6 feet tall and the peppers are 4 feet tall and loaded with fruit. All without synthetic fertilizer (we use compost) and no chemicals or organic treatments of any kind,

The cucumbers were more than abundant on this trellis.

 Pumpkins plants thriving in the grass.

Black eyed peas covering everything in their path.

Looks a little better after trimming and the soil stays covered in a mulch that I didn't have to haul in.

Not a method for everyone, that's for sure, but it has really worked well for us.

Easy Fig Propagation

In our experience, the edible fig tree is one of the easiest plants to propagate. A little research will reveal multiple methods from "air layering" to "sticking cuttings." Some methods require greenhouses or heat mats or other special equipment. For the methods we use, common household items and some basic skills are the only requirement. We've tried most methods and will detail the methods that we find the easiest and virtually foolproof.

Pinning Branches

The simplest method of all is to bend a low growing pencil sized fig branch over, pin it to the soil, and bury the section touching the soil. We find it best to "pin" branches in the early spring right before or shortly after bud break.

If you live in a climate where figs grow continuously through the year, you can "pin" branches anytime, you'll just need to keep the "pinned" spot moist.

Roots will develop at the "pinned" location on the branch and the end of the branch will develop into a separate tree. We like to let the new tree grow for 6 months or until dormancey sets in our climate. We then sever the new fig tree from the parent branch, dig up the new tree and transplant to its new location.

We "pinned" this fig branch with a rock and piled soil on the rock and the branch. You can see the new tree growing on the right side of the picture.

Cutting Propagation

If you want to buy cuttings to propagate or have a friend with a tree you'd like to clone, then you'll want to try the "zip top bag" method. We find that pencil sized "brown wood" works best although we've had success with cuttings up to 3/4" in diameter.

"Brown wood" are those branches that have had time to mature from green to brown color. In our zone, 7B/8A, we like to take cuttings right after leaf drop in the fall. If we wait to long into the winter, we may have a cold freeze, as low as 6 degrees F last winter, that kills the tops of our trees and leaves us with no viable branches for cuttings. We typically use the branches we normally prune off a tree for our cuttings. We take the branches and cut them down to approximately 6" with at least four nodes. We make the bottom cut just below the a node and the top cut just above a node. Make sure to keep track of which end of your cutting was growing up on the tree, although once the cutting starts to grow it will become fairly obvious.

After you have your cuttings, tear some newspaper into 4" strips, get the strips damp and wrap each cutting or up to three cuttings in the damp news paper strips. Place the cuttings in a zip top bag and set the bag on top of your refrigerator. or where ever else you have room. Just don't set the cuttings in any spot that receives direct sun.

Make sure to leave your bag slightly open and turn it over gently every day.

In a few weeks you should see roots start to form and....

your cuttings are ready to pot up.

The Cardboard Garden (Easy, Peasy No-work Garden)

Growing tons of tomatoes and perfect peppers is as easy as laying cardboard on a spot in the fall and planting in the spring.

1.) Find an area that is as level as possible and receives at least 8 hours of sun.

2.) Lay down two or three layers of cardboard over the area. Figure at least 2' by 2' for tomatoes and 1' by 1' for peppers. No need to mow or trim any vegetation underneath the cardboard. The vegetation will decompose and provide nutrients for the tomatoes and peppers you plant in the spring

3.) Weight the cardboard down with rocks, sandbags, buckets filled with dirt, basically anything to keep the cardboard in place until spring.

4.) Wait until it's time to plant tomatoes and peppers in your area. For us, the end of March to the middle of April is optimal.

5.) Cut hole's about 6" by 6" with a serrated or utility knife in the cardboard where you plan to plant your seedling tomatoes/peppers. Plant your seedlings. If you're going to cage or stake your seedlings, you can do this now.

6.) Wait for everything to grow!

7.) And grow...

8.) Harvest when ready!

Yes, it really is this easy. We used no fertilizer or chemicals of any kind, synthetic or organic and had a wonderful harvest of peppers and tomatoes.

"Your SALAD Madam..."

"...but I don't have enough room for a garden!"

Many a gardener (or non-gardener like moi) has uttered these words. And it is for all of US that I write this post. 

DH has been putting together some wonderful little "mini" gardens all around the place (along with all of his other "experiments," as he likes to call them) and I must say, I LOVE them! We call them our "salad gardens" and they appeal to me from an aesthetic perspective but they are also very functional - especially for those folks who don't have enough room around their place to grow a large garden. 

These little creations can pack a cornucopia of food (a LOT more than I realized) and can pretty much be grown anywhere. DH, who is one of the math whizzes of the family, says that these little salad gardens are the equivalent of almost a six foot row in a traditional garden! And here is the amazing part - each of these gardens contain three spinach plants, six lettuce plants, nine onions, and lots of radish seeds (the red ones, not the Daikons) in the middle. So basically, a wonderful salad mix in each container, which are situated right outside of the house!

We like to recycle as many things as we can get away with on the farm, which includes things like mineral tubs that we feed the livestock (a.k.a. garden containers). For the tall garden container, DH took an empty mineral tub (thank you goats!), drilled holes in the bottom, and put it in the spot he wanted. Then, he added some well-rotted wood (holds water and adds nutrients) and dirt from around the place, and finally some potting soil. For the shorter containers, he cut mineral tubs in half and simply placed them one after another and repeated the same mixture as in the tall tub.

Then came the fun part...the planting of our nutritious, flavorful salad plants! And as for me, I cannot wait to start harvesting my lovely green (and red) salads. Add a little Balsamic vinegar, oil, fresh ground pepper and a little Kosher salt and we are ON OUR WAY!! We love eating our own food.


More to come,

Ciao, Adios, and Later gators!