When to end fertilizing for the season

[CeeFigs]

Is there a way to calculate between last fertilizing and first frost in potted fig trees? Do you use a different calculation for established plants compared to those that are in one gallon stages? This is the first year that I read about this. Lost some baby trees in my garage last winter.

[Bry]

I don't know the technical answer for you but I'm sure you know it's not good to feed too late in summer because you want the plants to taper off for winter dormancy. I wouldn't feed past mid summer personally but I use slow release organics primarily. Too early to stop feeding shouldn't hurt your plants.

[fruitnut]

I haven't fertilized my potted trees for at least a month. I did use some controlled release so a bit of that is probably still active. The leaves are beginning to turn a lighter shade of green on a few plants. Most are still growing. I'm cutting back on water as much as possible. I want them to stop growing and I can see more and more tips quit sending out new leaves. Now they need to lignify so as to make good cuttings. And harden off for those needing that.

In short season areas it's already late to be slowing the plants down.

[CeeFigs]

Bry fruitnut

Thanks for the advice 😊
Fortunately I haven't fertilized for a month due to wanting to wait a while after up-potting. Purely luck, not planned 😂

[JCT]

Here's the same subject from a slightly older thread:

https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-home/97335-when-to-stop-fertilizing

In short, it's recommended to taper off fertilizer 2-2.5 months prior to first frost.

[CeeFigs]

JCT
Jason, thanks for the link. Lots of good information there.

[JCT]

You are welcome! I found the link to this post in the forum stickies.

[jake44141]

I am still pumping the first year trees with Miracle Gro All Purpose till late August. Will see whether that is a good cultural practice or not till next year.

[ginamcd]

I stop the bi-weekly fertilizing in mid-August.

[Vladimir]

I added Osmacote according to manufacturer's instructions in April. I stop fertilizing with liquid fertilizer beginning of August. I wonder if there is enough residual Osmacote to retard lignification. My first frost date is mid October.

[CeeFigs]

Vladimir
I'm also in the same situation, except that when making my mix for up potting some young trees I got carried away and used about twice as much osmocote! Now I am debating whether it's better to remove them and re pot in a pot twice as big or to keep them where they are. Patience is a vital asset in this hobby, this newbee is realizing.

[fruitnut]

Don't repot just for that. A bigger pot is just more room for roots and the fertilizer is still present. If anything that might increase growth. The idea is to halt growth asap.

[schampag]

And what about cutting down on water in order to promote lignification? Does one do this in tandem with halting fertilization?

[fruitnut]

Yes

[ginamcd]

Only later in the season after the weather has cooled down and (hopefully) most of the figs have ripened.

[Ahmed]

Last application of fertilizer was yesterday I gave all my trees some Alaska fish fertilizer and most of my trees slowing down and hardening branches

[PacNorWreck]

Is there any evidence that the amount of fertilizer in the soil influences lignification rates of existing wood in a meaningful way? I understand that new growth needs more time to harden up and less new wood = less wood needing time to lignify, is that what you guys mean?

In nature I’m guessing that trees don’t lose access to nutrients at the end of the growing season - they probably just take their cues from temperatures and day length / light intensity all falling together and get ready for winter.

[ginamcd]

After dormancy I'm pruning back to old wood anyway, so having everything fully lignified is not critical. As long as the trees are subjected to enough cold weather to bring on full dormancy, I can prune off and toss any wood that's still green.

[PacNorWreck]

Agreed. Our autumns here have a very gentle off ramp anyway… figs stop growing due to temperatures in late Sept / early October, first frost isn’t until November or December usually.

[Clarktj2]

I’m going to cut my trees back after dormancy to hard lignified wood. Is there a big discrepancy on success rate of rooting fully lignified wood vs some green still present, if done immediately. Or is the difference just in the storage and shipping of the cutting?