Cappy
08-09-2014, 06:58 PM
The Celeste brown fig is the most common fig tree in our area. its in most yards in the country. These things are hardy and this is as we remember it some of the things that has happened to the tree that we got 5 gallons of figs off of this year. I planted it like 15 years ago. It was one twig maybe 2 ft tall. I put up a pole with red flagging on it stuck it by it and went to work for a month. When I got back it was mowed to the ground, the kid who I hired to cut my grass ran over it. He just laughed and said ya call that a tree?? when I showed him the remaining twig I found. A month later I noticed little figgy leaves coming up so I surrounded it with cinder blocks painted glow orange. made it for a year, and started growing fast and looking good, while at work the same kid ringed it with a weed eater and killed it. Fruit trees are soft . it died but again sprouted from the ground. Having learned a lesson, we lectured our grass cutting kids about not going inside the bricks with the weed eater. again it grew fast I fertilized with 13-13-13 and it really took off. Along came a record freeze and the lil tree froze to the ground. I coulda cried but it sprouted again in the spring I again fertilized and by winter it was bushy and 4 ft tall. it made it for 3 years and was big and we actually got a couple gallons of figs, not enough to can but enough to cook down and make some cookies. Then came Katrina. Stripped all the leaves off and leaned it over. Then Rita finished laying it down and peeled the roots out to stand up in the yard. The thing died but I just left it there. The next spring one of the branches touching the ground started budding. Once I saw it growing I cut away the old tree and rotten root ball and now the fig tree was 6 or so feet from where it was and still growing. I could go on. Gustov ripped all the leaves off and we just knew it was a goner but leafed out again. several frosty nights found Peg out trying to protect it with blankets and towels. Now its still small by most standards but lush beautiful and I hope it stays that way. WaS IT WORTH ALL THE PRAYERS AND HEART ACHE??dang right, and all ya gotta do is sink ya teeth into a hot buttered fig filled biscuit to know it.