Various causes put a fig (Ficus carica) in drought stress. Read here why a fig tree dries up. Tried-and-tested tips explain how you can save a fig tree in the bed and pot from drying out.
What to do if a fig tree dries up?
First measure on a dry fig tree is apruningIf lack of water is the cause, savepenetrating wateringin the bed androot ball -Dipthe fig in the bucket before it dries up. Waterlogging as a trigger for drought stress is resolved bySoil improvementin the bed andRepotting in the bucket.
How can you tell when a fig tree has dried up?
A dry fig tree can be recognized byrolled leaves, which fall off in the middlein summer. Before the leaves emerge, the shoots bear dried buds and the shoot tips hang limply.
If a fig is suffering from drought stress, a finger test will clear up any doubts. If the soil in the bed and pot feels powder dry, even at a depth of 2 cm to 3 cm, the fig tree is well on its way to drying out soon. Unfortunately, a fig tree can dry out even if the soil is dripping wet. Please read on.
Why did my fig tree dry up?
If a fig tree dries up, the most common causes areLack of waterandWaterlogging Primarily as a container plant, a fig can dry out at any time of the year, not just on the balcony in midsummer. Often the trees in the pot do not survive the winter because they freeze but instead dry out.
Waterlogging causes a fig tree to dry out because root rot occurs in the dripping wet pot ball. Rotten roots stop the transport of water to the shoots, leaves and buds, which then dry out.
Can you save a dry fig tree?
Fig trees that have dried up due to lack of water savepenetrative wateringin the bed andDip root ballsin the bucket. If waterlogging is the cause,soil improvementin the garden andrepotting in the bucket will help get dried figs out of their predicament. How to do it right:
- Cut dried shoots back to he althy wood.
- Lack of water in the bed: water the fig tree thoroughly repeatedly.
- Lack of water in the pot: Place the root ball in rainwater until no more air bubbles appear.
- Waterlogging in the bed: Work sand and compost into the soil.
- Waterlogging in the pot: repotting the fig tree with expanded clay drainage (€19.00 at Amazon).
Tip
Plant the fig tree deep enough
With the right planting depth, you can set the course on the day of planting so that a seemingly dead fig tree can sprout again. Place the root ball of a fig a hand's width deeper into the planting pit than before in the container or pot. The fig tree will then produce more root mass. In an emergency, a fig can freeze back to the ground and start again from its extensive root volume.
