Fig tree disease and death - Ask Extension
Last year this 5-year older fig tree was alive and seemingly healthy. Now, except for some leafs emerging from the base, it is dead with large cracks...
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Fig tree disease and death #830910
Asked May 19, 2023, 12:56 PM EDT
Last year this 5-year older fig tree was alive and seemingly healthy. Now, except for some leafs emerging from the base, it is dead with large cracks between major branches. It was covered with small spotted lantern flies last year. Could that be the cause? Nearby is a fig that was transplanted last fall from a rooted limb of the big tree. It is growing leaves but its limb tips are diseased which we’ve cut off since the photo. Can you identify the problems with these trees?
Harford County Maryland
Expert Response
Hi- sorry to hear about your fig tree. Although our winters are generally getting warmer we can still get extended periods of severe cold weather. Your tree was killed back to its roots, most likely by the late Dec. cold snap. Trees were not fully "winterized" that early in winter which made it worse than a Feb. or March cold snap.
It's possible that you'll see some new shoots emerge from the seemingly dead wood so you may want to wait another week or so before cutting off the dead top growth. The new shoots emerging from the roots will become your new main stems but it's highly unlikely that you'll harvest mature figs from these 1st-year shoots.
We see that you like the tree form as opposed to a multi-stemmed shrub form. The advantage of the former is that it has a smaller footprint and is easier to cover if you decide to give it winter protection. The shrub form may reduce the risk of a 100% winterkill event.
The transplanted rooted limb should be fine. It may have dropped its first leaves because of a lack of food reserves in the root system. Now that the young root system is actively growing the plant should take off.
There are few insect pests and diseases of fig. Fig is listed as a potential host plant for SLF but we have not heard/seen any reports of significant injury. They may be attracted to the thin bark and plump shoots. If they were doing any serious feeding you would have seen a lot of honeydew and sooty mold.
Jon
It's possible that you'll see some new shoots emerge from the seemingly dead wood so you may want to wait another week or so before cutting off the dead top growth. The new shoots emerging from the roots will become your new main stems but it's highly unlikely that you'll harvest mature figs from these 1st-year shoots.
We see that you like the tree form as opposed to a multi-stemmed shrub form. The advantage of the former is that it has a smaller footprint and is easier to cover if you decide to give it winter protection. The shrub form may reduce the risk of a 100% winterkill event.
The transplanted rooted limb should be fine. It may have dropped its first leaves because of a lack of food reserves in the root system. Now that the young root system is actively growing the plant should take off.
There are few insect pests and diseases of fig. Fig is listed as a potential host plant for SLF but we have not heard/seen any reports of significant injury. They may be attracted to the thin bark and plump shoots. If they were doing any serious feeding you would have seen a lot of honeydew and sooty mold.
Jon
