We have been in a house with a fig tree for 3 years and each year we
have had a problem that seems to be getting worse.

The small figs grown the one year suddenly start to go dark and
develop a powdery mould. This affects first siongle and then multiple
fruits and eventuall spreads (quickly) along entire branches, killing
the branch itself.

We have just started cutting out entire branches to burn and trim back
areas of weaker infection. Last year I sprayed with an anti fungal
spray but this did not appear to help.

Can anybody suggest a way forward or is this simply something that
happens? Should we really hack the branches back each year?

Any help would be welcome. Many thanks

In article ,
Steve Newport wrote:

We have been in a house with a fig tree for 3 years and each year we
have had a problem that seems to be getting worse.

The small figs grown the one year suddenly start to go dark and
develop a powdery mould. This affects first siongle and then multiple
fruits and eventuall spreads (quickly) along entire branches, killing
the branch itself.

We have just started cutting out entire branches to burn and trim back
areas of weaker infection. Last year I sprayed with an anti fungal
spray but this did not appear to help.

Can anybody suggest a way forward or is this simply something that
happens? Should we really hack the branches back each year?

Any help would be welcome. Many thanks

Try a bit of sulphur treatment?

How much sunlight does it get?
--
--

Peace! Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a Bitch."
-- Jack Nicholson

Hi. Gets a lot of sun. It's in the middle of an East West open garden.

What do you mean by a sulphur treatment?


On Sun, 04 May 2008 14:02:39 -0500, Omelet
wrote:

In article ,
Steve Newport wrote:

We have been in a house with a fig tree for 3 years and each year we
have had a problem that seems to be getting worse.

The small figs grown the one year suddenly start to go dark and
develop a powdery mould. This affects first siongle and then multiple
fruits and eventuall spreads (quickly) along entire branches, killing
the branch itself.

We have just started cutting out entire branches to burn and trim back
areas of weaker infection. Last year I sprayed with an anti fungal
spray but this did not appear to help.

Can anybody suggest a way forward or is this simply something that
happens? Should we really hack the branches back each year?

Any help would be welcome. Many thanks

Try a bit of sulphur treatment?

How much sunlight does it get?
--

Try using a solution of approximately a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda
into a cup of water, and spray the solution on the powdery mould. I don't
believe it can harm the fig tree; I've used it on my Jade Plant when it
sported a serious moldy infection of some sort a few years ago with no ill
effect, and it solved the mould infection. I've sprayed a stronger solution
of baking soda to eradicate powdery mildew on young squash plants in my veg
garden, and had excellent results. I should think the baking soda solution
should solve the mould infection as well. The beauty of baking soda is its
low cost, plus my experience with its effectiveness. . . although it may
take a few days, and a few appilcations of the solution (perhaps a little
stonger?), depending on severity of infection.
The suggestion regarding full sun for the tree is valid. And you may wish
to view some information from
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PNG/r261100211.html for much more info about
infections of figs.

In article ,
Steve Newport wrote:

Hi. Gets a lot of sun. It's in the middle of an East West open garden.

What do you mean by a sulphur treatment?

Sulphur kills fungus. My local nursery carries a soil sulphur treatment,
but I've only ever used it for root rot fungus. Worked too. ;-)
We then added the recommended soil flora supplement after a couple of
weeks.

I have two fig trees and have never had a fungus problem, but I have
lost fruit harvests to lack of water.
--
--

Peace! Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a Bitch."
-- Jack Nicholson