Q: I have a fig tree and a pomegranate that I planted in 2012 in water harvesting basins. They both were thriving and last year I got great harvests from both with large and juicy fruits. They got supplemental water but mostly they got water two times a day from drip irrigation for 30-40 minutes in the a.m. and p.m. This year the fig got a lot of fruit but they were small and sort of dry, the pomegranate also got fruit but they are small and lots of them have split right in the middle and they have not reached maturity. The fig’s leaves were also turning yellow with some brown tips and falling off.
A:Â These trees do better with deep, infrequent watering instead of a little bit each day. The brown leaf tips are a sign of insufficient water and possibly salt damage from underwatering. The cure is to provide more water to wash the salt through the root zone. The small fruit and splitting could be attributed to the watering issue as well.
I am not sure how long ago you switched to the new watering schedule. It might take a while for the trees to show a lot of progress. This being their third year in the ground should have been the year they take off but they might have been set back a bit by the lack of water in the recent past. I say keep up the new watering schedule and see how they do.
Peter L. Warren is the urban horticulture agent for the Pima County Cooperative Extension and the University of Arizona. Questions may be emailed to plwarren@cals.arizona.edu.
