A Plan

I have a plan. I found rabbit fencing at my local Ace Hardware. It has smaller, horizontal openings at the bottom. Usually this is the area in other fences where rabbits tend to squeeze through and get into areas. I found this out last winter when I begin to obsessively observe the rabbits. There is a little dog yard for my sister's pet, and rabbits would slip into the yard area and when the dog would chase them, they'd make haste and be gone. However, in that fencing, all the openings were vertical rectangles of the same size...kind of the same shape as a rabbit's body when stretched out and running.

I have put up some of this rabbit fencing for the dog yard now and I can see how a rabbit would have a harder time getting in and out. The horizontal openings at the bottom are narrow.

So, the plan is to put a rabbit fence up from one side of the house, across the bed where the figs grow, to the other side of the house to include the dog yard. More on that later once the job is done.

Things are looking up!

It's been a rainy, and productive summer so far. The fig trunks were cut down to the ground on Memorial Day when it became clear nothing was going to grow, even after the pruning. Immediately, sprouts began bursting from the base. I am left to think the root ball is so established that I will one day have figs again! Have a look at this growth since June 1st!

Still hopping around the figgy garden!

Baiting the trap, that's the quest for the days as we move into spring and watch rabbits enjoying the warmer days and lush vegetation in our yard and figgy garden. Chickweed is a favorite, as are dandelions.  Many online sources say to use greens and peanuts as bait. That got us a squirrel. Another sources said to use apples and spray the trap with apple juice....which got us ants and a bunch of rabbits sitting around the trap, twitching their nostrils and staring at the trap.

We've moved the trap around the property, but I think that's done nothing other than confuse everyone. They tend to linger within the blackberry rows. The trap should probably be placed in there, kept there from day to day with fresh bait of chickweed and some apple bits. In addition, I bet the shiny trap metal should be camouflaged so it's not so glaringly a TRAP, you know?  If it's shining, and changing positions, and has ants crawling all over it -- no wonder the rabbits are laughing their behinnees off!

Hopping into Spring...with Rabbits!

I have so many rabbits, I can't believe it. After investigating various options for getting rid of them,I decided to go with a Have a Heart trap. The plan was to trap one at a time, and relocate them to the same area on backside of a nearby farm.

However, today a squirrel got caught in the trap. Three rabbits sat within 5 feet, I swear to figgy heaven, laughing at the stupidity of the animal in the trap who was losing his squirrely mind. I went out into the torrential rain (the big storm line that has produced so many tornadoes in the southland these past few days) to release the crazed squirrel. The rabbits politely backed up several feet to give me space, and when the deed was done, decided the show was over and went hoppily about their business.

**sigh*

But it's ok!

We're going to survive this winter and come away better for it!  This video, Pruning Fig Trees, is about Brown Turkey and Celeste fig trees. The author, SustenanceNCovering, explains how the trunk will produce more branches along its length if the top gets lopped off. This has given me the courage to get out my pruners to cut my bushes back. It also gives me courage to start new fig trees! This fellow has completely calmed down this figgy blogger and given me a new perspective!

Rabbits -- Taking the Joy out of Figginess

So now it is confirmed. The fig damage is from rabbits chewing off the bark. The prognosis is grim upon first look, but that could be because I know so little about fig horticulture at this point. However, my tree knowledge says that when the bark is stripped off a tree, the growth is effectively killed because the nutrients cannot flow up and down the trunks. The root systems are well-established and will probably produce new sprouts, but this upcoming farm market figgy season is gone. There may be some personal use figs, but enough to promote figgy enthusiasm at a public market? MMMmmmmm, I don't think so.

This could look like a sycamore upon first glance, until you get close and
see the chew marks in the trunks and stems.

Bark Damage

While preparing for another snow storm, a rather big one as it turns out, I saw that the bottom 18" or so of bark has been chewed off the fig trunks. It seems to be the uppermost part of the trunks, but clearly more than just a spot or two.

Now I wonder if I will even HAVE fig trees to bother with at all this spring.

Years ago, one of our neighbors allowed a rabbit (and then a family of rabbits) to live under her deck because she was protecting nature. Now the neighborhood is overrun with rabbits that have grown to be the size of small shitz tu dogs.  I believe the rabbits are chewing up my fig trees.

Picture to come once the current snow melts down.

Concluding the Semester

Now the conclusions come together to finish modeling a semester-long research project for the 8th grade students who take my research class. Last night their research findings and papers were presented at an evening reception for parents,administrators, and school board members. Kudos all around.

Today, in celebration, I presented my farm market Fig Jammikins - a version of fig preserves/jam using a raw sugar one my students researched and concluded was the best for buttery flavor and marginally healthier than white sugar or corn syrup. Served on sesame seed crackers, it was a success among middle school students whose projects included cookies across dietary needs (vegan, gluten-free, and sugar free) and sugar intake as an evolution mistake.

Another student's project about storytelling sold me on the need to make the label more than a name and list of ingredients but to engage the customer in a story of figgy wonderment. (Not shown at present; labels currently being printed.) I look forward to seeing how the tongue-in-cheek 'story' appeals to the local market visitors this year.

So, my fig product is decided, a striped tent is ordered, ancillary fig products (greeting cards, pins, and packing boxes are being printed or made), and in March cuttings will be prepared for starting new plants. Figs will be a local sensation!

I got figgy with it!  And my students came along for the ride!