It seems the 5 to 6 stems per plant was a success! The figs prospered, had lots of growth, produced fruit, and appeared to be doing well. However, the strange weather pattern messed with somehow. The fruit did not set until mid-August so they never really ripened, and suddenly were all gone. We think squirrels got to them because it does seem like in the course of only a few days the plants went from a promising harvest (although later in the season than expected) to nothing on the plants at all.
Of course, there's no evidence of the deed so we can only guess but it does make me look suspiciously at squirrels I see in the neighborhood and as the leaves fall off trees, I am keenly aware of how many nest there are high up in the trees.
Drat!
