Well I planted my three fig trees and my langniappe pear tree yesterday. Good sized holes and added lots of compost and Black Kow mixed with a little of the natural soil. I had a companion watching every shovel full of dirt removed and mixed and added back to the hole along with the trees, our female Irish Setter, Cashmere. The male, Aladden, did not take any interest other than to sit and watch from a distance from the hill by the house. I watered them in and decided I would let it settle overnight and add more of the soil mixture today if it was needed then berm them up with some of the extra soil.
This morning my wife calls to me to the kitchen window and says, "watch Cashmere". Cashmere was just going crazy running around the yard with a stick in her mouth. She would stop throw it up in the air then grab it up in her mouth and run some more. After watching for a few seconds I said "Whoa" (not actually what I said) "That is one of the fig trees!" I ran out and called her and she came prancing up with the fig tree in her mouth, the roots dragging in the grass and "gifted" it to me at my feet! We had some words!
The roots were not damaged but she had snapped off a three inch section off the top. The rest of the tree bark did not have any teeth damaged. I could not believe it. I have pruned back the damaged top and replanted it (while Cashmere watched). All the trees now have a wire cage around them.
Apparently she did not like the particular placement of this tree!
I bet she and Aladden will enjoy a fig or two when they produce!
She saw how much you were enjoying the planting and wanted in on the action :)
Glad to hear you were able to rescue it........
In my area of N Cal we have a problem with gophers literally chewing off the trunk of small fig trees just below the dirt line, so be aware. But we did have enough last year to have a friend sell some at a farmer’s market. She averaged $7.00 for each small basket full which we figured was close to a dollar apiece!
Oh, man is right! Glad she didn’t ruin the fig. Good thing they’re tough. Dogs are like toddlers. They watch everything you do and invent their own methods of “helping.” LOL