Fig Tree

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Dewayne mater

I adore figs! Everything I read about them is they are semi tropical and only a few varieties will make it here in northwest DFW. I've been a chicken and not planted them for reading about how they hate cold, but I think I'm taking the plunge in the next month or two as our long term winter forecast is for not as cold and rainy - a great first winter.

There is a fig that is called Panachee or Tiger fig that if your climate allows, you should grow. The skin is pale yellow with green stripes. The interior is as sweet as fig jam. One of the best foods I've ever eaten.

Good luck with yours!

Dewayne Mater

My brown turkey figs have seen several days of 10 degree weather with no damage at all.
The leaves fall off as they should every year but the buds dont even die.

Worth

[ilex]

Don't know what's available in the US, but there are many varieties with black in the name. Once you have fruit a photo will be much easier to identify.

Fig trees can take quite a bit of cold. Many times the problem is to get enough heat, or to keep them dry enough to have worthy figs. They grow well in containers. If it's very cold they can be grown Japanese style.

[ilex]

Originally Posted by habitat_gardener

With figs, often size does not matter. Many varieties tolerate lots of pruning.
Some friends keep their fig tree pruned to 6 ft. so that they can build a pvc structure around it to hold bird netting. Without the netting, the wildlife would be very happy. With the netting, they get to eat the figs!

I kept mine at about that size. You don't want to use sticks or ladders to pick them. Figs should be reachable from the ground if you want them for you. I used to pick a few hundred pounds a day

[Tracydr]

When's a good time to transplant? I put some in last summer but I need to move them to a sunnier spot.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

When's a good time to transplant? I put some in last summer but I need to move them to a sunnier spot.

When the weather cools off like this fall or winter.

Worth

[ilex]

I would wait until the tree is sleeping.

[Tracydr]

Thanks!

[Dewayne mater]

Interesting comments about the pruning. Have you seen any instructions or techniques on pruning? We have lots of birds and squirrels and they eat tomatoes, so I know they would love to nosh on some figs.

Dewayne

[ilex]

Difficult to explain pruning. You want to keep it low, also to keep it hollow so you can get inside, and cut whatever hangs down too much. I also did a green pruning.

For birds ... plant lots of figs. You can try plastic snakes.

[ilex]

Difficult to explain pruning. You want to keep it low, also to keep it hollow so you can get inside, and cut whatever hangs down too much. I also did a green pruning.

For birds ... plant lots of figs. You can try plastic snakes.

[luigiwu]

my chicago hardy has never done as well as its doing this year... unfortunately the side effect is I'm battling squirrels for the figs! I'm thinking of putting organza bags around each one but am unsure if that will even do anything. It was a $10 plant from Lowes , basically a stick. Have had this plant for 3 year, it languished for 2 years and finally when I put it in self watering container its exploded in growth.

[Nematode]

http://bfy.tw/1gcZ

[Gerardo]

We cut our fig tree, way too many insects. Now i just steal them from my aunt's house.

[Worth1]

They must go dormant in hot dry weather I tried to kill mine by not watering it this summer.
I went to it the other day and all the leaves had fallen off and there were little green buds waiting for the next rain.
I went ahead and watered the poor thing.

Worth