The Nikita’s Gift fruited for me for 2 yrs then we had the polar vortex that killed the top and now the tree had recover. Hopefully it will produce fruits again this Spring. Nice red color and very sweet and somewhat firm ripened. I like it a lot.
Tony
good for you!
will be attempting to grow a generic fuyu this spring, curious how it will fare in our sizzling summers and zero humidity…
I had a Brown Turkey fig here in suburban MD (outside DC) with a 6" trunk – large tree. Did great until the last two winters, which killed it and all my other figs to the ground. But it came back. I think the problem with the last few winters was not the minimal temperature so much as that a very low temperature was sustained for a number of nights. I do think it is a good idea to wrap in-ground figs for the first couple of years. Location matters too. A fig tree I planted for a friend nearby (unknown variety but with dark figs) survived the last two winters just fine without ever being wrapped, probably in part because the yard had very good wind breaks from 6 foot fences all around. The tree is about 8’ tall.
Kelby,
What is the variety in your photo? I’m guessing either Hardy Chicago or Sal’s Gene EL?
I think that was Nexoe.
That is a nice looking very bushy Nikita. I just put one in the ground last year. How do you prune and train?
The tree was 11 feet tall and the top got frozen and I pruned it to 4 feet high a couple years ago and it branched out laterally to a bushy form. IMO that you can prune and keep the persimmon at any high to your liking.
Tony
Just started experimenting with figs. Last yr I put Styrofoam and leaves around my small one yr old Brown Turkey fig and it did not die back. Low temp was around 5 degrees but there was also plenty of snow around it for a long time that offered insulation. This year its been warm but that is about to change with a forecast low of 0 degrees. That fig is wrapped but only with some leaves and plastic. I do have a foot of leaves on the ground around it so even if it does back the roots should be fine.
This spring I’ll be adding a local, unknown variety hardy fig in the ground to try.
TIMING: When is the best time to e.g. bury my young outdoor fig trees in mulch here in 7B? My idea is to wait until after they drop their leaves and go dormant- is that correct? Thanks
Yes, I would wait till they go dormant.
Thanks Drew- you the man for figs! You and Ampersand. Do you put anything over top of the figs to shed rain/snow away from the fig? Is that necessary?
I’m not sure, as I don’t really have a ton of experience with in ground plants. @hoosierbanana does. .Mine were so wrapped up, no rain could get to them. I’m still learning myself.
I have so many plants, not just figs, that my time working on the garden is golden. I need ways to limit maintenance, and feel container gardening with figs requires less maintenance So I’m removing some in ground figs for now. I will experiment more in the future when time allows.
It is a good idea to cover leaves because they will compact down or get blown away, mulch/soil should be fine.
What a great thread, exactly what I was looking for… Last year I planted a Mission and kept a Brown Turkey in a container. The BT went into the crawl space this winter. The tips are still green which I hope is a good sign. I water it once a month. The Mission got wrapped in tarpaper and then aluminum bubble wrap. Then capped with a 5-gallon bucket. We’ll see how they turn out the upcoming season.
That bubble wrap job looks great and very protected.
Thank you, I did fail to mention that the inside is filled with pine bark mulch at the base, and then dried leaves the rest of the way. Looking forward to unveiling in the upcoming season.
@scottfsmith does your Celeste ripen a crop the same year after dying back to the ground? I’m trying to plant only varieties that have that trait and it would be great if Celeste does this since it is so easy to find. If any of your other figs (besides Chicago Hardy) have done this, please let me know.
Same question for @tonyOmahaz5… which varieties do you have that have ripened figs the same year it has died to the ground?
Recently I have not gotten any significant crop the same year from any of my figs when they die back. This includes Hardy Chicago. They may produce figs that season but they never ripen in time.
