Hi! New member here. I’m in SW Fl, 9b/10a. I would like to plant a fig tree. Haven’t had good luck before with ones I bought from Lowe’s so I’m thinking of ordering or going to a nursery. I’d like to know if a Bordeaux would do well in my area? What are some reputable sites to purchase from?
Thanks in advance!
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Most everyone is sold out now. Bottoms still has a few potted ones left. With your heat I would imagine you can grow more varieties than most of us.
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I am up in Tennessee… and rather new to figs. I purchased a Chicago Hardy Fig from One Green World a few years back and have had good luck with it.
We got 25 figs first year… 75 last year and hope to smash those records this year.
I have no idea if the CH would work for you way down in FL there… I did a quick YouTube search on growing figs in Florida and found several.
Looks like several are having good luck with figs in FL. Good luck to you.
TNHunter
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Unfortunately, lowes and home depot seem to mislabel their trees. i had a better experience buying from local nurseries. or try figbid.com
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If you are able to wait for next year, many members here (including me!) will likely be able to offer you some trees too. I was gifted a much larger amount this year than I planned to grow so will be giving away some Chicago Hardy if they all survive.
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That would be great! Thanks!!
Root knot nematodes are supposed to be quite a problem in Florida. That is probably the reason, not where you bought the trees or what variety that are.
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Check out http://ediblelandscaping.com/products/shrubs/Figs/
Very reputable nursery located in Virginia.
Nematodes do slow down growth when planted in the ground, in comparison to potted figs which do not seem to suffer from nematodes. But with time (as in 2-3 years), I am seeing that in ground figs do adapt and eventually start growing, that is if they don’t croak in the meantime.
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I have heard that the nematodes only live down to a certain depth, and that people plant figs in deep containers that have no bottoms which are partially buried, so that the roots grow down before they grow out into the soil. Grafting onto tropical ficus species may also be possible in south Florida.
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Ficus palmata is supposed to be nematode resistant and is supposed to be a compatible rootstock for f. caricus. (Lots of ‘supposed’ qualifiers as I do not have any personal experience with either, just some anecdotal evidence from other growers.)
This are some of the varieties that have done well for a friend of mine in Florida,
LSU Improved Celeste
LSU purple
Izmir Not
Black Marseilles VS
Two of your main problems that you would face no matter what fig you choose are root nematodes and fruit splitting because of all the rain you’ll get during the year but mostly on hurricane season.
Good luck with whichever you choose and keep us posted.
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I didn’t have a good experience with them last year after I purchased couple trees from them and one of them arrived broken, I reported that to them and they never got back with me not by email or a phone call. That was the end for me with them I’ll rather give business to the ones they prioritize costumer service.
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I’m not sure what you mean by “a Bordeaux.”
In my experience, “Bordeaux” varieties include (1) Ronde de Bordeaux and (2) Violette de Bordeaux (which has a couple dozen synonyms). These two basic varieties may or may not be related. RdB is an early-ripening round fig; VdB is a late-ripening teardrop fig; both are deep purple, almost black.
Also in my experience, these varieties require a lot of water. They will not react well to a dry soil and high heat. RdB does really well here in New England. So they don’t seem particularly well adapted to Florida.
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@Ruben I’m so sorry you had a bad experience with them, they should have taken care of the problem. I’ve never had any problems with my purchases, so I never had to deal with them fixing any mistakes.
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Let me check if I have an extra Marseilles Black VS (MBVS), if you’re interested in this variety. And if I do I would let you know.
I do have an extra MBVS if you’re interested PM me for details
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Yes I would be interested!