Super information.
Dax
1 Like
I planted sweet Diana and 4 unhnowns(lost tags) and all five root’s survived. Two with no protection. So I agree some may not fruit for us due to late start of springs here. But all will survive. It’s going to be an experiment for us no matter what. Which ever of the five don’t fruit or don’t fruit early enough, they will be pulled. The list is at least a starting point. Other factors amount of protection, light etc. will also come into play.
1 Like
That is correct.
Good supposition, Drew.
Dax
1 Like
Hoosier,
Thanks for the list. I assume that the ones you listed meet your approval of having a good eating quality?
If some of those are very cold hardy and precocious but mediocre taste-wise, I don’t know if it’s worth experimenting with.
1 Like
The more sides of the fig trees that do not have direct air flow to them the better, even if the air flow slow down is not as high as the trees. Looks like the trees in the North slow down air moment, the house does so on the east side, the hoophouse to the west. Do I understand right, is there is greenhouse on the southern side?
One very important thing about winter protection is making sure the sun during the earliest part of day can not hit the trees during the early part of the day, that does serious damage to them especially in the colder climates. Also near the house some heat will go from the house to the fig trees.
1 Like
I was referring to this form of natural heater http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to/a147/1274631/
Hi Alan,
The side of the hoophouse with rhododendrons faces east. The sun shines over my home and over that hoophouse to reach the rhododendrons all day and night even though they are facing west.
I never heat the hoophouse. It would simply be there as a windblock as would the house from west winds. The troubling part is north winds would roar right on those figs. I did come to the conclusion that I would seal up the hoophouse and then either bend the figs to the ground over erect a wall. I may just construct a box for each plant. and seal it really well. Adding caulk to the joints and insulating the inside of the plywood.
Dax
1 Like
I’ll have to read that link in the morning. My eyes are getting blurry.
I’m done on the computer for the day.
Da
2 Likes
I discarded Excell because it was too mild for me. Quality on the rest will vary (usually for the worse after heavy winter damage), but the Etnas are the safest bet to grow without any winter protection.
3 Likes
Thank you very much.
2 Likes
I planted out some figs about 2 months ago. I put two of them into a relatively wet area of the yard, but on 1-2’ mounds. Even the mounds stay pretty moist and it seems that figs like this. This spot isn’t the highest sun area- maybe half day, which doesn’t stop the weeds from growing 
Despite half sun and weeds growing over it, the Takoma Violet still put on quite a bit of growth and formed ~10 figs. This pic was taken once I had already cleared about half the weeds.
I’ve since cleared out the weeds and will be interested to see if they can ripen with half a day’s sun.
2 Likes
I doubt you’ll get good fruit from over watered figs. See Alan’s latest post.
2 Likes
@alanmercieca I read your link but I don’t see where that applies to a couple fig plants in the ground. You know I’ve heard of water barrels painted black being brought into greenhouses as a type of geothermal warming ‘mass’. This wouldn’t apply inside of a plywood structure though. The barrels wouldn’t see any sun to heat up during the day to later dispurse heat thru the night. If I used strong/thick corrugated wavy plastic or another strong plastic to cover my figs thru winter, then adding a barrel would work. Still, I’m now building a larger containment unit to house both the barrel and the plant.
Dax
1 Like
That’s a good point that I hadn’t considered. I was putting them wherever I had space and figured that the water would help them grow quicker. At this point, I haven’t gotten figs from most of my trees, so I’m just excited to see fruit on it. I’m sure once I get them, the flavor will start to matter. My wife likes the ones from grocery stores though, so I’ve got a ready consumer of watery figs 
2 Likes
Some varieties of figs taste watered down much easier than others do. Supposedly Ginos Black is the MT Etna type that deals with with soil and moisture the best, with the least watered down taste. Supposedly Takoma Violet is about as resistant against those things. Yet unless they are grown side by side it’s hard to tell. As the trees age and get bigger they grow a greater tolerance to those things, in part because they need more water to survive, and for their figs to produce as they get bigger. If the soil is too wet you can put something else with the trees to drink some of the wetness up with their roots, like marigolds, they also repel some nasty pests.
1 Like
The mound is OK, but the ground beneath the mound is very soggy and I doubt that the roots can really grow there due to oxygen deprivation. So, maybe the mound could act like a self-watering pot, pulling some moisture up for the roots, yet staying well enough drained and aerated. At least I hope so…
Cool- maybe I got lucky with that one. The one next to it is a newer (the TK is almost a year old), just past rooted cutting, of VDB. It’s also put on some growth, but no figs yet. I’m guessing it may not be as well chosen and may not survive outside. So, I’ll be sure to grab cuttings this fall.
1 Like