I’m fairly new to figs too. I like them as a plant, I like the growth pattern, and find them pretty easy to grow. They are tough plants, and majestic looking. I have about 22 of them. I need to thin the crop by half, yet so many I want to try.I want one example from the 5 flavor groups, but taste varies within each group too. I’ll keep the strongest ones.
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What are the 5 flavor groups?
Jessica,
You should read up on the Magnolia vine and the 5 flavor’s will make more sense http://uncommonfruit.cias.wisc.edu/magnolia-vine-five-flavor-fruit-schisandra-chinensis/
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I have one of those too. It produces very well. I use the berries for tea. Inedible fresh IMHO.
Still the tea rocks, It’s a keeper for me. I like to add a few mint leaves with it too. Some may not like it, it is rather unique tasting.
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Drew,
How long did it take to produce berries?
Clark
It produced some the 2nd year, not many, enough for a couple cups of tea. The third year it produced about 500. This is the 4th year. I dried some as I had too many to use fresh.
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I put my hardy Chicago in the ground this spring. I get tired of messing with potted plants. If it dies back and I fail to get fruit next year then so be it.
Last year I harvested 5 figs and this spring I have 9 brebas growing. I’ve been under the misconception that these figs were bigger than they actually are. Pictures make them look larger than a golf ball similar to the size of a racketball. But in my case all of mine have been small. About the size of a kids rubber bouncy ball. None have been as large as golf balls. Is this normal?
I had a Paradiso that is 3" long (but tapered) and Chicago Hardy that were much smaller in size.
They are definitely on a smaller size. I like CH They are nice and sweet. I waited until they showed some wrinkles before I picked. I picked Paradiso too early so it is not as sweet as it should be.
I have two spare CH so if the one I put in ground die, I still have two more to kill 
. I will cover it with mulch and burlap in late fall.
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I’m trying to do the same thing. I’m not putting a whole lot of effort into it though. I have some unknowns I put in the ground. I also had an extra found fig. It’s called Sweet Diana. A Celeste type fig that originated in Italy and brought to NYC 36 years or so ago.
Anyway their are figs that for sure will produce even if killed to the ground. Florea will, others probably too. If I find others I’ll let you know.
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I was never able to get my hardy Chicago to over winter until this year, it always died to the ground. I live in zone 6b and the biggest problem for my fig is the huge temperature swings during the spring. The fig would always get hot/moldy under the mulch and come out of dormancy so I would uncover it just to have freezing temps kill it later. Last year I moved it to the garden and buried it after I tilled, I didn’t dig it out until after my peaches bloomed and it work. The temps were a lot colder under ground and it was still completely dormant when I dug it up. However I think I killed my violette de Bordeaux with the same method, it got some sort of rot. Oh well you win some and loose some.
Do you know at what temp that CH branches are killed?
I don’ t know if I want to dig it up and lay it down every year. Where I put it , the micro climate is at least 6b or even 7a because I can keep a Double Delight rose survive every year by cover it with mulch.
I don’t remember but for that time of year it had to be in the upper teens for the coldest. Like I said I think the real problem was with it coming out of dormancy and becoming more susceptible to frost. I put it in my garden because it really isn’t that much work if you have already tilled. I basically copied this guy and it worked really well with no damage at all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgKFv1sTxmE
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Greg,
Thanks for the video. I wish I had space to do that but I don’t.
Thank you … I didn’t know that vine/these berries existed!.. It a beautiful plant… now… where to find it here in Qc?
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Only Eastern Prince has perfect flowers. Any others and you need a male and female.
It takes about 50 berries to make a couple cups of tea. Talking about it yesterday I pulled out the last of my dehydrated berries. Picked some fresh chocolate mint to brew with it, and sweetened with Michigan raw honey. Fantastic! Here is my plant 4th leaf today. The plant has many unique molecules said to be beneficial in a number of ways. One of the 50 fundamental Chinese herbs.
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