I’ve been following this thread for awhile and have fallen. I had strawberry verte on my list to look for when it wasn’t fall. And then I stumbled on a guy who had a fig nursery in his backyard and had one in a 7 gallon pot. For less than something smaller with shipping!
So, meet my new baby!
Wow. I’m jealous.
Way to go.
It has a sucker, I can save it for you
The waiting is killing me! Still no sign of a color change on Reservoir or CH. Fortunately, there’s no frost in the forecast just yet.
It sets little late and mine fruited second year. Key is up pot gradually like from 1 Gallons to 5 Gallon to 10 Gallons etc. In order for fig to fruit early you need to restrict roots. Since your pot is 15 gallons it is just growing and growing but not producing.
@Naeem… thanks for the advice on my proposed varieties… I have heard youtubers mention that RDB was bad to split… but they do all talk like it is a very good fig, and early. Some youtubers north of me are growing RDB and the LSU figs… but I think that most that I have seen have been in pots (not in ground, which I want to do in ground).
@Redsun - Thanks to you too…
Let me run some more proposals by you guys…
There is a youtuber “The Millennial Gardner” from North Carolina (State just East of TN where I live).
He is really into figs… My TN Home is zone 7a… looks like NC varies quite a bit from 6a in the western mountains to 8a on the eastern coast… but most of the middle is 7a (same as my zone).
So I figure what is working well for him (In ground) should have a good chance of working for me.
He has the vid (link below) on Figs for Humid Rainy Climates… and the way he describes his location, sounds a lot like mine.
He mentions 6 figs in that Vid, that he was growing in-ground in NC, and gave his reasons for having those in ground. He has lots more in pots… but what he considers the best, he has in ground.
Two that he mentioned seemed like they might work for me too.
1… Smith - his comments, good performer in south, sweet strawberry like flavor, vigorous, productive.
2… I-258 - a Favorite of his, rates it a 10, good production, he described the flavor as berry maple syrup, outstanding flavor, quality fig, Early, good size averaging 50-60 g.
I think he said the I (Itallian) - 258 was his 2nd to ripen.
Both of those are sounding pretty good to me as a 2nd fig variety to add… but again I really like my Chicago Hardy Fig… and my main reason to add another I think would be to get earlier figs.
My CHF ripened first fruits this year 8/20.
What do you guys think of Smith and I-258 ? and do you know if they are Earlier than CHF ?
If so any idea how much earlier ?
Thanks much for the help.
TNHunter
No fig can beat CH , my CH breba ripe on July 15th and main crop ripe on Aug 12th.
I had RDB in ground for two years and it did not preform so pulled it out.
Smith is my favorite fig , very good I am making multiple copies .
But it is not that cold hardy if you can protect that is an excellent choice.
At my location Smith main crop ripe August 17th.
I-258 is another very good fig but it splits easily.
At my location No.
I-258 is very late as compare to CH. Smith is a week late from CH.
I agree with what @ Naeem stated above. Both figs are excellent. But I’m not sure if they are suitable for in-ground.
For in-ground figs, the issue is not “hardy”, but fruit early. Particularly be able to fruit after the top growth is winter killed. In zone 6 or zone 7, almost all fig plants can survive if you only lightly mulch them. But after the top growth is winter killed, they turn into vegetative growth stage at the cost of fruiting. Then you’ll have to pinch them to reduce the vigor and force them to produce figs.
The reason why Mt. Etna figs are so respected is not because they are early. It is their ability to fruit at young age, and after they get killed to the ground. To me, the only varieties that have been consistent to fruit are the Mt. Etna figs. They normally fruit after the first dormant season.
If you really want these figs I suggest please put some plastic on these like couple PVC hoops and plastic otherwise I doubt these will ripe on time.
When is your first average frost date?
Unfortuntately, I don’t have that option at the moment, but I could probably drape some Agribon over the trees if that would help. As for frost dates, most sources put the first frost date at two days ago, but I have yet to see a first frost in the area before early October, and not before November in my yard. Also, the Reservoir is in a pot, so I can bring that inside to help it limp over the finish line. Most of these figs set in early-mid July, so I’ve got my fingers crossed they’ll start turning any day now. I do know that they got off to a slow start this spring. The tree I sent my brother in Wisconsin ripened a handful of figs several weeks ago.
I’m currently feeling the same growing pains! My tree started producing about the same time as yours with no sign of ripening yet. Fortunately for me I have about a month until my first frost. I also just noticed that my Olympian that I planted late spring just started setting figs. I have no optimism that they will ripen but it’s still freaking cool!
Keep in mind that fig quality drops with cooler weather. I can get some purple figs in October. They are just like the figs get oiled. Small to medium size, not fully ripe. Some are edible and some are not.
For in-ground figs in colder zone, the only things we can do are to give them better winter protection, more sunny spot and choose early varieties. They also set fruits somehow earlier when trees get older.
Yeah, I’ve been worrying about that. I’m glad to hear you say they may start setting earlier as they mature. This is the first year fruiting for both of them. They are sitting in one of the warmest, sunniest spots in the yard, so we’ll see.
You should do better next year with more wood protected and stronger root system. You also need to limit number of fruiting branches. 4-6 the first year, then slowly double it every year if you can protect the trees.
Aha! Looks like I’ll get at least one. This is much larger and differently colored than yesterday.
@RedSun thanks for the tips. It sounds like I’m on an OK track.
The stone wall helps. It takes less than a week for this one to ripen.
Nice! Now it just needs to escape the notice of the squirrels. Fortunately, they’re pretty preoccupied with acorns right now.
Ooo. Those June transplants finally have a fruit. I have no idea if this is ripe, it was getting softish. But it was really small. Likely due to the June transplant. But yay! My first fig grown in my yard!
grumble I took a pic after slicing in like all those one above me, but apparently I moved and it didn’t come out. Now the fig is in my belly. Tasty! But it had a thicker skin and was less juicy looking that @Naeem’s pictures. 
So I think excitement got to me.
Boy… I am learning about figs from you guys… Appreciate It !
@Naeem and @RedSun — thank you for the details.
So my Chicago Hardy Fig is a Mt. Etna Fig - Right ?
Year 1 it grew nicely, we got 25 figs, year 2 (with no protection) it was dead to the ground, but came back from the roots, and produced 75 figs… year 3 (I successfully protected 5 stumps around 18" tall) and this year let those send up 10 shoots, most over 10 ft tall now, 300+ figs this year. To me that is just excellent.
So… Yes I successfully protected it last winter and will be doing my best to do that from now on.
Those short stumps that I protected last winter… one of those put out a bud/leaf and a Breba fig very early when it was first budding out. All the other shoots and growth came out, but no other Breba figs…
About a month later that one Breba fig, was still tiny and did not seem to be developing… I removed it, it was the only one.
Naeem - the Breba figs you get off your CHF (around 7/15), is that fig in ground ? or in a pot, that you bring inside over winter ?
If it is in ground, just wondering how much of the current years growth do you leave and protect over the winter ?
I left 18" and had one breba… perhaps if I left 4 ft, I would get a lot more and they would develop well ?
Protecting 4 ft outside in ground would be more difficult than protecting a few 18" stumps.
Perhaps I need one CHF in ground that I can chop off short and easily protect… (as my main crop producer).
And another in a Pot… that I can bring in over winter, and protect that growth for breba crop ?
How do you guys accomplish that ?
PS… I may have to try a Smith and just see if it will make it in ground here.
Thanks
TNHunter
