Figs for very cool climate

15 years ago

Hello to all,

This is my first message so forgive my english,I also posted it in Figs4fun forum.

My name is Yves, I live on the north west coast of Brittany, there the climate is oceanic, with a very cool summer at 14-21Ã¯Â¿Â½C/58-70Ã¯Â¿Â½F on average for the low/high and a mild winter at 5-10Ã¯Â¿Â½C/41-50Ã¯Â¿Â½F. The USDA zone is 9B with -2,5Ã¯Â¿Â½C/27,5Ã¯Â¿Â½F at the lowest expected every year. 800mm/31" of rain with 2/3 fall between october and march.

I'm looking for figs varieties that would give a good crop of figs in such climate.

Here we have a very popular fig called "Croisic" (Gillette) for the figs are juicy and fairly sweet here. Croisic is a town in south Brittany where that fig was first described.

I have Ronde de Bordeaux in ground for three years now, it bears around 30 figs for the first time this year but figs are just ripening right now with a bland taste, a bit to late especially this year which is the coolest for ten years.

In pot I have Dalmatie (Stella), Goutte dorÃ¯Â¿Â½e, PastilliÃ¯Â¿Â½re, Brown Turkey, give no figs or to late.

I planted this year: Dauphine gave one nice big juicy fig in august!! Osborne's prolific, Desert King, Grise de Saint Jean.

I think I should look for The San Pedro type figs like Desert king or common type with an abundant and good Breba croop like Grise de Saint Jean, a cold tender but very early and excellent breba crop, the most famous breba of France.

As a San Pedro I found Lampeira in addition to Desert king, it's a portuguese variety with an excellent breba crop also called figue des confiseurs (Confectioner's fig) and very early too! It produces the first week of june, two weeks earlier than Dauphine in Portugal.

Do you have any experience of figs varieties for cool areas?, I'm thinking about the people from the Pacific northwest, North California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.

Thank you very much.

Yves

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Comments (9)

hortguy
15 years ago
I live in zone 5a US I have 4 black turky fig plants and this is the fourth year that I have Had them. I grow them in the ground so they die back to the ground each winter. this last summer we got about 200 good figs off them and lost half that manny with the first hard frost. I Count it as a blessing sence we only got about twenty last year and three the year befor that.
Jeff
ottawan_z5a
15 years ago
Gweninbrittany
I am not in area of climate you mentioned but your post makes me ask a question.
You mentioned "Dalmatie(Stella)" together as if they are synonyms/similar figs. Is that what you meant and, if yes, on what basis?
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gwenninbrittany
Original Author
15 years ago
Yes they are synonym. Description and behaviour from different sources say that it is one and same variety.
Yves
alanmercieca
15 years ago
gwenn - can you show me photos of the "Croisic" tree and it's fruit? A close up of the most common fig leaf shape. I was given a fig tree under the name Gillette (mother tree was found just on the side of the road) and it does have a leaf shape and fruit that does resemble a "Croisic" Yet it has two common final shapes that it has been shifting back and fourth to for about two months now. One of the two shapes is sort of like a five leaf clover which is about 75% like the Gillette leafs that I have seen elsewhere online. The other shape is very different I will show you a photo of that shape in a bit. It would be really nice if someone could give us pictures of the "Croisic" that are undeniably real
User
15 years ago
Gwen: Grow Atreano in your climate and I assure you it will ripe.
Atreano is an early fig,that do not like ,nor need,very hot Summer.
broche
15 years ago
I just planted a Brown turkey along an east facing wall. It is about 3 ft tall with small figs growing. Will the fruit be edible next year? And would diging it up in the fall, potting it and bringing it inside for the winter be a good/bad idea? We had a bad 2010/2011 winter..
alanmercieca
15 years ago
gwenn -

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:835175}}
alanmercieca
15 years ago
broche - as far as I know all fig trees that are brought indoors for the winter with fruit on them the fruit falls off long before ripe. Then again that may not be true of all varieties. I have no experience with burring pots in the ground yet lots of people do that and then bring them in for the winter. I do not know about the details.
rofig
14 years ago
I am interested for cuttings of Croisic and other cold hardy fig trees.
I have several fig tree cultivars in ground and in pots.
Let me know if you want to trade, I am from Europe too.