Maybe find contact information for that party or make some other good connections through Pierce County Extension. April 30 Master Gardener sale described on the Extension web site is said to include a fairly large number of local nurseries.

I used to live out thataways on the Plateau and never heard of it. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist, but name not out there in the community. Perhaps calling the Enumclaw Courier-Herald or the Enum garden club, or that rhodie garden out in Enumclaw...

Dan

Well, it could be a bad lead. In any event I'd like to trade fig cuttings with folks in South King, North Pierce, and have a few decent trees that actually ripen figs here.

Well, in any event, I would like to trade fig cuttings this spring locally. Have a lot of Desert King and some others, like Negronne.

I have fig cuttings. several types. I am looking for grape cuttings, seeds, etc.

Still interested in Fig growing and hobby fig gardeners. I have Violet De Bordeaux, Magnolia, Brunswick, Negronne and Desert King. Negronne is my favorite. Does anyone else collect figs in the Seattle/Tacoma area and if so, what do you have?

Hi boizeau,

I live in SE Olympia and the only tree I have is a Desert King, which I purchased from Burnt Ridge nursery at the Oly farmers market. The owner (can't remember his name) is the nicest and most knowledgeable tree/fruit man I have ever met. He did a presentation about old apple trees in the county a few years ago that shows up now and then on the local access channel. He also discussed the massive chestnut trees at the cemetery on Little Rock Rd. In his catalog the Violette Du Bordeaux has a parenthesis with Negronne inside, which implies they are one and the same? What do you think?

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoy growing this tree even though I'm not that fond of the taste. Certain folks where I work go nuts when I bring them in. I like the growth habit, the drought tolerance, the history of figs, and the fact that it has laughed at the 2 winters prior to this one when I had episodes of 10 degrees or less on 3 consecutive nights and other "marginal" trees and shrubs gave up the ghost.

I would like to grow another variety. Is the flavor of Negronne the reason you like it the best? How do you prune them? I had a massive crop in 2011, one year after cutting the center down to tippy toe height and shortening some side branches. There's an interesting thread on the fig forum where "Herman" riffs on this quite a bit. Lots of mis-spellings but he seems to know what he is taking about. However, I don't have the expertise to know. Any advice on this is appreciated.

Here is a link that might be useful: Link from Fig forum

The Negronne is a dryer dark fig. Desert king is soft and sticky. Good for jam, I suppose.

The fig forum is pretty volatile............I'll pass.