What is a settlers fig, Glenn? I've googled it but just get recipes involving Settlers gin.

Settlers fig is figs that were brought buy the people that settled a area that don't have a name. Mine is a clone of a clone from a fig that was planted by the Greek settlers around Tarpon springs in the early 1900. my great uncle got cutting from that one in the 50s and grew 1 from those at his place in brooksville. A few years back my parents inherited that land and cut it down so they could put up a car port. But being a well established fig it just kept coming back. I tried to clone it from cutting 2 times and failed. So then I dug up a peace of the root and that caught. Now it is in my garden. I grew up eating those figs and so now will my girls.

Glenn, congrats on the new fruit trees! Nice memories.

Silvia

Silvia, I have had the red mulberry for 3 years in a pot and both figs since last year but had a lot of work to do before they could go in. Boats to move.a palm tree to cut down and a over grow area to cut back. That took a long time when do it by myself and had to borrow a chainsaw but it is almost done now. Just mulch to go.

Thanks, Glenn. I love plants that have a story connected with them.

Very nice Glenn, you are a very hard working gardener. I was busy this week making avocado boxes for mailing to friends and family, it is always a great harvest. I sun dried most of the figs and put them in the freezer, getting ripe mangoes too. You are going to be pleased with the oriental pears from the new cocktail tree, I got to sample one and it was delicious and sweet. I am looking forward for future years on those.

Silvia

Making boxes to ship avocado to friends and family. Well that just proves how awesome you are. It will be many years before I get any avocados since that tree is 2 ft tall and from seed. This year no figs got put back. We ate them all. The oriental pears produced 2 this year but unfortunately something else ate them. They where just gone no sign of what are who got them. But still love that they produced the first year.

You should graft your seedling avocado you will get fruit way faster

Melikeeatplants, though about it and might if the opportunity presents itself. I would like bacon grafted to one side.

Some people wait ten to fifteen years for a seedling to fruit if you graft should be just a few years perfect size too. You can make the opportunity present itself by clipping bud wood off a successful tree in your area or if you must clip a piece off at a local nursery

DG this settlers fig is a lot like a brown Turkey but smaller and with some red to it and sweeter. I do have a Celeste its my favorite. I let it fruit in the spring. I rarely get any in the fall even when I pinch .

Glenn, that's terrific! I, too, love the stories behind the plants. Doesn't it feel good when you can put a check in the box next to a big project? And it looks to me that you earned a check-plus! You will enjoy these for years and years to come. :)

Carol in Jacksonville

Carol, it's great to check that off. Still a lot of work to do before I have this yard where I want it to be but I have made a lot of progress.

I rooted a handful of Brown Turkey fig cuttings from my neighbor's tree. He has a huge, gorgeous and well-producing tree. I had one cutting that rooted really well... looked strong... put it in the ground... still didn't make it. You said that you tried twice, too. I read up on it beforehand - researched - but still struck out. I wonder what is the secret to getting rooting cuttings to survive?

Carol

Thank you Glenn for the compliment, you are a very nice person! And I am sure your little daughters are going to have the best memories of their childhood with you being the father.

Carol, figs are known for being prone to nematodes, a lot of organic material is necessary when planting. Try to grow the cutting in a pot for at least a season so it gets stronger.

Silvia

Carol, I have a friend who has had a lot of success with air layers on his figs. And I always wait till they are a couple of feet tall before I put them in the ground.

Thank you Silvia I am trying to teach them were food comes from and to be as self sufficient as possible. With that in mind I ask my oldest daughters boy friend were food comes from and his response was mom. I didn't know to laff or be terrified. I chose to laff since I know he will be put to work on a family farm very soon. Very soon he will be shipped to Alabama to work for his grandmother and uncle. There is alot more to that story but trust me it's going to be fun. At least for me.

Carol, my friend told me just to stick them into a pot of well-draining potting soil and forget about them, so that's what I did, but I watered them too much, and some didn't make it. I rooted mine into 3-inch pots and let them get very good roots, then put them into 1-gallon pots, where they stayed until this spring, when I put them into 2-gallon pots. The two that survived are doing very well, but they LOVE fertilizer and will grow like mad when you feed them.

My Marseilles VN (black fig) actually has a fig coming out on it, and even though I've picked all of them off up until now so they could grow, I'm going to let this one fruit if it wants to. It seems to be very vigorous and hardy.

I was worried about my Settler's fig, but it's putting up several branches from the bottom now and is very happy. It also loves fertilizer.

When I lived in SC on the farm, there was a huge, old Turkey fig tree there that got no fertilizer from anything but the chickens who loved to roost in its branches or underneath it to shade themselves. It had never been pruned, and had branches that hung down to the ground. Every winter, I would scrape the bottoms of those limbs and put a brick on top of them. By summer, I had a fig with a great root system that was ready to put into a pot. I think I must have given away dozens of those rooted trees. The tree was so large that the birds ate the top fruit, the chickens, raccoons and possums at the bottom fruit and I got plenty from the middle. I miss that tree, in fact, I miss that farm, but I don't miss the work! 5 acres is way too much for one person to take care of by themselves.

I have always had a dream of having 5 to 10 acres to work with. That is something I would create a true food forest on. And maybe a few animals too.

Glenn, I had huge plans for that land, but I had to also work part-time, got to college, and raise my son, so it was all too much for me. I didn't have the money for large farm equipment, and nobody to help me, so I had to give it up.

Silvia and Deb, thanks for the fig intelligence! I will give that a go. You are exactly right... I put it in the ground early. There was nothing wrong with that rooted cutting until it went into the ground. It was strong and healthy. Will keep the next one potted up for much longer and feed it plenty of organics.

Glenn, you made me laugh out loud! That was absolutely hilarious. PLEASE post updates as the indoctrination begins. I want to share your fun!

Carol

DG, I understand not being able to take care of everything that needs to be done. With 4 kids,work and everything else sometimes I work myself right into the ground. And of course there is always the lack of money because no matter how much you make it is just not enough to pay everything.

Carol, figs are one of the easiest fruit trees to have, gives you a lot of fruit with very little work, hope that you get one growing soon...

Glenn, you are in the right track to teach your kids about fruits and vegetables, their health will thank you later on. And wow 4 kids, that is a lot of work in taking care of their needs and education. Wish you the best!

Silvia

Silvia, never planned on 4. Planed first 2 second 2 not planned but hay there all great girls.

I have a mystery on my hands today. When I came home from work there was a tomato plant on my door step. I have no idea where it came from.wife and kids saw nothing and the neighbors that I deal with don't know anything. To make it even stranger my camera that covers the area doesn't show anyone coming up to the door.

Glenn, it is good that you are happy with your girls!

About the tomato plant, for sure somebody knows that you like vegetables and can use a tomato plant, it might turn out productive for you.

If you were living closer I would of drop a bucket of eggplants for you. I cooked some today and still have more just from one plant.

Silvia

Nice eggplant, my eggplant was a no go this year .the seed didn't come up. But my yams are doing well.ocra is growing good. Sweet potatoes not sure. Potato mint very well.