If you can get your fig to grow like that tell us how.

Steve

You should join the 1 true fig forum.... lots of action over there with great opinions.... This is one of several ways of over wintering figs in 6b zone. I have 1 fig grown in ground and I'll be pulling off the blankets and bags soon. I'm expecting it has survived with minimal damaged.... I'm in zone 6a.

I also have several potted trees and all but 1 seems to have no damage/minimal damage.... and I store them in an unheated shed wrapped with lots of blankets.... I've had success with these methods.

Dave, I took the fig route since the eighties. My original Chicago Hardy is that old in my yard now, have grown the finest in figs till about 5years ago, now decided to just grow what I collected, happy with what I have, no rat race for me Anymore.

My finer varieties have been out of the garage for weeks already and growing at a pretty good clip.

Bob, are you pruning for them to be "step over" trees? or are you aiming for taller than that?

Bonnie

My drawing is what I aiming for, I think I can do it.

Bob that’s a great idea - especially since you have lots of space. If anyone can do it, you can!

Interesting idea. Haven't seen this done before. Growers here keep the trees fairly short for picking, but no where near this short.

hey Bob, I think I saw the same video on YT, it shows the old fig trees and how they’re trained at 1:45 in the video.

i think they must be at least 50 years old.... crazy! Just like citrus, can live over 100 years with care...

Fig tree cultivation Japan, YouTube

Bob - and other fig growers: I trimmed off a 10 inch "branch" From the Italian Honey FIg that was sticking out into the walk-way. Not thinking too much about it I stuck it in a neighboring pot. Welllllll..... it rooted.

? Can it grow on it's own root stock or do I need to graft it to something else?

I’ve heard figs root very easily and do not require rootstocks as much as citrus....

That’s right, it will take of fast. So, if want to make new tree’s, you know how to do it. You can airlayer figs easily, that’s what I be doing soon, in a couple of weeks.

Kate, when you collect some of the finest varieties, you can use them for exchanges or just send it to your members of choice, Martin on the Houzz fig forum is one of the finest members there, super helpful, there are others spread out all over the country. For me, it has been a trip to say the least.I can go on and on about collecting and making new tree’s.

Figs "cuttings" root quite easily and quick. Figs trees in general are much easier to grow than citrus.

If you want to grow something different try this, Brazilian grape. A fun experience!!

Figs can be surprisingly hardy. I mean, people often think of them as subtropicals, but they can survive in somewhat colder climates. Up here in Olympia, WA there are some huge fig trees in people's yards, and although they may not leaf out until later in the year, the they can still produce some very big fig fruits.

Bob, what did you mean when you enjoyed the figs on your tree up until 5 years ago?YOu have some pretty nice trees there buddy. Mines are still asleep and maybe that is why I barely get many fugs by the time summer ends.

I have a Chicago hardy that actually survived the winter plante din the ground, excited about that but them I'll get a few warm days to wake it up by now then hard winter just rolls right back in to hurt it. Then it will be set back until it finally warms up again in May, which shortens its growing season. Just can't win with mine(

Mike, I use to grow way more varieties than I do now. Might had a dozen or more, now I scale down to 5 or 6 varieties.

On a scale one through ten, figs come in eight in my taste test. I give away pretty much all I grow. If my wife feels like making her famous jam, l have the perfect varieties for that.

I also saw that thing on training fig trees low in commercial settings. I read or saw that they let the tree grow up several feet and then slowly bend it (during a multiple day period) until they can get the top of the tree to make contact with the ground. The apical bud grows up from there and the part in contact with the ground makes roots. I think they indicated this keeps the figs closer to the ground for harvesting and I forget if they indicated the additional rooting points provides more access to the soil. I am trying to train one branch from an existing tree to do this. The low branch had already gotten low enough to touch the ground and root and then a tall shoot developed. Last year I bent that shoot over and put a brick on it. Now it's rooted there and the apical bud is just putting out a few little leaves. I guess one could have a "Loch Ness Monster" type fig tree winding around all over the yard after some years of repeating that process.

I have a Shirazi (Estahban) fig tree which produces tons of figs, very sweet , greenish yellow colour with the ends opening up and a reddish colour. The only problem with it is that it ripens latish in the year, around late October, when it might be too cold to harvest. But two years ago, after a very cold spell, I ventured out and found a lot of lovely sweet figs. My husband made jam, and we pickled some, too. I have 3 of these trees (bushes) which all started from cuttings, and I do nothing special for them. No fertilizers, nothing, and yet they are very vigorous, and produce these lovely juicy fruit.

I think in a longer summer season, much more figs would be enjoyed. I shall try and see if I can post a photo. If not, it's on my ideabook. Everyone, please keep well and isolated, and lucky all of you who have greenhouses.

Wow! I can't believe I was able to post!!!

That’s beautiful bob! You’re quite the artist :) can’t wait to see your shaped tree next year! Me I’m just trying to source a smith fig can’t seem to find it in Canada yet though I still have a few calls to make to some nurseries couple hours away from here! Got my wish list thanks to you bob! Some persimmons, jaboticaba and perhaps a paw paw or some avocados the list can go on!

I wish I could send you what I grow legally, without you or me getting into trouble, you be set. Fines are a deterrent. I wish I could find a way.

Oh bob I wish we are on the same side of the border but That’s ok bob Just send me lots of pictures of your harvest it’ll be like I was there :)

Soozi, you got a beautiful collection of flowers, nice going. About your figtrees, inground you don’t feed them, their root system will find anything they need. I do notice the figs are splitting, you have that with the late variety when their is too much water available in late season.

Thank you, Bob. Once I stop worrying about the Coronavirus, and things settle down, I am going to look for Italian honey figs. The splitting is the characteristics of this variety. In Iran, they are dried and people eat them like popcorn is eaten in the US. By the handfuls. Delicious and healthy. I just wish they would ripen more quickly.

Soozi, once you get into figs, the choices are huge, study a bit, than take the plunge.

will do. Do you have any experience with Italian Honey figs? It seems like you do. I just read your post regarding the cutting that rooted for you. Did you get figs? I also seem to remember that you suggested a variety called Smith? I think I have to go back and find and read all the pertinent posts. Thanks for your suggestion.

Smith is one of the more desirable varieties, there Are a lot more. You can check out the : Ourfig forum. They specialize in figs big time. Most members agree that rootcuttings are over, unless someone got some leftovers in the fridge. Just me know if you come to a variety you like to have. If you are set with Italian varieties there are a lot of them that are better than what you have now.

Bob, I need to prune my fig trees now because they expand out so much and I don't want them to shade my roses ;)

Keep in mind in colder areas, the fig options are more limited. You ideally have to select a variety that will put out a "breba" crop before winter begins. Out where I am, the two most popular varieties are 'Olympian' and 'Desert King'.

(Of course, winters don't get that cold here, it's just a short growing season)

SoCal, Dessert King has only a Breba crop, for me it’s not worth growing. A variety that has a bigger and better tasting main crop is what I am looking for. Where you are located, it might be a better choice .I had two, let one of them die, the other is used as part of my deer fence.

The one phrase i immensely dislike, when I see this quote: This is the best thing I ever ate.

socal here short growing season is a problem for us too we are much more north than you so all we have here are those two varieties as well but I’m going to try to grow mine in a greenhouse see if that helps I’ll update everyone!

bob your fig varieties are a dream!