Fun fig facts

[Major Nikon]

[LiberalEsto]

1. Not all figs require pollination

"The Brown Turkey Fig tree is a moderately growing fruit tree. The fruit has a reddish brown skin and a sweet red flesh. Brown Turkey does not need pollination." from



I've got a Brown Turkey fig tree in my yard in central Maryland. It has been doing exceptionally well the past few years, probably due to global warming.

[Major Nikon]

2. I had one, but it died

We had an exceptionally dry winter and it wasn't planted in a good spot. Eventually I'll plan another.

[LiberalEsto]

3. Where do you live?

Our fig struggled for the first few years, dying to the ground every winter and never producing fruit.

Then I learned the secret. Before the snow falls, make a cage from chicken wire around the fig, and fill it with fallen leaves. This insulates it against cold and dehydrating winds. In the spring, remove the cage. Some of the bottom leaves may have turned into compost, so leave them to feed the tree.

Because of this the fig started surviving the winters. After two or three years, I needed to stack two rings of chicken wire and leaves, because it grew taller. Then it started producing fruit and got too big to be caged, so I left off doing it. Now we have more figs than we can handle, so I give some away to friends and neighbors.

[Major Nikon]

4. North Texas

It did fine for years, but it was just that one dry winter that got to it. I think it would have survived had it been planted in an area with better soil. I have a small area of my yard that I need to bring in some topsoil or organic material.

[LiberalEsto]

5. Better soil sounds like it should help.

I don't know anything about the climate in your area, having lived and gardened only in the NY-NJ area and in central Maryland. But I think your idea of more organic material is a great idea.

Try the leaf cage with the next one. The leaves - and your added organic material - will keep moisture in the soil, and prevent the wind from drying the fig tree to some extent. I've also used something called Wilt-Pruf on plants like rhododendrons to keep their leaves from getting dehydrated in winter but I don't know whether it would be any help for a fig tree.

[Javaman]

6. That's great info. I have to try that, thanks! nt

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. granma made fig preserves. had a fig tree in her backyard. thanks for the thread.

interesting.