Getting Figgy with it!

Start your very own Fig (Ficus carica) orchard with our collection of six different cultivars!  Figs are a fun tree/bush to grow in your garden because they are highly ornamental and produce delicious fruit with little maintenance.  Although Figs are subtropical plants, they can adapt to colder conditions!  (Zone 7-10, Full Sun)  If you are unsure of which Zone you live in, please click here to check your area: http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/


1.  'LSU Purple' Fig:

  • Fine tasting
  • Potential for 3 crops per year
  • Bushy habit


2.  'White Marseilles :

  • Large fruit
  • Yellow skin
  • Thomas Jefferson's favorite fig


3.  'Little Ruby' Fig :

  • Dwarf Habit, great for containers
  • Medium to small crimson red fruit
  • Hardy to zone 6!


4.  'Desert King' Fig :

  • Produces a strong fall crop
  • Excellent for containers
  • Yellow skin & strawberry colored pulp


5.  'Lattarula' Fig 

  • Italian honey fig
  • Amber colored flesh, yellow skin
  • Relatively compact habit

6.  'Olympian' Fig :

  • Very reliable producer
  • Very sweet, purple fruit
  • Hardy to zone 6!


CARE INSTRUCTIONS 

  1. Plant young plants into a 4-6 inch pot,  using a well drained potting soil.  Then gently water it in.  Place pots in a bright area, preferably outside, that receives at least 5-6 hours of sun per day.  Be sure to keep soil moist.  Figs are very vigorous growers and will root into the pot quickly.  
  2. Once established they can be stepped up into a larger container (15-20 gallon) or planted into the ground.  At this point, pick a warm spot in full sun to place the containers or to plant into the ground.  Full sun exposure will ensure better yields.
  3. Some fig varieties have the ability to produce two crops per year; the ones in this collection that do are noted above.  These varieties can produce a breba crop, which is an early crop that forms in Spring on top of last season's growth.  All varieties will produce a main crop on the current season's growth; this will come in late summer.  The main crop is the highest quality.  When the fruit is slightly soft and bending at the neck it is ready to be picked!  
  4. Then fig-out, fresh picked figs are down right incredible!  Eat them fresh, dried, make into jam or fig rolls.


OTHER TIPS

  • In colder regions be sure to plant near a south facing wall, as this is typically the warmest area.
  • Container grown figs make for easy over wintering, just keep bring to an area that will not drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit.  Then move back to full sun area once the weather warms up.  You can find many other tricks for successfully over wintering figs with a quick web search.
  • Fertilize in Spring with a slow release.  Use 3 cups of 8-8-8 on well established plants and about 1.5 cups on plants under two years old.
  • Keep soil moist, except when dormant.  During the dormant period very little water is required.
  • Figs can become a tree or pruned into a bush.  A bush is ideal as it is easy to protect in the winter months and makes for easier harvest.  It is best to prune while dormant after the coldest period has passed.  At year 2 if more branching is desired they can be sheared back by one third to one half after danger of the last frost.  Encourage horizontal branching, they will produce the most fruit.


We stand by our plants. However, if any perish, please contact us with pictures within 72 hours.  We will refund the cost of each plant.