Date: Thu, 12 May 2011 11:35:40 -0400
From: Al Cooke
Subject: Figs
In response to a question earlier this week about figs, I don’t know that a nursery in or near Chatham grows figs, but I’m not a particularly good reference for shopping. You can plant figs now (if you can find one), but it would have been better to do it 6 weeks ago to get more root growth before summer. During summer plants have their greatest water need and you need to grow roots to accommodate that need. You can plant anytime, but the catch is how much attention you can give it during the year or two it takes to get it established.
When you finally find plants, avoid buying any fig that needs a pollinator. Fig pollinators (tiny wasps) don’t survive here and the figs that produce fruit in our area are those that don’t require pollination – Celeste, Brown Turkey, or Magnolia are the most common. I would not assume that anyone selling fig trees here would only offer varieties that work well here, because I get frequent calls about plants that don’t bear fruit. In all fairness, these sometimes turn out to be gifts or plants brought back from a trip to Somewhere.
For more on how to select and grow figs, there’s a good website summary at
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/brunswick/mastergardener/mg030929.html
Since we are near the northern limit of fig survival, it’s valuable to attend to all the fine details to improve success.
alcooke
Al Cooke
Extension Agent, Horticulture
Chatham County Center
N.C. Cooperative Extension
PO Box 279, Pittsboro, NC 27312
919.542-8202; Fax 919.542.8246
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/staff/acooke/home.html