I just got a catalog from One Green World. Of course I'm enthralled.
I've been planning on planting figs this coming spring. I had picked out Brown Turkey and then wanted to try a second variety to be named later (when I got to the plant nursery). Bob Wells Nursery is about an hour away and I thought I'd go there for my fig trees. Now, of course, I'm finding other varieties in the One Green World catalog. Is there much of a differrence between Vern's Brown Turkey and Brown Turkey? Also Black Mission and Black Spanish? Good taste and good production is necessary. The good taste is for me and the good production is just in case the local coyotes get brave and decide to get into my figs (the way they did with my watermelons).
I realize that Bob Wells' is in Texas and OGW is in the Northwest, but figs do well in Texas I'm told.
So which would you choose? Or do you have another suggestion?
I am also posting this question with the fruit and nut forum.
A fig question
I have Texas Brown Turkey and it does very well, but if I were you I would wait till spring to plant them in ground, they can get killed to the ground in zone 8, mine has died to the ground 3 times in the 35 years that i have had it.
You could buy the trees now and keep potted and protected until spring.
As far as the coyotes getting them don't worry about that, the squirrels and birds will get to them a lot sooner.
Josephine.
hehehe, thanks frostweed!
We don't really have many squirrels out here as we have several varieties of hawks and owls. The birds might be a problem. That's why I want more that one tree/variety.
And, oh yes, I won't be buying or planting until spring. I forgot to mention that, sorry!
I have two petite nigra fig trees in large pots on my patio (NE Texas). I keep them pruned back, and they really produce well with two crops each year. The fruit is very dark purple and sweet. I have to be sure to pick them as soon as they become ripe or near-ripe or the birds get them. They ripen nicely on my kitchen counter. No problems with insects or disease and they are cold tolerant (they just survived 21 F this week without protection). I highly recommend this variety.
Great! a frost hardy fig, and you patio looks great too, it is set up for good conversation.
I've read a lot on figs trying to figure out what kind I had before to replant the same at my newer location. The one at the old place was bought and labeled as a Texas Everbearing. I've been told that's the same as the Texas Brown Turkey. I've since bought two labeled as Texas Brown Turkey and they are darker purple to black rather than the brown ones from the Texas Everbearing. I don't think the taste is as good either. I don't suppose any of you know how to tell the difference in these if they're not fruiting do you? I'd really like to find one of the large fruited brown figs, whatever they're called!
Crow
skunkbay, thanks for the picture . They look lovely in that big pot.Now you got me thinking of doing the same. Do you know how many gallons?
I would estimate the pots are about 25 gallon size. They are clay and fairly heavy but can be moved with a handtruck. I didn't want plastic or synthetic material because they wouId heat up too much or breakdown in sunlignt. I was going to make my own pots out of reinforced cement but we have a local outlet in Pilot Point that has these and larger pots at low prices. I believe I purchased the Petite Nigra figs from Logee's if I recall correctly.
I would go for Bob Well's for the at least some of your picks, just because you can see what you are getting. They only sell what grow well in this area. I also like supporting local business. I would highly recommend getting several varieties. This is truly the only way to find out what will do best in your area and meet your requirements for production, taste, etc. I would plant more than you think you need and then thin out the ones you like the least, if possible.
Skunkbay, thanks for the photo and the suggestion! I see that you have drip irrigation in the pots. So does once a week irrigation do well for you? Those pots look so attractive. I'm rather fond of the clay pots myself.
Kenboy, Bob Wells is on my spring budget as I have other things I want there. I've never been before but have been wanting to go for almost a year. I'll probably have to hitch the trailer to the 3/4 ton truck before all is said and done =)! That's how long I've been planning. I wanted to go this past weekend but my little corgi ate something he shouldn't and got sick. I like to buy from the local nurseries as well--luckily David Austin is down in Tyler. Mail order/local counts too, right?
Terri. The drip irrigation is hooked up to a battery operated timer that I set for 5 minutes every other day when only light watering is needed and set to water two times a day when it gets really hot. I can adjust the emitters down to a very low trickle or adjust for individual pots of different sizes so I don't overwater. The one system waters 6 plumeria, 2 pineapple quava, 3 trumpet vines (which will eventually cover the central arbor), the two fig trees and the 4 pots on top of the small pillars. I've shut off the system and disconnected it for the winter and only hand water as needed.
Terri, I would wait for a while to go to Bob Well's. Winter is not here yet and they have not gotten their shipments of bare root plants and trees in yet. If you went now you would be getting leftovers from the last shipment. I am planing on getting several trees and Blueberry this year myself. One thing I have learned year ago, a lot of times smaller fruit trees will out grow the larger ones. A two year old field grown tree will go through more shock than a one year old tree. Years ago I planted several ball and burlap fruit trees and then I went to Wolf's nursery and bought six bare root peach trees called whips. They were about 18"long, about as big around as a pencil and had no side shoots. I planted them in very large, well amended holes. They out grew the larger trees in every way. I picked a five gallon bucket of peaches off one Loring in its second year.
kenboy, thanks for the advice. I agree with you about the whips and have finally convinced DH as such. If Bob Well's carries those in the trees I want then maybe I won't need the trailer after all! Haven't heard of Wolf's nursery. Is it local?
skunkbay, thanks for the drip irrigation info. It is so helpfull to find out what works for other folks.
Wolf's started in Stephenvill and had at least one store in Fort Worth.