The Texas ‘Blue Giant Fig’ is a fig tree variety which produces extra-large figs with deep purple skin, amber flesh, and very sweet. The fruit has hints of honey and berry flavors, and is best enjoyed when fully ripened on the tree (courtesy: homesteadandchill.com).
By John Green, Texas Certified Expert Gardener, Orange County,Texas
It is my opinion that by far the easiet fruit to grow in SETX are figs! Common figs, (Ficus carica), are unique since they do not require pollinators for the fruit development. It is my yearly mission to extol the wonderous fig (in case I didn’t mention…figs my favorite fruit)! Figs will be ripening over the next several weeks and many of you may be harvesting figs now! Many of us treasure similar memories of harvesting figs with loved ones’, picking and eating figs directly from the family tree (or sneaking over to the neighbors’ tree). Perhaps the childhood memory evoked is assisting Oma make fig preserves?
Fig trees (properly cultivated) will produce bountiful harvest (sometimes too many at once) for many years. The fruit is soft, has a sweet, almost creamy texture, often used in baking, and years ago to sweeten meats. Figs provide an excellent source of dietary fiber, loaded with minerals (iron, potassium, and calcium). Most often, figs are consumed fresh, dried, or cooked into preserves.
Fun Fact: figs are commonly known as fruit but ‘technically’ a fig is a syconium—a small group of inverted flowers which grow inside a pod. There are hundreds of flowers in each pod and each flower produces a small seed, which is the actual fruit.
Figs are easily cultivated and adaptable, the primary reason they have long been grown on Southern homesteads. They enjoy warm climates and appreciate hot, dry summers with cool wet winters. Mature trees are cold hardy to around 15 or 20º F. Figs require full sun exposure (minimum 6 hours) to produce quality fruit, though more sunlight is better! Select a planting location with a Southern exposure to protect ‘early’ developing fruit from cold. Fig trees grow quickly with a shallow, spreading root system. They can quickly reach 15 to 50-feet tall (depending upon the variety). Good drainage is key but figs tolerate many different soil types. Beware of planting them low spots in the garden where excess rainfall accumulates. Plant trees slightly deeper than soil level from their nursery pot but don’t fertilize at planting. I recommend using a root stimulator at planting. Trees require supplemental watering during summer months for the first 2 to 3 years. Once established, they are extremely very low-maintenance trees.
Avoid pruning fig trees unless limbs are broken or dying. Thin growth in older trees to stimulate more lateral branching and encourage increased fruit production. Figs require a dormancy period during winter. Reduce supplemental watering in the fall to encourage plants to go dormant. Plants which have lots of foliage are more susceptible to freeze damage. Figs do enjoy soil rich in organic matter. Gardeners should apply generous amounts of compost and a high-nitrogen organic fertilizer like cottonseed, soybean or alfalfa meal in spring, as well as composted manure. Fig trees prefer a soil pH of 6.5 and need to be fertilized once established to flourish. Once the tree is established, little maintenance is required other than applying fertilizer once a year (Arp to May). Some gardeners might prefer to use a general-purpose chemical fertilizer such as 8-8-8 or 13-13-13. Fig trees do not require pollinators.
Allow fruit to fully ripen on the tree, but do not allow to over-ripen! Be careful not to allow too much fruit to over-ripen, as spoilage in drying fruit occurs as a result of the dried fruit beetle. Spoilage on the tree can occur from microorganisms in the fully ripened fruit. Daily harvest and regular removal of over-ripening fruit from the tree can cut back on these problems.
A few of the best ‘common’ fig varieties for cultivating in SETX are: ‘LSU Purple’, ‘Texas Blue Giant’, ‘Brown Turkey’,‘Tiger’, ‘Celeste’, ‘Alma’, and ‘Black Italian’.
LSU Purple – a newer variety which reliably produces both an early crop (May) and late crop (Sept) of figs in our area with large fruits. The trees are nematode resistant, and the taste is “incredible”.
Texas Blue Giant – has extra-large fruit (potentially the size of an apple) with purple skin and amber flesh. The fruit is very sweet, having hints of honey and berry flavors, and best enjoyed when fully ripened on the tree.
Brown Turkey – also known as “Spanish Mission” and “Texas Ever-Bearing” fig is an easy to grow, hardy fig, that can be container grown or planted in the ground. The fruits mature to a dark brown color when ripe and could very well be the most versatile fig of all. This tree will produce figs at a very young age and have a smaller stature, which can easily fit into most home gardens. Expect two crops of medium to large fruit to be produced yearly.
Tiger –known for its distinctive green and yellow striped skin and strawberry-red flesh. Sometimes called the Striped Tiger Fig.
Celeste – is a hardy fig developing small to medium, violet-skinned fruit when mature. This tree will become a large fig tree and is highly productive. The flesh is rich and sweet, often used to make fig preserves. It fruits very early in the season (May to June), and it is one of the best figs to grow in Texas.
Alma – a variety known for its excellent, rich, sweet flavor and is particularly well-suited for the Deep South. Developed by Texas A&M and a popular choice for home gardens and orchards due to the high fruit quality, productivity, and pest resistance.
Black Italian – producing extremely sweet, large black fruit having glossy skin with dark red flesh. Tree produces both summer and a fall crops.
So long for now, fellow gardeners! Let’s go out and grow ourselves a greener, more sustainable world, one ‘fig tree’ at a time! Gardening questions answered: jongreene57@gmail.com.
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