My newest quest is adding a fig tree to my garden. It all started last fall when I took a trip to Bayer's in Imperial. They had a handful of great looking fig trees. The leaves have an interesting shape that is not like other things I have in the garden, plus they are fruit bearing. What's not to love? I asked some questions about cold hardiness, and growing conditions, and eventually shied away from purchasing. Fifty dollars for a plant is a huge investment, and I want to make sure my investments give me a return. I had doubts I could keep it alive over the winter.
Well, technically Spring isn't here yet, but the warm weather is here already. I started thinking about that fig tree again, and now I'm obsessed with researching them. I have done my homework and I'm now ready to purchase. I called around, and Bayer's has the best quality, and price, and my parents have graciously offered to pick one up for me sometime in the near future (they live a lot closer).
The type of fig I'm getting is Brown Turkey. Missouri Botanical Gardens grows this variety, and says it will do well as long as it's got some shelter, it's well mulched, and stays in a shrub form. This is very good to know, since the Spring arrivals at Bayer's are already in shrub form, but the ones they had in the fall were tree form. Apparently in shrub form, a few leaders (main stems) might die back, but you have less chance of losing the whole thing, whereas with a tree form, you lose the trunk, you lose the tree.
While I won't be providing my fig with any sort of true shelter, I will probably wrap it in a frost blanket or other tarp like material and stuff it with hay or leaves. I found out from my dad that his grandfather grew figs, and overwintered his in a similar fashion.
I already have the site selected, and the design in mind. It will be a formal style planting, hedged with boxwoods, and filled with a single variety of some perennial or annual for the greatest visual impact. Pics to come after it's installed.
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