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ch3rri

September Figs Update

ch3rri
13 years ago

I figure I should post this here too since Figs are good for us...hehehe

I bought my figs from treesofjoy on March 2010. They were still dormant when I bought them. After some care they grew beautifully and produced some delicious figs! It is hard to describe the taste and some more fruity than the other. All were very sweet. The skin on these figs were thin compared to the store bought. The taste of course is way better than the store bought. I just ate some brooklyn dark and it was so good, juicy, and fruity. The brooklyn dark fig is the largest in size compared to ronde de bordeaux, black mission, or hardy chicago. The dark portuguese figs still not near ripening. I would say the dark portuguese is a late season fig in PA or because this is the first season so the figs came a little late. If you ask me which is my favorite, I would say I like them all. If I have to pick then I would say brooklyn dark and ronde is the best because of taste, size, and color. Both have a really nice color inside. The ronde is a little prettier because of the dark purple color and reddish inside. Ronde is also a fast growing tree. I might have to change the pot again next year. Just picked a few more Ronde so I will enjoy these slowly.....hehehehe

Here is a link that might be useful: Click for more pictures

Comments (9)

  • simon_grow
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Great pics ch3rri, they look delicious! I wish I had a bigger yard so I can plant some figs. I hear figs are very high in fiber and have lots of nutrients. Thanks for sharing the pics.

  • hmhausman
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kristy:

    Your fig plants look so healthy. I am envious. My figs don't do well at all. I have only one in ground and it barely fruits. I guess they prefer pots, since yours are fruiting so well in really small pots. I am going to make a more concerted effort to do figs in pots. Thanks for the inspiration.

    Harry

  • jsvand5
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    They look great. The ronde de bordeaux is supposed to be great. That one is on my list of figs to add this fall. I don't have enough room in the yard for what I already have but I seem to keep adding more.

  • ch3rri
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Long long time ago I tasted figs and never really liked it much. Back then it was just a sweet fruit and not too interesting. However, after some research and some yummy pictures, I'm into figs now. I think you just have to get the great variety and not the store bought type. The most common is brown turkey and I heard it's not as great compared to the other. The one sold in store might not be as great because they picked them too early. The other reason why I get so many fig trees is because of the nutrition in the fig. In the future when my fig trees get bigger we can start an exchange or you can buy some cuttings so you can plant some good figs. :)

    Nutrition

    Figs are high in natural and simple sugars, minerals and fibre. They contain good levels of potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese. Dried figs contain an impressive 250mg of calcium per 100g, compared to whole milk with only 118mg.

    Nutritional Value of Fresh Figs
    Given below is the amount of nutrients present in 100g of fresh figs.

    * Carbohydrates - 19 g
    * Sugars - 16 g
    * Dietary Fiber - 3 g
    * Fat - 0.3 g
    * Protein - 0.8 g
    * Vitamin B6 -110 mg
    * Energy - 70 kcal / 310 kJ

    Nutritional Value of Dried Figs
    Given below is the amount of nutrients present in 100g of dried figs.

    * Carbohydrates - 64 g
    * Sugars - 48 g
    * Dietary Fiber -10 g
    * Fat - 1 g
    * Protein - 3 g
    * Energy - 250 kcal / 1040 kJ

    Health & Nutritional Benefits of Eating Figs

    * The rich potassium content of figs helps to maintain the blood pressure of the body.
    * Figs are rich in dietary fiber, which makes them very effective for weight management program.
    * Even leaves of the fig plant have healing properties. Eating fig leaves helps diabetic patients reduce the amount of insulin intake.
    * Consuming figs helps to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
    * Calcium and potassium present in figs prevent bone thinning and help to promote bone density.
    * Tryptophan, present in figs, induces good sleep and helps get rid of sleeping disorders like insomnia.
    * Eating figs relieves fatigue and boosts memory power.
    * Drinking fig juice helps to soothe irritated bronchial passages.
    * Consumption of figs with milk cures illness like anemia.
    * Due to their laxative effect, figs are helpful for treating chronic constipation.
    * Daily consumption of soaked figs (2-3) is an effective remedy for curing hemorrhoids or piles.
    * The soluble fiber, called pectin, in figs helps in reducing blood cholesterol.
    * When applied on skin, baked figs can cure inflammations like abscesses and boils.
    * Due to their high water content, mashed figs act as a very good skin cleanser and help in preventing and curing acnes and pimples.
    * Figs are rich in calcium and are excellent calcium alternatives for people who are allergic to dairy products.
    * Consuming figs also helps in aiding digestion and taming various stomach and bowel-related problems.
    * The juice obtained from green figs is effective for softening and treating corns.
    * Figs promote the overall well-being of an individual and are excellent aphrodisiacs.

  • Andrew Scott
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hey Kristi,
    Great to see that your trees did so well for you! I too am considering getting a few fig trees. I have seen them planted outdoors here and huge!! I saw one in Buffalo that was over two stories high and loaded with fruits. I think tat some varieties are hardy here because this is the Great Lake region and the Great Lakes offer protection from the bitter cold. 2 of my local nurseries sell them. The italians in the area plant them in ground and then during the winter, they bend over the tops and bury them in the soil to protect them. Very interesting to see. Glad you enjoyed your fruits. I will have to check out that website now. Maybe I can buy some next spring.
    Andrew

  • yellowthumb
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Ch3rri,

    You fig trees look healthy, but they are crying for a repot, a much much bigger pot. Forget what you learned from Container forum. And be bold with a big pot.

    Now you have to think about the tree pruning, this is important for figs in container. You want a compact shape that is open in the center and many growth tips. So you can have maximum fruit and better quality fruit. You don't want a fig tree that is tall and thin.

    Here is mine tree. It's 5 feet tall but over 9 feet wide. The trunk is 2 inches. This year I got over 300 figs, the whole family is having enough figs. My son used to have more than 10 each day, now he pretends the tree is not there.

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  • ch3rri
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    yellowthumb- your fig looks so good. I don't think I can keep my fig trees 9 ft wide...LOL. The only reason why I planted them in pots is because I didn't want to wrap them up in the winter. I don't really want my trees in the ground because they might grow too big and I can't reach for my figs....hehehe. Plus, the birds and squirrels will get them before me. But I might plant some in the ground when I can root some cuttings. This way if they die in the winter then I won't be too sad....lol.

    I will have to research on when is the best time to prune.

  • yellowthumb
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ch3rri,

    My tree is in container. I live in Canada. There is no way I can put figs in ground.

    Pruning is important for figs.

  • yellowthumb
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I normally prune at spring time. But some people say late fall.

    My container is a 50 gallon smart pot made of fabric. I am using the Coconut husk chips and cow manure as the soil mix.

    YT