New Fig Grower Looking for Advice

paupau said:
I see lots of people using pots.. what's the general consensus on grow bags? I have 1 gallon ones that are plastic that look like brown lunch bags and then i have 5 gallon woven fabric bags. Would those be acceptable for growing figs in or are the hard plastic ones a hard requirement (no pun intended)?
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I have used grow bags before and found they tend to dry out faster in my climate than plastic pots so I only grow figs in 7 and 15 gallon plastic pots now. Many people use fabric grow bags successfully just be mindful of your watering frequency and opt for an automated drip irrigation setup over hand watering multiple times per day.
 
Trustyfarms said:
I have used grow bags before and found they tend to dry out faster in my climate than plastic pots so I only grow figs in 7 and 15 gallon plastic pots now. Many people use fabric grow bags successfully just be mindful of your watering frequency and opt for an automated drip irrigation setup over hand watering multiple times per day.
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yep that's what I currently use for my peppers. drip irrigation is the only reason my garden is the size that it is today lol
 
paupau said:
I see lots of people using pots.. what's the general consensus on grow bags? I have 1 gallon ones that are plastic that look like brown lunch bags and then i have 5 gallon woven fabric bags. Would those be acceptable for growing figs in or are the hard plastic ones a hard requirement (no pun intended)?
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Most of mine are in 7gal grow bags. Smaller trees and very large trees are in plastic pots. I find the small grow bags like 3gal size dry way to fast. Larger than 7gal grow bags are not made to move even though they have handles.
 
Check on Facebook Marketplace for fig trees this spring. I'll bet there are plenty of locals that are rooting more than they need and will put their extras up for sale.

Last fall I did that and bought 5 trees for $185. I thought at the time that I had paid too much, but now that I'm rooting cuttings, I realize that a healthy 2-year old tree for $50 is a bargain.
 
paupau said:
I see lots of people using pots.. what's the general consensus on grow bags? I have 1 gallon ones that are plastic that look like brown lunch bags and then i have 5 gallon woven fabric bags. Would those be acceptable for growing figs in or are the hard plastic ones a hard requirement (no pun intended)?
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You can use grow bags, they just dry out faster.
 
Also, everyone here have probably propagated too many duplicates and I suspect, rooted cuttings in 4x9 tree pots will be sold at a reasonable price.
paupau said:
I see lots of people using pots.. what's the general consensus on grow bags? I have 1 gallon ones that are plastic that look like brown lunch bags and then i have 5 gallon woven fabric bags. Would those be acceptable for growing figs in or are the hard plastic ones a hard requirement (no pun intended)?
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Most of us use hard plastics. The trees in bags require more attention meaning they need more frequent watering due to the soil drying out so quickly. If you don’t want to baby the trees I wouldn’t use them. Search in the forum for more in depth discussions about grow bags.
 
ohiobruce said:
Check on Facebook Marketplace for fig trees this spring. I'll bet there are plenty of locals that are rooting more than they need and will put their extras up for sale.

Last fall I did that and bought 5 trees for $185. I thought at the time that I had paid too much, but now that I'm rooting cuttings, I realize that a healthy 2-year old tree for $50 is a bargain.
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I sell trees on marketplace and have looked in the triangle area for varieties I don’t have in my collection.
 
paupau said:
I see lots of people using pots.. what's the general consensus on grow bags? I have 1 gallon ones that are plastic that look like brown lunch bags and then i have 5 gallon woven fabric bags. Would those be acceptable for growing figs in or are the hard plastic ones a hard requirement (no pun intended)?
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Many people use the grow bags. They have pros and cons. Especially in watering, they take a lot more water.
 
snarfing said:
i highly recommend checking out fruitwood nursery. theyre pretty nicely rooted plugs, smaller than a full tree but 2-3 inches of roots and they got some great varieties even now 10 dollars a plant + 15 shipping. their cuttings i think are 6 bucks ? but i mean when possible its worth it to buy them rooted lol
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Fruitwood is great. Bought lots of stuff from them, never rooted fig cuttings, but I have purchased scions, rootstocks, feijoas, and pomegranates from them.
 
paupau said:
Also so far White Marseilles has caught my eye as a potential honey fig to grow. Anyone here grown it that could comment on its cold/rain resistance?
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I have White Marseilles but it didn't ripen any figs 1st year. Another thing to look forward to.
 
Kompakfigs said:
Do you think it was from Lowes.
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Interesting...maybe this variety is very sensitive to it's conditions, because they got theirs as a small tree from a friend that also loves growing figs. Considering it's the variety they decided to share of all the ones they have I'm assuming the fig tastes good. It is possible the friend got it from Lowes, years ago 🤔

Does yours get a decent amount of sun?
 
GoneWithTheFig said:
Interesting...maybe this variety is very sensitive to it's conditions, because they got theirs as a small tree from a friend that also loves growing figs. Considering it's the variety they decided to share of all the ones they have I'm assuming the fig tastes good. It is possible the friend got it from Lowes, years ago 🤔

Does yours get a decent amount of sun?
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I believe I bought a White Marseilles (lost the tag) from Lowes and planted it at my mom's house. about 5 years ago. It gets full sun but never has produced figs yet. She doesnt take care of it so maybe its just needs more attention.
 
Kompakfigs said:
I believe I bought a White Marseilles (lost the tag) from Lowes and planted it at my mom's house. about 5 years ago. It gets full sun but never has produced figs yet. She doesnt take care of it so maybe its just needs more attention.
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Is that something typical for honey types? Maybe I won't do that one afterall
 
paupau said:
Unfortunately i'm not, i'm in the Raleigh area. How'd your figs do with the unusually harsh winter we've had so far? And yeah i definitely plan to do at least one potted tree this year, just not sure what yet. Going to check my local nurseries first but I also don't wanna spend $80 for a single plant quite yet.
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Hey Paupau, I'm in the Raleigh area too! I started this journey last year by buying an LSU Purple online at Home Depot. I also found a few varieties at the farmers market for $20 and $25 in 3 gallon pots. I have started a bunch of cuttings this year and if most thrive I will have more than I need and would be happy to give you a few. I'll contact you closer to spring when I know how many I have. I am hoping the trees I started last year made it through this winter and I don't have to replace many.
 
Annabanana said:
Hey Paupau, I'm in the Raleigh area too! I started this journey last year by buying an LSU Purple online at Home Depot. I also found a few varieties at the farmers market for $20 and $25 in 3 gallon pots. I have started a bunch of cuttings this year and if most thrive I will have more than I need and would be happy to give you a few. I'll contact you closer to spring when I know how many I have. I am hoping the trees I started last year made it through this winter and I don't have to replace many.
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Go pack! Thanks I'm hoping so too this winter was definitely harshest in a while.
 
If you want to get a snack without spending too much resources (time and energy), get a small tree locally. Fig trees grow fast and often fruit in months as long as you feed them properly. Try FB local groups or wait for a regional event. That is the easy way. Keep it in a pot while you figure out the rest - location, feeding, trimming, winter protection.

There is a learning curve to start with cuttings.

1. Which varieties to get? And where? You'll get 10-30 answers from 10 growers here. Being new, it would take a while to figure out which ones work best for you. Because no one except you know your exact preference and you probably haven't tasted any of the varieties mentioned in tree riped form. The ones you get from grocery stores aren't even close to compare.

2. How do you turn the cuttings into trees that give you everlasting snacks? That is another learning curve we all spend days/months/years to master.

Needless to say, the red pill is rewarding at different level. But for a snack, take the blue pill. 😆
 
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