A Stroll Through The Garden: Fig trees grow easily in Ohio - here's how to do it

One of my friends at the pool asked me if we really could grow and harvest the figs in Ohio. From the latest research I have done, what I discovered is yes, you can grow them and there is a potential you could have two crops of figs if you grow them in a hot house for two crops. I feel comfortable in saying you should be able to grow at least one crop of figs in Ohio outside.

Last August I wrote a column about figs, and in October, after a meeting of the Mansfield Men’s Garden Club, I wrote another because more research was available. After an interview I had with Brad Hamilton of Zenith Nursery, I knew I had to write about fig trees again. Hamilton said he is trialing 80 new varieties of figs and has had the best success growing Black Bethlehem, Chicago Hardy, Olympian, LSU Purple, Celeste and Brown Turkey. Each week Hamilton has been averaging 20 figs going to somewhere across the U.S.

I mentioned Brown Turkey fig trees, or Ficus carica, have 850 members in the family. This year I have seen fig fruit growing on fig trees inside Brad 's hot houses, which means there are different forms of pollination going on. When you find out there are 850 members of the same family, you should be aware you won’t know everything about your family.

What I discovered is the northern figs are self-pollinating. They don’t need any form of a pollinator to be able to produce fruit. I also discovered our host for the October meeting had been raising figs for a few years for sale. The shrub/tree was easily able to reproduce itself from cuttings. Brad cut the potted trees in two and placed them in some soil and peat moss. Figs that are done this way for a short period of time go through being in shock, but he expected to have plants ready for sale by the middle of June after making the cuttings in the middle of April.

Tips for growing figs

Figs are easy to grow and are one of the oldest fruits in cultivation. If you can find a good place in your landscape, it can live as long as 200 years. They are relatively low maintenance and, if the roots are allowed to grow, the plant will usually focus its energy on producing top growth rather than fruit.

To produce figs at a higher level you will need to keep an eye on the plant’s water needs. Too much or too little water can adversely affect fruit production. If after you have tested your soil and found you have very little potassium in the test, you are going to need to add potassium. Normally, you would plant a fig and fertilize it. Make sure you stop fertilizing two months before the last frost or you could damage the tree's growth.

One drawback to figs is the roots can be invasive. Make sure you don’t place the trees near pipes, sidewalks or driveways. What I find fascinating about fig tree roots is they do better in clay soil and won’t harm other trees’ roots as rapidly.

Figs are ideal for a homeowner because they are self-pollinated. If a fig tree is planted in organically rich, well-drained, moist soils that are neutral to acidic they should do well with some clay. To maintain an attractive shape, you need to lightly prune each winter. Therefore, prune in late fall after the main crop will allow the tree to recover and generate new wood for the next year’s crops.

Normally, Brown Turkey figs produce early and late crops. If you mulch the roots to maintain moisture in the fall, you should be able to sustain the fig during the winter. For the best results, Ohio Brown Turkey figs require protection from winter temperatures below 10 degrees. I recommend you would plant on a south or west wall or on a stone wall or solid fence where the plant could benefit from the radiant heat or other protected areas in zones 5 to 7.

Hope you have a great stroll through your garden this week. If you have any challenges let me know and drop an email to me at ericlarson546@yahoo.com . I shall make a blog soon and link it to my website at ohiohealthyfoodcooperative.org . Thanks for participating in our column.

Eric Larson of Jeromesville is a veteran landscaper and gardening enthusiast and a founding board member of the Ohio Chapter of Association of Professional Landscape Designers.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: A Stroll Through The Garden: Fig trees grow easily in Ohio - here's how to do it