Comments on: Spotlight on Summer’s First Fig

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 02:19:19 +0000

Leslie, mine has remained small (so far) at about six feet. Figs have soft wood and are easy to prune to the height you’d like. Don’t prune out too much as figs produce on last year’s growth. And no pollinator is needed.

By: Leslie Fellner

Leslie Fellner — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:03:09 +0000

How tall do the Violetta trees get? Do I need a polinator?
Thanks!

By: Violetta Fig Finishes Out the Season

Violetta Fig Finishes Out the Season — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:42:58 +0000

[...] Oddly I found mine at grocery store, but I’ve seen in them at the West Seattle Nusery. Negronne or Violette du Bordeaux is my favorite fig here on Vashon, but Violetta is a very close second. They ripen about 3-4 weeks [...]

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:53:04 +0000

I look forward to trying that! And as for the green figs, they are likely Dessert King, a large productive green fig with a thick skin. They are a very good producer in the Northwest. I like them for canning.

By: mahalie

mahalie — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:17:46 +0000

I just purchased three different fig trees from West Seattle Nursery this weekend – they had Negronne (best candidate for container planting according to the labels) and two purples, I can’t remember their names right now. $12.95 each! My neighbor has an older green fig tree on the south east corner of his lot (a LOT of sun) and it produces a huge abundance of giant almost pear sized figs. Btw, they are fairly easy to propagate. I’ve never propagated anything but rumors before and I still have one healthy one boppin along in a planter from my neighbor’s tree.

I love to eat them raw like apples and my favorite prep is broiled or grilled with either a basalmic reduction or honey glaze with mascarpone whipped cream! Divine!!!!

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:14:48 +0000

Negronne and Violetta are fine choices for the Seattle area as I've grown and harvested both. I thought they were both very flavorful and I've seen them both at nurseries locally, DIG nursery on Vashon and last year at West Seattle Nursery but in Seattle you may give a Swanson's in Seattle a call too. And you just have to keep it trimmed to your desired height as they will all reach for the sky, a sky well over our heads and ladders if allowed.

By: Celeste

Celeste — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:09:56 +0000

Tom, I should simply ask: what do you recommend for Seattle by way of a delicious, low-growing variety? I found several varieties at Molbaks that say they grow to 25′ tall and maybe any of these would work as long as I prune them. The spot in my garden is perfect for growing figs – I had a very healthy plant but the figs were white and insipid so I removed it and am looking for a suitable replacement.

By: Celeste

Celeste — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:04:24 +0000

Thanks! Now I need to find one of these Negronne figs! I found a Violetta; is that comparable?

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 14 May 2009 19:47:11 +0000

Celeste, figs are quite forgiving and if you prune the central lead down to the height you want when the tree is young, it encourages branched, shrub-like growth. My Negronne is only 6 feet tall and I had nice figs from it and a multi-branched trunk. I plan on keeping most of my fig trees less than 10 feet tall (which is quite a ‘tall’ order.

Another thing to remember is figs produce on last year’s growth, so be prudent with the shears for next year’s figs. Here’s some good info about growing figs from the North American Fruit Explorers: http://www.nafex.org/figs.htm .

By: Celeste Botha

Celeste Botha — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:09:41 +0000

I need a shrub-style fig with delicious fruit. Can this one be pruned to be a shrub?

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:18:16 +0000

Annette, figs are easily kept outside in the ground or in a pot in the Northwest, prudent pruning is needed for the latter option. In Seattle, we don’t have to bring in fig trees, and even some varieties are reputed to grow well as far north as Chicago.

The is easiest fig to grow I’ve found is a green fig call Dessert King (oddly enough), though my favorites to eat are Violetta and Negronne. Full sun works best when considering a location.

By: Annette

Annette — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:21:25 +0000

Hi Tom,

Do you keep your figs outside year round, or do you drag them in over the winter? I would love to have a fig but not sure where I would put it in the house.