Yes Figs Grow Around Fort Smith!

Purpose

Work closely with the River Valley Master Gardeners on a five-to-ten year Fig growing trial to determine what varieties are suitable for our climate gardening zone. We are seeking information on local Fig trees which have survived multiple years either with or without winter protection.

Document and show as many growing Fig trees in our area as possible so people will know what varieties to choose from when they search about Figs and possibly want to grow them, in and around Fort Smith.

Most people think about California or perhaps farther South and into Florida when growing Figs comes to mind but in truth, we can grow just about any variety of Fig as can be grown anywhere, depending on how much effort we want to put into it, to ensure survival of the tree(s).

There are many varieties of Fig, some considered more "cold hardy" than others and so, more suitable to growing here if we simply want to plant them out in the yard as we might any other fruit tree suitable for our climate, while others will require protection of some sort during our cold winters that will kill most fig varieties.

Ok Charlie, what Fig varieties can I grow in and around Fort Smith? If it is listed in the right column blog archive below, then it is a good variety choice. More will be continually added as they are found locally or resulting from the Learning Fields at Chaffee Crossing Fig Trial.

We can grow even the pickiest of Fig if we want to have them in containers we can move into a garage or other suitable enclosure during the winter to protect them from killing temperatures and others may suffice in a greenhouse but these are not really the ones we want to focus on in this blog. Most people simply want to plant a tree and not go to a whole lot of effort.

It is advised that any Fig variety grown here be given some protection during Winter while young and until they are well established with woody bark. Even then there are no guarantees they will survive. Our purpose here is to help you decide which are the best choices according to known survivors in our area.

Variety topics are always in the Blog Archive.


Monday, March 20, 2017

Spring 2017

Fairly mild winter except for a few isolated weather events, one of which saw 1 degree F and a couple others in the mid single digits.  That's about as cold as I ever remember.  All exposed growth that died was pruned off.  The good news is, all growth under the grass piles survived and is now pushing out growth.  

Every variety in-ground survived.  The following photo's aren't all but just a few to get a look under the grass which was pulled aside.  Many of the new shoots are lacking green due to being in the dark but they'll green up quickly now.

New ID tags were also placed today.

















I learned something about dry grass clippings these past few months.  They stay dry under the surface of the pile, even after substantial rain events.  A sort of matting forms on the surface and the water runs off.  This is good for winter protecting figs.

Here's a couple of garage kept potted figs, just because I like how they look.  Warm late winter caused them to wake up early and so they have been shuffled in and out of the garage many times already.  Hope spring is nice to us!