Take care of your garden
The fig tree is one of the most popular fruit trees for home gardens near Monterey Bay.
The common fig tree, native to the Mediterranean, is easily grown in the gardens of our Mediterranean climate.
In colder climates, gardeners who plant fig trees in the cold season should use a variety of methods to expose their plants to wintering. Monterey Bay’s moderate climate has many benefits, including enjoying the beautiful sycamore trees throughout the year.
These trees are leafless, so they have not had leaves for a few months since December, but we appreciate the announcement of the new season and their leaves in March.
Another good reason to have a fig tree in your garden is that many common species grow on their own: a tree grows well, without the need for male or female trees, and without research on growing insects.
This typical quality of figs contains the plant part of carcinocarpine. This may be the first word of the day for botanists. (More to come.)
This quality makes it easier to grow the common fig, known as the “garden fig.” Ficus carica, a wild mutation, was grown at least 6,500 years ago in the Near East, before it developed other crops, such as grapes, olives, and dates.
The wild species of Ficus Carica has both male and female plants, and has a genetic predisposition. Blastophaga psenes need pollen per minute. This variety of figs is widely grown in California for its nutritional flavor, and is mostly used for dried figs, desserts and baked goods (e.g. figs Newton). California (built) is the name of a species of calmir and fig that is associated with its territory near the ancient Turkish city of Sumerne.
A third important reason for growing figs is that many people enjoy them, but they are different in taste and texture. Farmers have cultivated many species of Ficus carica with subtle tastes and some developmental differences.
The most famous and beloved variety in California was the Black Mission, which began in 1769 when French missionaries planted it in the San Diego area. Like the common fig, the black mission has two crops each year.
The first crop grows from mature branches, forming small figs in the fall or fall, and remains dormant during the winter months. These fruits ripen in early summer until mid-summer, yielding a ‘breeze’ crop.
The second crop, considered to be the main crop of the year, grows from this year’s sycamore crop, usually in late summer to autumn, or in the fall, with the traditional “Higos” crop.
I did not learn the origins of the terms “barbarian” and “higos”. They may be of Turkish origin.
When I first saw my garden in 1978, it had a well-established black fig tree. It grows vigorously and carelessly, up to 25 feet[25 m]in height, which makes it very attractive to many gardeners, but also easy for birds to reach.
Longtime readers of this column have followed my efforts to manage this tree, first by cutting out the spying form near the garden fence. This method involves tying horizontal branches to posts on both sides of the tree and removing branches that grow away from the fence or grow into a fence. That annual approach has had some success in making the fruit more accessible but has not reduced the height of the tree.
The next strategy was to remove the growing branches and plan for achievable fruit. Not wanting to endanger the health of the tree, I learned from local occasional fruit growers in California that the tree responds to such pruning. A.D. By the end of December 2019, we had completed this hard cut during the tree dormancy.
The tree has been doing well. A.D. It bears sprouts in March 2020, and has grown significantly since then, but before the pruning season, it bears little fruit with little taste compared to production.
I was delighted to see that the tree appeared to be fully recovered. Corresponding photos now show the normal amount of fruit in growth, and the expected fruit ripening in late October.
An important characteristic of common figs is that when the fruit is removed from the tree, it stops growing and enters the aging process. This process brings us to another term for plant nurses – the quality of the fruit climate. Figs should be picked after full ripening, which is when the ripeness is at an advanced stage, with the best taste and texture for the food. Figs are harvested when they are soft to the touch, hanging from their trunks and often showing cracks in the skin. After this favorable harvest, the fruit becomes susceptible to fungal infestation and cell death. not good.
Because of this quality, fresh figs are rarely available in grocery stores. Those who appreciate figs can increase their rewards by growing their own fig tree. The most enthusiastic home growers have many small plants that grow in containers. This practice offers a variety of flavors in small fruit sizes with a variety of ripening programs.
Increase your knowledge of gardening
YouTube has a lot of information on how to cut figs and grow and collect these plants.
Upcoming Webinars are here to expand your knowledge and ideas.
The American Iris Association will launch two webinars in September:
“Introduction to the Growing Pacific Iris” September 5:30 pm 1. Presented by Bob Sussman.
By Wendy Scott, “Beauty is for the past, for the future.”
For more information and registration for these webinars, email AISwebinars@gmail.com.
The art of recording many early webinars is available at youtube.com/c/TheAmericanIrisSociety/videos.
The Cactus and Success Association will present its website, “New Lip Info,” at 10 p.m. The presenter will be Dr. Roy Erley, focusing on the important work that the Lithops Foundation has done and is doing. This work has been completed with a new book, as well as conservation projects planned to protect and rehabilitate the Litopo colonies in Namibia and South Africa. Lithopes are called “living stones.” They are small plants that are popular with small collectors.
For information and registration for this free event, go to cact Thousandsucculentsociety.org/.
Enrich your gardening days
Consider adding figs to your garden. Pieces, as described above, are available on YouTube, from gardeners ‘friends, or from local California producers’ annual sales exchanges, usually in January.
Enjoy your garden!
Tom Carwin is president of the Friends Club of UCC Santa Cruz Arborum, the Monterey Bay Area Cactus and Success Association, and the Monterey Bay Irises Association and Lifetime UC Gardener (certified 1999-2009). He is currently a board member and gardener for the Santa Cruz Hostel Association. To see daily photos from his garden, https://www.facebook.com/ongardeningcom-566511763375123/. Visit http://ongardening.com to search the archives of previous gardening columns.