Topic: Choosing a fig variety - advice please

[tricia]

I have a 45cm pot against a south facing wall which until recently held an uninteresting 'Jenny' kiwi plant - the fruit were tiny and usually fell off! I'm thinking of using this quite deep pot to grow a fig tree but am not sure which variety to choose. I want a reliably prolific fruiting one with a dark purple skin. I used to pick large juicy figs from a tree growing wild near my home when I lived in Spain. They were wonderful for jam making and as a dessert fruit.

Any advice as to the best variety and a reliable supplier would be appreciated. Is it possible to buy one rather larger than 50 - 100 cm in a 5 l pot, which is what seems to be the norm on the sites I have googled?

I'm in the S.W. by the way.

Tricia

[Jayb]

Sorry I'm not much help, I can't recommend a fig variety as my experience of Brown Turkey and one from a cutting from my aunties gorgeous tree just haven't done well in similar size pots. I'm pretty sure I noticed one of this years catalogues with a dwarf fig, just cant remember which at the momment.

Slightly off track, I have had good results with some of the patio fruit trees from Blackmoor nursery, Pear, cherry and apple. I've a couple of the peach and nectarine too but they are kept indoors to avoid peach curl. Perhaps something there to take your fancy?

[realfood]

The varieties usually recommended for the UK are Brown Turkey or Brunswick, as they are both fairly hardy for our Winters. I have one grown outside for a few years, in a sheltered position, and it fruits every year.

[artichoke]

I have only grown Brown Turkey and most years they are brilliant. Last year late frosts destroyed the tiny developing figs, so we had no ripe ones in August. High hopes for this year.

A relation of mine, a professional fruit farmer, grows them in open fields in Kent, like apple trees, and usually makes a handsome profit.

[tricia]

Thanks for the input folks. After a lot of internet research I decided to call my nearest garden centre - only to be told it had closed down a couple of months ago! I then called the next closest and they had two varieties in stock - a yellow fruiting one and one called ficus carica Jordan which is dark purple-red with strawberry red flesh and is supposedly very hardy. I drove over (I wanted a red sweet pepper plant too) and bought a very healthy looking 'Jordan'. It has two side branches which are ideally placed to be trained as a fan against the wall. The trellis from the kiwi is still in place so the fig tree will be planted and tied in tomorrow.

Tricia