Take care of your garden
Figs are one of the most popular home gardening fruit trees in the Monterey Bay area.
Native to the Mediterranean, the common fig (Ficus carica) grows easily in local gardens that are comfortable in our Mediterranean climate.
Gardeners who grow fig trees in colder climates must overwinter their plants using a variety of strategies, the most laborious of which is literally burying the tree in a ditch during the coldest months. Monterey Bay’s temperate climate has many benefits, including attractive fig trees all year round.
These trees are deciduous so they are leafless for a few months from December onwards, but we appreciate their sprouting in March, which heralds the new season.
Another good reason to have a fig tree in your garden is that many common varieties are self-pollinating: a single tree grows well without the need for both male and female trees and without relying on pollinating insects.
This property of the common fig carries the botanical term parthenocarpy. This can be the first word of the day for botanical nerds. (More to come.)
This characteristic helps to facilitate the cultivation of the common fig, known as the “gardener’s fig”. The Parthenocarpic variety Ficus carica, a mutation of the wild variety, was grown in the Middle East at least 6,500 years ago, long before other fruit crops such as grapes, olives, and dates were domesticated.
The wild variety of Ficus carica has male and female plants with the property of being gyno-dioecious. It requires pollination by a tiny wasp (Blastophaga psenes). This variety of fig is widely grown commercially in California for its appealing nutty taste and is mainly used in dried figs, confectionery and pastries, such as: This is the Calimyrna fig variety, the name of which associates California (where it was developed) with its homeland near the ancient Turkish city of Smyrna.
The third major reason for growing figs is their unique taste and texture, which most people find pleasant, but which are different from other popular fruits. Breeders have developed many varieties of the common Ficus carica variety, with subtle variations in taste and some differences in growth.
A very well known and popular variety in California is the Black Mission Fig, introduced in 1769 when Franciscan missionaries planted it in the San Diego area. Like most common figs, the Black Mission has two harvests each year.
The first harvest develops from ripe twigs, forms small figs in the fall or fall, and remains dormant during the winter months. These fruits ripen in early to midsummer and provide the “Breba” harvest.
The second harvest, which is the main crop of the year, develops from this year’s shoot growth and, depending on the variety, ripens in late summer to autumn or autumn and provides the “higos” harvest.
I have not learned the derivation of the terms “breba” and “higos”. They could be from the Turkish language.
There is a black missionary fig in my garden that has been well established since I first met in 1978. It grows with vigor and without care to a height of at least 25 feet, which brings much of the fruit too high for the gardener but within easy reach of the birds.
Long time readers of this column will have followed my efforts to manage this tree by first pruning a trellis shape next to the garden fence. This method involved tying horizontal branches to posts on either side of the tree and removing branches that had grown into or out of the fence. This 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 branches growing upwards and allow for accessible fruits. Not wanting to endanger the health of the tree, I learned from knowledgeable members of the California Rare Fruit Growers Association that the tree would respond to such pruning with new growth. We made this drastic cut during the tree’s dormant period in late December 2019.
The tree developed well. It produced buds on schedule in March 2020 and has grown vigorously since then, but has only produced small amounts of mild-flavored fruit compared to its production before the hard cut.
I am very pleased to announce that this tree appears to have made a full recovery. The attached photos show the normal amount of fruit currently under development and the expected ripeness of the fruit in late October.
Develop figs. (Tom Karwin – contribution)
Mature black mission figures are expected at the end of October. (Tom Karwin – contribution)
An important characteristic of the common fig is that its fruit stops growing when it is removed from the tree and reaches its age. This process brings us to another term for botanical nerds: the climacteric quality of the fruit. The fig should be harvested when it has reached full ripeness, that is, when it has reached the peak of edible ripeness, with the best flavor and texture for consumption. This harvest time for figs is when they are soft to the touch, hanging from their stems, and often with a crack in the skin. After this ideal harvest time, the fruit becomes susceptible to fungal attack and begins to be broken down by cell death. Not good.
Because of this quality, fresh figs are rare and can only be found briefly in grocery stores. Those who value figs can maximize their rewards by growing their own fig tree. The most enthusiastic home growers will grow several small plants of “gardener’s fig” varieties in containers. This practice leads to a series of taste experiences with small amounts of fruit, hopefully with different ripening times.
Expand your gardening knowledge
If you search for “fig propagation” on YouTube, you will find a wealth of information about how to propagate figs from cuttings and how to cultivate and harvest these plants.
Here are upcoming webinars to expand your knowledge and ideas.
The American Iris Society will host two webinars in September:
“An Introduction to Growing Irises on the Pacific Coast” at 5.30pm on September 1st. The moderator will be Bob Sussman.
“Beauty from the past, saved for the future,” at 5:30 pm on September 8th, presented by Wendy Scott.
For more information and to register for these webinars, send an email to AISwebinars@gmail.com.
Recordings of several previous webinars are available at youtube.com/c/TheAmericanIrisSociety/videos.
The Cactus and Succulent Society will present the webinar “The New Era of Lithops Information” on September 4th at 10 am. The moderator will be Dr. Roy Earle who focuses on the important work of the Lithops Foundation. This work culminated in a new book as well as conservation projects for the preservation and restoration of the Lithops colonies in Namibia and South Africa. Lithops, also called “living stones”. Small succulents are popular with collectors.
Information and registration for this free event can be found at cactusandsucculentsociety.org/.
Enrich your garden days
Consider adding a gardener’s fig tree to your garden. As mentioned above, cuttings are available on YouTube from a gardening fanatic or from the local section of the California Rare Fruit Growers’ annual Scion Exchange, usually in January.
Enjoy your garden!
Tom Karwin is past President of Friends of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, Monterey Bay Area Cactus & Succulent Society, and Monterey Bay Iris Society, and a Lifetime UC Master Gardener (Certified 1999-2009). Today he is a board member and garden coach of the Santa Cruz Hostel Society. To view photos from his garden daily, https://www.facebook.com/ongardeningcom-566511763375123/. To search an archive of previous On Gardening columns, visit http://ongardening.com.
