News Article for June 25, 2012:

I was over cutting grass for my daughter while she was away for a few days and noticed her dog eating something from the ground. When I went to check it out he was under the fig tree eating all the over ripe figs and half bird eaten figs that were falling to the ground. Tipper is a dog after my own heart as I grew up eating figs and fig preserves and can think of nothing better to put on a hot buttered biscuit.

After I finished mowing the lawn I surveyed the tree and thought I would pick the ripe figs and might make fig preserves. I did not end up making the fig preserves because I consumed too many fresh figs with breakfast and then we put some in a salad with feta and spinach and I enjoyed that just as much. I cannot think of any fruit that is sweeter or easier to grow than figs.

The one characteristic to remember about figs is that they are shallow rooted, much like azaleas and they like good drainage. They also require a good amount of water to make figs and to keep the fruit from falling off the tree. If you are experiencing fruit drop on your fig tree that usually means that the tree is not getting enough water. I would plan on providing two inches of water per week in the absence of rain once the figs set fruit until harvest. I would also mulch heavily with organic mulch such as leaves or pine straw to help conserve moisture.

I do not see figs for sale very often so fortunately for those of us who are fig lovers there are a number of fig varieties that can be successfully grown in Louisiana.

Celeste is one of the most popular varieties grown here. It is an old brown fig variety with strawberry colored pulp. The fruit is relatively small but has a closed eye which reduces splitting and souring. It has good fruit quality for fresh or canned use and the tree has good cold tolerance. The fruit usually ripens in late June to July.

Brown Turkey has small to medium sized bronze fruit with amber to pink pulp. It has an open eye which does make it more susceptible to splitting and souring. It is a good producer with excellent fruit quality. Brown Turkey gets ripe about two weeks before Celeste.

LSU Purple is a medium sized dark purple to red fig with light strawberry pulp. It is a good producer getting very good after about four years. It is not very cold tolerant and can sustain cold damage in our coldest winters. The main crop is in July with a later crop lasting as late as December.

LSU Gold is a high quality large yellow fig with blushes of red and light red to pink pulp. It has excellent flavor and good cold tolerance but has an open eye.

Alma is a medium to large pear shaped fig with yellow to tan color and light tan pulp. It has an open eye but produces a gum that seals and protects the eye. Alma comes into production about two weeks later than Celeste, in late July to August. Cold damage has been a problem in some years so plant it where you have good protection.

Figs are great fresh, dried, preserved, in cakes or as fillings. Please see Louisiana Figs, LSU AgCenter Publication #3018, online for recipes and more information.

For more information on this or related topics contact Kenny at 225-686-302 or visit our website at www.lsuagcenter.com/livingston.