Believe it or not, I didn’t eat my first fresh fig until I was well into my twenties! I had always loved dried figs and preserves, but didn’t know anyone who actually grew them fresh in their gardens. I live in the desert of the southwestern U.S. and didn’t even know you can grow them here!

Through the years I have become more interested in gardening and have been fortunate enough to meet a few intrepid gardeners who have successfully grown figs in my home town. I was pleased to learn that figs are not as hard to grow in this region as I imagined, although they seem to grow best in areas with a Mediterranean-type climate, such as southern California.

In addition to being delicious, figs make an attractive addition to your landscaping and an interesting conversation piece. For example, figs are a curious plant because the flowers actually grow inside the fruit! Technically the “fruit” is called a synconium. Also, some figs have rather unusual pollinators such as tiny wasps. You can impress your friends with more botanical trivia about figs at this site provided by the California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc. . http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/fig.html

While they are more or less sensitive to climate, figs tolerate lots of different soil types. Of course, the addition of a little organic compost to your soil is always a good idea and will help with drainage, add nutrients, and improve sandy soils that don’t retain water well. Also, a pH test for your soil can help determine if there will be problems growing your figs. Around 5.5 to 6.5 is the recommended soil pH for figs. Dolomitic limestone spread out over the soil around your fig and tilled into the soil around 8 inches deep will help bring highly acidic soils to this level. They are very sensitive to root-knot nematodes, so you may want to test your soil if you think there might be a problem with these pests.

Figs should be grown in a site where they will get plenty of sun, especially in the early morning. A south-facing location is ideal if your winters get a bit cold. Hardy Chicago is a cultivar you can try if you live a region with cold winters. Limiting the application of fertilizer will also help your figs to become more winter hardy. During the summer, about eight hours of sun will keep them happy.

Be fairly careful about picking out your figs from the nursery. There are varieties that are only adapted to certain regions of the country and may freeze or won’t produce fruit where you live. Get as much info from a respectable local nursery about the figs that are hardy in your state. Big chain nurseries may end up selling you the wrong kind of plant. Not to mention any names, but you should avoid any stores that have “Mart” in the title. Stick to the small, family owned nurseries that actually know and care about gardening.

Be aware that figs are not really a plant for small spaces. The roots can get quite large and extend out and suck up large quantities of water. Depending on where you live, they will grow fast, and have the propensity to shade out other parts of your garden. Unfortunately, too much pruning may reduce yields, so be careful about your pruning practices. It’s best to start your fig in a good spot to avoid these problems.

An option for some gardeners with limited space is to plant your figs in containers. Select a slow-growing cultivar and replace most of the soil in the container about every three years. Shade and keep the sides of the container cool as the soil may overheat and damage the roots if the pot gets to hot.

As far as watering goes, regular watering from late spring to early fall is necessary for your figs to produce a good crop of fruit. 1 ½ inches of water a week works well. If you’ve got a meter to measure rainfall, you can see if your figs are getting enough water from the rain. Otherwise, you’ll need to supplement with irrigation. If you add organic mulch around your fig, you’ll help the soil to stay moist after waterings. Moreover, mulch can abate problems with nematodes.

There are a few other common problems with figs that you’ll need to be aware of, but don’t worry, once you learn to recognize them, they are easily treated. If you’ve just recently planted a fig and it’s still immature, frequent fertilizing may cause the fruits to fall off before they’re ripe. Wait about three years and your tree will be ready for regular fertilizing. If your plant simply doesn’t produce fruit, you may have purchased a fig that needs a special wasp to fertilize it. Unfortunately, you’ll probably need to start from scratch with a new fig tree that is adapted to your area. Occasionally, you’ll need to carefully monitor the weather for periods of excessive heat and dryness. Give your figs more water during these times and remember to add a layer of mulch to retain soil moisture.

There are a lot of varieties of figs out there to try. Your local nursery should be able to recommend a fig that’s right for your area. However, a good overall fig to try is the cultivar Celeste which produces tasty fruits that are equally delicious fresh or in preserves. Kadota is a nice cultivar that has green figs that are tasty fresh, but more suitable for preserves. As mentioned above, Hardy Chicago is a good choice for colder climates.

Another good source of information for fans of the fig is the North American Fruit Explorers .http://www.nafex.org/

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Strawberries are a delicious and versatile fruit to plant in your garden. As tasty as they are, strawberries can sometimes be a rather challenging fruit to grow. To grow strawberries effectively, you have to take care how you plant them and you should also familiarize yourself with the pests and diseases that may affect their growth.

If you take a little extra time and effort to care for your strawberries, they are a very rewarding crop. Just think of all the delicious things you can do with homegrown strawberries—strawberry jam, strawberry shortcakes, strawberry bread, strawberries and cream….the list goes on and on!

First, let’s get acquainted with the three main types of strawberries so that you can decide which you’d prefer to plant.

Certain varieties called “Ever-bearers” produce fruit in two to three major phases during the spring, summer, and fall, and can provide small quantities of strawberries throughout the growing season depending on where you live. Ever-bearers can be considered fairly hardy but do not produce many runners. “

June-Bearers” provide fruit during a shorter period of several weeks, typically in June. June-Bearers usually have the largest fruit of the three classes. Finally, there are the “Day-neutrals,” which will provide you with strawberries in six week cycles, with around three cycles during the growing season. Day-neutrals and Ever-bearers can be grown in a smaller space and work well as a groundcover.

Next, it’s important to know the possible pests and diseases that can threaten your plant. If you know what to look for, you’ll be able to quickly treat the problem. Strawberries are susceptible to several different fungus diseases. You’ll need to look out especially for powdery mildew, fruit rot, leaf spot, red stele, black root rot, and botrytis. Depending on what part of the country you live in, these may or may not be as much of a threat to your strawberry plants. Weevils and aphids are common pests you may have to control.

Another important tip to avoid diseases is to purchase a disease-resistant variety from your nursery, and make sure that the type of strawberry you select is properly adapted to your area. This webpage from the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Department is a great resource to learn more about problems you may have with the strawberry’s pests and diseases.

Additionally, avoid stressing your strawberries by keeping them adequately watered, providing enough sunlight, using healthy soil, and planting them the correct depth. Stress leaves your strawberries more susceptible to disease. Furthermore, avoid planting your strawberries where you are currently or have previously planted tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and potatoes. A common strawberry disease, Verticillium wilt, can be found in soil where these plants are located.

Now, let’s talk about how to plant your strawberries so you can get them off to a good start. First off, before you plant you’ll want to prepare the soil by adding plenty of organic compost. You can do this in the cool weeks of early spring. You should avoid planting your strawberries in the heat of the day.

Planting your strawberries in the early spring will allow them to extend their roots in preparation for the heat of summer. Planting depth is also critical. You should place your plant so that the soil just covers the roots. Covering the leaves will promote rot. Planting too high will increase the chance of the plant drying out. After properly planting your strawberry, in about a month you should begin to see the first runners appearing as your strawberry begins to spread out.

Finally, it’s important to have your plant growing in the right conditions so that it continues to grow healthy and happy. As mentioned before, you’ll want to have a healthy soil with lots of organic material. Next, make sure your soil drains well. You can add a bit of sand to your soil to ensure proper drainage. To produce the highest number of strawberries, you’ll need to expose your plants to about six hours of sunlight per day. Strawberries often suffer from frost in the early spring.

After the first growing season, you can cover the entire plant with mulch such as straw to protect them. You’ll want to remove the mulch from the top of the plants in the spring but leave a little mulch around the base of the plant to keep moisture in.

These tips should get you off to a good start with your strawberries. However, there are more complex planting techniques if you’re interested in larger crops of strawberries. I recommend this site from Oregon State University to learn more.

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