Searching for figs.

[Caneyscud]

Growing up in San Antonio, my Grandmother loved figs.  She had one fig tree and one pomegranate tree.  She had this love/hate relationship with her fig tree.  Actually she had a battle with ants, wasps and birds and they usually one.  The few figs she would be able to pick were usually underripe.  She's give young Caney one, and he didn't like it.  She really wanted Young Caney to like them.  When I moved to Nashville, she gave me some cuttings from her tree.  They rooted, but got killed in their first winter.  I came to the conclusion that it was too cold for figs in Nashville.  Time went on - until about 10 years ago, up against a building I noticed some leaves that looked familiar.  I stopped and walked over and it was indeed a fig tree that obviously had been there quite a few years - unprotected.  Luckily it was fig season and the tree had ripe ones on it and I picked a few.  Now these figs were different from what I had had in my youth.  These were ripe and sweet.  However, by that time my Grandmother was in the final stages of Alzheimer - so I couldn't share my discovery with her and my new found love of figs.  I offered some to my wife - the first figs she had ever tasted  - and she was hooked.  So I bought a couple of trees and arm now growing two in my yard.  But I battle with ants, squirrels, and birds and don't get many - I have to have my fix from that original found tree.  Then I started looking around, and I am amazed at how many fig trees we have in Nashville.  So I got more interested in figs and want to do trials about which grow best in Nashville.  Talking to some UT and state biologists for help and info.  I've read a lot off the internet about them and made a quite extensive list of the hardier figs.  To try.  The challenge now is to find someone with some land where I can do this.  My yard is nothing but shade.  With some of the shade from a tree that may have been around during the Civil War - I happen to live right on the Confederate line of the Battle of Nashville.  I'm hopefull that some community garden will allow me some space or the Ag Center. 

The reason for the post is to inquire if anyone has or knows of any figs that are good and sweet, that seem to be rain tolerant and hardy.  Perferably more rare types or unknowns - or that have been brought over from overseas.  If you know of any, I would love to get some cuttings so that I can include them in my trials.  I'd gladly pay for them or trade for figs that I may have.  What got me into posting this is seeing a post from CRG that had some fig preserves in the photo. 

[classicrockgriller]

Geez, you brought up weird night mares from the past.

My Dad being from Louisiana always made us take a road trip back to his

home during Fig picking season. As a youngster I was nibble and brave.

I became the Fig Pickin' Monkey in the Tree. The fig trees were huge and it

took hours to pick all the figs. Hot, sweaty, being ordered around from ground

control was the way it went each and every year. And the fig trees leaves

are like asbestos. If you started scratching, it got worse. I would be sick

the rest of the day after gathering figs. And each year the trees grew bigger

and taller. These were not fig bushes. Finally Dad planted two fig trees at

our Home, but I still had to continue to climb those figs trees till Dad's trees

matured. Pure Torture! Until you walk into the kitchen and smell them figs

simmering in a stove top full of big pots. Then get ladled into jars for future

use. Kinda funny now but , I loved fig preserve and still do. But as a kid that

had to climb those trees each year I didn't eat very much fig preserve. The

less I ate meant the less I had to pick. At my Mom's funeral, an elderly Lady

brought me 5 jars of fig preserves. She held my hand as she told me the figs

were from a cutting of my Dad's fig trees. A special DAY!

[cajunboudreaux]

I loves me some figs.. grew up on those babies. I have been thinking of planting a tree here in Az but I am hesitant due to our crappy soil and heat here.
Funny how something as simple as figs can bring back some great memories..

[Caneyscud]

Cajun, I know of people growing figs in Phoenix and other parts of AZ.  Not the easiest place to grow figs, but not impossible.  Amend the soil and add water!  One of the problems there is the Dried Fruit Beetle.  You have to have a fig with a tight eye or plugged eye.  Might also try your local chapter of CRFG.  They should have info also.