I am looking to plant two or three fig trees and would like to know what grows best in Vancouver? I would like to choose varieties that are best eaten fresh and good to dry if there are too many to eat when the trees get big. I would like to try growing more than one variety. I have eaten Italian honey figs from a friends garden and found them good, but if there are better I would like to give them a try. Any ideas where to buy a reasonable size tree? The local garden centers just have small size trees that are no more than a stick. I know someone who planted a stick fig tree and over 3-4 years have only grown leaves. I would prefer to start with something that could produce fruit in the near future. Thanks
'Desert King' and 'Brown Turkey' have been good preformers locally. I'd imagine Vancouver BC wouldn't be much different. I have larger fig trees, but that won't help you living on the BC mainland. Have you tried Cedar Rim Nurseries in Langley? Cheers, LPN.
I just saw some fig trees at Figaro's Garden store on Victoria Drive (at 3rd) in Vancouver, and think there was one biggish one although the rest may have been small as you describe. Since it is early in the season I imagine a nursery could easily special-order you the size you want. I think there has been a thread about growing figs locally before - a search of the forum may turn up some information.
Check out this website it might help you out a little. Brown Turkey is one cultivar that comes to mind. http://www.geocities.com/kiwibobg/kiwifruitsalad3 Kim Maser Canadian Sources Consultant -NAFEX www.nafex.org
I visited Kiwibob in the link above and bought two varieties: Vashon Violet and Lattarula. Both are coming along fine, but no fruit yet. I bought another variety oddly at a grocery store and have now seen it at nurseries and it produced an amazing fig the second year, impressive for the Puget Sound area near Seattle. It's called Violetta (from Germany). I can't wait for the few I'll get this year on this young tree. Stuff them with goat cheese, wrap with bacon or prosciutto and broil or grill. What's that? Angels singing! Oh yeah! I hear it's only available in Washington and Oregon, but it's amazing flavor and cold hardiness should create a big demand and expand it markets.
