My grandmother had a huge fig tree in her back yard. The branches were low to the ground and as kids, we could climb way up in the tree and reach the figs. We couldn’t get all the way to the top before the branches got flimsy but we could get pretty far up. Fig trees in Louisiana don’t freeze back so they grow way bigger than our trees, produce way more figs and the figs are ready early.
Here, the fig trees freeze all the way back and in the spring, we wait to be sure there will not be new growth on last year’s branches and so far, last year’s branches have always been totally dead so we have to cut the tree back to the ground and it basically starts over each year. All is not lost though . . we use the wood in the smoker.
There’s a huge hawk hanging out on the utility poles around the house so I have not been letting the chickens run loose. They are not happy but at least I’m getting a few figs.
Figs
I never get more than 8 or 10 figs per day off my best tree. Other trees yield about 2 figs per week. My mom reminded me this week that they sometimes get several gallons of figs off their tree. But, they don’t have chickens climbing their tree and stealing their figs!
Kathy C says
When I lived in New Jersey all my Italian friends had fig trees. Every winter they would elaborately wrap the trees in plastic and old carpet to protect them. Growing up you always knew the Italian families by their ‘rug trees’ as we called them.
Sherrill says
What type of figs do you have? I have one tree and it barely got to be a foot tall this year (needless to say no figs). My neighbor behind me has a couple of HUGE fig trees. I know he made bazillions of bottles of wine a few years ago. Will have to ask if his freeze all the way back. Not sure they would be as large as they are if they did.
Mary says
Please show us a photo of a chicken climbing a tree. I’ve never heard or seen that. Thanks.