Here we are, winter in Arkansas. Too cold to play with our figs, but warm enough to want to be outside. So, a figgy story.

Yesterday I had a little free time and so I wandered over to the neighborhood we lived in 20 years ago to look for a fig tree that I remember. I found the house, apparently empty for a long time and up for sale. The big fig tree had been cut down by some delusional fig-murderer.

However, there was, in it's place, was a couple dozen first year shoots, 3-5 ft tall each. I don't remember what kind of figs came from that tree, back in those days I didn't know there WAS different kinds of figs. Upon closer inspection, there were several immature figs holding to some shoots, dry and ruined by the cold. These were greenish, and one of them had a red drop closing the eye.

Realizing that the house is empty and no one living cares about these figgy shoots, I quickly broke one off and headed home.I did briefly consider if what I was doing was a crime, but decided the worse crime was for that fig to go unloved. Now that broken shoot is 4 beautiful cuttings in a rooting bag.

I don't really know how this will turn out, but it cost me nothing but a few min of my time to find out. And if these taste as good as I remember, I will have fun trying to figure out the variety of fig it is. Win, win, win.

So maybe this is the time of year to tell figgy tales ;-?

Nice story Gene, and a good way for you to keep that tree growing into the future. Good luck with the cuttings!

Where exactly should I tell the authorities to find you and your pilfered booty? Nice job. I would have taken all of the shoots!

All the shoots are belong to us.

Grow ALL the cuttings!

I would have left 1 shoot.

My ill-gotten figgy treasure lies just north of the line between zones 8a and 7b, in a civil war swing state. While I spend my free time raising figs, blackberries, raspberries, native American black currants, etc; many of my neighbors get their fun chasing around after the hog.

I always love a good riddle

Here is my quick figgy story.
 There are three different 40 year old fig trees brought over from Lebanon and hidden in the back of a greenhouse and enjoyed by only family and friends. I was able to get two suckers in May from one of the three and it is now 7 feet tall and wrapped in a movers blanket in my greenhouse. When I went back to get some cuttings of the other two in November the owner was a little upset because his employe had not just trimmed the fig trees he had cut them down and burned the wood. Bad misunderstanding but hopefully some suckers will come up and then I'll be able to find what these great tasting family figs are called.

Richard

 "cut down and burned the wood" I want to cry. I say the employee (really a fig-hater in disguise) deserves a severe flogging! And with some of the young suckers that come up next year just to make it apropos.

Gene, he couldn't even fire him because he had medical issues but the good news is that all the nutrients that he uses in his growing greenhouse have and will be draining back to the spot where the stumps are. Plus I think family will have back ups in there greenhouse "back-rooms".

Richard

Love 'them' fig stories...thank you Gene.

Oh well, since I already blew my own cover, I live NE of Little Rock, literally a couple miles from the 8/7 zone line.