Hi friends,
I'm relatively new at this, but over the course of time I found figs to have amazing health benefits.  I am trying to find varieties that could be grown inside that have a fairly strong flavor. (flavor usually is in direct proportion to nutrient density)  Presently I am growing turkey, lsu purple, conandria and Chicago...  not surprisingly figs are REALLY hard to find here in rural upper Michigan, even though I grow them inside its hard to find new varieties....The zone isn't that important to me because of my greenhouse conditions...Any suggestions or sage advice on what would do well inside? Anyone have other varieties they are willing to sell to a Michigan resident?

Best Regards,

Marie Claire

Marie, welcome to the Fig Forum.

Best,
Tam

You can grow them indoors in winter, but you will never get proper fruit production indoors. If you get fruit they will not be full flavored as a fig grown outdoors. With a greenhouse, though you can push young starts to get them big enough to begin fruiting by the next summer.  

Figs need full sun, you can't grow healthy trees indoors. The whole shape would be different from a outdoor grown tree, much thinner and weaker. You can grow them in the greenhouse in spring, outdoors over summer and when getting colder back to the greenhouse to longer your growing season. But keep them indoors all year? Forget it.

And btw: Welcome to the forum! :-D

Hi,
Ive had great success growing what I have inside... good growth and plenty of figs. We have lots of light and we let our green house cool at night so the flavor is good. But Im looking for a different variety to experiment with. Thanks for the advice though. I can understand why most situations would not allow a proper fruit development.

Best regards,
Claire

Marie
Welcome to the forum, a major member of our forum is also from Michigan, look for posts by Rafed.

As to the "indoor" fig issue, sounds like you have already figured it out and are now looking for different cultivars.  I know you can create an artificial environment that will work for figs, just requires a little more effort and systems, it isn't only light, heat and water, it is a "blend" of all that.

Good luck.

Claire,

Welcome to the forum. You may find that the VdB/Negronne/Vista suits well the indoor environment. It naturally growths in a smaller bushy shape.

Welcome! I thought of it but like others have stated, it's going to be a chore. The way I was going to grow figs inside was with a sun room. I still might give it a try!

Again, welcome!

Welcome, Claire.  I have wondered if it would be possible to get great tasting figs year round in a greenhouse.  Please post pictures and descriptions of what you have, when you have the time.  I"d love to see them.

Will you be heating and lighting the greenhouse?  Some citrus sweeten up with cool nights but figs aren't like that.  Welcome to the forum!

Welcome,
My grandmother grew figs in her ballroom. She bought an inn when I was a kid and the ballroom looked like a jungle. Two walls were all glass, so it was much like a greenhouse.

You are missing something in the Violette de Bordeaux family and my new greenhouse favorite vasilika Sika.

Marie,

Welcome to the forum. I am about 150 miles from you in Sterling Heights. As a truck driver that's a walk in the park for me.

Maybe we can meet one day? I can give you some goodies to get you going.