I am new to this forum and to figs although I have picked them off and on for nearly forty years. My first intro in the 60's was to fig perserves from my mother. Soon there after she showed me how to pick! LOL Every year I would pick figs for perserves. This went on till about 1975 when I "grew up" and moved out.

I lost touch with figs until about 1998 when my wife's mother bought some property with several fig trees on it. Occasionally when they were in season and we were there I would help them pick a few to make perserves. Bear in mind that up until this point I had never eaten a fresh fig and then around 2000 I ate my first one. A Brown Turkey. Wow this is pretty good. I had now graduated to pick three eat one.

At that time I knew I wanted to grow figs but I did not have suitable area to grow one so I waited and continued to pick and eat at her house. Last year I purchased a lot beside my house and I now have room for figs. So far I have acquired a LSU Purple, a Brown Turkey, a Lemon fig and a Italian Strawberry fig. About the Lemon and Strawberry fig. I bought the Lemon fig at a flea market so its name is iffy at best. The Italian Strawberry fig I bought from a plant propagator and part time nursery operator. He said that it was brought from Italy by his grandmother many decades ago.

In my Zone 8b/9a I can leave my trees in the ground and only have to provide minimal protection in the winter. All of them are one to two years old and next year I expect to harvest some figs. It is my desire to get a plant or cuttings of the Col de Dame White or Gris or Noir.

My other agricultural interest are about thirty citrus trees, about fifty blueberry bushes, four pomegranate trees, two plum trees, two peach trees, two thornless blackberries, a quince tree, a Fuyu persimmon and numerous banana plants. All are one to three years old. I grow vegetables between the trees for now.

This spring I'm looking to add some muscadines and grape hybrids. I guess you can say that I am building a edible landscape. I also am trying to create a tropical appearing landscape in the rest of my yard and have an interest in cold hardy palms.

I really enjoy slow cooking BBQ and have been know to cook pork butts for 24 hours. I will toss back a few occasionally and especially if it involves Kentucky Bourbon.

Are there any other forum members in the Pensacola, Fl area?

If so I'd like to talk with you and maybe get some pointers.

Here is my by line from another forum and it sums me up.

Darkman in Pensacola - Looking for cold hardy palms and plants that make Pensacola look tropical

Welcome aboard Darkman! Love the "Life - Some assembly required "!

Welcome to the forum Darkman. Your name sounds like a nickname for Dieseler.
"gene"

Welcome to the forum, Darkman.
There are several N. Florida members in Tallahassee, and one in Live Oak.
Not sure about Pensacola, however.
We would be very happy to share what we know of growing figs in this area and trade/ donate cuttings of interest.

Welcome, Darkman!

We share many of the same intrests. As far as the palm trees, are you wanting ornamentals or date palms? I've tried the Deglet Noor and the Canary Island date palms and they are hardy in my zone. Only problem I have found with them is that they are not fond of alkaline clay soil. Wish I could help you with the Col de Dame search, but I am hoping to get some from UC-Davis this Spring myself. Good luck!

welcome

Welcome Darkman!
Like Frank said...a stones throw down I-10 you will find few North FL fig growers. we can trade and share stories about life near and on the Gulf of Mexico. I cannot help you with CDD because they have not proven to make it here. Nonetheless, like Ruben said, a good way to get CDDW cuttings is a UCDavis request (search UCDavis on this forum). You need fig friends and patience to get CDDN or CDDG.

Hey Darkman sounds like a big lot you purchased.

Hello Darkman -- welcome aboard. With a green thumb like you have, you won't have problems growing fig trees. You may have problem finding the space to plant one more & one more. I know of a source that sells Col D Dame Blanc tree and some other top notch variants. If interested, PM me and I will send you the contact email.

welcome.....would be interested in seeing some pics/video of your edible landscaping work. i'm doing the same myself (although a much smaller lot in San Jose, CA)

Everyone,

Thanks for the enthusiastic welcome. I shouldn’t be surprised though as it seems that plant lovers universally are some of the best people. It is good to know that there are a few members near here. Figs grow so well here that many people never want to broaden their knowledge base or try new varieties. They know they pick them and next year they’ll be back without any effort on their part. I want to grow some that are not commonly grown here if I can.

Reuben Cibolo, TX Zone 8b wrote:

We share many of the same intrests. As far as the palm trees, are you wanting ornamentals or date palms? I've tried the Deglet Noor and the Canary Island date palms and they are hardy in my zone. Only problem I have found with them is that they are not fond of alkaline clay soil. Wish I could help you with the Col de Dame search, but I am hoping to get some from UC-Davis this Spring myself. Good luck!

Reuben,

My interest in the Palms are primarily to achieve the tropical look. I do have a Pindo that is young. If it produces fruit I may try to make jelly or wine (a hobby for the future). My soil is sandy and most palms do well. Some of my palms are Phoenix reclinata and Sylvestris, Sabals, Queens, a Pindo, Chamaedorea microspadix and radicalis, Rhapis humilis and excelsa, Livistona mariae a Phoenix sylvestris/reclinata hybrid and butyagrus (hybrid between pindo and queen). I had a few more but the winters of 09/10 and 10/11 took them.
 

JD Tallahassee, FL Zone 8B Zone 8b wrote:

Like Frank said...a stones throw down I-10 you will find few North FL fig growers. we can trade and share stories about life near and on the Gulf of Mexico. I cannot help you with CDD because they have not proven to make it here. Nonetheless, like Ruben said, a good way to get CDDW cuttings is a UCDavis request (search UCDavis on this forum). You need fig friends and patience to get CDDN or CDDG.

JD,

Have they not proven themselves because no one has tried them yet, they haven’t had enough time or have some plantings failed?  I have made some purchases from Just Fruits and Exotics near you. The next time I'm down that way I'll try to hook up with you would love to see what you have and learn more about the figs that grow in our area.
 

Martin Chicago Zone 5 wrote:

Hey Darkman sounds like a big lot you purchased.

It isn’t huge. My lot was 225’ x155’ and I added 75’ x155’ giving me 300’ x 155’. The biggest thing it did was allow me to lay out my plantings in a logical manner instead of haphazardly. I now have the majority of my blueberries in one area but will always keep some scattered throughout the landscape for grazing. I have several varieties and should have berries from May through late July. My figs are laid out in one row but as I get more they may not stay so organized. The citrus occupy the most area taking a 100’ x 100’ spot. I grow vegetables in between the rows and eventually want to grow grapes/muscadines on T trellises between the rows.

Paully22 wrote:

Hello Darkman -- welcome aboard. With a green thumb like you have, you won't have problems growing fig trees. You may have problem finding the space to plant one more & one more. I know of a source that sells Col D Dame Blanc tree and some other top notch variants. If interested, PM me and I will send you the contact email.

Thanks Paully,

I will send you a PM. Until I get one I will follow all leads. Yes finding a spot for “just one more” seems to be a problem I have a lot.

San Jose Zone 8b/9a wrote:

welcome.....would be interested in seeing some pics/video of your edible landscaping work. i'm doing the same myself (although a much smaller lot in San Jose, CA)

San Jose,

I do not have any video but I’ll try to post some links to pictures. Most everything I have is still quite small although I do have one pink seedless grapefruit that is nearly twenty foot tall. Most of my figs are small plants still but by next year I expect they will have put on quite a bit of growth.

This picture was taken from the top of a waterfall I have been building for a couple years. It looks from the NE to the SW. You can see the lot that I just cleared in the top of the picture.

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Just laid out citrus on west fence. they were still in the pots.

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This is the same lot as I purchased it July 2010. The wood fence will be to the left.

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Picture of Phoenix sylvestris, two sabals and the planters/walls I've built. The waterfall will be to the left.

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Looking up at waterfall project from pool level. Not much to see right now but the top rock is in place. You'll have to use your imagination for the rest. LOL!

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Bananas and blueberries

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I'll have some better pictures this spring and summer.

Again thanks to everyone for the welcome. I'm sure I'll soon start posting some questions. First I'll do a bit of reading of old posts to try a learn a bit.

Charles

Charles, That's a very nice set-up. Lots of hard work & determination. I have replied to your PM. Good luck.

Hi Charles,
Wow - what a wonderful place you have started there.
Will you be renting out for weekends?

Lovely place you have there, Charles! You are well on your way to having that tropical paradise!!

Thanks for the compliments. I am close to retirement and hope that then progress will speed up. I hope to have the waterfall complete by the end of summer. I have already plumbed the returns from the pool, have the electrical done and placed the top rock. All that is left is to install lighting and complete the fall part of the waterfall. The last part is the hardest. I am only an amateur. I read and then try to do. All of the rock/Concrete rock work was designed and done by me and some friends with no experience. It turned out pretty good. Buying the lot took hundreds of hours way from this project but the trees had to get planted as I am no spring chicken (I'll be 55 in July). This spring I should not have as much work to do on that side of the yard and hopefully I can get back on the tropical side.
 
Texascockatoos wrote:
Will you be renting out for weekends?

Actually when I retire and more or less finish the tropical side I will be letting friends use it but not for money. I figure that I could save people money or better said let people who otherwise could never afford lodging in this area take a vacation here it would be a good thing. It would also inspire me to keep up with the yard "housekeeping". You know when company is coming you always clean up! LOL At the same time I would be able to meet people who otherwise I may never would. It could be a risky venture but it's one that I am comfortable with. Of course I would have to be comfortable with who I invited. Anyway that is several years off. Who knows you might be the trial run.
 
Paully I replied to your PM. Thanks for your assistance. I'll let you know how it works out.

Hi Charles

Welcome to the forum your place looks great you have been working very hard.

 I have been trying to get that tropical look also  we are in Live Oak Fl. so pretty close to the same climate I have lots of palms,colocasia,gingers,bananas,cycads,bamboo and every kind of fruit I can get my hands on exept citrus.

let me know when you go over to Just Fruits again I'll bring you a thai giant colocasia the leaves get over 5 ft very tropical looking

Very nice Darkman....look forward to the spring/summer pics. Good luck on the rest of the hardscaping (and landscaping!).