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Introduction and questions

Hello all.  
 
A member of Garden web directed me to your forum.  My name is Wills and I live in central Florida about 60 miles north of Tampa.  I am a bit of a fruiting plant junky and currently grow well over 300 fruiting plants.  I am retired so have a lot of time.  
 
Two years ago a neighbor asked if I wanted some leftover fig plants someone had given him but he had no idea what variety they were.   There were a few figs all growing together in the pot and he took the 3 largest but there were a couple left so I said sure.  I planted the figs in the same hole and was amazed how fast they took off.  The figs went from 1 foot tall to 5 feet in just a few months.  Winter came and it was a bad winter and froze them to the ground.  To my surprise come spring they leaped back up and in no time were back to 5 feet tall and fruited.....they were awesome.  Could not believe I had wasted 45 years of life without eating a fig .....well except for Newtons.  This past spring I planted two more Celestes and a 
green Ischia.  The green Ischia was 2' tall or so when planted in March and is now 8 feet tall and loaded with figs.  Figs just grow so fast they are very rewarding to grow as opposed to say persimmons that grow 2" a freaking year. 
 
I had a question about pruning and Frank on the garden web board mentioned this forum as well as mentioning the Japanese step over growing technique.  When I looked at the pictures I absolutely LOVED the way the figs looked and knew I had to do it.  I have the perfect spot as we had a inground pool and pool cage put in a couple years back and had not got around to planting the perimeter yet.  
 
So now that I have bored you:)  The question...or questions...because of the pruning the breba crop is lost...are there certain figs I should avoid for this method? 
 
Certain varieties that are better suited to it?  

Would it be better to use just one fig variety for the entire enclosure or multiple varieties?  

My soil here is slightly acidic though the well water is very alkaline...I read the figs like alkaline soil though mine seem happy....should I lime them anyway?
 
Thanks in advance for any and all guidance and if anyone knows a grower in central Florida that would have fig plants for sale I will happily pay for the plants as well as bribe them with vacuum sealed grouper fillets lol.

I can already tell I won't be happy until I have 20 varieties growing here.  
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WillsC...

Welcome to this forum, and for asking us some questions.  No one will be bored by questions.

Yes, figs are some of the most dynamic fruit trees that one can grow, and big changes can occur in just one, or, two seasons.

The Japanese training method will probably work for most varieties.  It's really a matter of intensive training to establish the basic framework of branches, and then just pruning away until the desired results are achieved.  Timing, of course, will matter if you want figs to ripen.

There are some growers on this forum that live in Florida, and they will probably recommend what varieties will work in your location.  There might be breba-only varieties that will give you early figs, and then later season, main-croppers that will extend your season.  Wish I could help you select some fig varieties, but I know almost nothing about Southern fig selections.  I'm sure forum members will help you in this department.

Good luck with this worth-while project.  It will be unique, to say the least, and very rewarding.

Culture will play an important role also, as well as your soil conditions.  Will your trees get splashed with chlorinated water from the pool?

Hope this will help.

Frank
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Welcome to the forum, sounds like you must be around Inverness, Brooksville or somewhere close.  Lot of good figs in Tarpon Springs, all the Greeks brought them with them.  I moved to Texas from Lake County, Leesburg to be precise.

Again, welcome
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Hi and welcome.

I'm not sure what "the Japanese step over growing technique" is, but I'm sure someone does. Do you have a link with pictures?

Isn't it amazing how fast fig trees grow when they are happy? I've been amazed.
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Frank,

Same as Garden web Frank?  The figs will be planted at least 4 feet from the screen of the cage so they won't get splashed.  

Dk,

Good aim..Inverness.  

Gina,

Sorry, should have included the link.  Scroll down to the bottom.

http://point09acres.blogspot.com/2011/02/espalier-fig-or-stepover.html
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Welcome!  We have an in-ground pool too, and there is no way I would put figs anywhere near it for one reason.  Roots!  Fig trees can grow very large, and wide, and however wide and tall they are, their roots match underground.  They can lift a house!

If you contain them in some nice containers, then they would be great pool-side.

Sounds to me like you have caught fig fever!  You should be able to grow most varieties in your climate.

Suzi
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WillsC....

Yep... Frank of the two forums.  Glad to see you have arrived here too.

Again, welcome.  you'll get your answers here.

F
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WillsC,
Let me add my welcome as well.  Great place to come and lots of great reading.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DesertDance
Welcome!  We have an in-ground pool too, and there is no way I would put figs anywhere near it for one reason.  Roots!  Fig trees can grow very large, and wide, and however wide and tall they are, their roots match underground.  They can lift a house!

If you contain them in some nice containers, then they would be great pool-side.

Sounds to me like you have caught fig fever!  You should be able to grow most varieties in your climate.

Suzi



Welcome Wills - the pool is a huge concern and the main reason I grow in pots here on LI.  Our FL home has trees in pots also so as not to undermine the foundation.
I would reserve that being happy until you have 20 trees - bet it'll be more !!! LOL!
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There must be some way around the root problem.  How deep are these roots that would go horizontal?  The plants would not be allowed to get very tall as in the Japanese system the top growth is completely removed yearly.  Would a yearly root pruning be enough?  
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