As of yesterday, I am the proud owner of my first fig tree... an LSU Purple. 

I am in Zone 7 and need some info before planting:  sun or shade?  soil type?  how much watering?  when to fertilize and what to use?  Any other tips welcome.

Thanks!

Figgywig,
I would say full sun, water to keep ground slightly moist but not wet through the end of the growing season, mulch a few inches deep around the base of the tree, and do not fertilize until next spring.  How cold do your winters get and how big/old is your tree?
Brian

Lsu purple is a good variety,  my fastest growing fig tree. They say Lsu purple doesn't reach its peak till they are 4-5 years old so don't get discouraged if they not very good at first. Plant it in full sun, in my area (zone 9a) Lsu purple will get a little droopy in hot sun but always perks back up . Most people stop fertilizing in July or August so the tree can harden up before winter.

Do you plan on growing in ground or in a pot? Maybe some of the experts can chime in, everything I grow goes in ground.  Good luck and welcome. 

What he said.  The more sun, the more fruit, minimum 6 hours.  You can fertilize once now with a rapid acting fertilizer but you'll want your tree to harden off before the frost so none after that.  Figs hate to have their roots sitting in water so you need decent drainage.  If you have clay soil plant it on a hill if you can.  The healthiest figs I've ever seen were on a hill above a river or lake.  LSU purples take about 5 years for the fruit to be at its best so you might want to plant 8, 12 or 350 other fig trees while you wait  :)

Bob - so the LSU Purple may fruit now, but the taste will become better in 5 years? I have a 1 year old tree and somehow got one fruit from it that was decent. I consider it a fluke. I know some trees may take a few years before fruiting, but is a mature LSU Purple just able to channel more energy/sugars to the fruit than a younger tree? In general, is this the case for a lot of figs?

Definitely going to plant it in the ground.  I do have clay soil but I plan to dig a deep hole and use a mixture of organic garden soil and topsoil.  Finding 6 hours of sun will be the difficult part.

I've got a 2nd year LSU Purp spitting out figs as we speak. They are decent if left to ripen until soft and wrinkly. I've picked several a couple days too soon and they were just bland tasting and not very sweet. A couple more days does a lot for the flavor. So far I haven't been real impressed with this one but I will give it a couple more seasons to prove its self. I planning on putting most of mine in the ground this next spring but some will definitely get cut out.  Still on the fence with LSU Purp.

Hi figgywig,
Welcome to the forum ! Where is the photo of the baby ? :P
Knowing your dirt will help you - but you can just try like that and see what comes out - Beginner's luck is out there.

I would consider opening a 40cm*40cm*40cm hole and mix the dirt with nursery-compost and then put the tree in the middle. Give the tree a closed hand full of general fertilizer 10/10/10 on top of the dirt.
Some beginner sometime have a water flow coming out of a nearby stable that rushes to their tree and they don't even need to fertilize :P - Because people used to keep both cattle and precious trees near the houses.

For the winter, look at my thread on winter protection - that's something I'm not lazy about because when the tree is frost-toasted ... All you can do is buy a new one and rage about the time you lost grower the former.
For the hole, this year, I planted a fig-tree in a 30*30*30 centimeters and that was it ... The weather was way too warm that day :) .
Don't you forget to water you tree at least 10 liters a week if you don't get rain.

Good luck!

The pic of the whole tree was too large to post (and I don't know how to decrease it) but here is a  pic of the baby fruit.

figgwig: Welcome to the Fig Forum.

Best,
Tam

I don't need to ad anything plenty of good advise. Bob's says it all with the fewest words. Yeah Bob !!

Welcome to the forum.

I have been unintentionally beating up my LSU Purple.  I planted it (did not get enuf sun), moved it, then took it out and replaced the wet soil with rich dry.  Some of the leaves have turned yellow, and they wilt during the day only to perk up overnight.  I watered it during the day yesterday, it will stay put, and it is getting a fair amount of sun.  Would it be best to stop watering it for a day or too?

Welcome to the forum, best fig forum, best members.

Congrats on your 1st fig tree and welcome to the forum.

Welcome to the forum!! Good luck with your purple. I've been on the fence about this one, but leaning more toward adding it with each positive report. =)

Regards,
bill

Welcome.

Hi figgywig,
At some point, let the tree do her life. Don't move her around too much.
The Autumn will come soon - well it is already here but let's be positive -, and the tree will start to go sad looking - don't panic, this is normal.
If the weather is dry, give the tree 10 liters of water twice a week, if you've got rain, check the dirt around the tree, and give some 10 liters of water once a week.
Be patient ! ... Start looking for a new spot for the next fig-tree :°°) ... That will keep you busy .