Hello

I took some pictures of my fig today, planted in fall 2007 in usda zone 7, sweden (broby). Never protected. But it grows well considering the west Europe marine climate. Here in north west Europe the summer has been rainy and chilly, warmest day of the summer has been only +86F (+30C). I think its heat zone 1 or 2 here. But my fig has grown well, i have tried many figs but this one has been the one that has survived my winters, danish varieties haven't survived. Last night we had 37,4F/+3c.

Its fantastic how figs can thrive and survive in such a wide range of climates.

Here are some lows and highs my fig has experienced in its life time planted here.

Winter 06/07 -15C _ 5F

Winter 07/08 -10C/-12C _ 14F/ 10,4F

Winter 08/09-15C _5F

Winter 09/10-19C _ 2,2 F

Winter 10/11 -23C/-20C _ 9,4 F/-4F

Winter 11/12 -17C _ 1,4 F

Summer 2006 +33C _ 91,4 F

Summer 2010 +35 C/+36C _ 95 F/96,8F

Summer 2011 +30 C / +31C _ 86F/87,8F

Summer 2012 +30 C _ 86 F

Here are som pics from today its still summer but fall is coming and first
frost in oct.


no ripe fruits this year.

What is the name of your fig?  It looks really healthy.  In the USA, we mostly know temps by a different method.  You have C, we have F.  Not sure why that is, but there are calculators to do the math on the web.  Too lazy here to go look.  I'm thinking your climate is much like our Northern East Coast, Upstate NY, Vermont, Maine and into Canada... Iceland.  Am I wrong?  And a fig can thrive in this?  Amazing! 

Someone else will chime in from your zone elsewhere.  Great pictures by the way!

Suzi

Thank you, i have F also after C : ) I made i Bold so its more noticeably. Here are the coordinates for my location 56° 15′ 0″ N, 14° 4′ 0″ E it would land somewhere south from Churchill, Manitoba ? scary that i live that north. And figs does grow much further north then me in Sweden. Amazing it is. The lack of summer heat is a big disadvantaged, i think Churchill has warmer summer. 

Glad you like the photos. When i bought it, it was label ''Brown turkey''. But I read the topic below about this fig so Im not sure if its correct. I also have a place in northwest Sweden (zone 6) where i also grow figs, but these i protect in winter. Temps in winter can get down to -25c/-27c -20F/-16,6F. Leaf mulch and styrofoam has made them come thru ruff winters.

This in pic has never been protected. Has survived 5F without any damaged and no/little snow or anything els to insulate it.

It's cold there, right?  I tend to sum things up.  I'm amazed that you can grow a fig in your climate!  Not sure a brown turkey is your best choice.  I have a Hardy Chicago for you!

suzi

Its a marine climate so the summers are chilly and so are the winters, some time we get cold air from Russia. If the sea gets frozen between Sweden and Finland its gets cold.

Hardy Chicago its rare to found in north Europe, i haven't seen it. Desert King i have, and its doing mostly fine but does freeze to the ground in cold winters and haven't fruited yet.

I Would love to try Hardy Chicago. Its the most hardy fig? tasty?

Very Tasty!  The best!  And it's hardy!

Suzi

flaxss, If you let Desert king freezes to ground every year, you will never get figs to eat. Desert King is a breba crop fig only, so if you let it freeze, you lose the breba figs. Main crop needs to be polinated by wasp, which you don't have. You should grow Desert King in pot and bring in somewhere protected from extreme cold. Bring back out when the weather allows. If I'm wrong here, someone chime in and correct me.

luke

Not a Brown Turkey like anyone I've ever seen. Looks way better than a brown Turkey and leaves don't match the variety at all. Fruit doesn't really match either. DOn't be upset, it's probably a good thing.

Luke is correct.  Desert king is a great variety for short summers but you only get fruit on last year's wood.  Bring it in for the winter and keep it between 38-50 degrees, water it monthly, lightly.

Flaxss listed degrees F, but in Europe they use a comma for the decimal point while we in the States use a period, that's why some of Flaxss' #s may look confusing.

Also, Flaxss, I'm glad you're here.  Now the guys from Chicago, Idaho and Canada will have to stop whining   ;)

flaxss, I have never seen this fig before. Could you slice a fruit open to show the pulp. The leaves are quite different. Agree with Jason, this is not a Brown Turkey. Thanks Bob, for the double check.


luke

flaxss, With language barrier, I hope you understand about Desert King. Where you live, it is to cold for this tree to grow fruit with the tree growing in the ground. You must dig it up and grow in a large pot. If it freezes to the ground, you will never get to eat fruit.
As for language, I only speak English, and I'm not very good at that. My computers skills are even worse.
Welcome to the site, and I hope you will stay with the group. Everyone here is great and helpful.

luke

Wow!  You take good pictures, and they tell a story that those growing figs in cold places should read!

Thanks for sharing!

Suzi

You are right, Desert King is a San Pedro.  The fruits you get on new wood will never be edible in your climate.  Have you gotten breba fruits from your Desert King plants in pots?  You do have great photos, thanks for sharing them.

flaxss,

It looks like you have two problems: Winter cold-hardiness, and lack of Summer heat.  Here in Seattle's maritime climate we have the latter, and some of the Puget Sound Regional Fig Variety Test members in rural areas have both.  You can do something about cold-hardiness by protecting the Figs or potting them and storing them indoors over Winter, but you can't change the lack of Summer heat (unless you grow your Figs in a greenhouse)!

Go for varieties that produce good Breba crops (most San Pedro types, and a few Common types), and forget the varieties that claim to be cold-hardy like Chicago Hardy (Hardy Chicago) which produced one single Breba Fig in 2008 for me during the 12 growing seasons I've had the tree.

Pierre Baud may be able to help you find the varieties you need to grow Figs successfully in your maritime climate.

Happy Growing,   kiwibob,   Seattle

See my website:  http://sites.google.com/site/kiwifruitsalad2