Hi everyone! I wasn't sure where to post this but I saw another new member make an introductory thread and thought it was an excellent idea to start one as well to start engaging with other members! I'm a student at university in NC, 7b. I'm actually graduating this year and I'm extremely excited about the next step in my life - more time to spend in the garden and hopefully professional school of some sorts. 

My mom started gardening years ago and when we moved to our current home the soil here was so bad most of our plants died and we lost a lot of money that we spent on the garden so my mother stopped. I think everyone reflects at some point of all the things they enjoyed most in their childhood and for me it was gardening with my family. So I purchased and traded some seeds over at some seed swap facebook groups. I'm mostly focusing on tomatoes and peppers this season with some lovely flowers to attract pollinators. 

During this process someone tried to sell me some fig cuttings. And at first I was shocked at how easy he said it was to root and grow them and started doing my research and behold - he was right! So now I'm in the process of just learning and hoping to find some cuttings to get started. I'm interested in having a lot of various fruit growing in my yard so I'm keeping my wishlist pretty small based on Dennis (snagplus)'s suggestions on the Best figs at your location forum. I stuck a small wishlist of varieties that he had positive remarks about below. 

Looking forward to interacting with everyone! 

Also, I noticed that we have a lot of members from NC and was wondering if there was a swap or trade day that ever occurred or will be occurring?

Wishlist:

• Ronde de Bourdeaux 
• Black Madeira 
• Gino's 
• Hardy Chicago 
• VdB 
• Golden Atreano
• Green Greek 
• Scilian Black
• Celeste
• Texas Everbearing
• Brown Turkey

   Welcome to the forum, Maliha.

   I've got Calif/Improved Brown Turkey, Commercial Black Mission, Kadota, and Amber Spanish Mission in route to you to jump-start your collection.

   Enjoy the new addiction...

      Blue

Hi Blue,

Sincerely so many, MANY thanks. I'm so touched by your generosity. Thank you very much. You are beyond kind. 

Welcome!  Dennis has hosted a gathering in the past, typically in late summer.

Welcome.

I am a newbie  to fig growing so I do not have any cuttings to send you but I could help you out and send you some tomato and pepper seeds to help kickstart your season and many more to come. PM me your addy.

What types of peppers and tomatoes do you like to grow?

Dale

Thank you for the welcome Dale and rcantor! I will keep an eye out and see if Dennis offers one again this year. I'd love to meet some fig lovers in person!

Hi, I am from NC also. I am from Climax which is like 10 minutes from Greensboro. I grow figs mainly in the ground and a few in pots in my greenhouse. welcome to the forum.

Ethan Smith

Hey Ethan! It's nice to meet you! I hope you don't mind my asking but what has your fig growing experience here in NC been like thus far?

My family has been growing figs around here for a very long time. My grandfather is who got me hooked on them when I was just a little boy. His fig tree is huge. He always told me to plant fig trees on either the south or east side of a barn or house or any structure to keep the cool north wind off the tree. Most trees around here died back a little on young tender growth but rebound very aggressively in the summer. I will post the picture of my grand dads tree which he thinks is a southern brown turkey. the figs on his trees get very big and nice and sweet with jammy interior. The trunks on this tree are huge like 5 and 6 inches around. Figs are very popular around my area.

Ethan, that fig tree is stunning! And so big! Oh my goodness. My mouth is watering thinking of all the figs that monster produces haha. I would say in Cary, NC since it's very city-esque there isn't a lot of room for people to have a decent garden, so I haven't found any fig trees here so far. But that might just be my area where I'm at right now. Have you had a lot of luck finding fig tree cuttings locally? 

Um yes I have found a few different varieties locally, but your best bet is through this forum. I have like 15 different varieties of fig in my home orchard. I could probably share some cuttings with you. I will pm you my variety list.

Oh no! I didn't mean it like that at all - I was actually going to ask what varieties you've had the best experience with thus far in this area haha. I was looking at my cooperative extension's office and they had listed out a few typical and not highly popular varieties based on this forum's response. So it seems I'm better off asking here then them. Which varieties have you enjoyed most? And how do you go about caring for your fig trees here in NC?

O its all good. my Hardy Chicago, vdb, black violette, golden celeste, lsu purple, Brown turkey all are very productive for me here. I don't do much to them. I plant them near a house or barn, mix in 2 handful's of  pulverized lime when planting. I don't recommend fertilizing your fig trees if you are planting in ground because they don't need it around here. I don't protect them in the winter and I don't water them once they are established and that's it. Harvest loads of delicious figs in one to two year. wait until they start drooping from their own weight to pick your figs.

o yea that big tree has probably been there for 60+ years producing tons of fruit year after year. My grandpa started it from a local tree from a sprout when he was a young boy.

After growing Red Taco for many years, It mirrored my Texas Everbearing, which is not the same as Brown Turkey or Celeste. So, this fig is called Texas Everbearing.

Welcome from a fellow NCer!

Thanks for letting me know Dennis! I will change my list accordingly! Your comments and review on that forum were a huge help to me when it came time to start deciding which varieties to be on the lookout for. 

And hello to you too SuperMario1! NC-ers in the house!

Which university are you attending in NC? 

Welcome to the F4F forum!!! You will surely enjoy it. Lots to learn and there are some great people here!

Thanks smyfig! And Tennesseefig, NCSU. :) I study biochemistry and microbiology with a health science and biotech focus. 

I'm originally from NC is why I was wondering.  I've spent a lot of time around your area.  In NC figs seem to be very common, almost always Southern Brown Turkey.  Many up here don't like them but to me they do great and taste great in your area.  No doubt there are way better varieties but in eastern Carolina most only know the Brown Turkey.

@tenneseefig: So I know a neighbor of mine once upon a time ago had a fig tree, but in my current area no one even seems to know what a fig is :/ It's likely that there are some in one of the adjacent neighborhoods perhaps and I just haven't come across any yet. That's cool! Where in NC are you from?
@alanmercieca: That is no problem! Thank you for looking my post over and trying to help me out! Your variety sounds exotic haha. I will keep an eye out for it in the future! 

I think I can help out with some of those wishlist items. Sent a PM.

I used to be a student in the Triangle area, though at Duke. Mildy amusing anecdote from my days in NC: I once lived with UNC and NCSU housemates. The rival schools were all represented under the same roof, which was kind of funny during basketball season.

@jkuo - Thank you so much for looking over my wishlist. Was just looking at your google doc and I think I might need to take advantage of your fruit growing expertise! haha. That is absolutely hilarious - I was just about to say Go Wolfpack but yes the rivalry is quite strong. Duke is a great school! I used to work on my research over there! 

ATTN ALL NC PEEEEEPS!

Oh, one more thing I forgot.  Okracoke has just started having an annual fig festival in Aug.  I plan on being there next year if anyone would like to join. :)

I am also from Charlotte, NC. Even though I never tasted fig before 2015, I started collecting fig trees. I do have few varieties. I would like to be the part of this NC group and would like to meet, see the trees and hear about your experiences.
I waiting for summer, I can plant all my figs in ground and watch them growing and taste the figs too.