Hello!
I was so happy to find this forum today.  I have been wanting a fig tree for a while now...ever since I tasted my first fresh fig.  Just this past month I found some at our local nursery and bought two, a Brown Turkey and a Celeste (now I know there are many more varieties out there!). 

I happily planted those two trees and they are doing well, with figs already showing.  So I am excited to see the fruit. 

Yesterday I was perusing Craigslist under farming and came upon an ad for a semi local guy saying he had over 100 varieties and he was a hobbyist on the fig plant.  He is selling his two year old plants.  I am excited to go over there today to see what he has. 

Since seeing that ad I started looking around on the net and learned how to grow figs from cuttings...then I learned people selling cutting on Ebay....and then I found this forum! Who knew all this was going on? I can easily see myself getting carried away and before you know it I will have an orchard of figs in my back yard...many even merging into the front. 

I live in VA, near DC so am eager to learn which plants grow best in the area and how to take care of my plants when winter arrives. 

Also would like to know what you do with all the figs when they are ripe.  Recipes? Freezing tips etc. 

Thanks!
Kaki

welcome to the forum. that's the way to go, getting the tree that's ready made and will be giving you figs soon. you can work on cuttings and other stuff later when cuttings season starts :)

Thanks Pete!

Welcome to the forum!  We're all enablers here.  May as well plan on using the whole front yard.

welcome to the forum. hope you dont have addiction problems because your about too :)

I started with a celeste and pete' s honey a few years ago then added a hardy chicago. over last winter i rooted alot of dif kinds. I have right now 19trees in ground and 7 potted. and am inventing room for more. so i am going to take what Bob said a little farther. plan on the back yard the front yard then you will start moving to friends and families yards. :)

Kali, welcome to the forum. It's sounds like you will soon max out your back and
front yard and start looking for a place to move to. LoL

Welcome to the forum from another fig fanatic in the DC area!

Welcome....there's plenty to learn here from past postings covering all subjects, even the subjects you mentioned above, to the actual culture used for fig trees in various sections of the country.

Take a breath, and don't buy trees on impulse.  Read first, buy later. 

By this time next year you will have many, many more fig trees.  Very difficult to find the discipline to resist buying yet another tree.  There's always room for another tree.  You are hooked....like all of us. 

Wait until you taste a perfectly ripe fig that you have grown!  Have fun.


Frank

Hi Kaki and welcome ! I also started out with 2 trees and my collection has increased to about 30 trees in a short time - various ages and about 30 +( maybe more - but who's counting ) cutting starts from this past fall and spring . This year I should be getting a fair amount of figs at least by the baby figgies showing up. I'm excited to grow new varieties all the time. All mine except for one are grown in pots.
There are members here who's collection is in the hundreds and a couple members (maybe more) w/a thousand + 

I made a fig pizza last year that was delicious. Use the search feature above , there are recipes posted , even a web site was posted with loads of great recipes.
Happy hunting and growing !!

Hi Kaki.  Welcome.  When I get alot of figs, I give them to friends, cousins, neighbors, etc.  Last year I cooked some figs into a jam consistancy and used it to make a crumble type cake.  This year I want to make an upside down cake using figs instead of pineapple.  You can cut them in half and grill them.  Or bake them in the oven with a little honey. 

Welcome Kaki,
I only started in March and I have over 50 varieties now :) OOpps
We're all afflicted with a touch of madness when it comes to these trees.

There's a good chance your craigslist seller is on here.  At least one member on here is in northern VA and sells trees on craigslist.  (Probably more than one).  Welcome to the forum, and welcome to the hobby.

Mike   central NY state, zone 5a 

Welcome to forum from near Chicago.

Thanks for the warm welcome.  You all make me laugh.  I am in deep trouble aren't I???

I'm so happy your here for some reason it makes me feel like I have less of a problem everytime a new addict is identified.  I am feeling much better now so again thank you.

goss

That's the way I started.  Two trees last winter and now I have 22 varieties and still looking for more. In all I have approximately 60 fig trees in pots and five in the ground. Like you I'm looking for places to put figs in the ground and now I'm starting to think about the front and side yards.

Growing figs becomes an obsession not a hobby. What starts out as a hobby quickly outgrows your pocketbook for the desired next fig tree.


Enjoy your addiction and welcome to the forum. I saw one of the contributors tell you that we are enablers and that is so true. A lot of the guys here are responsible for helping me get my start with a few cuttings and advice on how to grow them. Just ask, and you will get response and help from everybody. Enjoy!

Hello Kaki,
Welcome to the forum community...
Lots to learm, Many to help.
And Yes its addictive.
Good Luck.

Kaki,

You are in more trouble than you know.  Welcome to the group.

Welcome. I just started myself and it is an addiction!!

oh yeah. i started with a few and now my collection is growing rapidly. some nice oned too but nothing to fancy as of yet. im already planning on plantin 30-40 more on a friends farm. and another spot on another farm along a pond.so as long as i get all these spots filled i will have loads of cuttings to share.

Yes you are in trouble.....but you are in good company!!

Hi, I live in Alexandria, VA. I have a Celeste as well. It does well in our area. My only problem with it is that it will drop figs if it gets too dry and hot. So my advice is to water it well if we start to get a dry spell in the summer while the figs are maturing.

Also squirrels are a problem but I don't have any advice about them.

Big Welcome to the Forum Kaki

As others have said, you are off to a good start with your recent fig tree purchases! Something to observe and take care of daily in your garden in between reading everything that you can here on the forum. Plenty of fig fanatics here in the greater DC area.

Welcome to the forum. Be prepared to be overwhelmed by the kindness and knowledge that this forum contains and good luck with your coming addiction to figs.