Does this variety produce well in the South?

Hi CKB.  I have a cutting in ground but still very small, so it's too soon for me to tell, but hope others can tell you about the Desert King's performance down here.

One that looks like a real winner is the Excel.  The first main crop is still maturing, but it's growth is very vigorous, healthy, and it set a very heavy crop for a young plant.  The LSU Purple is also looking very good, but again, no ripe figs yet for taste.

Hope others can give us suggestions for the best varieties in the South.

Best wishes to all.

John
North Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

i have 2 desert kings, both froze to the ground  along with all my other figs last year.  they're growing nicely now, and i plan on protecting them well enough this winter to see if i get brebas next year.

Hi Mike.  All of our figs freeze back to the ground the first few years, but then they seem to acclimate and establish a hard wood base that holds up pretty well even here in the North Georgia Piedmont.  So hopefully in a few years you can just let them go and still enjoy the brebas.

Our established figs include an Italian Honey, a Chicago Hardy, and LSU purple & gold, and something that was sold to us as a BT but may be some variety of celeste (it's pretty good at dropping its fruit; so good I'm about to take it out).  And I have over 25 other varieties I'm raising from cuttings or small quart sized plants we bought.  We got some great cuttings from Jon and Herman, and some great plants from Bass.

We had nice brebas from the Italian Honey and the Hardy Chicago, not many but good.  And the main crops look really good.

I'm very interested in hearing about how your figs are doing there in Gainesville.  I have a good friend there, and I'm going to send him a fig tree or two.  He's not much of a gardener, so I'm going to tree to send him the easiest and best for the area.

Best wishes.

John
North Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

CBALDUCC, I got fruit off my Dessert King for the first time this year.  It was loaded with figs this spring, but I only got about ten figs from the tree.  I think the varmits got the rest.  The figs were very tasty. I rooted the Dessert King cutting in the Spring of 2007.

I need to know if I can prune the DK now and still get fruit next Spring?

Vern
NW Arkansas
7b 

Vern - how big is your tree ? I have done lots of pinching like every 5 leaves on DK and had it branching well. Overhere, the Canadian winter helps in the pruning, meaning it kills off tender shoots. Hence my theory is if I pinch, it gives the existing new branch a chance to harden up. The new growth/shoots on this pinched branch will most likely be winter pruned by the cold. Incidently my tree is an in-ground tree. If it is my tree, I would only pruned the wayward branches. Also, the larger the canopy the more figs you will get next season. I would prune one side of the tree if it gets too big. However, hardly anyone here prune their DK except for this Ital Sr who has over 15 DK trees. He prunes with a chainsaw close to the ground when he cannot reach the figs to pick for sale.

Hi Paul,

My Desert King is about 10 feet tall.  After reading your post I think I will give it one more year before cutting it back.  I like the idea of cutting one side back one year and the other side back the next.  I just might do that next year.

Thanks for the information.

Vern

I have several Kings that are over 20 years old. Each year after the crop is 

Unfortunately my DK finish cropping somewhere by 3rd week August. Just not enough time for new growth to have a chance to harden up.

Vern, one of my friend's tree in Vancouver is between 10 to 12 ft tall & he probably have more than 400 DK figs. Tree is likely about 8 yrs old. He pinches the tips like after every 5 to 6 leaves. DK is the most reliable variant here.

Jack and Paul, thanks for the advice on Dessert King Pruning.

Vern

I hope DK does good here in Ga because I am waiting on mine to be delivered as we speak. Heard
a lot of people on this forum saying how good they are as well as a cold tolerant plant.

My mother tree is about 4 years old---in the ground---- in my orchard.  I'm in Charlotte.  My tree doubles every year with figs but not a lot.  Two years ago I got 3 figs.

Tree grew well in 2010.  Winter came and I did not winterize the tree...tips were burned but no major damage.  Tree fruited fine.

In 2011, I got 6 figs---tree grew to 4' tall in a bush shape.  Winterized using leaves---Spring came and no frost damage but winter was very mild last year.

This year, I will not winterize or prune Mother.  I bought 4 additional Desert King trees.  I like the flavor, taste and color of the figs.  These trees are 5' tall and very healthy.  These will be in 30 gallon self watering pots using UPM and will remain outside all winter without protection.  I'm curious how they will do this year.  More to come.
cheers,

The article written by geofiz :Figs in the Pacific Northwest ,  has a few lines on pruning for breba crop which has helped me with pruning my Desert King. I think this will get you there :  hpi_figs.pdf
Dennis , my understanding was that you will have more breba survive if you keep it from going much below 35-37 F. I don't really know. Wonder if it would be worth protecting one of your DK trees to see if it makes any difference in next years fruit set ?
Don't you just love people who suggest you do more work moving plants !

Thanks Kerry!  I have not read that article before.  I will follow those instructions and see what happens.  Ok Kerry, I will wrap one container tree and see what happens.  I may just use corn stalks this year.

Dennis ,
If it keeps more than 75 breba , I'll be down for a visit when they are ripe !

Established desert king figs are cold hardy  in Roseburg, OR which is much colder than N Carolina.  2 winters ago we had a hard freeze with snow on the ground for over a week.  Temps were in the teens at night.  A friend's 30 trees did fine.  Desert King came from California but should do fine in the South.

Ok Kerry!  Just come on down!  Bob, you know.....I might get another 10 more DK fig trees!  Folks in my area are use to eating Brown Turkey figs.  When they see a green fig that's dark red inside...they are shocked!