Happy Canada day! Any fig growers in or near Nova Scotia?

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Tadsamson

Registered:1400610801
Posts: 26

Posted 1404226201	Reply with quote #1

Hi all! I live in Nova Scotia, Canada and I've been growing figs for a few years now. I've been using figs4fun as a resource to identify figs that are fast growing and produce large breba crop... necessary for my zone 5b garden. I have a few figs in ground and others in pots. If anybody in eastern Canada wants cuttings I have many from Goutte d'Or and Browne Turkey. My Børnholme fig is slow...really slow. They all survive well through our winters. I use the Japanese method of growing figs by keeping the main trunk low to the ground and allowing new branches to grow up. It's easier to cover in November when they go dormant. On another note, I also travel to Japan (Narita-Tokyo) and Turkey (Istanbul) quite often. If anybody on this forum lives in these countries and would like to trade cuttings please let me know.

Rewton

Registered:1291943117
Posts: 1,946

Posted 1404229632	Reply with quote #2

Welcome to to the forum! My wife and I spent our honeymoon in N.S. and P.E.I. many years ago and really enjoyed it though by the end of the 10 days we were tired of eating seafood out of restaurants. __________________ Steve MD zone 7a

Tadsamson

Registered:1400610801
Posts: 26

Posted 1404231784	Reply with quote #3

It can certainly get old eating nothing but seafood. Although I do like it (lobster is down to 5$ a pound from local vendors), I get tired of it too... We now have a wine growing region. Reds aren't that great but the whites are increadible. Nothing like fresh figs, drizzled with balsamic and a glass of Tidal Bay wine. The aromas are purely tropical but the wine is dry with citrus notes.

sammy

Registered:1330355079
Posts: 261

Posted 1404236396	Reply with quote #4

Welcome to the forum Tad. __________________ Sam zone 4 Thessalon Ontario, Canada.

GregMartin

Registered:1370378358
Posts: 550

Posted 1404255310	Reply with quote #5

Hi Tadsamson, I'm not in Canada, but fairly close by...I'm in Maine. I'm always very interested in finding out what works out in eastern Canada. Thank you very much for your post. What do you cover your figs with to protect them each winter? All my figs are in pots that I bring in for the winter, but I am also planning to train my figs in the Japanese method when I do start putting them in ground. I'm very curious if one can find extra hardy figs in the colder parts of Turkey. If you know of any varieties or seedlings from that area I would love to know more. Warmest Welcome to the Forum! __________________ zone 5 Maine Seeking: Saint Martin, Naples White, Black Tuscan, Bécane, French Alps, Abruzzi, Tenica, Wild Mountain Figs from the coldest corners (Iranian, Turkish or other...would love seeds too)

Charlie

Registered:1404043833
Posts: 1,214

Posted 1404267066	Reply with quote #6

Welcome eh __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Czarguy241

Registered:1392919564
Posts: 17

Posted 1404282564	Reply with quote #7

I live in B.C, but my brother lives in Kentville. Welcome to the forums. __________________ wish list: 4 more hours in a day.

olivercopy

Registered:1404320319
Posts: 2

Posted 1404321377	Reply with quote #8

Hello, We are located in central Cape Breton, NS. I was thrilled to discover I might be able to grow figs on our place here, and I found some "Chicago Hardy" figs at the outdoor garden center at Atlantic Superstore in Sydney. I hesitate to transplant them out of their one gallon containers, but our farm is on a southern slope overlooking an inlet of the Bras d'Or Lakes, and it's at least zone 5b here, so I'm pretty sure they will be happy here, and I'm scouting for a good location. I plan to create a protective "fence" of old concrete pilings to the north of the transplants to break the wind, but I'm a bit concerned about how they'll do in our clay/gravel mix soil. Any tips on planting, fertilizing and overwintering would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! __________________ NSCapeIslander

jdsfrance

Registered:1376988473
Posts: 2,591

Posted 1404334623	Reply with quote #9

Hi, To make a long story short: look for my post about "wintering figtrees" in Zone7. For your dirt, you could put an eighty liters container in the ground and put full compost inside and plant the tree there ... The eighty liters trashcan with bottom removed technique :) . __________________ ------------------------ Climate from -25°C to + 35°C Only cold hardy figtrees can make it here

olivercopy

Registered:1404320319
Posts: 2

Tadsamson

Registered:1400610801
Posts: 26

Posted 1404365833	Reply with quote #11

Hi! I find that our maritime winters are a bit different from continental ones. Our frost doesn't run deep anymore and I treat my figs like tender roses. I hill them up with soil, put some straw over them and cover that with a tarp. A good layer of snow helps during the coldest days. I also do not plant in ground until the trunk is thicker. The reason I use the Japanese fig training method is to keep them low to the ground. It makes hilling so much easier! My Goutte d'Or seems to do much better than my Brown Turkey. Last winter was harsh and I didn't have any die back at all!

Tadsamson

Registered:1400610801
Posts: 26

Posted 1404366030	Reply with quote #12

PS: I'm originally from Cape Breton and the only problem there would be getting a long and warm season to even produce a good breba crop. Since you are south facing it should be ok. Don't be discouraged in the spring because they can take a while to leaf out.

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