So I'm new to fig growing.  I am in zone 6 in CT.  I have a couple common figs (celeste and hardy chicago) and a couple of ones that are less common from online sites or eBay from members (Negronne and JH Adriatic).  I've been reading about St Rita and I'm thinking it is a fig I'd like to try.  I have a little farm that has a predominantly northern exposure  but  which gets morning and afternoon sun.  I'm thinking that the above might be a good choice from what I've read as I like "jammy figs" rather than just sugary figs.  Any experience in zone 6?  In a pot or in the ground? One better than the other?  If a good choice, any good sources for this plant?

Philip

Search posts by Kerry (drivewayfarmer) in NH.  I'm pretty sure it's in his top 5.  Many people on this forum will sell cuttings, but you'll have to wait until trees go dormant.  Based on how fast cuttings grow, I wouldn't start until late Jan at the earliest, unless you have very good indoor garden lights.

It is a Mt Etna type, and you have one already. Although they can be very different from one another in taste and production.  I heard St Rita tastes great, but have not heard that it is a good producer. Seems like a shy producer. Which IMHO would call for container culture. Although I could be wrong about production, just not that many reports about it. I recently added it so have no observations to add. It sounded good to me too. I got mine in an auction. If you don't find it I can make an air layer next year, but that would mean you won't have it till this time 2018.

Hi Phillip,

I am in Wallingford, 6b. I have St. Rita in a 5 gallon bucket. I got a couple figs last year, first year plant. There are a bunch on it this year.

A very good, smaller fig.

Mike

I've got St Rita in pots, both 1st and 2nd year trees.  It seems just as productive as other MEs.

p.s.  I gave one (2nd year) to a friend this spring.  Recently he counted 2 dozen figs on it.

I love St Rita. I highly recommend it...

That's funny, because I didn't care for mine and gave it away.

Maybe it's the soil mixture you used or you didn't let it get old enough

St Rita is a very good fig. It's tasty, productive, and precocious.

This is my first year growing St.Rita.Cant wait to try my one
fig!I heard this one is really good.

I have a two year old St. Rita. Jammy and Berry yes. Small fruit yes. Next year will tell me alot. 

Phillip,
My advise would be to find someone who has a lot of cold hardy trees and talk to them about what does well where you live. And find a local grower and check with him about what does well there. The northern exposure isn't going to help. Consider growing your figs in pots and bringing them inside in the winter. I do it with about 400 trees and it sounds a lot harder then it is. My largest pot is 15 gallons. There are a lot of advantages to growing in pots.
I just came in from eating over 20 varieties of figs -- no dinner required tonight, and one was St. Rita. Darn good fig. I also had a few I'd compare to St Rita- Ronde de Bordeaux, Black Marseilles VS, Hardy Chicago and Rouge de Bordeaux.
I love this variety (St Rita) and am adding another into my orchard this year, but if I have 2 then I'll sell off the other one. I sell all my varieties for $25 for 1 gallon plants. it does mean some stuff (Madeira, I-258, etc.) usually sell out fast, though.
I can't check for you right now as it is raining like crazy --- of course as I just got in from 45 minutes of watering.
I'm also kind of glued to the TV as we had "an incident" here in Charlottesville VA today. The white Supremacists are in town and the folks demonstrating against them had a speeding car run down 20 of them -- 1 dead -- 19 injured. Plus another 15 injured from the ensuing fighting. Geeezz. I was living down near my alma matter Va Tech when some crazy jerk killed 30 some students --I don't remember exact number, but . . .
Sorry I'm way off topic.
PM me if you are interested in tree. Even if you aren't I'd be happy to talk with you about cold hardy figs as I have been collecting them for a number of years and have quite a few.
Good luck.