Just wanted to throw this out there....i am originally fom the East Coast, but have been in the Kansas City area for about 11 years. I am doing a zone pushing experiment with figs, since global warming has changed the possibilities for growing things around here, according to Missouri Botanical Gardens. (MOBOT) it used to be, for example, 20 years ago one could not grow Crepe Myrtles reliably in Kansas. Now they are thriving everywhere.

So, any brave, risk taking fig growers out there who grow in ground?
-If so, which varieties have you had success with?
-Which have failed?
- Do you mulch or trench your trees during winter?
- how do you amend your soil?

I mentioned in my intro ( thank you all for the welcome, btw) that I am a zone pusher, who grows my figs in ground~ year round with mulch. Had success with VDB, Chicago Hardy (my control in the experiment), and LSU- purple. All came back and thrived. Going to try pushing Black Madeira, Italian Honey, Desert King and Marseilles Black this winter if they are large enough with good roots. I heavily amend the awful "soil" here (if you can call compacted clay "soil" LOL) with cotton burr compost, pine bark, sand and compost. I add Super Phosphate and a little iron sulphate to the mix, as well as Espoma "plant starter with mycorrizae" if I can find it.

Also, if anyone lives in the KC area and wants to trade with me, i have hoya cuttings (@ 20 varieties) for figs, or i will buy anything on my wish list if price is reasonable.

Cheers, laura


Wish-list:
Dark Portuguese, Col de Dame Noir (et Blanc), Flanders, Dark Sicilian, Ronde de Bordeaux, or anything rich tasting and sweet.

I've had Hardy Chicago in ground for 20 years but end up being gone all summer so I've never gotten figs from it.  There's a guy in mid Kansas who's had figs in grond but they got eaten by voles.

Hi Laura.  Joe Morle in Mass. sells fig plants that are Zone 6 and higher. I planted his figs in the ground near my sundeck. I plan to leave them uncovered this winter and see how they do. Also. have you tried the unknowns from NYC? They should be very hardy.