Gardening with Gael - Figs a family affair

 

Four years ago I wrote an article on the benefits and wonders of the fig. At this time of the year every morning I would pick a fig or two on my daily round of the property. Sadly the fig tree was sold along with half the cottages and I no longer experience that pleasure. Imagine my delight when I found, at the market, the girls of Fig ‘n Delicious.

There, under the shade of an awning were baskets and baskets of beautiful plump ripe figs. Anthea, the owner, and

her daughter Karen grow the figs on their proper-ty on King Rd. This is a commercial venture and we are fortunate indeed to be one of the outlets of their enterprise.

Before embarking on the planting of their fig orchard Anthea did a feasibility study and planted the varieties of fig that she knew would do well. There are blocks of three varieties: Adriatic, French Sugar and San Piero. I followed Anthea around the orchard sampling all varieties and enjoying every single one of them. Figs have different names in different countries. I discovered that the beautiful black fleshy San Piero is known in

England as Negro Largo, in France as Aubique Noire and in California as Brown Turkey or San Pedro Black.

“Figs,” Anthea tells me, “are a wonder fruit.” She is speaking to the converted. I know that figs are alkaline and they offset the food and stresses which create acidity in the body, perfect to start or finish the day. Figs fruit on the new wood and I was interested to see that Anthea prunes the trees to a height that makes picking easy but also encourages a good crop. I realise the trees at the Block have been left to grow too big and all need a severe pruning. Some she has espaliered

and that makes fig trees a possibility for a small garden.

Before planting, Anthea carefully prepared the ground with cardboard, compost and woodchip.

“Figs need feeding,” Anthea told me. “They suck up the nutrients. The compost of the first year kept them going but every year the soil gets tested to find out the requirements. When the fruit is setting the trees require water and we water regularly throughout the growing season.”

Figs will grow in most soils. They do not like wind or weeds. This in-formation has sent me scurrying to the Block to release the weeds invading the ground around the figs I have there. Anthea’s trees are beautifully tended. Few pests

bother the trees. Picking, however, can cause skin irritations and Anthea and Karen wear protective coverings on their arms. They have also found a roll-on cream which soothes the rash that repeated exposure produces.

Figs may have been around for millions of years. Archeologists have found evidence dating back 5000 BC. Propagation is mostly by cuttings. The fig itself is an inverted flower and requires a certain wasp for pollination which

can still result in an infertile tree. The internet provides an enormous amount of information for those wishing to propagate their own fig tree or pop down to the market where Anthea and Karen are very happy to share their wisdom.