We all know about Mission Fig Trees with the dark purple skin and matching pulp, but have you ever tried a Desert King Fig? I have one of each in my yard and the Desert King with its’ green skin and pink/strawberry colored pulp in the middle is my favorite. The photo below is a combination of the two types of figs.
Desert King and Mission Figs
Fig trees can be pruned to a size that is manageable and continue to produce year after year. I keep mine at a manageable size so that the fruit does not go to waste.
The pink inner pulp of a Desert King fig These figs seem to me to taste sweeter than the mission figs.
A vigorous deciduous tree best describes the Desert King with its heavy bearing fruit and rapid growth. In San Diego near the coast it bears fruit June to August then has a second burst of fruit that produces into November. A great tree for providing a lot of shade during the producing season with leaves that are 4 to 10 inches long. No pollination is needed or any special application of fertilizers or food, it also is tolerant of many soil types. Fig trees also grow well in containers, I have my mission fig in a cut -in-half wine barrel that I drilled holes into for drainage.
Harvest: Figs should ripen fully on the tree when they are slightly soft and only keep for several days. Dry, preserve or eat figs fresh.
Desert King fig gets a visit from some bees
Pruning: Fig trees produce quite well with our without pruning. Avoid heavy pruning once the tree is established and never prune heavily in the winter. Follow this online site to buying bare root fig trees: FIG LINK.
Thank you for visiting today! Enjoy – Create – Grow!
Oct 23, 2010 @ 14:55:10
Did you know figs are an excellent source of dietary fiber and rich in potassium? They also have some calcium and iron. Definitely a “nutrient dense” food!
Oct 23, 2010 @ 18:07:50
That’s right… super healthy!
Oct 23, 2010 @ 16:13:05
Hi Nadia,
I’m envious of the bounty of your fig harvest. I have a brown turkey fig, which only had 2 figs on it. One got ripe and I ate it as soon as it was possible. Now I’m stalking the other one. This was a young fig tree that I thought was dead. Will try to espalier it on the brick chimney stack.
Regards,
Oct 23, 2010 @ 18:07:18
That is a good one… “stalking”. I always feel like I am stalking my fruit and vegetables- it must be common with gardeners! Good to hear from you!