Nadia Knows Gardens » container gardening

Desert King Fig- Ficus carica

nadiaqh — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 03:39:45 +0000

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!

Garlic Galore!

nadiaqh — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:11:12 +0000

I had another “first experience” gardening this week, I planted garlic. Here is a very quick video to capture the essence of garlic planting. I planted an organically grown garlic clove that I bought at a roadside vegetable stand here in San Diego.

A few facts about garlic:

* Garlic is great for growing in containers.

* November is a good time to plant garlic.

* Co-plant or “companion plant” garlic next to lettuce, cabbage, roses, apple trees, beets and carrots. The garlic will act as an organic pest repellant keeping aphids, root fly and snails away. This is a great way to organically keep your garden as pest free as possible without using harmful chemicals.

* Follow this link for the great health benefits of garlic.

Thank you for visiting my gardening blog: www.nadiaknows.com

Create-Grow-Inspire

November Planting

nadiaqh — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:11:27 +0000

It’s time to plant some NOVEMBER vegetables! A patio, balcony, or front walk way is all you need to create a little garden above ground. By placing several different sized clay pots together in a group with a variety of vegetables and herbs, a garden plot can come alive. Make sure that the area gets at least six hours of sun per day. Here are some fall planting ideas: Beets-Lettuce-Onions-Potatoes-Celery-Carrots-Peas-Garlic-Swiss Chard-Turnips-Radishes-Artichoke and Spinach.

All of these can be planted in containers with small starter plants from your local nursery. Mix in some herbs like Rosemary, Thyme, and Chives for an amazingly easy plentiful garden effect.

Want to skip the vegetables and go straight for the flowers? Flowers from bedding plants are an instant reward: this month Pansy, Viola and Foxglove are the winners in Southern California. This is also the time to plant bulbs such as Anemone, Daffodil, Freesia and Ranunculus. I like the benefit of purchasing small bedding plants for quick color and instant herb cuttings for cooking, and bulbs and seeds for patiently awaited blooms.

When container gardening buy a good quality organic potting soil vs. digging up top soil somewhere in your yard… and remember to place mulch around your new plants to protect from insects and help the soil.

Keep me posted on how your gardens are growing! I love to hear from you.

Thank you for visiting my gardening blog: www.nadiaknows.com Create= Grow= Inspire