Future Figs

Day 318: Two weeks ago, I stopped to visit friends who are organic gardeners and came away not only with a large bag of sweet, juicy, ripe Desert King figs, but also a well-rooted start taken from their 10-year old tree. The parent tree was about this size when they planted it and took about four years before producing its first figs. Last year, they picked over a hundred. This year, it's even more heavily loaded. Desert King is a cold-hardy variety, perfect for the Pacific Northwest climate. Although their tree has suffered some tip-kill over the winter, it springs back beautifully. They suggested that I plant this sapling in an area which is somewhat protected. Having had prior failures with trees and shrubs planted in the fall, Desert King will remain in its pot until spring, protected from marauding deer and elk by a wire cage. I am looking forward to a future of figs for the picking!