Fig Cordons in Cold Climates: Craig Boyer’s Japanese Espalier Trials

The Fig Tree Beyond the Fruit

A much-expanded edition of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t is coming this summer. For sneak peeks and updates, and to be the first to know when it’s available, click here [https://foodgardenlife.ck.page/e777ffe7e5].  --- Most fig growers are focused on the fruit. Fair enough.  But in this episode, we look at the rest of the fig tree: the leaves, sap, dried leaves, infused vinegars, tinctures, pantry blends, and even prunings. Steven talks with Penelope Beaudrow, a registered herbalist at Richters Herbs [https://www.richters.com/], about figs from an herbalist’s point of view. They talk about fig leaf tea, the coconut-vanilla-green flavour of fig leaves, traditional uses of fig sap, figs as a fibre-rich food, and ways to dry and preserve fig leaves for later use. For cold-climate fig growers, there’s also a useful shift in perspective: even if a fig dies back in winter, it can still be valuable as a leaf crop. Not every fig-growing story needs to end with a basket of ripe figs. Sometimes the leaves are the harvest.  In this episode: * Fig leaf tea and what it tastes like * How herbalists think about leaves, tinctures, and vinegars * Using fig leaves in the kitchen * Drying fig leaves for winter * Fig leaf salts, sugars, and spice blends * Traditional uses of fig sap and why caution matters * Fresh and dried figs as food * Thinking of figs as a cold-climate leaf crop * A short visit to the fig benches at Richters Herbs Fig sap can irritate the skin in some people. And before using figs, fig leaves, or any plant medicinally, it’s always wise to consult a qualified health professional.   A much-expanded edition of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t is coming this summer. For sneak peeks and updates, and to be the first to know when it’s available, click here [https://foodgardenlife.ck.page/e777ffe7e5].

A Collector’s Mindset: Figs, Family, and 250-Plus Varieties with Bobby Ghaheri

A much-expanded edition of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t is coming this summer. For sneak peeks and updates, and to be the first to know when it’s available, click here [https://foodgardenlife.ck.page/e777ffe7e5].  --- Fig collecting starts innocently enough. A tree for the yard. A cutting from a friend. Maybe a variety with a good story. Then, suddenly, there are shelves in the garage and rows of pots on drip irrigation. In this episode, I’m joined by fig enthusiast Bobby Ghaheri of Oregon City, Oregon, known online as Figologist. Bobby grows a large collection of fig varieties in the Pacific Northwest, where ripening time, breba crops, microclimate, and sunlight all matter. We talk about how a visit from Bobby’s fig-loving father helped start the collection, the Iranian family figs that became part of his story, and how the fig community pulled him deeper into the world of cuttings, trades, propagation, and variety trials. Bobby also shares practical lessons for newer fig growers: why not every fig belongs in the ground, why breba crops deserve more respect, how he manages potted figs with drip irrigation, and why it pays to think two years ahead before turning your garage into a fig nursery. In this episode: * How Bobby went from a few family figs to 250-plus varieties * Growing figs in the Pacific Northwest * Why breba figs can be valuable in cool climates * Choosing varieties that ripen in your conditions * Potted figs, drip irrigation, and practical setup details * Managing fungus gnats and other indoor propagation pests * FigBid, FigFanatic, and the collector’s chase * Why the fig community matters * Bobby’s advice for new fig growers Connect with Bobby: * YouTube: @figologist * FigFanatic.com handle: Figologist  A much-expanded edition of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t is coming this summer. For sneak peeks and updates, and to be the first to know when it’s available, click here [https://foodgardenlife.ck.page/e777ffe7e5].

Growing Figs Indoors: Lights, Heat, and Container Care

A much-expanded edition of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t is coming this summer. For sneak peeks and updates, and to be the first to know when it’s available, click here [https://foodgardenlife.ck.page/e777ffe7e5].  --- Texas fig enthusiast Eddie Sleem didn’t set out to grow figs indoors. It started with an Angelito fig tree, a Texas storm, and one plant that stayed inside while another went outdoors. The indoor tree grew faster, set figs sooner, and launched Eddie into a full-blown indoor fig-growing experiment. In this episode, Eddie talks about growing figs inside the house, with tips on grow lights, air circulation, watering, soil, and fertilizer. He explains why light and heat are so important, how indoor pests are different from outdoor pests, and why he thinks long-season fig varieties are especially exciting for indoor growing. We talk about: * Why a Texas fig grower started growing figs indoors * Eddie’s first indoor Angelito fig * Grow lights, side lighting, and light intensity * Heat and how a few degrees can change ripening * Soil aeration for potted indoor figs * Fertilizing figs that are growing almost continuously * Pest management indoors * Watering actively growing container figs * Choosing containers and managing space * Grow tents, open rooms, and domestic negotiations * Air movement, humidity, and air quality * Eddie’s favourite varieties, including Black Madeira, Pakistan Mulberry, Angelito, and Cosme Mano * What Eddie wishes he knew earlier: prune your trees and aerate your soil You can find Eddie on YouTube at Figgy Ed.  A much-expanded edition of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t is coming this summer. For sneak peeks and updates, and to be the first to know when it’s available, click here [https://foodgardenlife.ck.page/e777ffe7e5].

Growing Figs in Pots: Fig Tetris, Variety Trialling, and Collector Wisdom

A much-expanded edition of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t is coming this summer. For sneak peeks and updates, and to be the first to know when it’s available, click here [https://foodgardenlife.ck.page/e777ffe7e5].  --- How many fig trees can one person reasonably grow? Nina Jay might not be the person to ask—unless you want the fun answer. In this episode, I chat with fig collector and expert Nina Jay about growing figs in the Mid-Atlantic, where winter protection, ripening windows, and variety choice all matter. Nina grows a large collection of container figs, and she brings a wonderfully organized—and only slightly obsessive—approach to trialling varieties, keeping records, overwintering trees, and squeezing a fig collection into a garage. We talk about how Nina thinks through growing-season “fig math,” why early and mid-season figs matter in cooler climates, and why late-season varieties can be risky unless you have a plan. Nina also explains why she grows in pots, how she uses trellising and irrigation in her fig patch, and how she stacks trees for winter storage in what she calls “fig Tetris.” Along the way, we get into favourite fig varieties, California fig envy, caprifigs and hand pollination, the importance of good records and good labels, and why the fig community is such a generous place for new growers.  In this episode: * How to think about early, mid-season, and late figs * Growing figs in pots for flexibility, trialling, and winter protection * Nina’s garage storage system for a large fig collection * “Fig Tetris” and the art of fitting trees into winter storage * Using irrigation and trellising for container figs * Why Chicago Hardy is still a great starter fig * Fig varieties including Smith, I-258, White Madeira #1, Vince 3, and more * Caprifigs, fig wasps, and hand pollination * Keeping a fig database with photos, dates, labels, and source information * Finding local fig growers, swapping cuttings, and learning from the fig community  A much-expanded edition of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t is coming this summer. For sneak peeks and updates, and to be the first to know when it’s available, click here [https://foodgardenlife.ck.page/e777ffe7e5].

Fig Cordons in Cold Climates: Craig Boyer’s Japanese Espalier Trials

A much-expanded edition of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t is coming this summer. For sneak peeks and updates, and to be the first to know when it’s available, click here [https://foodgardenlife.ck.page/e777ffe7e5].  --- Craig Boyer of Coastal Fig Company [https://www.coastalfigcompany.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] joins me to talk about a fig-growing system with great potential for cold climates: fig cordons grown low to the ground inside high tunnels, with a second layer of protection using low tunnels or row covers. Craig explains how he’s using low cordons for commercial fig production in Pennsylvania. Instead of digging and burying fig trees each fall—or instead of heating the greenhouses—Craig trains horizontal cordons close to the soil, then holds in heat with covers. In this episode we discuss: * how the fig cordon system works  * combining high tunnels and low tunnels for passive winter protection  * getting fig bud break and fruit production dramatically earlier  * pruning and spacing strategies for commercial production  * leaf pruning and airflow management  * “the row cover dance” and avoiding heat damage  * fig varieties that performed best in Craig’s trials  * using passive solar heat instead of paying heating bills  Craig also shares how support from the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program helped make the project possible (see below). Learn more about Craig’s project here: Coastal Fig Company project profile [https://www.coastalfigcompany.com/profile/coastalfigcompany/profile?utm_source=chatgpt.com] About Craig’s work with cordon figs: This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number FNE22-003-AWD00000495.  A much-expanded edition of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t is coming this summer. For sneak peeks and updates, and to be the first to know when it’s available, click here [https://foodgardenlife.ck.page/e777ffe7e5].