Shown here is a Hardy Chicago fruit cut in half.
FIGLEAF LEXINGTON KY TRIAL
Growers should trial a small number of plants to make sure they get the true hardy version of Brown Turkey before purchasing a larger number of plants. This confusion was first mentioned in a North Carolina State publication in 1986 (Williams, 1986) and may still exist. Some Californian Brown Turkeys may not be the same hardy Brown Turkey figs. Potential hardy fig growers in Ohio should exercise caution when purchasing Brown Turkey figs plants from a nursery. Its fresh fruits are very large and flavorful, with an average size of approximately 40 grams in trials at Piketon. When grown outside without protection, Brown Turkey may prove to be a challenge because fruits may not fully ripen until early October. When grown under a high tunnel, fruits of this cultivar are likely to ripen beginning in mid- to late-September and continue until a killing freeze occurs. Although Brown Turkey can produce two distinct crops in a long, warm growing season (Frecon and Ward, 2012), that is unlikely to occur in Ohio.
This cultivar has shown promise in growing and producing well in the trials at OSU South Centers (Figure 3). Photo by Gary Gao, The Ohio State University. Brown Turkey and Hardy Chicago are the only two suggested cultivars since our preliminary experience with them was positive. There are hundreds of fig cultivars available in the commercial trade, but most of them are not well suited for Ohio due to their lack of cold hardiness, long fruit ripening cycle, and unique pollination requirements. Hence, we do not recommend the open field production of hardy fig in Ohio due to significant loss of fruit yield.
Fig plants shed their leaves after a hard freeze on November 1, 2019. Fruit growth slowed down when the weather cooled and stopped October 18 and 19 when air temperatures were, 32☏ and 31.6☏, respectively. The fruits on the fig plants grown in the open field without protection from the high tunnel started ripening around early October and continued until mid-October in 2019. Growers need to weigh the high costs of high tunnels since we did not conduct a cost benefit analysis of the high tunnel system. Hence, high tunnel production of hardy figs is highly recommended. Hardy figs produce more fruits, an earlier harvest and a longer harvest in a high tunnel production. In 2019, the fruits on the hardy fig plants in trials near Piketon, Ohio began ripening around early-September and kept ripening up into November in a high tunnel. A high tunnel is highly recommended to produce an earlier harvest and extend the growing season into autumn (Figure 2). Test a small planting first to check their productivity and the market demand. Hardy figs in a high tunnel at OSU South Centers near Piketon, Ohio. Hardy Figs as a Commercial Crop in Ohioįigure 2. The fig plants still look very interesting and make a good addition to the home landscape. Gardeners should keep in mind that a large percentage of the fruits may not fully ripen at the end of the growing season. Suggested cold hardy cultivars can still be planted since these hardy figs can produce fruits on new shoots. Home gardeners may still use the information included in this fact sheet as a guide. When considering a commercial fig planting in Ohio, you should exercise caution, since this study was short-term and a comprehensive marketing study was not performed. The information presented in this fact sheet summarizes the data collected from those plantings from 2017 to 2020. Department of Agriculture through the Ohio Department of Agriculture. In an effort to test how hardy figs will perform in Ohio, two demonstration plantings (one in the open field and one in a high tunnel) of several hardy fig cultivars were installed at The Ohio State University South Centers near Piketon, Ohio (Figure 1) as part of a 2017 Specialty Crop Block Grant from the U.S. In the United States, fig production is concentrated in California since most edible fig cultivars are not cold hardy and can be killed to the ground when temperatures are 20☏ or below. While it is encouraging to see fresh figs available for sale at some grocery stores in the United States, Americans are more familiar with fig cookie than fresh figs. Fresh Brown Turkey figs from trials at OSU South Centers near Piketon, Ohio are delightful to eat. Many people all over the world have enjoyed the edible fig with Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Iran, Algeria, Greece, Syria, the United States, Spain, and Tunisia topping the list of fig-producing nations (Oberheu, 2018).įigure 1.
The fig ( Ficus carica L.) has been grown as a fruit crop for many centuries and is even considered an ancient fruit (Stover et al., 2007).
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