FOOD OF THE GODS
Good Organic Gardening|Good Organic Gardening 12.5
THE FLESHY FRUIT OF THE FICUS WAS MUHAMMAD’S FAVOURITE AND BUDDHA FOUND ENLIGHTENMENT UNDER A FIG TREE
Jennifer Stackhouse
FOOD OF THE GODS

Fig label

Common name: Fig

Botanical name: Ficus carica

Family: Moraceae (mulberry family)

Aspect & soil: Full sun; well-drained soil

Climate: Cool, Mediterranean, temperate, subtropical

Habit: Deciduous tree

Propagation: Cutting, suckers, grafting, aerial layering, potted plants

Difficulty: Moderate

A promising crop of figs is starting to swell on my huge backyard fig tree. It’s a ‘Brown Turkey’ and it has already had one crop.

Sadly, in my cold Tasmanian climate, this developing crop will come to nothing as the long hot days of summer give way to the cooler days of autumn. Despite knowing that this is the outcome, I look longingly at the figs hoping this season it will be different.

In most climates, figs produce two crops a year. The main crop, which is forming now in summer, ripens in autumn. That long, slow ripening period produces sweet, juicy fruit.

The sweetest figs are those bursting out of their skins — they’re the ones that don’t make into shops and the main reason to grow your own.

Left unpruned, as my tree was, a fig grows into a large, handsome shade tree reaching 6m tall and 4m wide. If this sounds bigger than expected (and it is very large if you intend to net the tree), control its size by pruning it in winter or very early spring when the tree is bare and the crop harvested.

Figs can tolerate a hard winter pruning, which also encourages new growth and ensures lots of fruit.

Denne historien er fra Good Organic Gardening 12.5-utgaven av Good Organic Gardening.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra Good Organic Gardening 12.5-utgaven av Good Organic Gardening.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA GOOD ORGANIC GARDENINGSe alt
Glamour girls
Good Organic Gardening

Glamour girls

EVERYONE LOVES A HARDWORKING ISA BROWN BUT GET A LOAD OF THESE CHIC CHICKENS AND FEATHERED FASHIONISTAS

time-read
5 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
FRIED VEG
Good Organic Gardening

FRIED VEG

IT’S POSSIBLE TO ENJOY A FRY-UP IN A DELICIOUSLY HEALTHY WAY BY TURNING TO SOME FRY-FRIENDLY PLANTS

time-read
4 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
BEYOND BIG RED
Good Organic Gardening

BEYOND BIG RED

TOMATOES COME IN ALL SHAPES, SIZES AND COLOURS, SO NOW’S THE TIME TO EXPLORE THEIR INFINITE VARIETY

time-read
4 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
EVEN MORE TROPPO
Good Organic Gardening

EVEN MORE TROPPO

ANOTHER SENSATIONAL SIX TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR GARDEN — OR YOUR FRUIT SALAD

time-read
5 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
LET'S STALK RHUBARB
Good Organic Gardening

LET'S STALK RHUBARB

JUST AS TOMATO IS A FRUIT USED AS A VEGETABLE, RHUBARB IS A VEGETABLE COMMONLY CONSUMED AS A DESSERT

time-read
5 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
FOOD OF THE GODS
Good Organic Gardening

FOOD OF THE GODS

THE FLESHY FRUIT OF THE FICUS WAS MUHAMMAD’S FAVOURITE AND BUDDHA FOUND ENLIGHTENMENT UNDER A FIG TREE

time-read
5 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
MAKING GOOD BETTER
Good Organic Gardening

MAKING GOOD BETTER

THE IRREPRESSIBLE TV PRESENTER WRITES ABOUT HOW SHE, WITH HUSBAND ANTON AND DAUGHTER FRIDA, TURNED A STEEP HOBART BLOCK INTO A PRODUCTIVE GARDEN

time-read
7 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
True lily
Good Organic Gardening

True lily

MANY PLANTS ARE CALLED LILIES BUT IT’S THE MEMBERS OF THE GENUS LILIUM THAT ARE THE REAL DEAL

time-read
5 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
SALTY BUDS
Good Organic Gardening

SALTY BUDS

THE CAPER BUSH PRODUCES TWO DISTINCT BUT EQUALLY DELICIOUS, TANGY MORSELS: CAPERS AND CAPERBERRIES

time-read
5 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
Ducks on duty
Good Organic Gardening

Ducks on duty

BUSY, VIGILANT, HARD ON GARDEN PESTS AND GENEROUS LAYERS — YOU’VE GOTTA LOVE A DUCK!

time-read
5 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.4