Image by Michal Hlaváč via Unsplash
by Maryanne Ross
When I was growing up on Long Island, New York, one of the harbingers of winter and spring, was the overwintering of my dad’s fig trees. Dad saved old carpets and tarps and when late autumn arrived, we would help him wrap his fig trees for winter. He would tie up the branches, wrap the carpet around the tree and have us stuff bushels of leaves between the carpet and the tree to insulate it. Then he would wrap the tree in the tarp and secure the whole thing for winter. They were masterpieces, alright. But if you came through our yard at night in winter, these hulking wrapped trees could scare you half to death! After the danger of frost had passed, he would unwrap his trees and we would wait for the summer fruit.
In Italy, is said that the fig is named after St.Peter since the trees bear fruit coinciding with the saint’s birthday on June 29th. I vividly remember waiting for the fruit to ripen each summer and fighting with my two nephews over who got to eat them.
Today, I like to serve fresh figs by chopping them, adding feta or goat cheese and balsamic vinegar and heaping onto toasted slices of baguette and broiling the slices quickly. If you want to try it, there is a great recipe for Fig Crostini from the The Spruce Eats. If you ever visit Bar Harbor, Maine, you owe yourself a visit to Fiore Artisan Olive Oils and Vinegars. They make a fig vinegar to die for! And they do ship: www.fioreoliveoils.com
But now back to Sustainability Italian Style. To be clear, Italy is not the world’s biggest producer of figs. But they are grown throughout Italy, and they have been grown there since Roman times. Figs do grow in many northern regions of Italy, but they really thrive in the southern regions of Calabria, Campania, Puglia and Sicily. The rich soil and the hot temperatures of the southern regions of Italy create ideal conditions. My family (both sides) came to America from Gallo Matese, a small town in the Campania region and now I understand why my dad and all my relatives grew fig trees in their yards. As much as I would love to grow them, the harsh winters here in Maine would likely kill an outdoor fig tree. I do intend to grow one indoors, starting this year.
Here is some advice I found on growing figs sustainably:
Select fig varieties suited to your local climate.
Choose disease-resistant varieties to reduce the need for chemical treatments.
Plant figs in a location that receives full sunlight for optimal growth.
Ensure well-drained soil with a neutral pH. Amend soil with organic matter like compost to enhance fertility and structure.
Apply organic mulch around the base to retain moisture, suppress weeds and regulate soil temperature.
Use drip irrigation to minimize water usage and direct water to the root zone.
Use organic or slow-release fertilizers to provide steady nutrients without leaching into the environment.
Incorporate compost to enrich the soil naturally.
Regularly prune fig trees to improve air circulation, reduce disease risk, and support healthy growth.
Encourage beneficial insects and birds and employ organic pest control measures.
In colder climates, protect young trees with burlap or move container-grown figs indoors.
Pick your figs gently to avoid damage and harvest them when they're fully ripe for the best flavor and quality.
Encourage Biodiversity by growing other plants beneath and around your fig trees. This will attract pollinators and beneficial insects.
Provide birdhouses or bee hotels to promote a balanced ecosystem in your garden.
Use natural solutions like neem oil or insecticidal soap to combat pests.
Use natural amendments like bone meal or rock phosphate instead of synthetic options.
By adhering to these sustainable practices, you can ensure that your fig trees thrive while minimizing harm to local ecosystems. Sustainable gardening not only benefits your plants but also contributes to the health of our planet!
And my best news on sustainability and fig trees is this:
The resilience of these ancient trees prompted a research initiative to study the fruit’s potential as a sustainable crop for Mediterranean farmers. Because of their deep root systems, fig trees tolerate drought better than most, and as agriculture struggles with warming temperatures, that makes them important to study. For nearly four years, a Mediterranean research initiative, FIGGEN, has assessed how figs succeed while climate changes are causing other crops to fail. Scientists are trying to identify the resistance gene in fig trees and learn from it. You can read about it here: www.figgen.eu/index.php/en/project