FYI Delicious Orchards will have fresh figs all summer long. (that’s been our go to spot for them for - forever)
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I try to remember to jot down the number next time I drive by but there is a sign up occasionally for figs in Holmdel. It is a little farm that is directly across the street from the back entrance to PNC Art Center. I asked about it once since it was super early in the year and they told me that they have a greenhouse.
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I know this should be on the cooking thread, but dammit, we’re talking about figs… my latest thing is to roast a pan of sliced carrots w/ olive oil, cinnamon, cardamon, and a little cumin; halfway through (as in, when I decide to), I add halved/quartered figs and when I take the tray out, I put a little salt on everything. OMG. Better than any baked dessert, imo!
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Wow, this sounds terrific! I’ll need some specific instructions when I see you Saturday night at Burbelmeier’s! Yum!
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Deal! SUPER easy. I invented it. 
So, we’re doing our fall yard cleanup and Mr Bean is getting ready to prune our fig. Any detailed advice as to how much to prune? I think in the past we did too much or not enough but who knows.
We used to get a decent amount of figs but that was on the tree we had prior to Sandy. It died from what we think was too much slat water. Since then we’ve gone through a couple of plants without much luck.
How did everyone else do this year? @gracieggg @NotJrvedivici. @corvette_johnny Did you ever plant your tree? We had a gorgeous plant but no figs. Such is 2020.
Thx.
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All I can offer is that in my former life up in NNJ, my Italian landlords had a fig tree that started in Brooklyn after they came here and then ended up in the backyard in NNJ–and was moved multiple times. Every fall, I watched them DECIMATE what was a beautiful, lush tree that gave tons of fruit by chopping off most branches. It was naked. They then wrapped it in burlap and put an outdoor plastic garbage can over the top of it, wrapping the edge of that to keep it on. Year after year that tree bounced back bigger, greener, and more lush. To this day I can’t believe it, but I saw it with my own eyes over a decade!
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Thanks. We have a bushy fig and we’ve always trimmed the “ branches” but it seems like some people trim the “trunks” almost to the ground. Especially the more horizontal limbs. I’m sure I’m overthinking this but that seems to be my MO this year.
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Picture that in a 15’ tall version, branches tied together with string, burlap, and a garbage can on top.
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Some fig trees, like my Desert King only produce fruit on second year wood, so if I do a hard prune of the entire tree I don’t get any fruit that year. You might check what variety you have. I’d get rid of all the spindly branches and cut the others back by about half. Or maybe only prune every other branch if you are unsure of the variety.
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Thank you for the info. I believe ours is Celeste - or at least that is what Mr Bean thinks and I am not going to argue with him (at least about this).
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Take my advice with a HUGE grain of salt because IMO the only thing that has really mattered in fig production was watering the absolute heck out of it during the summer. I have done the wrapping method for several winters with hit or miss results in production. This year for example, I completely missed wrapping it and got tons of figs. My issue this year was I didn’t prune hard enough so lots and lots of leaves and branches but the plant didn’t have enough energy to ripen all of the figs before it got cold.
My advice on pruning is to cut off the smaller branches and look to get 3 or so major branches coming up. This is also an opportunity to shape it a bit if you wanted it to be more treeish rather than bushy. Have you had it produce figs in the past? My parents have had one fig in a great, sheltered spot for 20 years? Never once produced figs and my dad has certainly tried.
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My fig tree is doing well grew huuugely this year but still no fruit! I trim it back down to a stick, primarily down to its main stem with some of the branches remaining but cut way down. Each year it comes back bigger and stronger but still no fruit.
( I bought 2 more fig trees towards the end of summer as Home Depot had them on sale and they were bearing fruit. The plan was to keep them indoors this winter and plant in the spring but they are not adapting to indoors very well. We will see.)
FYI Bon Bini to all from beautiful Aruba!!
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Has it ever produced fruit? I know there are some varieties that need another fig for cross pollination.
Have a wonderful trip!!!
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Mr Bean is like pendulum when it comes to pruning. Either everything get cuts off or you couldn’t tell he trimmed if you didn’t see him do it. I’ll mention this to him.
I am sure we need to up our water. I keep pots on my front steps that I water all summer long but never did the fig. I’ll have to make a point of upping the water next season.
Thanks for the info!
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We had lush greenery as well. We did get a some figs but I think something ate them. The ones that remained never got big or ripe.
Enjoy Aruba. Make sure you use plenty of sunscreen!
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I tried growing fig trees without success, and Nabisco wouldn’t reimburse me on the pack of Fig Newtons I planted.
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I’m unwrapping mine tomorrow when did you do yours? I killed one of the two I brought indoor last fall. Lol 
Sorry to hear about your plant. We don’t wrap our fig - never have. It is kind of tucked into a corner with a southern exposure so it is somewhat naturally protected. Have you peeked at it? Any leaves?
