Figs

As I've mentioned in other postings, many of the usual garden plants just aren't doing great this year. One crop that DOES seem to be doing well are the figs that survived overwintering in the garage.  Two of the Chicago Winter Hardy figs are doing great - they even dealt with early warm weather followed by disappointing frost damage (and I didn't figure they'd get frost damage since they can handle really low temps).  One of the Chicago Winter Hardy plants in a pot didn't make it, and the Brown Turkey in a pot appeared to not survive winter in the garage, but then started sprouting about a month ago.  It's definitely behind the two monster Chicago Winter Hardy figs in pots...I'm not holding my breath on any fruit from it this year.

There's two other Chicago Winter Hardy figs, and those were an experiment.  Since Lowes was unloading the plants at clearance prices, I wanted to see just HOW "winter hardy" they were, and planted two in the ground and didn't give them any extra special treatment.  One suffered chewing damage over winter, but both came back.  Neither is very big - no where near as far along as the two that survived in the garage, but they are producing leaves and are several feet tall now.  Again, I don't know if they'll fruit this year.  Maybe this winter I'll bundle them up, perhaps even trying to bend them over and cover them in leaf mulch.

I can't wait til later this summer when I get hit with all these fresh figs.  (Remind me I said that when I start complaining if I have too many figs and don't know what to do with them all!)  I figure I'll be trying fig preserves or jam, and I know from last year that they're great frozen and then added to smoothies!