The new Fig Ghetto

[Gina]

(No pictures yet)

The past few days I've been up-potting figs into larger containers. And I want to give them more room in general. And 'more room' means expanding the area the figs take up. So I've decided to colonize some of the front driveway. It's concrete, relatively large, warm and in full sun, and there is a nice area where there are no cars. I've used it in the past as a plant ghetto, and it can actually look nice. I have 3 other Fig Ghettos in the yard, and this will be adjacent to one of them, ...so it's not really a new one, is it? Nah.

I'm moving various figs up into 10 (12?) gallon pots and 15s. Never have been sure what these pot sizes are, but they should do. Since they'll be on concrete and we are in a drought, I'm going to put them on saucers so all water will be absorbed. Not official saucers, but plastic lined square nursery flats. Should work. In this way the roots won't grow into the soil below, which will make working with them in the future much easier too. And being on the warmer concrete might help ripening too.

Anyone else have fig ghettos?

[sppsp]

I sure do. My deck was full of small pots last summer. The driveway had several large pots grouped together. The neighbors asked about them, they were cool about them.
Now, my garage is housing the largest dormant pots,
basement housing the dormant small/medium pots,
and dining room, pool room, master bathroom and family room the rest

[newnandawg]

I have (had) a fig ghetto that encompasses a large area of my driveway and extend onto the walk way going to the front door.
It became quiet large so I was asked politely by wife to do something with it. So I did. My ghetto was relocated to a large
natural area of the front yard which I haven't heard any complaints yet.

[ako1974]

I don't get much sun in the backyard, so I tore up my front yard for the garden. No one else in the neighborhood has done this, but no one has complained. Last summer, my driveway was lined with figs, chile peppers, eggplant, lemons, lemongrass...and there's a bunch of beehives, too, and wild raspberries. No complaints from anyone, thankfully.

[Needaclone]

Damn, there goes the neighborhood ;-)

Driveways are good, but front lawns are better! Grass is such a waste of time. The world would be a better place if people diverted the time, effort and money they put into their front lawns and put it into a couple fruit trees and a nicely tended garden.

I have a rotor-tiller -- who's with me!?!?!?!?

Actually, my yard is mostly wooded. However, a big area opened up a bit recently thanks to Hurricane Sandy. This year I might have to take out the chain saw and sacrifice a couple more trees in the name of improving my fig-growing. It won't quite be in the driveway, but it'll be up front and within sight of the neighbors.

Jim

[joann1536]

Who needs a lawn? My former front lawn was turned into a vegetable patch a couple of years ago.

[fitzski]

Over the past two years, I have transformed half of my front yard into a vegetable garden where I grow sun-loving veggies like tomatoes, garlic, summer squash, etc. My wife has been asking when I'm going to make the other half a garden and I think it's going to be this year, except it will be for figs not veggies. Just don't tell my wife.

[Eithieus]

hello ako1974 just think if we all did this front or back yard. i hope you start a new trend in your neighborhood. have a great day

[ako1974]

It'd be great if more people did it. I have to say this: since I've had honeybees in my yard, my neighbor - who is a friend - has stopped using chemicals on his lawn. He never explicitly said he stopped using it for that reason, but I get the feeling he did. He even comments about how he loves seeing what he think are my bees on his clover. Of course, I've invited neighbors to my garden to help themselves, as well.

Small changes lead to bigger ones...

[ako1974]

It'd be great if more people did it. I have to say this: since I've had honeybees in my yard, my neighbor - who is a friend - has stopped using chemicals on his lawn. He never explicitly said he stopped using it for that reason, but I get the feeling he did. He even comments about how he loves seeing what he think are my bees on his clover. Of course, I've invited neighbors to my garden to help themselves, as well.

Small changes lead to bigger ones...

[Hershell]

There are definitely some strange thinking people on this form. I guess that's why I like it. My yard is almost full of citrus but the figs ate going to start moving in soon

[moonlight]

I can't wait until my ghetto look like these again . My yard is not big enough I can only have ona or two fig tree ghettos

[eboone]

Gina, we are all waiting for the pics of your Fig Ghetto.

Mine is still in the basement cold storage area

[Gina]

Gina, we are all waiting for the pics of your Fig Ghetto.

New camera + new computer + windows 8.1 =

[Needaclone]

New camera + new computer is manageable.
Windows 8.1 is unbearable. I should say, windowx 8.x is unbearable compared to previous versions. ...huge productivity drop for anyone trying to hit the ground running to get work done (in any way like they used to.)
Take your time, Gina. We love surprises. If you let this thread go dormant for a while, then add a new post with pictures weeks or months from now, it will be like starting a new thread!
Jim

[Gina]

I just play on the computer and think Windows 8 was a massive mistake. Change for the sake of change is not a good thing. Did they not test the thing with ordinary folk, or even listen to employees who must have said 'this sucks'?

But back to figs.... and populating the new ghetto... In the last few days I've up-potted 22 figs into larger pots (mostly 12 and 15 gal). Last night I mixed a big pile o' mix so today will be doing more. Not sure how many are left. Some dups will be given to people I've promised figs to.

[cis4elk]

I agree. Luckily there is a tile to revert to the old desktop style.

[ChillynPhilly]

I have all my figs on my front concrete "patio" area. You say "fig ghetto," I say "Optimal fig growing microclimate." !!! It gets nice and hot out there, and they get full sun almost all day. Can't wait to get them out of my garage and into their summer digs. Cheers!

[eboone]

Had to post a couple pics of my driveway fig ghetto, 45 plants there, all but a couple are in their second year. The plants have been shuffled for about 4 weeks, gradually potted up into the SIPs you see here. Most of the SIPs are 5g models, some of the smaller plants were put into 3.5g SIP buckets until I can get more larger ones made. Right now it is pretty compact, neat looking, trees are barely leafed out. Once they start growing a little more I expect to have to spread them out. There are a few I'm leaving in larger pots, and 4 are going to go in ground along the house foundation and edge of pool.

Another 25 or so cuttings in smaller pots are currently huddled in my suburban fig ghetto under the patio roof to shelter them from the sun.

[Coop]

Ed
Looks awesome, so neat, You got the fever real bad

[newnandawg]

Ed, that looks really nice and much work involved. Very neat.

[drphil69]

That looks great Ed! I'm guessing there's no more basketball playing since the figs moved in.

[eboone]

No, kids are moved out, the post is getting rusty and needs to be removed so it does not fall onto the ghetto

[Coop]

Great post guys and gals. I love seeing the ghettos.
I know I have too many trees, its comforting to know we are not alone

[figgary]

OK, here is mine. Not as tidy as Ed's, but a conversation starter when visitors arrive.

[eboone]

Conversation starter - yes, people walking up and down my street have been asking me what I'm growing - my home sits a little above street level and they can't see it all very well.

[jmaler]

My fig ghetto of a sort.

Except for an inground 7 yr old Texas White Everbearing I'm new to the fig world. My first ebay fig cuttings arrived March 28. Now I'm hooked.

Is there any medicine foe fig bug bites?

[Coop]

Sorry, as far as I know, there is no cure

[m5allen]

I love the look of a fig tree in one of those wine barrels.

[jkuo]

Figs are gradually taking over my patio, along with a smattering of other fruit trees and veggie/flower seedlings. The pots in front are all adapted to full sun, and the smaller ones under the patio umbrella are in the process of being adapted to life outside. I didn't mentally register the number of fig trees I had until I had them all laid out in front of me on the patio.

[eboone]

I see a blue-roofed baby fig storm shelter there in the pic
Except that the one my kids had like that always blew over in bad storms

[jkuo]

lol, I actually did think about putting some of the baby fig trees in there. Then I thought of how the kids like to run in and out of the playhouse, climb through the windows, etc. I decided Mother Nature was a lesser danger than small children at play.

[figherder]

Very nice ghettos everyone.

[lilfiggy]

Ah I am jealous. I live in a HOA neighborhood and the Arch control committee would have a coniption fit. What goes on in backyard another story. I can't even have a storage shed. But I am also glad that once my plants get big enough, they can go in the ground. I don't know how you nice people haul all those pots around. Have a great day all. Joyce in Fla

[Bijan]

I'd love to show mine, but they haven't made it to their ghetto, and they will be going back into the garage this weekend. Yay for 27F and snow!

[cis4elk]

Yep, the gargage and house are goig to be smelling like figs again!