This is the third post in a new series, in which 
will share about different plants that they plan on growing on the homestead, and why.
will share about different plants that they plan on growing on the homestead, and why.Our third featured plant is the Fig Tree, and we are already enjoy the fruit of these guys
.
FIG TREE VIDEO
BACKGROUND
When we moved down to Arkansas, we noticed that a few of the neighbors had some fig trees growing in their yards. While they do not produce every year for our neighbors, they have still kept them growing and certainly do enjoy it when they can get a taste of the ripe fruit.
Since we plan on growing about all that we can, I was immediately interested in these trees and began to learn more about them.
PLANT INFO
Figs are members of the genus ficus and there are over 800 species worldwide in that genus. The varieties of fig trees that I have encountered include the Brown Turkey, Celeste, and Brooklyn White. I think that it is amazing that whether you are in northern states like Illinois and New York, or down south in Texas or Florida, there are varieties of figs that you can grow in your area.
For us, we figure that we might as well try every variety that could grow here and then see what ones do best for us. Interestingly enough, I was just gifted a larger fig tree while we were at Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, but I'll share more about that some other time.
GROWING CONDITIONS
Fig trees can grow in any soil condition, but it needs to be well drained. They seem to do best in sunny areas and like a lot of organic material to grow in. Here, they do best when planted on the south side of a home, or similar structure that can reflect the heat of the winter sun.
While some fig trees farther south can grow for years, frequently they die back every year here. There should be some that are hardier which I will look into getting, but often the ones that people have in this area do die back. Then, in the spring, new shoots burst forth from the root system. We will be experimenting with the best ways to grow our own, but so far all of ours are in plants.
NUTRITIONAL VALUE
Figs are interesting when it comes to nutrition. For one, they become healthier for you when they are dried, instead of eaten raw. For example with 100 grams of figs, the % DV of Potassium grows from 7% to 19% when the fruit is dried, and the % DV of Manganese increases from 6% to 26%. Obviously drying the fruit helps preserve it longer, but the increased health benefits are another amazing reason to dry them.
Besides the examples shared above, figs are also a good source of Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Thiamine, Calcium, and Magnesium.
Figs can also act as antibacterial and antifungal agents, and they are a powerful antioxidant. They can help treat common diseases like diabetes, anemia, liver disease and ulcers.
PROPAGATION
When it comes to propagation, it is very easy to just cut a branch off of the tree and "plant" it. If you keep it watered and have at least one node below the surface of the earth, there will be a good chance that it will root. We have been practicing doing this for over a year now, and even our five year old has a good amount of experience.
Not only does the ease of propagation allow us to have as many of these plants as we want, it offers a good potential source of income too, since many people apparently will purchase a rooted fig for $10 or more. That's good news for us!
CLOSING THOUGHTS
It is a blessing to be able to meet so many amazing plants and to have the opportunity to plant them and care for them. We are so excited about the future right now and can't wait to enjoy more fresh figs from our propagated plants.
As we continue to work on projects like propagating and planting fig trees, we will keep you posted on how we are doing with it. Hopefully we will even have some to share!
All photos, video, and writing are original, but some research was done at the following websites: Source 1, Source 2.
IN CASE YOU MISSED MY PREVIOUS VIDEOS FROM THIS SERIES
As always, I'm and here's the proof:
proof-of-fig-tree
Until next time…
Don’t waste your time online, invest it with steemit.com
