Summer wouldn't be summer for me if it were not for two of my favorite fresh fruits. I am looking forward to this season's bounty full of figs and muscadine grapes.
You would think as a resident here since the mid 70's I would have known about locally grown figs, but it wasn't till years ago that I had my first fresh fig by way of my friend Larry who has a giant fig tree in his south side backyard. The explosion of sweetness with the chewy texture was unknown to me till then. I had an ‘ah ha’ moment “Oh, this is the fruit in fig newtons, duh! How could I have not realized or known that?”
We can grow figs in North Florida and they are one of the easiest fruits for the backyard grower. You need full to partial sun, soil that drains and a little space as fig trees can mature to 15 - 20ft tall by 15ft wide. They have a beautiful rounded spreading growth habit which can be pruned to accommodate easy picking, you don't want to let it get so tall that you can't reach the upper branches. Winter is the best time to prune most deciduous trees, figs will drop all there foliage in late fall and it is a good idea to rake up the fallen leaves to prevent any diseases from over wintering. Fertilize with Espoma Citrus-tone in early spring.
The two varieties that grow well here are Brown Turkey and Celeste. Celeste ripens midseason and has a brown violet hue on the outside and light red inside, while Brown Turkey is brown yellow outside.
Both are sugary sweet and great for fresh eating. Make sure they get regular water when the fruit is developing and harvest daily to avoid the birds for beating you to it. If you have the room plant both varieties for a longer harvest, but either one will fruit on it's own as they are 'self fruiting'.
Muscadine grapes are native to the southeastern United States and have been cultivated for 100's of years. There are many cultivars, having been selected for improved flavor, fresh picking, wine production and preserves. Being a native plant, they are one of the most sustainable fruit crops in the south and have a high tolerance for disease and insects. There are male, female and self fertile varieties. All females need either a male or a self fertile variety for pollination. Self-fertile varieties don't need a companion as they are 'self fertile'. Muscadines need to be trellised on a clothesline type structure or a simple square or octagonal structure will do. The Univ. of Florida IFAS extension has useful detailed information on creating a trellis for grape vines. Full sun is best for high fruit production. Pruning is necessary in the winter since fruit are borne on new shoots from the previous year's growth. Fertilize twice a year the first few years and then once a year after they are established with Espoma Plant-tone.
Both of these fruits thrive in our southern climate and give me another reason to appreciate the heat, humidity and thankful rains of our place called home.