653690 Sun Sep 20 15:52:49 -0700 2009 2 62 Gardening 0 5044420 Hi, I want to get my mother a fig tree as a birthday present next year. She lives in Princeton, NJ and despite being a botanist, is an expert plant killer. I have inherited her utterly not green thumbs, so know nothing about this stuff. I live abroad, so I'd have to coordinate buying it online. The backyard is rather shady, but the front has some pretty decent sunlight. Their block is plagued by deer; would that cause problems? What varieties would you recommend? I live in London and had some spectacular green ones that were grown by a Turkish colleague. When should this be planted? Any and all advise appreciated! Sun Sep 20 15:52:49 -0700 2009 22624 relizabeth 1 5045669 We got a Brown Turkey Fig from Edible Landscaping ( http://www.ediblelandscaping.com/plants.php ) this past July. It's hardy to Rhode Island. They also offer a variety called Hardy Chicago. We were extremely pleased with it. They ship them in the pot so there was very little shipping or transplant shock and it's producing fruit already! We're in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Southwest Virginia at 2300 feet so for extra protection we're planting it against the house on the southeast side where it will have protection from winter winds and some radiant warmth from the block wall. The nurseryman told us that figs will die back at 20 degrees but will regrow the following spring. He also said it's best to plant them in the winter when they're dormant but I would think in Princeton you might want to plant them out in late winter/very early spring before they break dormancy. They also do extremely well in large containers as they like their roots constricted so if in doubt of their survival you could move them into a well lit protected space for the winter. Edible Landscaping is located 2 hours north of us at about the same altitude as we are. We visited there this past weekend and were impressed with the large variety of figs they had growing in various locations around the nursery, some with the protection of being planted beside a building and many standing alone, all bearing good crops. We do get the occasional 20 degree day here as do they and after seeing how well their figs were doing I have no worries for mine. We also have a huge deer problem but so far although they come in the yard they don't come as close to the house as the fig is. On the other hand we have caged our dwarf apples with netting to keep out the deer. I did have a problem with rabbits gnawing the base of the fig but I put a cylinder of hardware cloth around the trunk secured at the bottom with a couple of lawn staples and it hasn't been bothered since. Mon Sep 21 07:47:10 -0700 2009 5044420 160677 morwen 1 5048746 Is your mom willing to plant the fig in the front? It needs the sun. I have one, well established (for 50 years or more) in what is now a shady backyard. It's a study in frustration once the other trees fill out... Tue Sep 22 08:06:51 -0700 2009 5044420 11989 pitu