Nothing in a 5' X 5' square, the space should be mulched, to keep weeds down. Okay if you must, plant strawberries around the fig tree. If you plant strawberries, put stepping stone between the rows of strawberries,so you can pick both the strawberries & the figs, without stepping on the plants. You can plant another fig tree or blueberry plant 10 feet on center. Old fig trees can get to be 15 wide, if not pruned. Good Luck.

I live near Haddonfield, in Camden county, NJ and am trying my hand at growing figs for the first time this year. I got one tree (variety unknown - maybe Celeste?) at a local farmer's market last September. Per instructions I left it outside 'til the leaves fell and then wintered it over in the basement - but it started growing! Anxious to get it in the ground I made the mistake of planting it in the side yard (western exposure) in early April. We'd had some quite warm weather that fooled me into thinking spring had come early. It had not. The tree suffered terribly in a windstorm with sustained winds over 40 mph and the snow that hit a week later. losing all its leaves and killing the growing tips of all the shoots. The good news is that the tree sprouted new shoots from four of the five "trunks". It is now doing just fine and enjoying a bit of a growth spurt, although I'll be surprised if it yields any fruit this season. Today I purchased a second fig tree. This one is a Hardy Chicago from Lowe's. I put it into a 12" plastic pot where it will stay for at least the first year or so. I plan on bringing this one into my enclosed but unheated porch next winter. A friend and neighbor also has a fig tree of unknown variety that has survived one winter outdoors. I'll try and get a cutting or two from her to plant next year. I look forward to seeing which one performs best for me.

I have an extremely well-adapted and fruitful fig someone gave me a sucker of from their yard, but I have no idea what the variety is. When ripe it yellows very slightly, but unfortunately is rather insipid- not very sweet or flavorful. Negronne is tastier but has such a long growing season it can't ripen it's fruit, though if the winter is very mild like last year, a lot of the smaller figs can make it through the winter and go on to ripen the next year. I should have a decent crop from it this year. Desert King is a very tasty sweet fig, but I haven't seen much fruit from it yet. I moved it to a sunnier location last year, so hopefully that will improve.

Thank you all so very much. It is truly appreciated. I have decided to do the following. Mexican Sycamore, Apple, one Apricot, and Royal Empress seeds. My neighbors donÂt have anything and all think I am wasting my money. I wonÂt be doing a fig. I am afraid that it would be useless. The fact that I have an organic vegetable garden is good. I have really black soil already. Some of the tree saplings will be planted and fenced it there. I also have a well so water isnÂt a factor as yet. My vegetable garden is 25 feet by 70 so there is room. Now I am tilling another 40 by 70 for more vegetables. The success of this one now still growing is fantastic. I have about 200 pounds of blue Hubbards, maybe 150 pounds of butternut squash, some 20 small acorn squash, (donÂt know why they stayed so small) have to figure that one out next year, a freezer full of zucchini, string beans, yellow squash, and radishes still growing, so figure that out? Puzzles me on the radishes. Some are flowering, so are hard as a rock, and some are still eatable. I also have a lot of lettuce still. I planted several varieties, but no Boston Iceberg. I have as yet a 10 by 10 foot cluster of carrots and another of beets. One of the beets was so big I couldnÂt place my hands around it completely. It was huge. We ate and gave plenty already but I still have to harvest them and put them away for the winter. The butternut will stay on the ground until it turns completely yellow. The blue hubbards are still growing but turning blue now that the nights are so cold. I picked one that weighed 15.5 pound and gave it to the neighbor that gave me the seeds. There are many more bigger than that. I had only one cross with the butternut and it weighs 19 pounds. The rest are in the garden waiting. The zucchini are still prolific. I picked another 10 large ones today. Amazing how they love it up here. My tomatoes are just now starting to do well. That is really strange. I will pick them green and place in a cool dark place to eat as they ripen. The cold nights must be a factor with them somehow. I used horse, steer, a little chicken, and thatÂs it for the manure. I didnÂt use anything else at all. I watered lightly every day. About 15 minutes at night and sometimes a little again in the early am. Usually just before the sun was completely up. So, the reason for telling this here is because I am so happy to have a great soil for next year and I feel that the right trees will make it with little effort. Once again I must give you all a great big thank you for your time, advice, and help. Nantinki