Rosie,
I think figs will improve somewhat after a couple of years of production. Brown Turkey isn't generally considered the best favored fig though. Many people plant it because either it's the only one they've heard of, or have access to -- or they think it's the only one hardy enough to survive in their zone. I'd suggest Celeste, also fairly common, but better flavor. If you want something slightly more unusual and tasty, try Violette de Bordeaux.

Here is a link that might be useful: Paradise Nursery

I second the suggestion for a Celeste over BT. The fruit is smaller, but much sweeter. If you get a new tree, however, it doesn't necessarily mean you have to throw the other one away. ;)

~james

Fruit for the first couple of years is not always consistent with fruit from a more mature tree (more so with some varieties). Weather, etc also can be a large factor. See pix of Walker at http://figs4fun.com/fvar-T-Z.html#WALKER The all purple one is last year's crop, the green/purple one is this year, and the fig this year is 3 time as large.

To my way of thinking Brown Turkey isn't a very good tasting fig anyway, and would definitely trade for the Celeste anyday.

Some folks have never had the opportunity to savor the flavor of an exceptional fig variety. I have friends who have grown Brown Turkey and Texas Everbearing figs here in Albuquerque for many years and think this is what figs are suppose to taste like. I don't think these varieties have any flavor to speak of but then again, as collectors, we have somewhat of an edge.

Okay, so I'd rather hear Brown Turkey was at least nice, but obviously we need a better variety. I fell in love with BT when I saw an old one healthy as a horse and bearing tons of fruit alongside a home that had been abandoned for decades, which is why I grabbed one when I saw it instead of doing my research.

Celeste is another old-timey one I know does here, but a respectable North Georgia nursery offers Alma and LSU Purple, and I was wondering what you think of them in comparison. We do now have a south-facing retaining wall to set one by, and Violette is apparently small enough to tuck in anywhere. My husband Alex decided he liked the sound of that one, Gene.

Brown Turkey will almost certainly stay in place, though. Alex is the real fig-lover in the family, so he can fuss over the others while we both watch the birds hopping around in and enjoying BT--which is one reason why I put him there anyway. I was hoping to see my husband rushing out to save his ripening figs from my armchair, but oh, well.

I'm going to pass on getting any more fruit trees from Home Depot so I don't have to wonder about the plant itself. Since it's a little late to put in marginal stuff this year, I've signed on to the e-mail at Paradise and hope to shop their last mail order next spring. I know you guys must hate losing a fig nursery, even one oriented to a coolish climate.

Thanks VERY much, Rosie.

Rosie,

LSU Purple is a very nice fig. Smaller and slender. but good sweet flavor. Negronne is another nice dark fig - actually saw some in a commercial orchard last week.

Alma hasn't fruited yet, so hard to say. I have Falls Gold, which is supposedly the same, and is an incredible fig - very, very sweet, slightly tough skinned, very rich stronger flavor.

Rosie,

In my first post I was going to mention Alma and erased it when I noticed you were in Z7. Alma is a nice, heavy, sweet fig with very good flavor. I did not find the skin to be tough at all. Also, my neighbor's Alma fruit was NOT eaten by the birds/squirrels, while everything in my backyard was taken. The problem with it (not from personal experience) is its sensitivity to frost. It is labeled as a variety that shouldn't be grown too far from the Gulf.

~james

Thanks very much. I'm going to contact that nursery, Johnson's in North Georgia, to see what they say about hardiness for those two. They may supply some varieties for more southerly customers from the Atlanta area. We're significantly colder here and had over a week at about 10 degrees three years ago, so Celeste may still end up being the best choice. You can see why I want to plant them by the house and need varieties that could pop back from freezing to the ground. Negronne apparently could go in the basement in a tub if necessary. When I lived in Southern California I didn't grow any figs at all because our friends were always giving them away by the boxes full. Go figure.

Okay, I'll retract my "not from personal experience" statement...

I overwintered two Alma trees in my 40ish degree fridge this past winter (well what we had of one). One of the trees didn't make it, the other's top didn't. These were the only two of 18 trees that had any problem with the fridge experience.

Alma (Fall Gold) is a good fig. It is a ficus carica / ficus palmata cross. It has a very delicate, sweet, rich flavor and a skin that is thick but not tough or coarse. Birds will eat it, but they don't seem to get to it quite as quickly as the more thin-skinned figs. My in-ground Alma (in an open field) overwintered well in Zone 8B Austin last winter. The winter was generally mild but there were two 20 degree nights early in the winter. The tree was killed to the ground the first couple of winters, but that is not unusual for figs of most varieties. For northeast Georgia, I would recommend Celeste, Hardy Chicago, Sal's Fig, or a true Eastern (English) Brown Turkey. Several of the "Brown Turkey" figs I purchased in the past from the home-improvement chains turned out to be California Brown Turkey (San Piero) which is not well suited to areas like northeast Georgia due to its sensitivity to cold.

Well, darn, I guess that last answers my question about whether there are different Brown Turkeys out there I have to worry about.

After your last two inputs about Alma, I got a very nice and helpful answer back from Johnson Nursery in nearby Ellijay: For my location north of Atlanta, stay away from LSU, Alma would be "okay," but Celeste and Brown Turkey are still hardier "by far."

I think rather than chase the other varieties mentioned, I'll definitely get a Celeste, and the Negronne which my husband wants to try and can be tucked into a sheltered nook. I'm wincing at the thought of moving that Brown Turkey, as it was my first planting against our barren-looking new home, but I'm moving toward putting Celeste, or maybe even an Alma, in its favored site and letting BT tough it out by a retaining wall. Figs are so handsome in leaf that having a number of them in what's going to be a good-sized garden would be great as long as they're healthy and happy, and for my husband and the birds too, of course.

Thanks once again. I'm glad I thought, belatedly, to come over here and check with you guys. Happy gardening!