Mark:Huge figs does not mean tasty figs. No Offense but usally the smallest size figs are the best tasting. Usually the tree that form embrio very early will be the first to get ripe. If the Panache and Blue Giant has enough time to ripe fruits then they are ok for our area. You are now in position to tell us. It is true some cultivar are late in forming fruits and that is a minus in zone 6 and colder.I do have a good number of young trees wich are late in forming fruits but i blame it on being too young. Only growing we gain experience.Peace

it's too late to be adding organic nitrogen if you live in zone 7a it will push too much new growth before the wood can harden off for winter. get through this season and fertilize in spring. it's perfectly fine to be a little depleted on N if growing figs outside of zone 8. in ground. organic fertilizer takes weeks to be taken up by the plant and thus feeding the plant over a longer period ie 3--6 months so use manures and meals about 2 weeks before the first leaf pushes out and use compost tea for a boost throughout the season if you feel the need. but again give your tree time to stop growing before the first frost. the dark color wood is what you want to see on over 90%of the tree by te 1st of october. or it could die to the ground or die all the way. mulch around your tree and only water once a week. next year if you keep it mulched you may not need to water it at all. inground figs trees take neglect well and clay holds tons of water so the trees will be fine going 5-7 days between watering just be sure to use at least 4 inches of mulch or better and keep the mulch off trunk of the tree. also only water the soil not the leaves or you'll get rust or other fungal diseases on the foliage. good luck, and don't go broke buying all that expensive crap at organic stores a little lime and compost go a long way my friend. growing organic is supposed to be cheep but big business has stuck there greedy hands in the mix and now it's just stupid at what they try to tell you need to grow things properly. I'd never use fish emulsion because raccoons are attracted to i fish and they will eat your ripe figs if there happen to be any at the time of his visit. I'd never buy rock dust, seaweed powder and all that other crap. people have been growing things for thousands of years without the need for such things. I'm all for feeding the soil but again compost goes a long way and the more diverse the compost the better. if you don't have a compost pile , bin or tumbler start or invest in one instead of wasting your money on nutes at the garden center.

brandon7, I was wasn't addressing you, just theoretical naysayers in general. We have discussed the issue before in some detail and, in fact, are more or less in agreement. Grethenanne, I brought up an interesting point in a prior thread. Zones were moved down considerably following several very cold winters in the early 80's. Remember when Florida orange growers suffered HUGE loses (84?)? Prior to this, Knoxville was very safely in zone 7. The update reflected these very cold winters (Wilmington, NC in zone 7?!? The same Wilmington with Spanish moss covered live oaks and trunked palmettos?! Trunked palmettos (not s. minor) defoliate at around 15(?) degrees. Most experts seems to agree that the USDA is at least 1/2 zone too conservative. Also, many publications that I have read agree that suburban and especially urban conditions add at least 1/2 zone (also decent-sized bodies of water). You know all the pampas grass you see planted around town? Zone 7b. Cannas? 7b. Atlas and Deodar Cedars? 7a. Figs? 7a. Elephant Ears? 7b. Indian Hawthorn? 7a (at least). Cast Iron Plant? 7b. Weeping Yaupon holly? 7a. Acuba? 7a. Camellia sasanqua and japonica? 7a-7b (varies with variety, I think). Spanish Bayonnet? 7a. Oak Leaf hydrangea? 7a. Cleyera? 7a. Don't miss out on the increased selection of gardening in zone 7:)

A raised bed makes the garden look like something that belongs there. At a basic level, a raised garden looks neat, especially if you are starting out. It gives your eyes a clear separation between weeds/lawn and veg bed. Placing cardboard around the outside of the box extending one foot outward and topped with generous amounts of wood chips works to keep weeds at bay... otherwise they'll be growing wild alongside and into the raised garden, greener and happier than most. I have used relatively thin wood of cedar, and they last 2-3 years easily. A raised bed of 8 inches needs some reinforcements to stay upright. If you "Google Image" "diy raised garden beds" you'll quickly get a good idea of how you can do this with either a drill/wood screws or nails and a hammer. You do not need to fill a new garden bed to the top with top soil and compost. You could fill it a quarter or halfway the first year, and just keep building it up over the years. If you do decide to buy compost, you may want to check out the compost first hand before you order it, see how broken down it is, and what their practices include (organic, etc). If you are thinking about starting a compost pile for the first time, you can just pile up leaves without having to think about it. Your grass seeds will definitely germinate in the future, and you can save yourself some hassle and not put grass clipping in your compost. A compost pile consisting partly of kitchen plant scraps is more likely to attract animals than a pile of leaves. You may want to ask your neighbor what kind of chemical products they've used in their garden before coveting their bags of yard waste for your compost pile. For a compost container I recommend the Geobin compost system... Some state governments (MD) give them out for free in certain states, otherwise they are cheap and flexible (resizable). I have a few of these and they work great.