Author Topic: Fig hedge  (Read 3435 times)

Draak

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Fig hedge
« on: March 22, 2019, 01:42:44 AM »
I'm currently in the process of re-landscaping my home. The previous homeowner had a hedge growing along the neighbors property to keep the neighbor kids off of his lawn  ::). I've torn those out, and am wanting to replace them with a fruiting hedge; something both my neighbor and I can enjoy  :). Of course, I want to grow fruits that you can't buy in a grocery store ;D. To accommodate my desire for low maintenance, I'd like something that won't ever overgrow, so it is ideally a pretty dwarf plant.

I have two plants in mind. The first is the "little ruby" dwarf fig, which supposedly only grows 3'~4' tall. The other is quite far from the norm: Diospyros intricata (Desert Honey Persimmon), which supposedly grows ~a few feet tall (information is limited).

Has anyone tried to grow a hedge of figs before? Any other hedge-sided fruiting dwarf plants that I could consider?

Hil

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Re: Fig hedge
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2019, 04:24:58 AM »
We grow several types of figs, but we don't grow them as a hedge.
Figs taste great and grow fast, but they drop their leaves during the winter months. So during that time the hedge won't give you much privacy or function as a windbreak. If that is no problem to you, you could consider a mix of fig varieties. So that you have different types of tasties during a longer time of the year  :)

If you prefer a hedge that is evergreen, feijoa is a pretty good option. The bush looks ornamental, the fruit can't be found in a grocery store and it tastes good depending on the variety. It grows slow, which is both a good and a bad thing. It makes it low maintenance, but it may also take some time before the hedge is how you want it to be.

Draak

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Re: Fig hedge
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2019, 02:54:55 AM »
Thank you for the tip on feijoa! I’m very interested in growing it, and I did not realize it was a slow grower.

shiro

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Re: Fig hedge
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2019, 05:34:27 PM »
You could also try a mixed hedge with Arbutus unedo and morus (nigra or Alba) in espalier,
with the branches criss-crossed (Belgian fence for example ) or free hedge .
Or Arbutus unedo with PEAR or Apple tree or Saskatoon etc.
A mixed hedge can give a very nice effect in spring as in winter.

You little replace the Arbutus by feijoa or other.
« Last Edit: March 23, 2019, 05:36:12 PM by shiro »

pvaldes

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Re: Fig hedge
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2019, 08:41:59 AM »
Figs are a bad choice for a hedge. They tend to get leggy, create naked trunks with horizontal growth, do not have thorns and are very dangerous to prune. The caustic sap can bring you to the hospital in no time.

If your climate allows it, Cydonia oblonga is really good for creating a dense hedge. Grows a lot of basal shoots when pruned. Has a fine foliage and nice flowers and can be pruned easily.

Feijoa is also good for a silvery hedge. Take in mind that if you prune Acca you'll lost the fruit, better left it alone. The same happens with Elaeagnus that has tiny but edible fruit and hidden fragrant flowers.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2019, 08:52:22 AM by pvaldes »

Mango Stein

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Re: Fig hedge
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2019, 05:32:15 PM »
Evergreen: Ugni molinae, Red or Escarlate Jaboticaba, Inga congesta/bullata (variable fruit flavour), Blackberry jam fruit (R. formosum)
Semi-deciduous: Pomegranate (perhaps dwarf variety), Rainforest plum (Eugenia candolleana), Pitangatuba (Eugenia selloi)
Deciduous: Blueberry, Golden Currant (Ribes aureum)
Eugenia luschnathiana = CURUIRI.    Talisia esculenta = PITOMBA
I do not recommend people deal with Fruit Lovers, Prisca Mariya or Fernando Malpartida

Draak

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Re: Fig hedge
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2019, 03:28:51 AM »
My planting plans have really rearranged a lot, thanks to all of your suggestions!

I had no idea that fig trees were so dangerous! I've touched fig sap once, but was fortunate that nothing bad happened. My wife and I love fresh figs, so we will try to grow several varietals anyway, but that's seriously good to know.

It's also really good to know that the feijoa doesn't fruit when trimmed to a hedge!

I've had the quince and ugni (red and black) in mind for a while now. The Ugnis are a really nice thought; they don't grow particularly tall at all.

Just last night, I found that honeyberry varieties have really grown quite a lot, and many varieties are supposed to be quite good for raw eating: http://www.honeyberryusa.com. Even better, they really only grow to ~5' tall, so they should be pretty easy to keep under control. So, I'm thinking a honeyberry hedge should work fairly well  :).

Mango Stein

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Re: Fig hedge
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2019, 08:46:20 AM »
I originally suggested honeyberry in my post, bet edited that out. Most of USA cannot get honeyberry to fruit. They really need Northern latitudes and lose most of their leaves in winter (not a good look in my opinion). They don't even fruit in Vancouver as far as I know. 
Eugenia luschnathiana = CURUIRI.    Talisia esculenta = PITOMBA
I do not recommend people deal with Fruit Lovers, Prisca Mariya or Fernando Malpartida

pvaldes

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Re: Fig hedge
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2019, 05:17:28 PM »
> I had no idea that fig trees were so dangerous!

Ficus take no prisoners and can be nasty creatures. A friend of mine discovered this the hard way after spending an afternon pruning without protective clothes. At first nothing happened, a couple of hours later his skin start showing traces of sunburn. It was a sunny day and some red skin was expected, so my friend just keep working. At night his arms and neck were covered in painful blisters. Serious burnings, weeks of recovery at the hospital, a hell of pain and even a couple of permanent scars to remember the experience.

When the Ficus sap receives UV rays from the sun amplifies is effect over skin. Is a sort of natural anti-sunscreen that promotes sunburn. Pretty evil stuff.
« Last Edit: March 31, 2019, 05:19:10 PM by pvaldes »

Draak

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Re: Fig hedge
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2019, 11:21:19 PM »
I originally suggested honeyberry in my post, bet edited that out. Most of USA cannot get honeyberry to fruit. They really need Northern latitudes and lose most of their leaves in winter (not a good look in my opinion). They don't even fruit in Vancouver as far as I know.

Good to know that the struggle is real! After looking around at honeyberries for a little bit, their USDA hardiness varies a LOT based upon the timing of their blooming cycle. The early bloomers seem to be rated for very cold USDA zones, but the late bloomers are rated all the way up to zone 8. I suspect that I can get away with growing them here in a zone 9, since I'm able to get enough chilling hours for apples. That's enough to go on for a honeyberry experiment, anyway :).

Draak

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Re: Fig hedge
« Reply #10 on: April 05, 2019, 12:37:09 AM »
I've just written to the rolling river nursery in Oakland, CA (zone 10). They sell quite a lot of honeyberries, and they claim that they have seen all of the below honeyberry varietals fruit at their nursery. I'm quite surprised, because some of these are early bloomers.

Berry Blue
Blue Belle
Blue Bird
Blue Forest
Blue Hokkaido
Blue Mist
Blue Moon
Blue Nova
Blue Pacific
Blue Pagoda
Blue Sea
Blue Sky
Blue Velvet
Smokey Blue

Lilith

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Re: Fig hedge
« Reply #11 on: May 17, 2021, 03:09:45 AM »
I saw an interesting and special idea about Japanese Hedge Bamboo and I liked it so I think I will do such a fence. My wife does not like this idea, and at the moment I'm trying to convince her and I hope to succeed. She wants a simple wooden fence, but I explained that this is something simple and all of our neighbors have such a  fence, but if we do from Bamboo, we will be ingenious. I read an article about this and I saw it could grow up to 3 meters in length and that has captivated me even more.
« Last Edit: May 17, 2021, 03:27:40 PM by Lilith »