Temperate Fruit & Orchards > Temperate Fruit Discussion

Fig hedge

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Draak:
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:
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:
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:
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.

pvaldes:
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.

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