Anonymous wrote:Op, I am growing a pomegranate fruit tree!
Would love a persimmon, fig tree next.

Please tell me more about your experience growing a pomegranate fruit tree in this area. Do you have a hardy variety or do you grow it in a pot and keep it inside during very cold winters?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew figs for years, until a super cold winter killed the tree. I grow currents now, along with crab apples. I make a current-crab apple jelly that is very nice.

I planted native plums last year and got one plum. Hoping for 3 or 4 this year!

I would love to grow figs but I get eeked out about wasps? And parts of wasps that are in the fig? Someone talk me down.

There are no wasp parts in figs! I never noticed that there were more wasps around my figs than around super ripe peaches or raspberries. Wasps like sugar, and figs are sugary. One thing you can do is pick the figs at the right time and not leave them on the tree to get overripe and split. Then the wasps really do like them. I interact with more wasps at a park picnic table than I ever do at my fig tree.

Wrong.
Any fig that is pollinated will have a dead wasp inside. You don’t notice it because the wasps are tiny and digested by the time you eat the fruit.

And honey is bee breast milk. Sometimes it’s best not to overthink.

It’s a tiny fruit fly sized wasp fyi

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew figs for years, until a super cold winter killed the tree. I grow currents now, along with crab apples. I make a current-crab apple jelly that is very nice.

I planted native plums last year and got one plum. Hoping for 3 or 4 this year!

I would love to grow figs but I get eeked out about wasps? And parts of wasps that are in the fig? Someone talk me down.

There are no wasp parts in figs! I never noticed that there were more wasps around my figs than around super ripe peaches or raspberries. Wasps like sugar, and figs are sugary. One thing you can do is pick the figs at the right time and not leave them on the tree to get overripe and split. Then the wasps really do like them. I interact with more wasps at a park picnic table than I ever do at my fig tree.

Wrong.
Any fig that is pollinated will have a dead wasp inside. You don’t notice it because the wasps are tiny and digested by the time you eat the fruit.

Yup. This is why strict vegans do not eat figs.

My friend in Bethesda has a lot of success with persimmons, but I find them mushy and too sweet. Maybe the one plus side of climate change is that we will be able to grow more tropical fruits?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew figs for years, until a super cold winter killed the tree. I grow currents now, along with crab apples. I make a current-crab apple jelly that is very nice.

I planted native plums last year and got one plum. Hoping for 3 or 4 this year!

I would love to grow figs but I get eeked out about wasps? And parts of wasps that are in the fig? Someone talk me down.

There are no wasp parts in figs! I never noticed that there were more wasps around my figs than around super ripe peaches or raspberries. Wasps like sugar, and figs are sugary. One thing you can do is pick the figs at the right time and not leave them on the tree to get overripe and split. Then the wasps really do like them. I interact with more wasps at a park picnic table than I ever do at my fig tree.

Wrong.
Any fig that is pollinated will have a dead wasp inside. You don’t notice it because the wasps are tiny and digested by the time you eat the fruit.

And without them, we wouldn't have figs. They are less than 2mm long, they polinate the fig, and they don't sting.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew figs for years, until a super cold winter killed the tree. I grow currents now, along with crab apples. I make a current-crab apple jelly that is very nice.

I planted native plums last year and got one plum. Hoping for 3 or 4 this year!

I would love to grow figs but I get eeked out about wasps? And parts of wasps that are in the fig? Someone talk me down.

There are no wasp parts in figs! I never noticed that there were more wasps around my figs than around super ripe peaches or raspberries. Wasps like sugar, and figs are sugary. One thing you can do is pick the figs at the right time and not leave them on the tree to get overripe and split. Then the wasps really do like them. I interact with more wasps at a park picnic table than I ever do at my fig tree.

Wrong.
Any fig that is pollinated will have a dead wasp inside. You don’t notice it because the wasps are tiny and digested by the time you eat the fruit.

My olive is in a pot so I can bring it in if it gets below 20. It flowered for the first time this year, so fingers crossed for fruits!

Our serviceberry is pretty, but the berries usually get overtaken by rust.

The Bishops's Garden at the Nat'l Cathedral has a hardy persimmon. I'm intrigued and may try growing one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew figs for years, until a super cold winter killed the tree. I grow currents now, along with crab apples. I make a current-crab apple jelly that is very nice.

I planted native plums last year and got one plum. Hoping for 3 or 4 this year!

I would love to grow figs but I get eeked out about wasps? And parts of wasps that are in the fig? Someone talk me down.

There are no wasp parts in figs! I never noticed that there were more wasps around my figs than around super ripe peaches or raspberries. Wasps like sugar, and figs are sugary. One thing you can do is pick the figs at the right time and not leave them on the tree to get overripe and split. Then the wasps really do like them. I interact with more wasps at a park picnic table than I ever do at my fig tree.

Agree. We've been growing figs for nearly 25 years here, and wasps are no more of a problem than with other things you might grow. Every so often we have a bad winter where the trees will die back, but they usually come back from the roots. You have to carefully retrain the growth when that happens, but it grows back very fast. We've seen it twice in 25 years so far. My neighbor has been growning them for longer than me, and he cuts the whole tree down to the ground every year to control size. We don't do that, but we both get lots of figs every year. You do want to learn about the size of the variety tree and its growth habits/pruning techniques, because they are all different. My friend has a tree in Califonia that is bigger than the house. You don't want that in the city. This guy in NJ has good videos about figs: https://www.figboss.com

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a kiwi farm in Vienna. I see lots of persimmons around here too.

I want to try a persimmon! Good to know others grow them. If anyone has direct experience, please share. I’m in NW DC.

Just don’t plant in your front yard. Our neighbor has one and crazy people come and try to steal the fruit out of her yard every year.

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone chime in on grapes? We were thrilled to find grapes growing on a trellis in the house we moved into, but they have like no taste, except for being a bit bitter.

I remember growing up my grandfather had a small vine near his garden and they were delicous.

I have grape vines. It depends on the species. The one I have tastes fine but they have thick skins and a lot of big seeds. It will take over if you don't keep it trimmed.

For the fig tree, yes there are wasps on the tree. I personally have never been stung despite picking the fruit. They do burrow into the fruits but my experience is that is only past ripeness.

We make jam with the figs.

Can anyone chime in on grapes? We were thrilled to find grapes growing on a trellis in the house we moved into, but they have like no taste, except for being a bit bitter.

I remember growing up my grandfather had a small vine near his garden and they were delicous.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a kiwi farm in Vienna. I see lots of persimmons around here too.

I want to try a persimmon! Good to know others grow them. If anyone has direct experience, please share. I’m in NW DC.

Before the renovation, Murch had a row of persimmon, two varieties. They did very well and produced fruit.

Anonymous wrote:My husband tried kiwi a few years ago. Now the vines are taking over the back garden, and the fruit is really hit or miss, usually miss (too acidic).

So be careful with the kiwi!

This was my MIL's experience as well. Slow to start, but eventually aggressive vine, late to start fruiting, then the fruit wasn't very good. A lot of work to keep the vines in check.

We know people that grow persimmons, figs, and pawpaws

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew figs for years, until a super cold winter killed the tree. I grow currents now, along with crab apples. I make a current-crab apple jelly that is very nice.

I planted native plums last year and got one plum. Hoping for 3 or 4 this year!

I would love to grow figs but I get eeked out about wasps? And parts of wasps that are in the fig? Someone talk me down.

There are no wasp parts in figs! I never noticed that there were more wasps around my figs than around super ripe peaches or raspberries. Wasps like sugar, and figs are sugary. One thing you can do is pick the figs at the right time and not leave them on the tree to get overripe and split. Then the wasps really do like them. I interact with more wasps at a park picnic table than I ever do at my fig tree.

Fig trees grow like weeds in this area.