Having a Fit for Figs Volume 46 Number 3 Fall 1999 Diversity of size and color in fig varieties. F ig preserves and hot biscuits are still a staple of many families, and research at the Chilton Area Horticulture Station may make this culinary delight more delicious and available in the future.
Figs have a long history in the Southeast.
In 1903 a major effort was conducted in Georgia to evaluate fig varieties and establish a large dried fig market. From this early work it was determined that the production of fig types that were grown in California for dried production could not be grown successfully in the South. Demand for sales of fresh figs has remained moderate to high. As a result of grower interest in the potential for small scale commercial fig production, AAES researchers took cuttings from various locations in Central and North Alabama as well as Georgia and rooted them at the Chilton Area Horticulture Station. In November of 1996, rooted cuttings were planted three trees per variety on a 12 X 20 spacing, to collect data that might highlight a variety's adaptability for commercial production as well as home use.