Improved Celeste, Florea, and Ronde de Bordeaux. These 3 sweet and flavorful fig varieties can begin ripening half a month before most or all other fig varieties. Their main crops begin to ripen in the last week of July or the first week of August, in WV zone 6b. In short growing seasons, this ripening period can… Continue reading 3 Early Figs

Though an important food crop for people historically, in lands such as ancient Egypt, the sycamore fig has long since been replaced by “common” fig crops. The sycamore fig tree is not as cold tolerant as common fig trees. And unlike common fig trees, it is wholly dependent upon a tiny fig wasp to pollinate… Continue reading Sycamore Figs

Tim Hensley claims in “A Curious Tale: The Apple in North America” that about 14,000 varieties of apples were grown in the US in the 1800s under 17,000 different names. More recently NPR has claimed that nearly 8,000 varieties of apples were grown in the US and that well over 6,000 of those have since… Continue reading Apples & Figs