Saskatchewan Perennial Society

Bernadette Vangool

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

Cecil F. Patterson was born in Watford, Ontario on December 1, 1892. He was one of seven children of Frederick and Mary Patterson. His older brother, Charles passed away in infancy. Cecil finished high school at the young age of 13. For the next eight years he helped his parents at the farm, milking cows, growing corn and hoeing the vegetable garden. His father was the local cheese maker, and there was never a dearth of chores around the farm.

In 1913 Cecil enrolled in the Agricultural College in Guelph, spending his summers at the farm. Cecil received his Bachelor of Science in Horticulture in 1918. He continued his studies in Urbana, Illinois with a Masters in pomology (fruit breeding) and finished his formal education with a PHD in plant physiology with high honours in 1921.

In the fall of 1921 he was hired by William J. Rutherford, the Dean of Agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan. He developed the curriculum for the Horticulture Department there over the next couple of years. Courses offered included general horticulture, protective forestry, fruit growing, floriculture and landscape gardening as well as apiculture and vegetable gardening. The first degree in horticulture was awarded in 1926, with seventy nine students receiving their degrees by 1956.

Dr. Patterson was responsible for the preparation and teaching of all the classes, research, administration and extension. Besides this, he was also responsible for developing the landscape at the University. No wonder it is said that in his 39 years at the University, he never took a sabbatical and seldom used his vacation days. He basically was a One-Man-Show from 1921 until 1942 ,when Margaret Young was hired as a secretary. In 1944, David R. Robinson was hired to  oversee Extension.

Soon after his arrival on campus, he became acquainted with Laura Fraser, who was a nurse working at Saskatchewan Hall. The couple married and had three children, a boy followed by two girls. Their daughter, Joyce, recalls her father as “a gentle man, unassuming, pleasant, honourable. The depression years, were difficult in Saskatoon…University salaries were cut in half, but sharing was evident. Mom always had a meal and some warm clothes for the young male transients who were plentiful.” The Pattersons lived on Elliott Street near the University but moved to Sutherland in the 1950s, giving Cecil more room for his many plants, in the hope that he could continue his plant breeding in his retirement.

During his tenure at the University, he did much research with fruit breeding. He also taught classes on growing fruit on the prairies. Because no textbooks existed for our climate, he undertook the task of writing and self-publishing a book on Hardy Fruits with Special Reference to their Culture in Western Canada’ He believed that fruit orchards should be an essential part of every prairie farmstead. His personal fruit orchard, which he developed in Sutherland, eventually became C.F. Patterson Park.

Dr. Patterson introduced over 30 varieties of fruit including apples, pears, plums, raspberries, cherries and strawberries. Unfortunately, the majority of those are no longer available. All the fruit tested and developed at the University during his time was grown without irrigation. He also had a great interest in ornamental plants and developed many lily cultivars. One of his selections was ‘Edith Cecilia’ named after his daughter, who died at age 13 of leukemia. ‘Edith Cecilia’ is a down-facing lily with pinkish-white petals with a light salmon tint and small black spots in the throat. It has been used as a parent in many modern lilies. After Dr. Patteson’s death, Bert Porter wrote in his 1963 catalogue: “These lilies have made horticultural history, not only in this region but throughout the world.”

Dr. Patterson’s health started to fail in 1959. He retired from the University of Saskatchewan in 1960 and passed away in 1961 from colon cancer.

In 1969, the Patterson Garden Arboretum was named in his honour. It was established in 1966 to showcase trees, shrubs and vines hardy on the prairie provinces, as well as species from northern regions of the world. The Arboretum, open to public year-round, is still a site of experimentation with new species introduced annually. It is located on the southeast corner of Preston Avenue and College drive.

In 1973 Dr. C.F. Patterson was posthumously inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame, a well-deserved honour.

Many thanks to Sara Williams’ “In a Cold Land, Saskatchewan’s Horticultural Pioneers” and Barbara Adams-Eichendorf (CPLS Newsletter March 2018)

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/saskperennial) for a list of upcoming gardening events.

Bernadette Vangool

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

The 87^th Annual Edition of the Prairie Garden is out. The theme this year is Shaping Spaces and there are many articles dealing with the design of a yard, garden and other outdoor spaces.

Like many of the recent editions, this issue also embraces the concept of letting nature into our gardens by introducing native species of plants, reducing traditional lawn areas and concentrating on what actually wants to grow in your space: finding the right plant for the right conditions. This approach benefits both the gardener as well as local pollinators and wildlife.

The guest editor for this edition is Mark Bauche, a landscape architect and master gardener with a degree in Environmental Design from the University of Manitoba.

He is the first to admit that many of the landscapes that have inspired him the most are actually those designed by hobby gardener like you and me, who learned from trial and error and enrich the community with colour and life as they improve their small and not so small spaces. A case in point are the boulevard gardens on Ethelbert Street in Winnipeg. In the early 1990s the City of Winnipeg, as a cost saving measure, turned the responsibility of boulevard maintenance over to its citizens, some of whom grew tired of mowing the area and opted instead to use this space for gardens and flowers. This method of gardening is not for the faint of heart. Your creation may be overturned unexpectedly to access underground utilities, or your particular boulevard may get hit by an errant snow plow. Nevertheless, enough citizens persevered and Ethelbert Street has become a destination for garden tours. If you are interested in gardening on the boulevard, know your community’s rules and restrictions before you start.

The majority of the well over fifty articles in this issue deal with some aspect of design and design considerations for planning a successful landscape. The emphasis is on the plants rather than the hardscaping – which is often overemphasised.

June Flanagan has suggestions for and edible landscape design, while Sheryl Normandeau tackles a theme garden approach using many dark flowering plants to create a goth garden. Attracting pollinators to the garden is addressed by Jane Olenick who introduces the reader to ten stunning bloomers which attract and support butterflies and hummingbirds. Virginia Stephenson shares her adventures in rain gardening, those gardens taking advantage of occasional flooding from downspouts and water runoff.

As we think about native plants to introduce to our landscape, we often picture the sun-loving plants that colonized the landscape. It was therefore refreshing to find an article by  Diana Bizecki Robson, which dealt with native plants for shady locations such as wild ginger (Asurum candense) and bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), both choices for damp shade. Native plants for dry shade include Canada anemone (Anemone canadensis) and early blue violet (Viola adunca). For wetter locations try turtlehead (Chelone glabra) andmarsh marigold (Calthra palustris).These are just a few cultivars mentioned in Diane’s article.

Besides these theme targeted articles, others of general interest are also included. Of special interest are the cold hardy trees and shrubs being trialed and introduced by the North Dakota State University Woody Plant Improvement Program. The cultivars discussed by Dr. Todd West are hardy to USDA zone 3 and 4. Tulip planting, owning a hobby greenhouse, inviting house sparrows to your garden, growing winter squash and starting tree peonies from seed are some of the general topics included.

As we embrace the concept of gardening more naturally, and introducing natives to the landscape, Linda Dietrich reminds us that ecological gardening is mainly about addition not necessarily subtraction. She says it’s okay to hang onto your favourite cultivars  – “No one is asking you to give up your peonies.”

The Prairie Garden is available from McNally Robinson Booksellers, some garden centres, as well as through their website: www.theprairiegarde.ca or email: sales@prairiegarden.ca

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society
(SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page for a list of upcoming gardening events.

Erl Svendsen

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

There are several plants associated with the coming holiday season, many of them rooted (pardon the pun) in the past. But they are now mere decorations and much of their original meanings or origins have become forgotten or pushed to the side.

Bringing in evergreen boughs at this time of year has been practiced since at least Roman times. They were used to decorate homes during Saturnalia in celebration of Saturn, the god of Agriculture. Because they were plants that ‘did not die,’ evergreens represented good health and fortune. As for using the whole evergreen tree instead of just branches, there are a number of legends describing the ‘first’ Christmas tree, dating back as far as the 7^th Century. But it is more likely that the first Christmas tree was erected in 1521 in Alsace, France (then part of Germany).

Martin Luther is credited with introducing lights to replicate his experience of seeing stars shining through the trees in the forest. He used wax candles, not a recommended practice today. I remember my first Christmas on the farm in Norway. The tradition there is to decorate the tree on Christmas Eve day (followed by the opening of presents the same night). My grandparents had added the extra special touch of using real candles to light the tree using special candle holders designed for this purpose. I was 6 and entranced by the dancing light. Sadly, that was the only year they did that. After that, they used electric Christmas lights, an invention that dates back to 1882. Today, of course, many of us use energy efficient LEDs that can be dimmed, change color and bop along to the music.

Evergreen wreaths have likewise been around for centuries. The circle itself symbolizes eternity and the evergreen branches signify immortality. Decorated with dried fruits, flowers and seeds, the wreath represents the annual cycle of the seasons.

Rosemary is now mostly used as a seasoning in the turkey stuffing at Christmas. But it used to feature more prominently during the season. There are a few legends involving Mother Mary describing how it acquired its distinctive aroma and its blue flowers. Even its Latin genus name, Rosemarinus, meaning Mary’s rose hints at this origin. In the past, it was commonly strewn on church floors and in the home. When walked on, it releases a pleasant aroma and it was associated with friendship, fidelity and remembrance.

The poinsettia is a relatively recent entrant to the Christmas season. ‘Discovered’ by Joel Poinsett during his time as US Ambassador to Mexico in the 1820s, poinsettia is now unarguably the second-most popular Christmas plant after the Christmas tree (various fir, pine and spruce species). The legend on how it came to be so beautiful tells of a small poor Mexican girl who had nothing to give the baby Jesus. Her cousin told her that it didn’t matter what the gift was nor how small, as long it was given with love. So the little girl picked a bouquet of weeds by the roadside to offer to the baby Jesus at the nativity scene on Christmas Eve. The other children teased her, but then the weeds miraculously transformed into the bright red flowers we know today. From that night forward, they have been known as ‘Flores de Noche Buena’ or ‘Flowers of the Holy Night.’

One myth to dispel: poinsettias are not deadly toxic. According to POISINDEX, a 50-pound child would have to consume at least 500 poinsettia leaves before coming close to a toxic dose. In a review of nearly 23 000 cases of poinsettia exposure, 96% did not receive treatment in a health facility. And not a single death has ever been documented. Some people may experience skin irritation from the milky white sap and, if consumed, leaves may cause stomach upset, vomiting or diarrhea.

Kwanzaa, while celebrated during the week between Christmas and New Years (December 26 – January 1), is not a religious observance. Instead it is celebration of African American culture and values, first celebrated in 1967. Two of the Kwanzaa symbols are plants. Mazao (fruits, nuts and vegetables) recalls historical harvest festivals or gatherings where joy, sharing, unity and thanksgiving were the true fruits of labour. Vibunzi (plural: muhindi) is a simple ear of corn, one ear for each child in the family. But it goes beyond a simply numbering of children – it is a recognition that it ‘takes a village to raise a child’ involving the whole community as each one contributes their patience, love and understanding.

Erl gardens in Saskatoon.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page  for a list of upcoming gardening events.

Alan Weninger

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

I’ve always been interested in the plants that don’t get a lot of attention. Overlooked plants, like overlooked things in general, are usually interesting but don’t fit a general norm of expectations.

A fruit on a bush, for example, is expected to taste sweet and flavourful, like a saskatoon berry or a blueberry. That first bite is the dealbreaker: not sweet enough, or an unusual flavour or texture, and it will probably be the last bite.

Here are a few fruiting bushes along with my thoughts on why they continue to live in the shadows (figuratively, of course):

Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) is having a bit of a revival these days. If you’ve ever popped one in your mouth, you’ll know that the fresh taste is strongly skunky and notably different than the taste you get when it’s used in ice cream, or jam, or pie. Night and day, really.

Cooked, it is one of my favourite flavours, and I literally buy every blackcurrant thing I can get. As an alternate host for the tree-killing disease white pine blister rust, it was discouraged in cultivation, but new varieties that are disease resistant are now being grown. Once seemingly appreciated only by those of European origin, I’ve noticed that they are now part of a local U-pick operation. Blackcurrants are easily grown and bountiful.

Another uncommon currant deserves mentioning, as I always snack on it as I work in Patterson Arboretum. It is alpine currant (Ribes alpinum), and although sweet, tasty, and bright red, it’s size may be limiting its popularity. The tiny fruit is not produced in abundance and only in small clusters, nevertheless it still holds a place in my heart. If you’ve got kids, especially, this one is a winner.

Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa), not to be confused with our native chokecherry, is another bountiful and misunderstood fruit bush. Eaten fresh, it would be considered an aquired taste, and texture. I’ve seen it growing in cottage gardens in Siberia, and it appears to be more popular in Europe and Asia than here in its native homeland of North America. Again, the key is to use it mostly for cooking, and not to judge it for it’s fresh taste. The fresh taste, acceptable to some, improves after it is fully ripe, usually in the late autumn. At this same time it’s glossy round leaves will be turning a vibrant red colour, a beautiful sight.

Goji berry (Lycium chinense is a species commonly cultivated here), is a brightly coloured, shiny, pepper-like fruit (same plant family as sweet peppers and tomatoes), that hang in an orderly fashion down along an arching cane of tiny leaves. It is a sprawling plant, with aspirations to be a vine if it finds a shrub or fence to grow over. I find that the fresh fruits go down easily at first, but soon the lingering taste can be described as weird. Really weird. Despite this, I have eaten them in a soup in Asia and they were a pleasant, tangy complement to the broth. It is also used in trail mixes. Black goji berry (Lycium ruthenicum), a species with smaller, very dark fruit, is also hardy here. To cultivate Goji berry you will need a full sun exposure, which mimics their native desert environment. They will not grow in shade.

There is a type of unusual shrub fruit that I really do enjoy fresh. It has a lovely flavour that often surprises people. They are hawthorn berries, and there are two species in Patterson Arboretum in Saskatoon that produce tasty fruit. I offered some to my boss at the Horticulture Field Lab a few weeks ago. “Too many seeds” she said as she spit it out. Oh well.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page for a list of upcoming gardening events. The Saskatchewan Perennial Society will have some blackcurrant ‘Ben Nevis’ for sale at our Spring Plant Exchange in May.

Vanessa Boniface

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

Food weaves northern communities together. Sharing homemade berry jam, trading wild harvests, collecting mint, and sharing community meals creates bonds beyond sustenance. These traditions draw from knowledge passed down over generations, predating colonial agriculture by millennia. For settler gardeners in the north like me, this broader context transforms how I think about horticulture.

Unlike southern gardening, where focus is mostly on planted crops in defined spaces, people in our La Ronge region commonly gather and steward wild foods and medicines as part of daily life. Families protect and pass down secret berry picking sites, stewardship practices, and recipes across generations. Pre-colonial Indigenous food systems were more sophisticated than the “hunter-gatherer” label I was taught in school. Indigenous peoples intentionally cultivated landscapes to encourage food plant diversity, deliberately creating an environment much richer in edible plants than untouched wilderness. These carefully managed spaces may be easily mistaken for simply “wild” nature by modern eyes.

Gardening in La Ronge blends this time-honored wild management with formal gardening. At our place, we steward our wild spaces and carve out garden beds where sunlight and workable soil allow. Walking the land, we observe thriving native edibles, prune overgrowth to favor them, and propagate the best throughout our property. We sometimes plant near-native horticultural varieties of locally native plants like Theissen saskatoon or Boreal Beast haskap. This approach makes the land more abundant without making it less wild.

When it comes to classic crops like tomatoes and carrots, nature sets the limits. Prime spots with ample sun and soil get our compost and the topsoil we haul in from town, always finished with mulch. Seeds and seedlings are limited and expensive, so my yard has become a horticultural test site. I trial dozens of new species every year to discover what thrives without extensive care. Learning what survives naturally allows me to plant strategically later, building diversity and resilience into my garden while supplementing local seed supplies.

I am cautious about introducing non-native plants. Biodiversity remains strong in the north thanks to lower human impact and colder winters. However, climate change means I can’t assume hardy winters will always stop invasive species. Snow presents its own challenges. In the south I would cover perennials for protection but up here, snow loads sometimes force me to remove snow. I learned this the hard way last winter, when heavy snow damaged our greenhouse, picnic table and camper.

Our frost-free season is at least two weeks shorter than Saskatoon’s, with unpredictable frosts on each shoulder. Choosing fast maturing cultivars as well as locally native food crops is not just practical, it honors which plants naturally belong in this landscape. Many imported garden favorites won’t thrive here, and that’s okay. Plus, I’m eating a much wider diversity of plants!

For many crops, season-extending solutions like cold frames, row covers, greenhouses, and indoor starts aren’t luxuries, they’re necessities. While heat-lovers struggle unprotected, peas, potatoes, hardy greens, and brassicas thrive. Pest pressure is lighter here too, largely thanks to cold winters and few local monocultures. Pollination is more hit-or-miss, probably because of fewer bees so I plant abundant flowers to help. We never seem to run out of biting black flies though! Fun fact: they’re drawn to height, so if you don’t have a head net, gardening with a tall friend or extending a stick above your head might distract them.

Wildfires are another challenge. Recent fires forced large game, especially bears, into our communities and gardens, and reduced sunlight for weeks, stunting crop growth. Only after the smoke cleared did plants recover, but many lost their season entirely. It’s easy enough to wear bells when picking berries but try bear-proofing a compost bin!

Anyone who remembers my Gardening at USask days recalls my obsession with mulch. Wherever you live, mulch is essential for suppressing weeds, conserving moisture and soil building. In Saskatoon, aged straw or bagged leaves are easy to find online, wood chips are freely available at city depots, and you can purchase commercial mulches. Here, options are limited to what local landscapers provide or are purchased in small bags; costs add up fast. Wild rice harvesting means rice husks can be redirected from landfills for use as a mulch or soil amendment. I still avoid peat moss for all outdoor soil use and living near many beautiful wetlands only reinforces why they need our protection.

DIY resourcefulness is a way of life. Old skylight panels from a local building repair became my cold frames. From our local “free shack,” I reclaimed drainage ditch covers for row protection. This isn’t just thrift, it’s necessary when supplies are expensive and hard to source.

Gardening in the north is more than neat vegetable rows. It’s a holistic, biodiverse practice, an ongoing partnership with nature. Northern gardening isn’t “making do,” but reimagining what growing food can look like. It’s larger in some ways, tied to forest health, community resilience, and traditions that stretch back before settlers first broke prairie. Although our yards may look very different from those further south, northern gardening isn’t any less sophisticated than gardening in the south. it’s an invitation to grow differently, to recognize our unique landscape, and to reshape how we relate to both land and one another.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page  for a list of upcoming gardening events.

Bernadette Vangool

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

In preparation of writing an article on fall blooming perennials, what better way to prepare than a walk through the neighbourhood to observe what is still blooming in front gardens.

In my own garden I have pink mums acquired years ago. Unfortunately, the tag at time of purchase did not contain the variety name. A bit farther afield, I found some more mums in bloom, these were yellow in colour. In the 1960s and 1970s, Morden Research Station in Manitoba released over 30 varieties of hardy chrysanthemums (zone 3), among them ‘Morden Canary’. Perhaps the mums in my neighbourhood are a relative of this collection. Hardy mums start blooming towards the end of August or the beginning September and some years well into October. They are triggered into bloom by the shortening days. Mine are still going strong, even though temperatures have fallen below freezing at night for about a week. In Saskatchewan, they are best divided or planted in spring, giving them a full season to become established.

When purchasing mums, check the label and make sure they are hardy to zone 3. Zone 4 plants will need winter protection, and often should be regarded as annuals. Any survivors in spring are a bonus. In the fall, many stores will have potted mums available as decorative plants for fall indoor entertaining. Social media posts abound about planting these beauties in your garden after blooming. You could try it, but prepare to be disappointed. Plant your mums in full sun, in moist but well-drained rich garden soil.

Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum x morifolium) have been cultivated in China for over 2500 years. By 1630 there were already 500 different varieties available. They were first brought to North America in 1798.

Other daisy-like flowers for fall are asters. These often come in shades ranging from red, blue to purple and white, with a yellow centre. Asters (Symphyotrichum) are as a rule hardier than the mums. I would still read labels as zonal information is important. Plant these in the spring as well, unless you are given a piece of hardy material by a friend. If planted in spring you can usually expect flowers in the first year. If you are going to plant asters or star flowers, why not give native species a try.

The Lindley aster (Symphyotrichum ciliolatum) is native to Canada and the upper United States. It is named after John Lindley who first described it in 1834. The tallest of the native asters at sometimes over 1meter. It has slightly elongated heart-shaped and the flowers are blue to bluish purple with yellow centres. In nature, it can be found on forest edges.

The frost aster or heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides) is a white variety, native to the USA and Canada. It grows about 85cm tall and has a profusion of white daisy-like flowers. It prefers full sun and open locations with sandy or disturbed soils.

The smooth blue aster (Symphyotrichum laeve) is native to Canada and grows between 20 to 40cm tall. The leaves are oblong and more substantial than on other asters and occur alternately on the stems. The  flower heads are in clusters. Plant in full sun. Naturally, they occur in fields and along roadside in dry soil.

Along my walk I also encountered numerous gardens with great displays of ornamental grasses, which seem to shine more in the dappled sun of fall. The hydrangeas this year also continue to display their multicoloured blooms, many turning that dusky pink with age. Russian sage, also carries on its stately presence, even though many of the blooms have disappeared with the recurring frosts. I could also spy the occasional sedum, with its distinct reddish-purple blooms. Finally, in my front yard, few perennials can compete with the glorious yellow colour of a ’Dropmore’ linden, set against the backdrop of the red fiery orange of the Amur maple. Pure bliss, enjoy the fleeting fall landscape while it lasts.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society
(SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/saskperennial) for a list of upcoming gardening events.

Lisa Taylor

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

I remember the first time I tried a fresh fig from the grocery store. I was intrigued by its unique flavour and texture; the smooth skin, soft juicy flesh, and crunchy seeds. It was different than the dried figs I was accustomed to. I thought to myself, how much better would this fig taste if it was fully ripe and picked fresh from the tree? I did some research and was thrilled to discover that it was indeed possible to grow figs here in Saskatchewan!

The common fig (Ficus carica) originated in Western Asia and was distributed throughout the Mediterranean region and eventually the rest of the world. There are three categories of edible figs: Common figs, Smyrna figs and San Pedro figs. Smyrna figs will not set fruit on the prairies without the pollination of a wasp species that is not native to Canada. Common and San Pedro figs can be grown as they do not require pollination to produce an early “breba” fruit crop. This breba crop is produced on last season’s wood and ripens much earlier than the main crop which develops on the current season’s growth. In Saskatchewan, our growing season is too short for the fig’s main crop to ripen so varieties with a high yielding breba crop are a must.

Overwintering fig trees in cold regions is simple, as long as one has an appropriate setup. The fig tree’s ability to go dormant makes it capable of surviving the winter with less care than that of a standard houseplant. Trees should be grown in large pots and moved to a dark, cool spot for the winter. An attached garage, basement cold room, or insulated shed works fine as long as temperatures are near the freezing mark. The optimum temperature range for fig dormancy is between -1°C and 7°C. You may need to add additional heat during cold spells.

When autumn arrives, leave your fig tree outside for the first few light frosts. This will cause the leaves to drop and the plant to go dormant. Many varieties survive outside night temperatures as low as -7°C when dormant, but be careful of large drops in temperature if the plants are still actively growing. If sap is still flowing the trunks can split and die back. However, sometimes the roots are still alive and the plants will regrow from the base. Dormant trees in storage should be watered lightly every couple of months. Check the soil once a month and only water if the soil is no longer moist. Overwatering can cause the tree’s roots to rot.

Dormant fig trees may be brought back outside in the spring after the danger of frost has passed as the new growth will be tender. If you have an suitable indoor space then I highly recommend trees be given a head start and taken out of cold storage early (the end of March or beginning of April) and placed indoors in a bright warm area. Once outside, the more sun the better for fruit production. Pots can be placed on a patio or buried directly into the ground and then dug out in the fall.

Starting fig trees from cuttings is a good way to propagate them as they root readily. I fill a clear plastic container with a 1:1 mix of moistened fine woodchips (orchid media) and perlite. Then I lay my 6 inch cuttings in the media and cover with the lid. I have also had cuttings root in a glass of water as long as the water was changed frequently. There is an active fig community online with people in Canada willing to sell or exchange cuttings. 

Fig trees grow quickly and are easy to shape. It is preferable to train them to a single stem by removing side shoots as the plant grows. Feed with a general all purpose fertilizer (20-20-20), however avoid over fertilizing which will cause lush growth instead of fruit. Alternatively, remove fruiting trees from their pots every few years, root prune a bit and add new potting mix with a little compost. Keeping your fig slightly root-bound helps restrict the plant’s growth so less top pruning is needed. Search for varieties that are naturally dwarfing and more suited to growing in a pot. ‘Little Ruby’ is a dwarf tree that does really well in pots, reaching only 6 feet tall.

There are hundreds of fig varieties with fruit of various shapes, colours, sizes and flavours. I now have 10 different varieties and the list keeps growing! On the prairies with our short growing season, cultivar selection is essential. For San Pedro figs I recommend ‘Desert King’, known for producing a consistent high yielding breba crop. I also recommend ‘Yellow Longneck’ for its deliciously sweet, tennis ball-sized fruit. My favourite Common fig is ‘Lattarula’ also known as ‘Italian Honey fig’.

When harvesting your figs wait until the fruit is soft to the touch, the neck starts to droop, and the fruit comes off easily. Sometimes the skin will start to crack and the small eye hole at the end of the fruit will have a drop of nectar-like liquid leaking out of it.

Harvesting my first ripe fig was every bit as exciting as I imagined it would be.  There is nothing quite like a sweet, juicy fig picked fresh from your own backyard.

Lisa Taylor (BSA) is a horticulturalist living on an acreage northwest of Saskatoon with her husband and two daughters.