Would you like to grow your own fig tree but don’t know where to start? ‘Brown Turkey’ figs are easy to grow and incredibly prolific. Within a few years after planting a young edible fig tree, you’ll be harvesting a tantalizingly tasty crop of sweet, delicious fruits. In this article, gardening expert Liessa Bowen introduces the ‘Brown Turkey’ fig and how to grow your own. The ‘Brown Turkey’ fig (Ficus carica ‘Brown Turkey’) is a member of the mulberry family (Moraceae). There are hundreds of different edible fig cultivars and ‘Brown Turkey’ is one of the most readily available for gardeners. As long as you can provide the right growing conditions, these are remarkably easy fruit trees to grow! Figs are fast-growing deciduous trees originating in the Mediterranean region. Edible fig trees prefer warmer climates and are well-adapted to survive mild winter weather. If you live in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6-9, you should have no problem growing fig trees! They will, however, require some extra winter protection in cooler zones. Perhaps the best reason to grow a fig tree is because you like to eat figs, although there are many other benefits to growing edible figs. Fig trees are beautiful and make a very appealing addition to your landscape. They have a compact, rounded form, and the thick, smooth, bare branches remain attractive in the winter months. These trees also provide food and shelter for wildlife, making them a good choice for a bird-friendly garden. Let’s dig right in so you’ll know what a ‘Brown Turkey’ fig tree needs to thrive and how you can start growing your own harvest of tasty fruits. Plant Natural History Edible figs (Ficus carica), also known as common figs, are members of the mulberry family (Moraceae). This family has over one thousand different, naturally occurring species from around the world. The genus Ficus encompasses a very diverse group of fig trees, including a wide assortment of vines, trees, and shrubs, most of which grow in tropical and temperate climates. Edible figs are known for their sweet, tender, juicy fruits. Edible figs are native to the Mediterranean region of Europe and parts of Asia. In their natural habitat, edible figs live in mild and warm climates. They enjoy fully exposed, sunny locations with well-drained soil. They grow in open grasslands and rugged, rocky exposures. These plants have a fascinating history. Ancient civilizations cultivated and enjoyed them as a staple food source. The fruits are tasty, easy to grow, and prolific, making them quite desirable for cultivation. Breeders have introduced hundreds of different edible fig cultivars for commercial, private, and ornamental uses. The ‘Brown Turkey’ fig is one of the most popular cultivars. Wild figs evolved a special relationship with the fig wasp, a uniquely adapted pollinator. Fortunately for fig-growing enthusiasts, most commercially available fig varieties are self-fertile and will produce plenty of fruits without a need for cross-pollination or any specific pollinator. Characteristics The ‘Brown Turkey’ fig is a woody, deciduous shrub or small tree. It has smooth, light gray bark, a thick main trunk, and many smaller branches. These fast-growing trees can reach a total of 10-30 feet tall. ‘Brown Turkey’ figs have large, broad, palmate leaves that typically measure around six inches across. Each leaf has three to five large lobes with tiny, rough hairs. These leaf hairs can cause minor skin irritation for some people. The leaves and stems contain a milky white sap, which can cause contact dermatitis in some people. Wear long sleeves and garden gloves when working with these trees, especially when harvesting fruits and pruning. Wash your hands after harvesting your figs to rinse any remaining residues from your skin. Edible fig flowers are very unusual. They are inverted and form inside a hollow fruit-like form. So don’t be surprised if you never see your fig tree in bloom. The flowers simply look like tiny firm green fruits. The fruits start small, dark green, and very hard. As they mature, they grow larger but stay green and firm. Just before maturity, they suddenly grow a little larger and blush into their mature skin coloration. Ripe ‘Brown Turkey’ figs turn dark maroon-brown on the outside. The skin of a mature fig is extremely soft and doesn’t need peeling before eating. The inner flesh is amber-maroon in color with a soft, juicy texture. The sweet flavor is sugary or berry-like. ‘Brown Turkey’ fig trees produce two crops of fruits each year. The early crop is known as the breba crop and is typically less prolific than the later main crop. The early breba crop ripens in late spring or early summer, and the main crop ripens in late summer. Propagation Many trees are a bit tricky to propagate but you can easily propagate a fig tree with a stem cutting. There are other methods to propagate figs, such as grafting and root suckers, but cuttings are the quickest and easiest, especially if you already have a mature fig tree.

Chefs rejoice at the sight of fresh, homegrown green beans. They’re more nutritious and delicious than their grocery store counterparts. Fill a bed with bean plants and you’ll have beans for the rest of the year! Join seasoned grower Jerad Bryant in learning how to cultivate these easy-growing crops. Green and dried beans come from the same plant. Green beans come off the vine while immature; they have edible pods and succulent, semi-ripe beans inside. Dried beans, however, stay on the plant until the pods shrivel and the seeds fully ripen. These veggies have a quick turnaround because you pick them early. They’ll mature rapidly during late spring and summer when the days are hot and long. With hundreds of bean varieties, there are endless options for you and your home garden. What Are They? Green beans are edible seeds in pods from plants in the Vigna, Phaseolus, Vicia, and Glycine genera. Cowpeas, runner beans, favas, and soybeans are all plant types that you can use as green beans. Simply snap the pods off the plants while they’re fleshy, immature, and soft. Check to see if the varieties you are growing are suitable for eating whole before eating them, though. Some are best consumed after cooking and cause GI distress when they aren’t. Native Area Beans come from all over the world. Some originate in temperate regions of Eurasia and Africa, while others come from parts of South and North America. They’re a popular food crop that became more popular after the globalization of trade. After trade routes became common across the oceans, our beans spread from the U.S. to all other continents. Limas, scarlet runners, and common beans are all crops that Indigenous people in the Americas domesticated before the arrival of European colonizers. We owe the deliciousness of our current-day crops to the ingenious breeding techniques these people practiced. Other species, like mung, adzuki, and fava beans, originated from Europe, Asia, and Africa. They grow well in the U.S. despite their non-native origin. Characteristics Bean plants twine, vine, and climb their way up supports. Some types, known as pole varieties, climb as high as possible. Others, called bush types, stay low to the ground and bushy in shape. I like to plant a mix of the two in the garden; the bushy ones cover the ground while the pole types climb up stakes and trellises. These plants have compound leaves with three leaflets, creating a clover-like shape. They sprout off thin, vining stems as they mature. Pea-like blossoms emerge in spring after the plants reach maturity. When pollinated, they evolve into pod-like structures with developing seeds inside. Most of these crops are annuals, though the scarlet runner bean is an exception. It sprouts perennially in USDA hardiness zones 10 and above; it sometimes survives in zones 8 and 9 after mild winters. Planting Green bean seedlings are frost-tender, and cold temperatures will shock them and prevent them from maturing. Wait until the weather is warm and sunny before planting these delicious crops. If it’s time to grow tomatoes, it’s also a good time to plant bean seeds! How to Grow Beans grow well with little aid! Grant them what they need, and they’ll produce bushels of pods for continuous harvesting. If they suffer, check their environment to ensure it’s up to code for healthy growth. Maintenance These annual crops require little maintenance. Maintain weed-free soil, give climbing varieties support, and keep the ground moist but not soggy. Watch for pests and diseases to ensure your population stays healthy and robust. Snap beans, the type you commonly eat fresh, require consistent harvesting or they’ll stop producing. Ensure you pick the pods consistently throughout the growing season.

I live in New York City, where paved parks are far more common than community gardens—so my lack of gardening experience shouldn't come as a surprise to you. Last year, I moved into a new apartment and have had the pleasure of having not just one, but two balconies. The catch is that they're both tiny, 4x6 foot spaces that can't accommodate much. Since this is my first time having private outdoor space, I was determined to make something of my balcony this year and got the brilliant idea: why don't I start an herb garden? The rest is history. How I Started My First Herb Garden for Under $30 I'll be very honest upfront: the bulk of my garden cost came from everything but the herbs. I got a small, affordable bag of garden soil for about $10 from my local grocery store, and reused some hanging balcony planters that I had bought for an earlier (failed) attempt at outdoor gardening. The herbs themselves were $2.99 a pop from Trader Joe's, and I got myself some rosemary, cilantro, and basil—all for less than $10! Purchasing planters can obviously push you over that $30 mark, but it doesn't have to. As long as you have a vessel you can drill a drainage hole into, anything can be a planter—even your coffee mugs. Once I got the herbs from Trader Joe's, I took them out of the nursery pot that they came in, gently removed the dirt from around the plant, and then replanted it into my balcony planter with the fresh soil. This might seem like cheating to some since I did not grow these herbs from seed, but I've been known to kill even the toughest plants, so I try to eliminate any factors working against me. And, for the record, there are a lot of factors working against me here: It's my first time gardening outdoors, I've killed more plants than I want to admit, my balcony honestly doesn't get a lot of sunlight, and I don't have any of the tools that most gardeners typically have. How I Keep My Herb Garden Thriving in a Small Space (Without Gardening Experience) I went with herbs because it felt like the most small-space-friendly thing to grow, and I needed something I wouldn't have to repot anytime soon. I was determined to give these plants everything they needed to thrive, so a lot of my garden maintenance looks like moving the pots around to ensure everyone gets the same amount of sunlight. I also established a weekly watering schedule, where I give my herbs a light watering if I know there's rain in the forecast, or a deeper watering if I know we're having a dry spell. Maintenance tasks have never been my thing (I only recently learned that pruning is actually necessary for many plants to thrive) but I've also taken to giving my plants a good prune with kitchen scissors every now and then to promote healthier growth. There was a moment when I thought my herbs with goners for sure, but they're bouncing back and thriving. I haven't harvested any of my herbs yet for use in my kitchen, but my balcony smells fantastic, so I'm winning regardless.