Growing Figs in Pots: Fig Tetris, Variety Trialling, and Collector Wisdom
Growing Figs in Pots with Nina Jay
How many fig trees can one person reasonably grow? Nina Jay might not be the person to ask—unless you want the fun answer.
Nina grows a large collection of fig trees in pots in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. She brings a wonderfully organized—and only slightly obsessive—approach to trialling varieties, keeping records, overwintering trees, and squeezing an entire fig collection into her garage.
Nina is also one of the cold-climate fig growers featured in my book, Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t. In this conversation, we go deeper into how she manages her collection and decides which varieties earn their space.
We talk about Nina’s growing-season “fig math,” why early- and mid-season varieties matter in cooler climates, and why late-season figs can be risky unless you have a plan. Nina also explains why she grows in pots, how she uses trellising and irrigation in her fig patch, and how she stacks trees for winter storage in what she calls “fig Tetris.”
Along the way, we get into favourite varieties, California fig envy, caprifigs and hand pollination, the importance of good records and reliable labels—and why the fig-growing community is such a generous place for newcomers.
In this episode:
How to think about early, mid-season, and late figs
Growing figs in pots for flexibility, trialling, and winter protection
Nina’s garage storage system for a large fig collection
“Fig Tetris” and the art of fitting trees into winter storage
Using irrigation and trellising for container figs
Why Chicago Hardy is still a great starter fig
Fig varieties including Smith, I-258, White Madeira #1, Vince 3, and more
Caprifigs, fig wasps, and hand pollination
Keeping a fig database with photos, dates, labels, and source information
Finding local fig growers, swapping cuttings, and learning from the fig community
More About Growing Figs in Pots
Explore these related resources:
Keep Growing Figs
Looking for more cold-climate fig-growing ideas? Visit the fig home page to browse articles about varieties, pruning, propagation, ripening, winter protection, and more.
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t
My revised and expanded fig book is a practical guide to growing figs in pots and cold climates. It also introduces innovative growers—including Nina—who show that there’s more than one way to conquer winter and harvest ripe figs.
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