All About the Osborne Prolific Fig

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History of the Osborne Prolific Fig

This fig variety is a United States cultivar with genetics related to Turkmenistan figs. These figs come from non-Mediterranean origins and tend to grow wildly in areas south of the Caspian Sea.

Through selective breeding, the Osborne Prolific fig came into the spotlight just a few decades ago!

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Characteristics of the Osborne Prolific Fig

This fig tree is deciduous, which means it sheds its foliage and goes dormant in the winter months. These trees can grow up to 30 feet tall and wide, but you’ll typically see them stay around 20 feet.

Fig trees don’t produce flowers, so you won’t see any buds or beautiful flowers in the spring. In fact, fig fruits are flowers. A fig is a giant clump of seeds and flowers encased in a teardrop-shaped bulb!

This tree is very hardy. It can survive drastic temperature changes, is disease-resistant, and can adapt to many soil types. This makes it a low-maintenance tree most people can grow without any issues.

Growing Season

Osborne Prolific fig trees typically begin growing in springtime and continue to do so until the middle of fall. So the growing season is roughly from April to October.

Fig Qualities

These fig trees produce medium-sized fruits which have stunning purple-colored skin. Inside the bulb is where you’ll find beautiful, soft, seed-filled flesh with pink and amber tones.

Fig Size

This type of fig usually weighs just over half a pound and is about three inches long. However, they can be much larger. They can sometimes be as big as the palm of your hand and weigh just under a pound!

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Using Osborne Prolific Fig

These figs are great to eat raw or cooked. They make sweet fruity snacks, tasty jams and pies, and great salad toppers. You can use them anywhere you want a kick of sweetness!

What Do They Taste Like?

Raw Osborne Prolific figs have a deliciously sweet fruity taste. You’ll taste notes of honey and a little berry. Cooking them will exaggerate these flavors, creating an extra sweet treat.

Cooking and Baking With the Osborne Prolific Fig

You’ll find that these figs go best in desserts and sweet dishes. They taste best in pies, muffins, tarts, cakes, and other baked goods.

However, they can make a great complement to salty foods. Using them in salads, charcuterie boards, and pizzas is also a good option.

Canning / Freezing / Drying

You’ll get quite a few figs during their two fruiting seasons and you don’t want them to go to waste.

Preserve them by canning them with sugar, water, and lemon juice. Or you can freeze them in an airtight container or bag to use in future recipes.

If you like dried fruit, you can easily bake them in the oven or dry them in a dehydrator!

Osborne Prolific Fig Recipe Ideas

Try out some of these delicious fig recipes with your Osborne Prolific figs:

• Fig pizza
• Fig preserves
• Fresh fig cake

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Health Benefits of the Osborne Prolific Fig

Figs are quite healthy for you, offering plenty of nutrients. The benefits of eating figs include the following:

• Aid in healthy digestion
• Keep your blood sugar in check
• Aid in heart health
• Reduce dermatitis
• Potentially reduce cancer risk

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Growing an Osborne Prolific Fig

Planting Zones

These figs grow best in USDA hardiness zones 7-9. They can grow outside of these zones. However, they thrive the most and produce the largest fruit yields in seven through nine.

Size and Spacing

This fig tree’s average height and width is 12-20 feet. The minimum amount of space you can put between each fig tree is 20 feet.

Pollination

Osborne Prolific fig trees don’t need pollination to create figs. They are self-fruiting trees.

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Caring for Your Osborne Prolific Fig Trees

You should plant your fig tree either at the beginning of spring or at the end of fall. After you plant your new tree, use the following as a guide to caring for it.

Sunlight

This fig tree prefers full sun, which is about six to eight hours of sunlight daily. But, if needed, they can handle partial shade.

Soil

Fig trees like this can handle almost any soil, including clay-based soils. But they do prefer well-drained and nutrient-rich soil. So always make sure you water your tree and supplement it with fertilizer, if needed.

Watering

This fig tree will need about an inch of water per week. They are slightly drought-tolerant, but you should make sure the soil is always moist. You can do this by watering a little each day and using mulch to help retain moisture.

Fertilizing

Like other fig trees, the Osborne Prolific fig tree doesn’t require fertilizing. However, you can fertilize with a slow-release fertilizer in the spring if the soil lacks nutrients.

Pruning

You can prune your fig trees during the wintertime when they lie dormant. Trim any dead limbs off and shape the tree to your liking. This will help the tree grow healthy in the spring.

Possible Diseases

Luckily, the Osborne Prolific fig tree is disease-resistant! So you typically won’t have any problems in that department.

Possible Pests

This fig tree is also resistant to most pests. You only need to watch out for birds and local bugs.

To keep birds away, cover your tree with netting. And to get rid of bugs, pesticides should solve the problem.

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When to Harvest Osborne Prolific Figs

You can harvest your figs when they feel soft to the touch.

Test for ripeness by gently squeezing them. If they’re soft, they’re ready to eat!

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Wrapping Up the Osborne Prolific Fig

If you want a hardy fig tree that produces huge yields of tasty fruit, plant an Osborne Prolific fig tree! This beautiful disease and drought-resistant tree is low-maintenance, and you’ll be able to harvest fresh figs twice a year!
If you want to learn more about delicious figs, check out our Fig Tree page for more information!