Story: Heirloom Fig Project
Episode: 3
Presenter: Neville Passmore
Air Date: 30 August 2025

Neville introduces Heirloom figs which are being revived through careful propagation and pruning, bringing abundant, easy-to-pick fruit to home gardens.

• Figs thrive in Mediterranean climate gardens, producing abundant, delicious fruit for fresh eating, jams, drying, or poached desserts.
• 30 years ago, the WA Department of Agriculture collected fig varieties for evaluation; enthusiasts preserved these heirlooms at Hillside teaching farm.
• After years of searching, a historic map allows precise identification of these rare fig varieties, ensuring their survival in home gardens.
• Cuttings are treated with rooting hormone, planted in gritty, well-drained soil, and placed on heated mats with fogging for optimal growth, forming strong roots in 2–3 months.
• Existing trees are pruned to remove dead wood and promote vigorous new shoots, which are the primary fruit-bearing stems.
• By cutting trees down to low horizontal stems, vertical shoots produce abundant, easily picked fruit, eliminating the need for ladders.