A Collector’s Mindset: Figs, Family, and 250-Plus Varieties with Bobby Ghaheri

The revised fig book is now on Kickstarter
The special hardcover edition of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t and registration for the October 15 and 22 Fig Camp are available now. A lower-priced softcover will follow this fall.
See the book and Fig Camp options.
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Fig collecting starts innocently enough. A tree for the yard. A cutting from a friend. Maybe a variety with a good story. Then, suddenly, there are shelves in the garage and rows of pots on drip irrigation.

In this episode, I’m joined by fig enthusiast Bobby Ghaheri of Oregon City, Oregon, known online as Figologist. Bobby grows a large collection of fig varieties in the Pacific Northwest, where ripening time, breba crops, microclimate, and sunlight all matter.

We talk about how a visit from Bobby’s fig-loving father helped start the collection, the Iranian family figs that became part of his story, and how the fig community pulled him deeper into the world of cuttings, trades, propagation, and variety trials.

Bobby also shares practical lessons for newer fig growers: why not every fig belongs in the ground, why breba crops deserve more respect, how he manages potted figs with drip irrigation, and why it pays to think two years ahead before turning your garage into a fig nursery.

In this episode:

• How Bobby went from a few family figs to 250-plus varieties
• Growing figs in the Pacific Northwest
• Why breba figs can be valuable in cool climates
• Choosing varieties that ripen in your conditions
• Potted figs, drip irrigation, and practical setup details
• Managing fungus gnats and other indoor propagation pests
• FigBid, FigFanatic, and the collector’s chase
• Why the fig community matters
• Bobby’s advice for new fig growers

Connect with Bobby:

• YouTube: @figologist
• FigFanatic.com handle: Figologist