Figs, figs, everywhere!

You need a really warm fall esp to anticipate any decent quality.

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So I am finally starting to harvest some of my own fruit. We’ve been eating many Chicago Hardy figs. It’s kind of nice being able to harvest enough fruit that I can actually share a little. And in the case of figs I’ve been able to give several people their first taste ever of a fresh fig. Everyone that’s tried them really seemed to like them. Through it all though we’ve been struggling to describe the flavor of CH figs. I’ve heard people describe figs as jam figs, honey figs, etc. After enjoying some last night with my 6 year she said, ”Daddy, these taste like watermelon”. That’s the first time I heard anyone say that but after savoring one in my mouth I came to realize that the flavor I really taste more than any is a really fresh ripe honeydew mellon. So in my opinion even though I dont really get watermelon from the flavor profile it was interesting that we both got “mellon” out of it.

I was kind of mad when I opened the ripest prettiest fig on my tree to find 2 ants crawling around inside. We’ve eaten probably a dozen and a half figs over the last 2-3 days. Still have another dozen or so on small second year tree in varying stages of ripeness.

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Where and when is the best place and time to get fig cuttings? I have recently acquired a taste for figs after almost 40 years of thinking I didn’t like them. After reading all the posts here, I have compiled a list of the figs I want to acquire. However, I read that some places that claim to sell certain varieties may not actually have them.

Any help would be greatly appreciated in tracking down reliable sources of any or all of the following:
LSU Red
Maltese Falcon
Red Lebanese bekaa

Coll de Dama Blanca-Negra

Black Madeira
Panache
Ronde de Bordeaux
Strawberry Verte
Paradiso
Figo Preto
Desert King
St. Rita
Deanna

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Hope you meant figs and not dogs lol!

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Best time is winter to early spring (late November to early March) when trees are dormant and receive their annual pruning. There are several websites that sell cuttings (I know of www.figcuttings.com and www.figaholics.com, but there might be some others) and a lot of fig cutting sales happen on Ebay (I personally have no experience with that, but some forum members do). Fig cutting trades/exchanges happen on various forums, including this one and figs4funforum). Several online nurseries that sell fig trees include almostedenplants.com, www.rollingrivernursery.com and several others.

Yikes!!! Dang autocorrect.

Only buy from someone who has their own pictures of the fruit from the variety you want. There have been jerks ripping off people like you and me for a long time. You will read that “I got all of my varieties from trusted sources” and such, well it means nothing because trust is easily given and seldom lost on the internet. Only pictures, as proof, mean anything, honest people have no problem proving what they have.

p.s. You must use your instinct as well, I am remembering now that one seller ripped off someone in Malaysia, then when they politely asked publicly what to do he outed himself and believe it or not others came to his aid. Well… The story goes that this woman (Maznah) bought 10 Strawberry Verte cuttings from him ($60) and 2 years later she finds out they are Brunswick… Richie (Figpig, appropriately) had been begging and dealing in that time so had made several “friends”, and acquired SV cuttings from a reliable source AFTER his deal with Maznah. So now he shows pictures of the fruit as evidence, thinking no-one will know any better, and it worked well enough for him. Another example is renaming varieties, like attaching an name that can be found when searching the internet somewhere, but no pics or info exists, easy for someone who wants everyone to think they are the “best” to add those “rare” varieties to their list :wink:

Here’s the first Grise de S’Jean that i have tasted from a graft done last year.
I received some Profichi with wasps and placed a coupled near this graft so the wasps had a chance to pollinate some of these figs.

I picked them a bit too late so 2 of them where overripe (they where much more concentrated, less juicy and had almost a caramel flavor). Almost half of their seeds seem pollinated (they go to the bottom when placed in a glass of water).

The third one was picked at the right time, it was juicy and very sweet but i don’t know if it was pollinated - i believe almost all of its seeds floated.

Some photos:


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I tend to like the riper concentrated figs. Don’t want or need juicy. That’s for peaches.

Is it just me or do closeups of figs look like, well you know what.

I think the riper figs look fantastic. But they look better with their clothes on.

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You are so right, fruitnut.

I also like the smaller figs for their concentrated flavor. That’s why some of these figs that almost dry in the tree are so good.

But when you can get the same intense flavor with some wonderful juicy interior i think we have the best of both worlds.

Like in these pollinated Bebera Branca from Algarve (not my photos - my trees of this variety are still young, maybe i can taste one next year). I just can’t see these sugary pools without my mouth watering.

Regarding the you know what…never thought of fig interiors like that :slight_smile:

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Yes They Do!!

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Here the insects will find over ripe figs. Bad year for that, so hopefully not every year. It’s so dry here.

I’ll give a medieval fix. Cover it with a fig leaf! :smile:

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Well not before now , and I am sorry you placed that thought in my head.

Nice…!!

Not many things look great really close up. But hey you’ll get over this trauma…!!

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Those pics have tortured me long enough. Somebody please be bold enough to send me a PM of what the close ups remind them of. You don’t have to wait until you’re finished laughing at me.

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Don’t need a PM for that: maggots

The riper ones look like seeds in jam. It’s the not quit ripe ones with the longish white filaments.

I have seen photos with the SWD fruit fly larvae in them. I was just looking at one in one of my raspberries. These things are terrible! Spraying again, I’m going to grow only summer bearing raspberries in the future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpioMJGyoKA&feature=youtu.be