Figs, figs, everywhere!

My only tall fig (6’ potted) is a Chicago Hardy and I am not going to prune it any this spring because I want to see if I can get some brebas in addition to main crop. I despite my location I think I’m going to put it in the ground this year and see what happens. I’ve got 9 other figs that are smaller and potted. I’ll need to pot most of them up into larger containers but I don’t really care for that task :frowning:

The tall ones should all be breba producers, so no pruning yet. Most of those will (hopefully) fruit for the 1st time this spring.

@speedster1 Don’t count on any brebas from your Hardy Chicago. It may happen, but it’s uncommon.

Really? That sucks. Does Hardy Chicago traditionally fail to provide a Breba crop? Thats the only reason I left it 6’ tall. lol

Yes, in short there are 3 types of figs one can grow in places where pollination doesn’t occur. Pollination is done by the symbiotic blastophage wasp which is only present in parts of California and the Mediterranean.

-Common/uniferous - most prevalent type in commerce, only sets a main crop. A few brebas on occasion, but not in an amount worth trying to grow. Hardy Chicago and Celeste are good example.
-Common/biferous - Sets a good breba and main crop. Examples include Atreano, Lattarula, and English Brown Turkey variants.

The line between uniferous and biferous is pretty subjective. As I understand it, a biferous fig won’t really produce more figs than a uniferous since the plants have the same number of fruit nodes, the fruit is instead spread over 2 crops.

-San pedro - only produces a breba crop in the absence of pollinators. Desert King is the best known.

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Thanks for the link, will look into it.

Thanks MuddyMess_8a, I’m in Washington state, close to Seattle.

Thanks for the info. I should probably cut it back then to keep the size in check. I’m also growing a desert king knowing that ill likely only get brebes from it. It’s small though so likely no figs this year.

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Windsor,

Kelby is right. If you want breba figs near Seattle, then Desert King is for you.

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Matt,
I already have Desrt King, but I think it’s not as tasty as other figs I also have, namely Violette de Bordeaux, Bayernfeige Violetta (if it’s the real one), or dalmatie. So, I’d like to try a new one.

RdB and Lattarula are both good and should work for you in the PNW.

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I feel like people sat around to figure that one of the best ways to torture MuddyMess was to keep posting picture after picture of rooted or rooting fig cuttings. :smile: I’ve been kicking myself ever since last spring for not requesting cuttings when they were offered. Every time I see one of these photos I miss the ones I didn’t try to root!

It’s a silly sorrow because it’s not like I don’t have ANY figs to harvest each year. My brown turkey bushes do okay and their mama tree gave us a good 1,000 figs last year. So, yeah - I’ve GOT figs to eat! We even got a modest amount from the little Kadota and Black Mission trees I had purchased. Those pics make me yearn for both the experience of starting a varied batch and for the fun of having a variety to compare. The fact that already having some isn’t quenching that desire makes me feel guilty.

I did recently place a couple of types of gifted cuttings in their rooting container. I should be happy that they are putting out leaves while waiting for them to root, but I’m still hungry to try other varieties. I hope to have at least one more to taste this year from a little rooted fig that Ray gave me a few months back.

Sigh. The pics in recent threads have done me in. I decided that since I don’t have more cuttings, I’d just have to buy another tree. Now it’s bought and paid for. I just need to figure out how and when to spend a few days going to pick it up. It’s one I wanted to try, but didn’t have the guts to ask if anyone had cuttings.

Next year I should have more than double the number of varieties of cuttings I can offer. This year I had a total of 2. :smile:

Have fun, guys! I hope all of yours continue to grow quickly and well, and provide you with bountiful, tasty harvests!

You should have titled this thread, “Fig cuttings - The Cocaine of Fruits”

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I may have some extra rooted cuttings when all is said and done. Some are wavering between failure and success. If I do I’ll let you know. I promised out six already, still may have more, not sure yet? I only want one example of each.
I wish I could say I have some extras, just not sure yet?

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Hang in there Muddy, cutting season is still on!

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I’m trying to keep hangin’, HB! :smile: It’s seeing all these pics and having my bushes decide now was time to shed their brown outer coats from their tips to show off their tight baby leaves and brebas that has been tormenting me. I tell myself, “Patience, Grasshopper,” but the half of me that is impatient seems to be deaf. I think it’s the thread title that sent the craving over the brink. I need to take a breath and get myself busy with something else to stave the craving.

All fruit growers are masochists. Those who hook others on fig growing just happen to be sadists too. ahem, ahem @ampersand.

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Drew, thank you. That’s a very nice offer. My growing season is long and hot. Like HoosierBanana said, cutting season isn’t over. I’ll likely have more cuttings to attempt rooting, myself, before that’s over. That way I can go through the entire process from worry to success. I wouldn’t want you to feel beholden to more people than you wound up with extras for.

Hey man, I didn’t make you inhale!

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OK, I’ll check them out. Thanks ampersand.

Thanks for the link. I just bought six more cuttings!

You grow beautiful plants!