Strawberry Verte, Battaglia, and Paradiso have very similar fruit. The main difference is that the latter two are bigger fruit but possibly slightly more spoilage. SV is very productive and the other two seem so to date. The fruit looks similar inside and out.
RdB hasn’t been very productive but has very tasty small dark fruits. St Rita has similar dark fruit and so far is more productive.
I think most people who like dried figs will like these if they are picked/dried to the right moisture level.
I have learned that growing conditions have a large influence on fruit quality. And I’m still learning how to best grow these things. Was surprised to learn this yr that they don’t fruit very well on limited water. But have seen in the past that too much vigor and they don’t fruit well either.
I have paradiso, Chicago Hardy, San Peitro, White Genoa, Violette de Bordeaux and Brunswick. I have eaten the first two. Paradiso was good. Very ripe CH were good.
SP and WG are ripening soon. I will not get to eat VdB or Brunswick this year.
This was a terrible year for fig cuttings. We had a warm spell in late winter, followed by several late frost and freeze events all the way through mid-April. Now it’s damp and overcast for several days.
I had to stash lots of figs in the basement in late March/ early April because it was freezing outside then, and the wind was howling! At the time, they were all trying to grow gangbusters thinking it was springtime. During this critical time, they went a few weeks with little sunlight and water. At the time, I had just started a new career job, so I didn’t have time to baby them. Needless to say-- MANY of the figs died from all the abuse.
But here are some of the survivors, which I recently up-potted.
European strain of Negronne from @rayrose (left) and a Brunswick fig from @Kate (middle right):
Alma fig from @Kate. This thing has struggled, but it refuses to die. Impressive! I’ll be even more impressed if it takes off and grows later this summer:
Matt, I had some that kicked the bucket too with that late frost. They were just SO sure it was spring! Glad you got an Alma!
Good news now is they should rocket out growth pretty soon. Mine are going crazy with new growth right now.
Ray is right, I will never try to root cuttings in the winter again. I can’t begin to count the number of hours I spent babying them this winter, and only about half ended up making it. Then two weeks ago I stuck the rest of the cuttings I had in the fridge in pots with budding tape on top and they are now all leafing out. Way easier!!
I planted 4 fig plants last year outside, cut them back and covered with 6-12" woodchips. Winter low of-17F here in Maine…
Uncovered them and behold, showing green cambium when nicked above soil line!
My figs I rooted this year I kept inside, but my figs from last year went in and out and they got sunburned just from one warm sunny morning. Now some of them have messed up leaves and branches. They had about three hours of morning sun. I guess live and learn. These are seven Brunswick from Kate. One of the three foot tall ones only burned on part of one leaf. My plan is to only keep one of each verity anyway. It’s hard to get rid of a plant you nurtured and grew when no one wants to grow them by me. They can be a lot of work doing the fig scuffle, lol!
It went down to negative seventeen degrees Fahrenheit in Febuary 2016 where I live. The figs outside that seem to have survived were all Mt Etna type figs- Sal’s GS, Marseilles Black VS, and a couple other un IDed ones.
Wow, you have a big collection of figs! That’s me in a yea if I don’t get rid of some. What area do you live in. Can you get figs on second leaf? That’s where I am at now.
I’m in Zone 6A officially but I always lean zone 5 so I don’t screw myself.
I’m kicking around the idea of a Chicago Hardy Fig for fun, it would be in the ground though, not doing it in a pot. I place a weed barrier down at time of planting, put in some compost at that time as well then stake & fence it from deer.
These are our recorded lows for Jan thru March for 2013-2017. Would you bother?
You might want to grow one for a year in a five gallon pot or bigger. Bring it into your garage over the winter and water once a month lightly. That way it will have a good root system when you plant it in the ground and get an extra whole growing season before the winter. Then It will grow good for you if it dies back to the ground.
