Do you know where he is located in Canada?
I hope Sweet Diana is OK in ground, but yeah I have a backup in a container. The mother tree was in ground in Staten Island, NY, Zone 7a. Brought from Italy 36 years ago, so it may be something besides Celeste? A Celeste like fig for sure, yet who knows? Leaf pattern is not matching Celeste that well.Also the fact that Florea died and Sweet Diana didn’t, for nycfigs tells me it appears to be very hardy.
I must say I’m having more fun with unknowns than anything else!
Unknown Teramo appears to be a small fig with amber flesh. Not much to look at. Not a deep flavor profile, but it does taste good. I found they taste best when they ripen when it’s hot out. Good news it’s an early ripener.
Another unknown I’m even more excited about. Just Fruits and Exotics sold what they called a Black Madiera. They got it from the island of Madiera but it is not one. it ripens way too early, yet looks like a BM. It was extremely hard to propagate so they don’t list it anymore. Collectors have named it JF&E Black Madiera not. I have a small plant from an air layer. I am tying to find a decent fig that will work here from Portugal, so hoping this one works? I had another promising one from Portugal, but it fruits too late for here. I may bring it inside for the winter under lights. I probably will.
I have some blackberries by the south side of my house and they kept their leaves all winter. So yes it can make a big difference. If you were to tent them with aluminum foil bubble wrap insulation you could probably guarantee keeping them good all winter.
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Thanks for that post, I remember your efforts now, yes I will obtain some, thanks!
Drew I know you know that 1 tree is not a proper sample size for an experiment. There were probably no buds available to grow from the below ground portions of Florea and HC.
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Yes, which makes me think I should have buried it a little when planting. I don’t remember if I did? Yes, same with your in ground tree. Although it’s all we have to go on. If I have your experience I will rip it out. From most posts on the net, I can conclude that in general Celeste is about as hardy a fig that exists. I looked for it’s origins, but it appears to be such an old fig nobody knows. In the south it’s been here for centuries.
Oh good job on the grafts, I wanted to mention that.
Also with Scott mentioning the bubble wrap, that old discussion is good.
It reminded me of all my options, wrap, bury, dig out and put back. I think the best is burying the tree, yet also the hardest to do. I don’t have room to do it in the front garden.
One of my goals in all of this is an edible landscape that looks good. Another idea I had in that regard is using grains instead of ornamental grasses. Where they would look good, so would many grains. I never grew any grains. Not even sure how to use them?
Drew,
You can also add a mound of dirt around the base for Winter protection and remove it at Spring time so no digging. Too much work.
Tony
Thanks Tony! I will do that, and mulch it to death.
The heavy fall rains caused one of my ripening figs to split. What do you think pick it and see how it tastes? I think it’s very close to ripe.
Yes, it will spoil if you don’t grab it.It will not be the best. i just pulled off 3 that split. I will dry them.
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I dry them some. That makes them sweeter and more flavorful. Just ate a few that dried one sunny warm day in the greenhouse. They were still soft and pliable but very tasty. They were cut into thin slices.
My two new favorites from this yr: Cendrosa and Maltese Beauty. Cendrosa is a nice sized green/grey that develops surface cracks as it ripens. Pretty and very tasty. Maltese Beauty is a black fig that’s similar to Preto. Both are very healthy fig plants. I hope to root some cuttings this winter.
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Thanks Steve for the report on those figs. I just ate some Scott’s Black. I liked them. They didn’t split with heavy rains, some even dried a bit and shriveled. The stand out for me this year Is Lebanese Red Bekaa Valley. A deep red, small fig. A lot like Celeste in size, but darker, thinner skin. It had the most berry flavor of any I have tasted. Which is not that many. I don’t have any of the premium figs.
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I just had that one tree, but it was unproductive because of vigorous/juvenile growth for five years. Ground layers in a pot made more figs than the mother! I’ve also found some out “hunting” in the past and the only one that was productive was well protected and had a mature growth habit, zone 7b proper with a warm microclimate…
Here is a picture of GM #171 ‘Gludi’ (means thick skin), from what I remember it is a popular commercial variety in Malta. It did well against the hornets and fair against the rain. Has dropped some figs in the past but a keeper.
This year’s planting, frost possible tomorrow night here.
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I would love to get cuttings of your Sweet Diana.
Yeah it should not be a problem.
So, my figs have been stalled for weeks, and I have mostly given up on any further ripening for the rest of this season. But I relocated a few into my most sunny of spots anyway, just to see what would happen. Now, my Takoma Violet figlet has doubled in size over the past 48 hours, and it is coloring up. This time, I’m gonna wait until it droops before I pick it.
Bronze Paradiso is still stalled…
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Thanks!
