Clark, et al,
My 2 nd year inground Chicago Hardy. It has looked very happy but is slow to fruit. Fruit setting did not start until the beginning of July.
Then, it has rained for four days and will continue. The temp has been in the 60 's yesterday and today. Not fig weather, obviously.
Great Looking fig Mamuang!
Not until they ripen, Clark. Hope some could ripen in time.
Pinch pinch pinch!
See “Tom” aka “NewEnglandGardening” on YouTube. That guy is growing figs in Massachusetts. He built himself a lean-to greenhouse as an addition to his home. His videos show amazing late harvests of figs in that greenhouse.
Healthy looking plant! It might help if you thin any figlets that won’t have time to ripen in order for the plant to focus on the fruit that has a chance. I am pinching anything smaller than a pea, and will continue to do so until fall.
Thanks for the advice, Jesse.
Since this is the first full year that the plant sets fruit while in ground ( last year it had some figlets when I moved it inground), I want to see how big these figlets will grow by the end of the season. It will be my experiment. At this time next year, I will know at what size, figlets will not ripen in time. Those will be removed.
I just ate my first Verte fig. It was pretty good. I have about fifty to sixty figs all together. Maybe half of them will get ripe.
I started pinching my figs 6 to 8 weeks ago and just noticed the first fruit set a week or two ago. I have a feeling they won’t ripen in time
I think observing your plant is a good idea, they can teach us if we pay attention to them…
In my experience Hardy Chicago will take at least 80 days to ripen a fig from when it is visible, depending on factors such as heat, sun, age of plant, moisture levels in soil, crop load,phase of moon, etc. ln northern areas, season length is as big an obstacle as cold hardiness for ripening the crop. Simply enough to do the math working from first frost date in your area. For me, I am a past the cutoff point- time to get ruthless.
My 2 year inground Marsailles Black VS has set a respectable crop,
2nd year St Rita has a few too.
Many of mine are in pots that come inside for the winter, looking forward to some breba crop figs from this second leaf plant. These had the advantage of an early start in my hoophouse over my inground plants which broke dormancy a month or so later.
I only pinch to create scaffolds. Works, but each variety has different growth habits. I feel on some I need to tie down the scaffolds. Which I’m too lazy to do. Too hard in containers that move.
Is the Chicago hardy in ground
No it’s not I cheated and that one I brought inside.
Florea has been ripening for a few days, some splitting from the rain but they are still welcome.
Italian 258 breba from a container tree.
FN, Drew,Kelby, and all,
How productive are these two top dog figs? A must have figs?
Tony
“Black Madeira Also known as Figo Preto, which is apparently an identical but more robust strain of the cultivar, Black Madeira packs an intense dark berry flavor. Because Madeira/Preto is not the latest of late cultivars, it can ripen in pot at season’s end even in northern climes, especially as it matures. All fig cultivars that are allowed to ripen to a dead ripe stage (very soft and often drooping greatly) possess a powerful sweet flavor that makes one wonder how it can be surpassed. Impressively, the flavors of premier late season cultivars do just that, as they are unusually intense and complex.”
Both are as precocious as anything I’ve grown. Even new cuttings often set figs right out of the gate. True it takes some time for the fruit to mature but I’ve been eating them for a month. The most recent were excellent, as good as any, but no better than Strawberry Verte, just some different. Preto fruits might ripen a little sooner but basically it’s the same fig as BM. The only downside for me is more spoilage than SV. I almost never have a spoiled SV. If you leave Preto/BM on the tree too long they can be spoiled in the eye.
It does have it’s own flavor. I have Craven’s Craving and Madeira Island black fig. Both are of the same taste profile, may even be the same fig as Preto. The name is more to where it comes from. padsfan found CC and says it’s different, bigger. He has both Preto and BM. Since I have these, I see no reason to add BM and Preto.
I look for figs that may possibly slightly different from others. I see no reason to have a lot of any one kind except for trials to see which works best for you. Some exceptions especially with the Mt Etnas, some are more productive, possibly different ripening times etc. I need to trial the favorites and decide.
