My LaRadek’s started slow, displaying some FMV symptoms, now in its third year it is growing nicely with clean looking leaves and has a good crop of breba going. Maincrop did not ripen well for me last year, as they came in October…
So let me know if this is right: Mt. Etna figs originated in Italy and most others originate from Greece. Of course some come from Lebanon. Is this the basics? The primary picture of it all? I’ve never thought to read what you guys are always referencing. I just took a 5-minute look at mountainfigs . net
Thank you,
Dax
@tonyOmahaz5 My White Triana fig in a pot has a few figs on it about 18" up and the plant is about 24" tall. I kept cutting it back to send cuttings to others and I started with an 8" stick this year that skyrocketed on me. Should I be pinching as you suggest?
Thanks,
Dax
Yes, the tip pinching will help produce more figs but also help produce side branching. Keep continue to pinch once the pinched tip developed another five leaves.
Tony
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Belleclare Fico Rosso is red inside and out.
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I’ll continue, continue, continue… thank you.
Dax
Mt. Etna figs are fig trees that either are believed to have originated from the Mt. Etna area of Sicily or that are believed to be a seedling in which at least one of the parent trees originated from the Mt. Etna area of Sicily. People call any fig tree that is very cold hardy and that seems to be nearly identical to the fig trees of Mt. Etna, by that name. A lot of the so called Mt. Etna fig trees we have no idea where they truly originated from.
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Thank you for that explanation. Dax
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They come from all over the world but all have fuzzy leaves, twigs, and fruit due to extra trichomes, leaves often have a long central lobe and hastate base, the lobes becoming more defined on fast growing examples, leaves are dark green to bluish with rough white specks and red buds sometimes. The fruit ranges from light red/brown to purple and black, interiors sometimes syrupy with pink to dark red interior.
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I really like to eat MBVS. It’s the only fig I’ve ever tasted. I can see why you guys have many cultivars. I don’t know a thing about White Triana but I hope to find out.
It’s interesting that the leaf shape can have something to do with vigor. Usually leaves become larger with vigor but not a difference in shape. It’s very evident on pecans. Many of the better cultivars that grow “up here” have much larger leaves than the natives & including the ones found wild here that are in the trade.
I see a ‘Black Madeira’ for auction on eBay at the moment that’s going to end in less than 1/2 an hour. It’s at over three hundred dollars. Pretty rare I guess…
Thanks, Brent.
Dax
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‘Black Madeira’a lot of people think that it’s the variety with the best figs, a lot of people do not agree with that, as long as it’s the real one, KK has a real Black Mederia that he bought from Encanto Farms, Encanto Farms no longer has the original tree, it’s the only known Black Mederia to be disease free, for that reason it’s worth way more than the one with FMV disease.
There is also a Preto fig tree out there that is FMV free, all other Preto fig trees have FMV. These two varieties are most likely two very close strains of the same thing, the Preto is the very rare one.
PS those fig trees, at least the diseased ones are cold sensitive.
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I grew a symptom free Back Madeira from a healthy growth off of a diseased plant grown from a Davis cutting, each plant is different. To me the flavor was similar to over-ripe raspberry, and took a very, very long time to ripen. Leaked honey and attracted ants.
I no longer have it, just a FYI for any fig thugs lurking around looking for someone to mug, I have nothing of value, only burdens and troubles 
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A few more typical Mt Etna leaves. First, Hardy Chicago:
Next Malta Black:
2015 pics.pdf (834.0 KB)
Next Old Brooklyn Italian:
Old Brooklyn Italian.pdf (296.3 KB)
Sorry if the Malta Black and Old Brooklyn Italian look distorted, I am playing around with trying to transfer the pictures from One Note on my iPhone to be uploaded to the forum, not sure I have figured out best way yet
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Yes explained this way, but who determined they actually came from there? Maybe it came from other regions? I never heard how they determined that Mt Etna is the origin when maybe it was a mountain in Malta, brought to Sicily, or from Greece, or the middle east mountainous regions. Was Italy so popular people from Greece, Malta, and Lebanon came there and took examples?
Is there some reference somewhere? I understand this is current thought, but I’m not buying it without seeing some historical references or a timeline.Like when did figs first appear in Italy? I assume they are not native, Where did this species originate? Figs were brought to Portugal about 600 years ago from what I understand. What about Italy?
Also this fig, the Mt Etna seems to have a wide variation and yet others do not, like where’s the red Black Madeira type fig?
I have another Lebanese fig too, the Black/Purple, nothing like the red, but I guess they are the same? Mt Etna types, just with different shapes, colors and flavors.
Price depends on strain, some are more desirable, or seller has a very good strain, such as KK.
Price is also dependent on demand, and the fig is increasing in popularity it seems almost daily.
Also the fact a sucker is born every minute. I know a seller that never charges over 100 bucks, but can only produce so many a year. A little research and he would be easy to find. But instant gratification rules the day for some. In the last 48 hours three people asked me for cuttings or plants of RLBV, so demand for any fig is really high right now. Last year I gave out about 12 cuttings. My tree needs a rest, so I can’t trade anymore this season beyond the three that contacted me.
True they are just guessing as far as I know, Yet Malta does not have any mountains, just hills, and small ones. All the Islands of Malta put together are only about 122 square miles.
My BM KK bought straight from KK has the most FMV of any BM I’ve got. That’s about 8 trees plus I have Preto, Craven’s Craving, JF&E BM, Black Tuscan, and probably something else related. Like MIB, Madeira Island Black, also from KK. KK’s have the most FMV.
Here’s a rather poor picture of BM KK on the left and MIB on the right. They came from KK with bad FMV symptoms but are growing out of it now. Look at bottom leaves vs top. Bottom are crinkled up, top growing out.
BM KK
MIB from KK
My original BM that traces back to Jon. This has the least FMV of any but still minor at times.
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It must be a jackpot out there to sell figs. You ever pay 2-3 hundred dollars Steven?
What’s your eBay username so I can add you.
Thanks,
Dax
I’ve paid $1,000 and $550 with many at $150 to 300.
I sell on ebay as fruitnut432. Somebody else had fruitnut.
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You and Brent are making your own root pouch bags it seems (?)
Here’s a MBVS I up-potted today to a 20 cm x 20 cm grow pouch I bought from this seller on eBay. Time from China to here is 10-14 days. I’ve ordered from this seller twice. Bag is 5" wide and 5.5" tall. Another Chinese seller took more than 5-weeks to arrive.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/100X-Seedling-Raising-Bags-Plants-Pouch-Fiber-Nursery-Pots-Garden-Supply-BB/302404270909?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=601236447242&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
This is a 14 x 16 cm. I’d recommend after having bought the three largest sizes available to simply buy all 20 cm x 20 cm bags or larger if they make them larger.
These bags are non-woven. You turn them inside out and then begin to fill them with mix. That’s step 1. Then bang them on a flat surface to get the bottoms flat. I’ve decided to rip open the bags to transplant even though they’re 100% biodegradeable. For other things I’m growing that won’t transplant well from a container (pawpaws) I’m going to plant the bag and see what the results will be. This is a new experiment for me.
Fill them up to the brim or the sides will collapse inward and media can run out (to some degree) but not a lot does.
Yesterday I got the 20 x 20’s for the first time.
Dax
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Keep pumping them out! I love it! Prices will come down I hope!
I’ll pay 40 maybe? I’ll wait no hurry. I’m selling a few extra plants, but nothing rare. I seem to trade those for other rare plants.Or for friends.
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