Fig prunings- Reservoir

The extra heat in my greenhouse is really giving the figs in there a boost. My estimate on growth earlier was off by quite a bit. Right now it’s put out around 3 & 1/2 feet of growth out of the main leader (trying to train it step-over style) plus some waterspouts from the base. Baby figs are popping out at a lot of nodes on it right now. @BobVance when does the mother tree normally start putting on figs on?

3 Likes

Soon it will be “leap-over style” :slight_smile:

I’m not sure- I was last over to see it a couple weeks ago and will go again in the next few days. The brebas should start to ripen soon, I think. I’ll check to see if there are tiny ones forming as well.

2 Likes

I guess that I need to get over there more often. I’m not sure exactly what happened. There aren’t anywhere near as many figs on there now, as there were. I’m not sure if they ripened and something ate them, or if they fell off and got lost in the leaf mulch at the base. There are still some green ones, but not as many. I didn’t see any tiny ones forming, so I’m guessing that these are the later brebas, which just haven’t ripened yet.

2 Likes

The first crop that forms on old wood (brebas) often drop around here, not sure why exactly but I only get a couple handfuls every year.

Of course, when I look at the first pic, I see a tiny one just past my finger. :blush:

Here are what the tiny ones have become, about a month later:

That could very well be what happened. But there were a lot of fruit and I didn’t see any on the ground. It’s very possible that the animals were helping me harvest, as soon as each one was ripe. I’m not sure how much that happens with figs, but with blueberries and mulberries, I always see a lot of un-ripe ones and never any ripe ones, until eventually they are all gone…

Slugs, crickets, pillbugs etc. will make quick work of them once they drop.

1 Like

I got the first ripe Reservoir fig off of the one in my greenhouse. I split it between the whole family. The kids and my wife all liked it. It was good, just much tamer than I expected. We got a lot of rain the night before, and I’m sure the roots are outside of my greenhouse by now, so that could have tamed it down some. Thanks again @Bobvance for helping me check “eat a fresh fig grown in Missouri” off of my bucket list.

6 Likes

Well, the cuttings I received have taken off and some have also started making figs. I think I made about 6 plants from the cuttings. It has been a vigorous grower however, I have not gotten any ripe figs yet. Thanks Bob.

If anyone has any cuttings when you prune of other varieties that I don’t currently have, I would be happy to accept a few to try out. I would be willing to trade for cuttings of some of the varieties I have. :slight_smile:

Mike-

7 Likes

Well, I didn’t get any brebas, but the fall crop has been big. I got a late start on 9/8 and most of the 1.5 quarts I picked were badly damaged. But they were very sweet and tasty.

The later pickings are much nicer looking, but not as sweet. But, my wife and daughter seem to like them a lot anyway. To me, they are ok. Somewhat better than the ones you can buy at Costco, but not “mmmm” good, like the damaged ones were. But, I much prefer picking when there aren’t a lot of yellow jackets and swarms of fruit flies, so I’ve been picking when only moderately ripe. Especially since my family can eat a limitless amount of them. I, on the other hand, am looking forward to jujube harvest really starting in the next week or so.

I’ve been picking every 2 days, as I got 1.5 more quarts on both 9/11 and today. That’s 4.5 quarts so far in less than a week. And there is still plenty more left to ripen, probably into October. If all my other figs produced like this one, I’d need to sell them at the farmer’s market. I have 12 in ground at home and 6+ others at rentals, 1-2 dozen in pots, and this one is 90%+ of what I pick.

I think a big factor is how old the bush is. After 30+ years, the roots must go pretty deep. A copy I planted in-ground has some but none are ripe yet (as of when I was at that property on 9/9). I only planted it last year, so maybe it will ripen earlier with age.

First picking:

Bush:

Pickings (Friday):

Pickings (today):

I think it is about 11 or 12’ tall. I’ve been able to pick the stuff at the top by pulling on the branches, which works for now, but won’t for much longer. I’ll probably thin it out some this fall, so let me know if you would like wood.

edit:
There are also some suckers or low branches that have rooted in the mulch around the base. I think they might be a bit big to mail, but let me know if you expect to pass by in November or December.

9 Likes

I’d like to get a few good early ripe Figs for the Puget Sound region. All I have right now is the
Desert King, and an ? From near Hood Canal.
What do you have for varieties of Fig?

1 Like

I am so excited about your nice fig and my plants from the cuttings you gave me are doing great! :slight_smile:

1 Like

Violette de Bordeaux or Negronne, my source used them synonymously, had a very good breba near Portland.

Lattarula, or Italian Honey also produces good figs here.

I’m looking at Champaign and LSU Tiger for main crops. Ronde de Bordeaux and Olympian are also looking good to me. I haven’t tasted any of these 4.

Has any ever published a maturity chart for figs?
I know that many Breba figs do well in the Puget sound lowlands, but some others could also work.
The information is available for grapes, especially wine grapes, but haven’t seen it for figs.
Ideally
A chart that indicates how many AHU are required.
My location is shy of 2,000 AHU/50 f.
Probably about 1,850

None that I know of, there are over 100 fig varieties commonly distributed in the USA, the PNW is a very small part of the country, what is AHU?

AHU
Accumulated Heat Units above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, in most common usage. I’m around 1,850, which is low.

I have a meager beginner’s collection of Reservoir, Chicago Hardy, and Desert King. Not much compared to most of our fig people here. So far everyone I gave a fresh fig to enjoyed them, so they’re worth piddling with for now.

1 Like

I already have the Desert King.
It’s everywhere in the Puget sound lowlands.
Thanks.

Please post a list of the figs you have.
I’m looking for early ripening and Breba figs for the Puget sound lowlands.

Ok, so I did get some figs. They were mildly sweet and had a good flavor. Amazing that a cutting can fruit only months after planted. :grin:

8 Likes

Currently have…

Reservoir (obviously)
Miss Figgy
Black mission
Texas Everbearing
White Marseilles
Kadota
Unidentified brown Turkey

Magnolia (too small for cuttings this year )
Celeste (too small for cuttings this year )
Black Churchyard (from a person here… (too small for cuttings this year )

1 Like