Fig Talk

Netting 60+ fig trees, many over 12’ tall would be virtually impossible and fraught with trouble. I use the shock-an-awe approach: grow so many the varmints simply can’t possibly get them all. I do net my blueberry bushes, and harvest gallons as a result. They are worth the trouble.

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Got it. Didn’t know there were so many or so large. A decent fence can keep out most pests but not birds. I have roughly the same number but smaller, more like 6-7’ tall, so I manage to net a subset.

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In that approach, I would only harvest the ripe figs and leave the majority to the vermen.

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I am trying that approach today. I skipped harvesting today (I usually harvest every day). We’ll see how many intact ripe figs there are tomorrow. :crossed_fingers:

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I wanted to update yall on how my fig trees are doing!! I gave a way some of my trees to friends and family so my collection shrank and some, I guess made leaves faster then roots and I’m not sure they are going to come back.



This was under the parafilm on my Hative de argentuil and its on one other tree as well, took the film off hoping the sun gets rid of it.



My Smith and Hative de argentuil are making figs, not sure if they will actually ripen since they were just rooted in the spring but still exciting





We have had a lot more rain this summer then usually and some of my trees have theses spots on their leaves not quite sure how to fix it. I am also having issues with mealybugs, leafhoppers, and ants, so if yall have suggestions for those feel free to share!!

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It’s too late to fix it. This fall the plants are going to drop them. You’ll have a new opportunity for success next year.

Ortho Fruit Tree and Shrub Spray.

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Can you still eat the fruit when using that?

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Yes of course. The commercial version is used in the prep area of produce markets.

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what are yall doing with growth that has not set any fruit or has a chance of fruiting before winter? just let it keep growing or maybe top?

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Anyone growing Brooklyn White fig in ground? Re: taste I see raves and others who culled it for lackluster taste. I just rooted two, deciding whether to keep one or give both away.

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I read something somewhere that made me think, that Brooklyn White needs long hours of full sun to be worth growing. The hotter and the drier it is the better the taste. Although I have not grown it myself, so I don’t know for sure.

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One of the main considerations in looking at this new growth, before you just remove it, is the usefulness for breba crop branches next year, if thats even an option for you.

On our 4 Olympian trees the growth this tme of year is crazy. We have gone in and removed several wheelbarrows of new shoots twice already and will probably have to do it again. The excessive amount of new growth clogs the tree eliminating air movement and light penetration for branches with developing figs.

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thanks for the reply. i failed to mention that my trees are grown for and will be pruned back to a compact size regardless because of space constraints. ill probably start pruning/topping growth that doesnt have any signs of figlets at this point. i might leave some growth with little figlets to see what has a chance of ripening.

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I grew it here but it ripens too late for my short season. In my climate, the ripe figs were somewhat bland, like a watered-down Adriatic. For better Adriatic flavor, I’d much rather have Paradiso Gene or WM#1. For Adriatic-ish flavor with earlier ripening, Green Michurinska.

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Thanks, I’ll give both away then. I don’t need weak Adriatic imitators when I’ve got GM, AJH, WM, UP, BG. Really wanted Campaniere but wouldn’t you know those 3 sticks were only ones that didn’t root out of 12.

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I wouldn’t compare it to the Adriatics too much. It’s a honey/berry type similar to Atreano, Lyndhurst White, Lattarola, White Triana, Conadria, etc. I’ve heard a lot of mixed opinions about Brooklyn White as well. I’m still on the fence about it. My potted tree has been inconsistent. It started off ripening most of its figs pretty late, but seems to be getting earlier over time. Sometimes I get fruits from it that are just like a sweet honey fig and sometimes they are more of a berry fig. It’s been a difficult variety for me to assess. In the same category, I would favor Lyndhurst White or White Triana.

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Thanks- will look into Lyndhurst White as non-splitting honey fig is what I’m after. I’ve got berry taste covered, now want honey or agave.

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Lyndhurst White is more berry-like for me. It’s always very syrupy and many consider it honey/berry, but mine tends to have a pretty strong strawberry-like flavor. It’s one of my favorite varieties that I have. @eboone likes his Lydhurst White as well and grows his in ground. And although it doesn’t tend to split in rain, it does absorb water through the skin and can get bloated and watered down. I think that is a common issue with the Atreano type figs. For a straight honey fig that doesn’t split in rain, I’m not sure what to recommend. LSU Champagne performs well for me most years and doesn’t split, but the figs are small and not everyone cares for it.

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Of course, there’s Italian Honey (aka Lattarula, not the same as Lattarola, and a dozen other synonyms). Personally, I find sweet non-berry figs a little boring and my palate isn’t sharp enough to distinguish sugar from honey from agave. It’s all a mix of sucrose, glucose and fructose to me.

I don’t know what you already have, but if you want predominantly sweet I like both (1) Teramo Unk and (1) Improved Celeste, which have the additional advantage of being early. For mainly sweet with some fruitiness, then I’d suggest (1) a fig in the Longue d’Aout family (e.g., Nordland); (2) Iranian Candy aka Raasti; and maybe (3) Florea, which is also very early.

Given my short season, I have a strong bias in favor of early-ripening names.

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We need several tasting events around the country where growers can sample figs before planting.

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