Anne,
I have a four year old CH that I moved from a pot in ground in May this year. It iis very close to my house and get sun from 11 am to dusk. It is located in a very good microclimate. I plan to wrap it with burlap and stuff it with dry leaves for winter protection.
If it survives, great. If not, I have a young one in pot. It also depends on what kind of winter I will get. Last year was not bad. The previous two years were brutal.
Before I wrap the in ground tree, I will trim it down so I have have scionwood to spare. The potted one will go to the unheated section of my basement.
It is in a 25 gallon rootpouch, which they say is 21" x 16". You could get aay with the 15 gallon though. I move them by shimmying onto a rectangle or thick woven ground cover and then they drag pretty easily. Not sure how much it weighs exactly, I can pick it up using the trunk as a handle, but probably not right after a heavy rain of course. Maybe 80-175# ?
Hardy Chicago and the other Etna types (plenty of different opinions to read there) are most reliable overall for me here in 7a so far. Florea is more productive and earlier but less rain and bug resistant, a notch down from the Etnas in taste as well. I had a VdB in ground for 3 years and it was a bust for me, now have several of that type (Nero 600M, Vista, Valle Negra, Aubique Petite) and some look like they might ripen a few figs coming back from the ground in their second season, go figure.
Thanks so much for the info.
I’m assuming that they didn’t ripen for you there? And you are in 7A. So perhaps, and maybe, with the right microclimate here in 7B, I might get ripened figs?
It would not set figs until it was too late, had they formed the same time as the Etnas many would have had time to ripen. Not really sure if it was because of the planting location or the condition of the tree, it was never protected so things certainly could have gone differently.
Picked my first Lebanese Red Bekaa Valley fig this morning. OK, I have a new favorite now! Very nice fig. I didn’t take any photos of it as I ate it too quickly! Plus I wanted to check if it truly is a red bekaa. It is! Another is ripening, I’ll try and get photos. This one looks like a good one for colder zones. In containers at least.
My Chicago Hardy in Container is ripening. In ground not yet.
B. Green is ripening figs. Not many, but looks like I will get a taste. Most of the figs probably will not ripen in time. The fruit is huge!
Figs really vary on how they ripen. Some spoil quickly if not picked. others seem to hang on weeks after looking ripe. I’m letting a bunch just sit and ripen. Maybe about 25 figs.
Harvest was better than expected for me. I don’t think I will add many more figs to the collection. I have enough now I’m happy.
I only had one fig. It is a very dark berry color. The skin seems to have a little taste too. Or it could be the berry interior has a taste and the skin does not. It looks like jam, less white, more red. Since I grow berries, to me the berry taste is rather weak in any fig. It seemed drier, and not watery, had a seed crunch too. Flavor was stronger than other figs. The unknown Teramo was a close 2nd. It’s awesome too. It has a strong taste also for a fig.
I really need to eat more to adjust my palate to figs. I only ever ate dried figs. I still prefer them slightly dried.
If these figs taste this good on 1st leaf plants, the 4th leaf crop is going to be awesome.
A different fig may stand out for others in other environments, these seem to taste best here. Teramo is a mountain provence, so it can be colder there. This fig may be nothing special in CA.
From Wiki
The peaks of the Gran Sasso rise to the west of the Province of Teramo while those of the Monti della Laga dominate its northern border. These two ridges are among the most distinctive and the most relevant of the entire Apennine Mountain range. The majestic Gran Sasso rises at its peak, the Corno Grande,
to an elevation of 2,912 metres (9,554 ft) and is characterized by
steep, and in places virtually inaccessible, gorges with nature reserves
and protected living species.
The town and fortress of Civitella del Tronto in Teramo
The Bekaa Valley in Lebanon is very similar. Mountainous regions. Higher elevation, so colder, shorter seasons. Why these figs may do well here in the winter wonderland? Flat lands though!
Zahlé, the capital of the Beqaa Valley
I overcame it for the most part, I was a Medical Technologist, worked at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing MI. I have a BS in Medical Technology from The College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University. I worked for MSU too, Also the Post Office, and owned a restaurant for almost 4 years.
I’m retired now. Waiting for the wife to retire and hopefully move out to a more rural setting. I still escape to my cottage as much as possible. Stuck home for two weeks, and going back there for a while to put a new floor in the place. That should just about kill me! It needs a roof too, I probably will not be around much in October. Yeah doing the roof too! One more time, last time ever for me! I put the last two on myself.
Wow, that’s tough to answer. One on one instruction, a tutor, help sessions worked best for me. I never sought professional help. It never was super bad, although extremely annoyed some of my professors. Self motivation was what drove me. A girl friend who rocked and helped me through problems. I was never that bad, just enough to keep me behind. I dropped out of High School. I went to night school to get my diploma a year later. I helped myself, I decided I wanted to learn as much as possible. Your son has to find his own way. You can help, but the ball is mostly in his court. I proof read everything, had others proof read and critique it. Checked every math problem three times. That helped. I took Calculus, and found I could not really advance that far in the subject. My grades were 2.5 to 3.0 in Calculus. It helped in Physics, and biochemistry. But I only took two semesters in calculus, as math is not my strong point.
I’m a visual learner so focused on that skill. Nobody in my class had the ability to identify objects as well visually as I could. I excelled in microscopic anatomy, parasitology, microbiology, and mycology. 4.0 in all of them. I used my strong points to guide me in what direction to go.
Just because I just managed to pass English, and math, didn’t mean I could not use it. Even typing here helps keep me on track. No easy answers, just don’t give up. Anything that interests him, show him more. I find it almost impossible even today to learn anything I find dull.
I should have become a pathologist. Specialize in bacteria, or blood cells. Like about 12 different types of leukemia can occur in humans. When I was working, actual cell structure was the only way to tell which one it was. Which was crucial for which plan of action would be taken for treatment. You had to look at it, a skill I process. As a Med Tech all I needed to do was tell the cell was abnormal and pass it on the hematology pathologist to determine exact disorder. I could do that with the right training. Routine helped, but I never mastered it. Wish I could help more. When I was young most learning disabilities were mis-classified, or completely unknown.
Today more people are considered autistic than ever. It’s really not that we have more people autistic. The definition of what qualifies has broadened. I didn’t seek help, as none was available to me in the 60’s and 70’s.
I also have Red Lebanese Bekaa Valley and I originally got it because my
grandparents came from Zahle, so I have a sentimental attachment to this
fig. Although mine is only a year old and still in a pot, it has given me several
really good figs, better than the RdB that I have. So I think it is only going to get better, and I’m really excited that I have it.
I’d be afraid that the yellow version would be a honey type fig, which
are not my favorites. I’m supposed to get a Macool from James, but who
knows if and when that will ever happen.
In 2012 RDB plants were going for $385.00, Not anymore. And that I suspect is the same with any high price figs today. I paid very little for a few cuttings, two rooted, gave one away. Mine fruited first leaf, figs look great!
I think all the dark figs are good and it tastes a lot like VDB, Lebanese Red Bekaa, and MBVS. These all seem very similar to me. The green and yellow figs have a slightly different taste. I prefer the ones with red centers. [quote=“JustAnne4, post:399, topic:4734”]
Were they worth all the fuss?
[/quote]
I would say yes, as they require little care and deliver a lot of fruit.
