Your fig operations are always inspiring!
2 Likes
First fig of the year yesterday. Chicago Hardy. It was somewhat split and a bit watered down from the buckets of rain we’ve been getting, but still pretty decent. I almost missed it, too. It was in a spot I hadn’t been keeping an eye on.
Now I’m holding out a bit more hope I’ll get some other ripe ones. This tree had a late start this spring, but it’s carrying about 50 figs that have any hope of ripening this year.
7 Likes
Rooted in 2017.
They will keep dropping figs for 3-4 years minimum
1 Like
BTW does anyone pinch their fig trees? I’m asking because I never do it and it doesn’t appear to make any difference – comparing my ripening time to other local gardeners.
Perhaps it does make a difference in other locales.
6 Likes
I don’t pinch for fruit formation but do sometimes for tree shaping or to control height. I can’t see any effects on fruiting.
8 Likes
Pinching does seem to work if the branches are of fruiting age.
For in-ground fig plants, I do not hesitate with pinching. Those branches will be lost to winter anyway. It does not harm anything with pinching. Nothing to lose. It is fine if it does not make any difference. At least I give the trees a chance to fruit.
Valley Negra. I’m surprised to see this variety fruit so quickly. The small tree is very productive. It may be better than VDB.
6 Likes
For in ground trees I do not pinch for fruit formation, but I do pinch after a respectable amount of figlets have already formed per branch early in the season.
It reprograms the tree to focus on development and ripening of the fruit it has verses continuing growth.
I absolutely do get earlier and more complete production by pinching in my location.
Dom
6 Likes
This is first time getting any off this tree it’s supposed to be nordland from Raintree. Really new to figs still learning to pick correct, last one of these was split skin and left on tree for couple more days and had an off taste as to ripe. Then noticed on the to ripe one it had a brown spot next to eye. I decided to pick this one a little earlier on purpose to see if it had one too is this normal?
5 Likes
You can let it ripen a bit more assuming you don’t have huge pest problems
2 Likes
My question is that brown spot next to eye on the inside normal? Guess I didn’t clarify sorry.
Yes, that’s normal. You can cut the brown part off if it bothers you, but it doesn’t look spoiled to me. You can give it a sniff to make sure it doesn’t smell spoiled. Figs with open eyes like that one are at a higher risk of spoiling when insects crawl in. Sometimes if you catch it early you can just cut off the spoiled bottom and the rest of the fig is still okay to eat.
1 Like
Golden Rainbow. This fig is full of controversies.
I never see any “rainbow” on skin and inside. But the fig is super sweet. Since it is large fig, it is so over-powering with the amount of sugar. Some people can’t even eat it due to the amount of sugar.
8 Likes
I remember you mentioning that you also grow desert king figs. So maybe you can help me out.
I’m asking people if they are getting main crop figs from their desert king this summer. I was under the impression that you needed a fig wasp to pollinate the main crop, yet I have dozens of them swelling and ripening despite being far north of the fig wasp range in California. They are huge and super delicious.
I’ve been told that some main crop desert king figs can, and typically do, ripen each year without the wasp. Yet this year I’m getting way more than just a few. Have you had the same experience with your desert king this year or heard about it happening on anyone else’s tree?
6 Likes
I think I do have wasp here, but my main crop fig is round, not elongated like yours, my brebas are elongated and huge like yours.
Do you have any pics? I’ve never heard of the fig shape being reversed on a tree. That is absolutely fascinating.
The breba figs on my desert king are just slightly more rounded than the main crop figs, so slight that it’s almost imperceptible.
I know for certain that the figs in these pics are not breba as they all emerged on new growth this summer. You can tell in the pic that these are main crop figs as they set above the leaf node. Breba figs set below the leaf node.
I’m really intrigued to see the shape of your desert king figs.
I also wanted to add that we are not supposed to have the fig wasp in Northern California or Willamette Valley in Oregon. Though this phenomenon is only happening on my tree in Oregon.
1 Like
I have one Breba out there that is now covered, when I pick it, I hope I will pick it soon, I will take a picture.
I don’t prune so I know they are Brebas, except the main crop which came as new growth near the trunk.
