I think CDDG would have a red interior. But it’s been a while since I ate those.
Very nice looking figs…!!
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That’s a good point about the flesh color. Thanks for the feedback. The flavor was also more simple too from what I remember a good CDdG should be. More are ripening so I’ll take more pictures. It seems awful early for CdD too for my area, but Calderona was also pretty early this year.
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I like that Smith can sort of dehydrate on the tree and the flavor becomes very concentrated. It also does very well even during rainy ripening conditions.
@SoCalGardenNut Wish I could ripen Panache like that. That looks like it could be a painting.
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In my experience, a potted Smith cracked like crazy when rain arrives during ripening time.
This time of the year, I move the darn pot in a garage every time it threatens to rain. A 15 gallon pot, I am not lifting it alone for sure.
Is your Smith in ground or in pot?
Lake Spur is a good grower.
White Marseilles actually grows only moderately. I’ve grown WM for about 8 years.
I have two fig plants that have issues with dropping figs.
Brooklyn White. Dropped all figs.
Boston-12. Dropped oldest 3 figs. Other LDA/Brunswick figs are coming up.
Both plants should be legit and true. I would not think some other local growers would send me any unknown Smyrna fig materials.
I do not think there is any issue with growing conditions. My in-ground Brooklyn White dropped figs too.
Both are 2nd year trees. Age of the trees?
Wow! That’s dedication. I keep mine in a 10 gallon pot. It doesn’t crack in contrast to yours.
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Each specimen of a given cultivar has the potential for radical differentiation. I also suspect that our expectations for what constitutes a fig tree’s ‘good’ performance are divergent. Zone 6 is decidedly marginal for cultivating figs, whereas zones 8, 9 and 10 provide much more ideal conditions. Nevertheless, I am curious why you think the performance of these tree has been distinct.
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I do not think this is true at all. Fig plants go through dormancy over winter. There is little or no difference from zone 6 to zone 8, if managed properly. Fig trees do not even know that they are in cold zone.
It is known that White Marseilles was planted in England, which is clearly in the cold zone.
Many fake White Marseilles plants were sold. They are not even the true White Marseilles.
I know both Lake Spur and White Marseilles well because I grow many of such plants for many years. I get 10 White Marseilles in ground and more in containers…
On the contrary, with the global climate changes, there have been devastating winter damages to fig trees in zone 7, 8 and 9. In TX, LA and FL.
Here is what a friend told me. He is in Northern Florida close to Georgia.
I was not able to do any cuttings last winter because of that Jan. Cold. Got into teens for 6 nights straight and killed most branches back to trunk.
It has produced some this year and grown out good.
We Northerners are used to this kind of cold climate. There are many successful fig growers in this forum and elsewhere.
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Zone 6 is radically colder than zone 8. I’ve lived my entire life a two hour drive in either direction, during which you cross through zones 10 to 4. The difference in freezing hours between zone 8 and 6 is radical. The impact this kind of cold has on subtropical plants is significant. Figs in zone 8, particularly Mediterranean variations of the zone, do not die back at all in the winter. Perhaps every once in a while there might be some damage to the outermost branch tips but that’s the extent of it. And that happens in zone 9 as well. Zone 6 is a harsh winter environment. Figs don’t like that at all.
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This really gets funny to hear.
One thing is that you are correct fig plants do not like cold climate. But it does not mean fig plants won’t grow, or won’t grow well in cold climate.
If I grow a fig plant in a 30 gallon planter and take it inside my garage. And I have more than enough days for the fig tree to ripen fruits, what is the difference vs growing it in warm climate? Can you explain? And I get more than enough of summer heat and day length. Any science that tells me this is impossible?
And what is the science behind your statement that a slower variety will become a faster variety in warmer climate?
Can you post some photo of your White Marseilles? So we can see what it is?
The last, you can surely count the number of fig growers in this forum who are in zone 6. There are many, many. And we’ve had great success.
What some people do not get is that, the so called USDA Hardiness Zone only measures the typical winter night low temperature. It does not say anything about growing degree days and total heat etc. It is only useful to measure the potential winter cold damage over short period of time.
Here is a image of California USDA Hardiness Zone map.
The zone 5 and zone 6 zones are in the East mountain regions. This map only says that over winter, those areas can reach -15F or -5F. It does not say how many days. It does not say how many days fig plants can grow. It does not say how much heat those mountain regions can reach.
It is very likely that those zone 5 and zone 6 regions may be as hot as in San Jose or Oakland over summer. Could be even hotter with the elevation.
As long as the fig growers in those zone 5 and zone 6 can protect the plants over those very cold days, there is not much huge difference vs the zone 8 and zone 9 etc.
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I’d like to see the quote where I wrote figs won’t grow in a colder climate. you won’t be able to point to that since I know that not to be true and thus would never make such a claim. But it is absolutely true that figs are far happier in zone 8 and 9 than zone 6. I know plenty of people who grow figs in zone 6 and I hear all about their struggles. I don’t really understand why you are arguing against something that’s well established. You cannot grow nearly the same catalogue of plants in zone 6 that you can in the warmer zones.
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They key to your entire commentary is this:
‘IF the growers in zone 5 and 6 can PROTECT their fig tree they will grow just as well as zone 8 and 9.’
That doesn’t mean much. If you protect any plants you can grow them in any zone. I know a dude who grows excellent citrus in Alaska. That doesn’t mean his zone is remotely comparable to those where I live. Figs don’t need to be protected in zone 8 and 9. Some citrus doesn’t even need protection in zone 8. I’m glad you are making a project out of growing figs in zone 6 and having success. That doesn’t mean zone 6 is even remotely comparable to zone 8 and 9 for fig cultivation.
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That is totally wrong.
Some newbie likes to make strong statement like that. Very sad…
That is close to BS.
People in PNW zone 8 like Canada Vancouver sometimes can’t even grow some varieties like we do in zone 6. You just do not fully understand what hardy zones mean. There is just not enough heat in that zone 8.
Same with some Northern European countries. They can be USDA zone 7. But they can only grow EBT breba since they do not have the heat at all.
Sure, all the wonderful fig orchards in zone 6. That’s a good one.
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