Inground Fig Set Observations and Discussion (Pic Heavy)

I did that thanks to @tonyOmahaz5.

I will have Malta Black this fall. I will keep early ripening or mid season ones.

2 Likes

I have only 4 figs in ground Two second year and two rooted cuttings planted this year. These figs harvested today from Salem Dark with no real protection from winter.

Salem Dark 09-24-2019

8 Likes

I bought White Triana on eBay about 4-5 years ago and after 6 weighted discussions the lady I bought them from couldn’t even recall anything about from her own unknown to me, collection of figs, her last words were ‘all I know is I got it from a friend’.

I’ve posted photos of mine. Long story now short after these 5- years is this year every fig but one had swelled to ideal picking condition_on a neglected bush , up-potted once in its’ years to a 15" width x 12" tall container. It’s not a large container at all. So I’ll put the harvestable # at 16 on this plant that has survived death once and then surprisingly re-sprouting some odd figure like 14-months later. This year it shot from dieback to all but inches.

Last year it ripened aprroximately 70% of it’s figs (year 4) and year 3 I’ll say 70% also.

Even as @hoosierbanana has mentioned about the precocity of fruit of cultivars that meet the requirements that zone has to offer for a cutting rooted that same year to not only produce fruit but be able to ripen them. That’s where the beauty of early or mid comes in for someone like @mamuang in her zone 6A or me in my zone 5b. The rest of ya’all in zone 6b/7a are snobs in our books! Cause we’re jealous!!! :laughing::laughing::laughing:

image

image

image

image

image

Tastes like honey. Nothing more.

Dax

13 Likes

I meant to keep this updated… Things have been busy though, I’ve been picking about 25-50 pounds a day from the orchard for the past 2 weeks. Easton Purple (LSU Tiger) has been a good performer his year, it has been very dry so no splitting, sap beetles have been a minor problem though. The Etnas continue to impress, making up the bulk of production, trees that died to the ground have been ripening well for a couple weeks. Adriatic JH is coming in heavy now, only a little splitting compared to last year when most split in warm weather/rain. RdB has been so-so, the late setting fruits are ripening now so production is improving. First fruit from Nero 600 m. ripened today, after dieback. LdA has been productive, but most have been spoiled by sap beetles. Negretta has not done as well as I hoped, despite the first fruit ripening about the same time as the Etnas I have not gotten many, and they have all been very small. Dalmatie has done OK, a few have spoiled from sap beetles.

Honeybees have been a problem this year, exploiting cracks in the Etnas and drinking from the eyes of ripe Adriatic JHs, as well as LdA and Easton Purple. I’ve been stung 3 times so far. No yellowjackets or hornets though, which are worse so I guess I’m lucky. Ants have only been a minor problem. African Fig Fly has been around for about 2 weeks, but seem to be focusing on the figs that the sap beetles have already spoiled, I have been leaving bags of spoiled figs out overnight so they find them then close quickly the next day to trap them.

6 Likes

@hoosierbanana Have you tried any of the green figs “found” in Maryland like White Madeira #1 or Pratt street? I heard Green Michurinska is another early ripening green fig. I like Adriatic JH a lot, but wonder if there is a better alternative for in ground culture. Dalmatie does better in ground for me. However, it’s more dissimilar than other Adriatic-like figs.

2 Likes

I have not, Green Michurinska seems appealing, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it fruiting well after significant dieback. Haven’t heard the opposite, but precociousness is something people usually rave about.

1 Like

My in ground figs started setting fruit a couple weeks ago. I’m hoping I can harvest some starting the middle of August if the weather stays hot all summer. They responded very well to heavy nitrogen fertilizer early on and then heavy phosphorus. There are hundreds of little figlets forming.

8 Likes

Late freezes set in-ground figs back badly. Am just now seeing double bumps on various Mt. Etna types, Olympian, Unk Italian Yellow Westfield. Only tiny figs–just produced–are on two Malta Blacks, which were also the fastest to bounce back from the freezes. Guess I’ll be propagating these!

2 Likes

The same thing happened to my Malta Black and Adriatic JH. Malta Black is recovering better as you notice too. I was disappointed since it’s one of my favorites. Hardy Chicago somehow came through undamaged. Dalmatie, MBVS, and Gino’s Black leafed out later and avoided damage.

3 Likes

My in ground trees look like they’re a week or 2 ahead of where they were last year depending on the variety. All are setting main crop now. I don’t pinch to induce fruiting by the way. I pinch later in the summer to inhibit vegetative growth, and prevent late fruit from forming that wouldn’t have time to ripen before frost.


Dalmatie — likely nearly 3 weeks ahead of last year.

Red Lebanese Bekaa Valley

Florea

Adriatic JH

Malta Black

Hardy Chicago

Kesariani

Most are Mt Etna types. Malta Black looks like it’s the farthest along and Florea looks most productive for its size. I might be picking them at the end of July at this rate.

10 Likes

Nice looking in ground main crops.

2 Likes

Are your trees recovering well after the frosts?

1 Like

I very happy now that they are growing again and starting to put out some main crops. I will take some photos later after work.

Dark Greek

Latarula Italian honey fig

The rest of the orchard

16233776395103587654337511607295

3 Likes

Even though we had the second worst late frosts since our fig trees were first planted, a lot of our in ground fig trees should have first crop figs this month. Some of them also already have started producing main crop figs. They are gaining cold hardiness.

1 Like

Which varieties do you have in the ground?

1 Like

The in ground ones that have figs are (I just updated)

1) Malta Purple Red some breba figs, filling up with second crop figs
2) Unknown Carini some breba figs, second crop figlets just starting to form
3) Dominick some breba figs, filling up with second crop figs

4) Peter’s Honey (Just one breba fig, filling up with second crop figs, tree is not looking so good)
5) Croisic (It has figs, it can only have breba figs here)
6) Gillette (MWamsley) (It has figs, it can only have breba figs here)

7) 'GM-142' (Update, June 15th I noticed that this tree is filling up fast with tiny main crop figlets)

3 Likes


The inground figs that I covered with mylar (along with row cover and plastic) are showing much more even growth and slightly advanced fig formation. Pics are from last week. This winter was mild enough that I actually would have been better doing nothing than covering with clear plastic and row cover. There was enough sun later in winter that the plastic compromised their cold hardiness. I’ll be switching to white plastic and mylar for all tunnels next winter.

4 Likes