Grafted figs are sometimes much more vigorous than rooted cuttings.
I guess I must be dealing with very vigorous varieties, but I can see how an established root system could have advantages- but figs just seem to establish very fast compared to other species.
If you grow enough different varieties of fig, sooner or later you will find one that is not vigorous at all.
Do as you please as long as you can keep track of what’s what. But since you already have the rootstock variety you might want to force all the growth into BFF. That would mean knocking off all the SV shoots as they push including those already there.
I didn’t prune off the node above BFF because I didn’t want to risk damaging the inserted bud.
OK, thanks FN for the info! Awesome!
That’s not true for all, some (not that many, but a few) are notorious for not rooting well. It also is a way to propagate more plants with fewer pieces. The fig I’m showing here goes for hundreds of dollars, maybe more. One fig I have, two cuttings sold for $400.00. So taking a chance of them not rooting is too steep in the pocketbook. I don’t care about the money. Just saying they are really really valuable. I probably will give away most of my clones once plant is bigger in a couple years. Anybody here who wants these will eventually get them, but it’s way to early to be promising cuttings, I have to keep it alive first! And for the record I traded for my plants. I would never pay that much, ever.
Yeah, I’m no fig collector- I have two varieties that work and they are as good as they need to be. I get it now.
I bought a couple of multi grafted variety trees simply for the facts of:
- They were varieties that I had considered but not sure how they would do in my zone
- I was not sure if would actually like these fruits once I tasted them here in my zone
- See how easy they are to keep from being diseased- a few were said to be bad for disease
- Once I knew which of the multi grafted trees I wanted I could get those varieties
- I could tear out that tree and replace it with one of the varieties I liked from the multi grafted tree
- Takes limited space and I can put in a smaller area to try out for a few years
- Only want a small amount of that particular fruit
- I had one in my parents backyard for the small amount of fruit they usually ate of those varieties
I have a DWN 4 in 1 plout and 3 in 1 peach. All are easy to keep balanced. I’ve had them 4-5 years.
I’ve been to many yards though and seen totally unbalanced multi-grafts. However these people know nothing about trees and don’t do any pruning. These are usually fruit salad trees and the plum way out vigors the apricot/peach selection on the tree, again never pruned.
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I would like to have about 7. I’m approaching 30, it’s not working! I have decided to cull a few, so I’ll get there. Just playing for now.
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I have a friend who is a fig fanatic and grows many varieties. I just don’t notice all that much difference in the qualities of each and he isn’t able to get a wide range in harvest time- none of the brebas are adequately sweet as grown under our relatively weak sun- bland balls of foam. By coincidence, I was already growing one of his favorites, or at least a very similar fig when I first checked out his collection. It came to me as an unknown fig smuggled here a couple generations ago from Italy.
Growing figs that are green, yellow, purple, and red skin I did notice quite a difference.Most members on the figs sites like them fresh. I myself prefer them dried. I dry most of mine. Some were outstanding, really different. Many do taste rather bland.I’m giving those another year before I graft over them.
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Well you are more a fig connoisseur than I am, even though I was raised with lots of fresh figs around. To me, they all have similar texture and flavor and it is mostly a matter of how sweet- but if I lived in CA still I would definitely grow a purple and green- the two I grew there we called Strawberry and Brown Turkey (a different West Coast version, I believe) and the two pretty much filled the bill for most people. I would never grow them to produce dry ones- it is the fresh ones I love. There are only so many things I can bother focusing on and obsessing over. I’m at my limit, and the drive for perfection can be my highway to neurosis, if not insanity.
I’m finding that out, not just with figs, plums apples and peaches too! Not that you can’t get there, just knowing when you’re there as that ever elusive cultivar seems always just around the corner. How can one quit when you have tasted that one yet?
I think it is a phase, I passed it now. I only bought one fruit tree this year. I doubt if I’ll ever buy more than one or two a year. Now I know you bought more, so maybe it isn’t figs with you? I think like any fruit, we do need to experiment for just about forever, I just have figs on that list too. I think because my conditions are far from ideal. Like I added a fig from the Azores. Even though it never becomes very cold there, it is a lot like Seattle, mild temps, overcast most of the time. The figs there seem to sweeten even without sunshine. Although it is very late ripening. Now to find a quicker ripening fig from that part of the world.
How do you dry them?
My primary obsession is nectarines as far as fruit, although all species have varieties I need to try yet (this is also business), but my vegetable garden is the source of a lot of focus and energy suck- along with eating our own food in general. It all gets to be too much as it leaves little time for rest and rec. My weekends are a swamp of business and the pursuit of lifestyle “perfection”. I will be finished billing customers in another hour and then will make 3 weeks worth of waffles that will be delicious and extremely healthy- if multiple whole grains, walnuts and seeds are healthy. Pre-made mixes just aren’t quite good enough.
And spring is likely to be very early again!
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I use a Nesco dehydrator. These are cheaper, but I don’t use it that often. I also don’t have room for a very good unit. It’s easy to store and put away and take out. It’s out right now as a matter of fact. I needed some fresh basil for my pasta sauce last night. I noticed the basil which I keep in a south window was overgrown so I trimmed it and I’m drying the rest.
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I prefer to freeze basil. It loses the color but the taste is the same. I find dry basil has lost most of what makes it so good.
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African Blue retains a lot dried. I agree not as much, but the blue is very pungent dry. The leaves are thicker than regular basil, and flavor is about twice as strong. I also freeze, but usually in the form of pesto. I have it fresh too, at all times. So I usually use fresh.This current round of drying is because I needed to prune the plant, and didn’t feel like making pesto, plus I have a lot on hand already. Many times I just throw it away, I decided to dry it instead.I mostly use the dehydrator to dry peppers and various fruit, fruit leather too, but not that often. Helps with ways to preserve large harvests. I like to have alternate methods of storage.Still playing with it, to see what turns out good.
This is the most useful advice on figs for me. That surely puts me in the class of “not gonna bother” with something so far out of my zone. I love dried figs, but there are plenty of those to be had at Costco. But fresh ones I’ve had (even from a farmer’s market in CA) make me gag. The grassy flavor of the skin gets me. To each his own!
I myself find them very different, many are the same, they are closely related like My Etna types, but to me they taste nothing like Portuguese figs, which taste nothing like Lebanese figs, etc. Some are the same types like most Adriatic figs do taste alike, some are more flavorful, or sweeter than others, but they are similar. These do cross country lines, but many are unique to each country. Having said that the dried figs sold are darn good, and most of mine are not that good, some are better though. Figs improve with age, so it’s hard to judge them as I have only been growing them 3 years. My oldest trees are 3rd leaf this year. I like growing tropical or sub tropical plants, and these are the most hardy I have ever seen. I’m having a lot of fun with them.
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