My 'Big' Fig Tree

[MuddyMess_8a]

I was very surprised when I stopped by the large fig tree this evening and found ripe brebas! They had been putting on size so rapidly about 2months ago that I had expected them to ripen early, but a a dip in temperatures right after that seemed to stall them out. Only very recently did they once again start to fatten up. As (recently as two days ago, they were still very firm. I’d gotten past even hoping they’d be ready any time soon. So, this evening’s discovery was a delightful surprise.

I made the mistake last year of leaving them for “just one more day”. They vanished by the following morning. I wasn’t going to make that mistake two times in row! I picked a heaping dinner plate of plump, soft, delicious figs. I REALLY wanted to snap a pic of that plate, but it appears that I’m still victim to fig snatchers. I had walked out of the room to put my gloves and shovel away for the night. I returned to find 3 happy “kids” and only 8 figs left. : They weren’t even the best. I ate 2 while I still had a chance. No pics of that bounty tonight, but maybe I can find more hiding in the tree tomorrow. It was getting difficult to see in the waning light.

I’ve spoken of my large fig tree a few (or more) times. Now that I have a camera, I can at least back up the claim that it’s a hefty tree. I hope you enjoy them.

Views of the tree from 2 angles.

That’s a single fig tree filling the frame from left to right. Directly in front is the flower shoot of a yucca, if that gives you a size reference. Those are canna leaves in front of the yucca, and rambly, climby rose to the right.

In the front from this angle are a willow on the right, and mimosa on the left, with the tops of some gladioli showing.

Here’s one little section from underneath.

Here’s looking up from just inside that section.

As usual, you can tell my place is overgrown, even though I spend time removing weeds almost daily. One part of me really likes the lush look the overgrowth of weeds. The rest of me knows they are socially unacceptable.

I don’t expect the main crop until sometime in July, but the brebas offer a temporary fix and a reminder of what we’re waiting for.

[clarkinks]

Very nice tree! Can’t wait to see the figs!

[MuddyMess_8a]

Thanks, Clark. This year I WILL have pics. You can see the main crop in the photos there. It comes out to pretty much one fig per leaf. So, we wind up with a lot of figs ripening within a short time period. It’s usually really hot then, which means we have to pick twice a day to keep them from going bad.

I’m trying to get other varieties going in order to extend the season and to explore the diversity of tastes and mouth feel.

[Auburn]

Your place looks great. Bill

[Bradybb]

Muddy,
Is that a named variety? Brady

[MuddyMess_8a]

It was labeled Brown Turkey when I bought the little thing years ago. I call it my assumed Southern Brown Turkey, because I don’t consider myself to have enough fig knowledge to tell if it’s not. It did take several years to get established, thanks to a combination of winter die back in its earliest years, and a Someone who repeatedly ran over it with the lawn mower. Once I moved it to a spot out of range of the mower, it finally thrived. Funny how that’s worked for several things around here.

[hoosierquilt]

Your yard is gorgeous, Muddy. My yard looks similar. In fact, one of our sections of our yard is affectionately known as “the jungle”. Figs are nearly as irresistible as mulberries are for a few of our bird species here in S. California. In fact, it is the only time I see Thrashers in my yard - when my figs are ripening. Between the Thrashers, Mockingbirds and Scrub Jays, it’s really hard for us to keep ripe figs on our trees, too.

Patty S.

[JesseS]

It is a beauty, I look forward to some fruit pics. Thanks for sharing!