Anyone order from this guy before? He seems to be a member of figs4 forum, but I didn’t investigate enough to figure out who he is.
Ordering a year in advance is interesting, but the prices are good.
Scott
Duh, the link… http://www.figcuttings.com
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I ordered several based on reviews from fig4fun forum members on cold hardy figs for next year delivery. The price seems right for me too.
To me, the only real question is what size it was advertised as. The fig market is weird; some varieties are extremely expensive, and I wouldn’t expect size to be the major factor in price.
I know I was disappointed when I unwrapped my first little fruit tree whips. They seemed so puny, but that is what I ordered, and they still grew. It’s much more important to receive your plant healthy than big.
I think those are rooted from cuttings and shipped as bare root trees. I agree a healthy plant is important, especially for figs, they grow fast and can catch up quickly.
I think James is 100% genuine in what he is trying to do by offering a wide variety of figs at great prices. I have a several on order for 2016 and another order for 2017. His 2016 offering was $7 per tree and and up to 5 trees shipped for $15, not the full listing of cultivars he has now but a very nice list. I am not sure how he managed to get the quantity of material for some of the rarer types but I have to give him an A for effort and hope he succeeds. I have been around the fig hangouts for awhile and James has really impressed me with what he is doing.
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I hope he stays in business, looks pretty awesome! Figs are easy to propagate so it should still be possible to make a profit at $10 a plant.
Yes - they’re rooted from cuttings.
Yes & No - Most of the figs he’s selling will ship in the medium they’ve been growing in. The only trees shipped bare-root will be to states requiring that, such as California.
As a small businessman, I alway sympathize with those in business who have to put up with complaints that their services or products are too pricey. The buyer and seller are not likely to share the same perspective, but the buyer is not being forced to buy so holds all the power and needn’t complain- shop elsewhere if you don’t want to pay so much.
If Bass is misrepresenting his products and not offering refunds, that is one thing, but a I sure don’t blame him for charging what he does and would charge more for the same service.
No Scott, $10 is not my idea of a decent business proposition or a means to a middle class level income.
I suspect most large nurseries are paying their workers near poverty wages and some people are willing to accept the same for their own small nursery businesses. Not I.
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Well if it walks like a duck. Nobody is charging as much as he is for common figs. I paid 4 dollars for RDB, I think 45 is a little steep. And yes I would absolutely never ever buy from him.
I paid 7 bucks each for St Rita, Violette de Sollies, Peter’s Honey, and Salem Dark (A bass fig!).
Crazy to pay more than $25.00 IMHO. I think most are worth that for sure. But bargains galore out there if you are patent, and shop around.
And when my figs are bigger, I’ll make air layer plants and root cuttings for people here, for trades or maybe 5 bucks. I have not decided if I’ll charge anything or not? Probably not.
My main complaint about the price is it should have fruit, and be sliced and on a plate for 45 bucks. Not some puny plant. That plant is worth 12 bucks IMHO. It’s worth what people will pay I guess, but people shop around please!
If it were a rare fig then yes price is in line. RDB is known to be infected with FMV and is a fairly common fig. Well it is a common fig that is common.
I like a bargain too, I’m not saying you shouldn’t shop for a better price, just don’t complain about the higher one as if it is being imposed on you. It is a not worthwhile investment of energy. Bass is entitled to pursue any business model he wants. He has already provided plenty of people with free information at the very least.
My comment comes more out of standing in line in front of a cash register and listening to people whine to the cashier about the unfair pricing while they part with their money. Nothing wrong with discussing more economical sources of fig trees here.
When I provide wood, I don’t charge any money- but everyone has their charitable causes.
James, is a good guy. I’ve purchased from him before and have 15 or so trees coming from him this spring/summer.
Definitely a very inexpensive route too!
Bass introduced RdB to the US, that means something to some people. A couple of years ago there were just as many Wrong de Bordeauxs going around as the real deal. Even last year someone was reselling 2nd year trees they bought at a local nursery as RdB, where a local nursery would have gotten cuttings for plants when the $$ was sky high was suspicious and so was the lack of red pigment and leaf shape. The reputation of fig forum members as more reliable than nurseries was earned a long time ago by growers like Bass and is being eroded by cheap (less reliable) alternatives.
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Alan, I’m not saying people don’t deserve to make money, and maybe it should be $15 or $20 and not $10. What bothers me is the tulip craze aspect of figs, people talk up certain varieties and then sell them for an extreme markup. Its good seeing someone sell a large number of unusual varieties for what look like normal prices. I am also not talking directly about Bass, its more the nutty prices on eBay which makes $40 seem like a great deal.
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I like Bass btw, he is a cool guy, and hey more power to him, but it’s not my style to pay that much for plants… He has introduced a multitude of fig varieties, and worked hard to find them. I understand those go for near $100.00 but RDB? Come on…
RDB is a very good fig and a must have. .
Enjoy the fig Roy, and if you have problems with it, one of us should be able to replace it.
Mine is small, I gave an RDB to Matt this winter. Only one left. It’s struggling a little too, but should be fine. I may be able to take cuttings this fall. And can root the cuttings too.
James offered them at such a low price because he wanted money up front to pay for heating his greenhouses and was not sure how much demand for pre-order there would be. I think he said he will raise prices some next year.
It looks like no one has addressed the actual concern you stated. So, I’m going to pass along my interpretation of some info that @hoosierbanana recently gave me when I was starting some figs. I don’t claim any knowledge of my own on the subject because I have minimal experience in the area. If I’m wrong, HB, please straighten me out.
That lack of pith in the top, what you called a hollow stem, is fine. The tree is not going to be alive above that top node where your “branch” sprouted. Anything above a top node will not sprout growth. It’s just remnants of the old wood. I was encouraged to have as little pith as possible when rooting to reduce the odds of rot.
It looks to my eyes like you also have buds pushing out from the other tips on that branch, plus another branch ready to emerge from the lower exposed node on the opposite side. Other than the useless bit of main stem above the top node, that wood looks very healthy and alive. I expect it to do well and grow rapidly for you with proper care.
You wanted a specific cultivar and the peace of mind of knowing that what you received was the real deal. Looks like you got a healthy one from the most reliable source possible for the cultivar A year from now you won’t be able to tell the difference between the start as you received it and one that he had been growing for slightly longer. Fair price on anything is where what the buyer is willing to pay meets what the seller is willing to sell for.
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Right Muddy. The section above the top node will eventually die off completely because there are no buds available to grow. In a wet environment like potting mix the pith is an entrypoint for pathogens, so roots that form on a section with open pith will be cut off from the top of the plant if the xylem rots. A leading cause of death after potting up IMHO. I trim cuttings right below the bottom node when I begin callusing to prevent that, and half an inch above the top node to avoid any fungi that may have started getting into the cut ends during storage. It also saves time from having to go back and do it later. I suspect the hollowed section will collect water so I would cut it off. Thanks for getting things back on track 
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Thanks guys, I feel a lot better. Feel free to get off topic any time I post, makes the post way more interesting.
Figured I should update this. The figs are starting to take off and look great! I should’ve never doubted anyone with such a great reputation.
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You might even get a fig or 2 this season! RdB ripens fast but is wishy-washy about being precocious, don’t bother pinching… if it is not in the mood it will just give you more branches.