Intentions and promises don’t mean that much when they change on a whim.
Yeah I really don’t expect to find anything exceptional. I got lucky with black raspberries and have two new hybrids that are exceptional. Lightning rarely strikes twice. I’m also crossing stone fruit. It’s just a hobby within a hobby.
With figs I’m more interested in heirlooms. Many new figs from Italy arrived here a couple years ago and Portugal too. The Italian figs turned out to be a bust for the most part. The Portuguese figs were decent. Now we have a French nursery legally importing figs. It takes forever and many of the cuttings went bad. But those said to be gems are turning out to be just that! Exciting times for heirloom figs.
The French have a touch for exceptional plants. The best strawberries ever. And amazing stone fruit. Figs are no exception with just about every French cultivar turning out to be a gem. The nursery has figs from all over the world too. I’m growing about six of the figs from the FDM nursery. I would rather have figs from this nursery than from the Pons collection.
Importing figs from Europe is illegal, for everybody.
Why haven’t you posted these results about LS2 over at ourfigs yet Drew?
They are getting closer to figuring out that Holy Smokes is Alma by the way.
Has anyone ever tried to hybridize the wasp so that it can survive further north?
@hoosierbanana,
If at all possible, you should go to California, preferably some place like Oroville where one of the first fig orchards was created in the late 1800s (per my recollection).
There might be a fig gathering next year, assuming COVID isn’t a spoil sport (again!). I am sure it would be a great event to attend.
The fig tree is widely distributed all over California . It is an invasive pest and usually destroyed because it takes over valuable area near rivers and chokes out indigenous trees. Given how widespread they are, is it hard to imagine that some of them may produce tasty figs? Some may even be common?
Given how many new fig enthusiasts there are, isn’t it possible that these folks are finding all kinds of interesting new varieties?
Without first hand understanding of how widespread the fig tree is in California, I don’t think you should comment on new seedling discoveries being the same as existing varieties. Similar? yes, but not the same.
I dont have any skin in the game. I don’t sell seedling varieties (or any figs) for that matter.
Perhaps the prices they are being sold for is unjustifiable, but that is an entirely separate conversation.
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I am not sure which you are talking about? Because I went to some effort to clarify my points above.
I am really not in the mood to repeat myself.
I had already seen your posts.
etc. etc.
You didn’t say explicitly that they were not seedlings. But you cast doubt on it.
Anyway, I don’t expect to convince you. There might be others reading this thread who will hopefully now not be so distrustful.
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Well, the bad news is this is a public discussion forum and I will almost certainly cast doubt on things in the future.
And no, you won’t convince me by misconstruing what I have said and avoiding the points I did make.
I didn’t realize all these seedlings were 100% proven to be common… Nice job on these acquisitions…
Beautiful figs for sure… I tried and missed getting a cutting or 2 of the Labritja variety several days back when Kremp Florists did their Pre-sale; that really disappointed me… That variety has my attention more than the Carmen or the Cessac variety and I haven’t seen any instances of the others you mentioned in order to covet any of the others of them.
Hopefully in the future I can spread more around. I have had Labritja almost a year and have managed to send two plants out. I don’t think I can take cuttings this year. I’ll check my plant.
On seedlings I’m trying seven out I germinated myself. I’m going to grow them indoors this winter. Little things right now. They are outside right now.
The mother is Paradiso. Welcome to the forum btw!
Thanks! Good to see old friends on here…
Cheers,
Tony aka Fygmalion
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A friend just sent me some cuttings from seedlings in their back yard in CA w/ wasps. They have fruited for them. For my trials, how many years should I try before I determine they are common or not? This is just general speaking. Maybe I should read the entire thread.
One seems very interesting to produce small and very sweet figs. Going to a fun experience.
I only have had one that fruited so far and it took 3 years. Feed them well, lot’s of sun, they grow very much like cuttings grow. I have another that will be 3rd leaf this year.
It’s from a seed from Doug (Blue Malibu on Ourfigs)
I have been trying to keep my newer seedlings small, I started them in the fall. Under lights for the winter. I let them dry out very well, and feed them enough to get by. It’s been working although not the healthiest way to grow them.
I saved some seed to start in the spring.
Update on the seedlings, I had 7 of them. One died from unknown reasons. Another is weak looking and 5 of them look great. All are Paradiso x UCR 271-1 crosses.
I’m hoping to get a male with the correct gene for common figs as a source of pollen, so I can do my own crosses. At the least taste pollenated figs. UCR 271-1 apparently has the gene and is used a lot. A male offspring should be similar.
And of course it would be great to get some common female figs too. It doesn’t matter though, the fun for me is in growing them. I love growing stuff from seeds.
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Those are really thick cuttings (not seeds), just from seedling trees, not verified common type of fig trees. They have never been trialed outside CA. They had to cut down some fig seedlings to keep yard clean…
OK, sorry I got seedlings stuck in my mind. No more than 3 years, sometimes first year with cuttings. Most fruit the 2nd year, some take 3 but is more related to conditions. All should fruit by the 2nd year if conditions ideal. And if no fruit by the 3rd year something is wrong, yet always will have exceptions. I had a CdD Noir that didn’t grow much the 2nd and 3rd year, but blew up the 4th and finally fruited the 4th year. Man it was worth the wait! I myself feel the CdD figs are the best. It’s a shame they fruit so late. Maybe some breeding is in order! Anyway The Col de Dame Noir (Prusch) I have is now a huge tree and produces well considering I lose half the crop some years due to lateness of ripening. Still no way I’m culling it.
Speaking of cuttings did anybody order from Figaholics? I ordered a couple cuttings, first time. I usually just trade but I gave away all my good stuff, or already traded it. And I wanted to get one that I had 2 trades for that both fell through. And that is Paratjal Rimada as it is a great fig and very pretty too. I had one and I killed it. It’s not very hardy but that doesn’t matter to me as I grow in containers and protect them.
Now I want to thin out the fig orchard and just grow my very favorites. I probably will only grow one or two new ones a year to try.
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I picked up a number of cuttings from figaholics along with a few things on figbid over the last couple weeks. It’s something to do along with starting the jujube seedlings so generously gifted by @jujubemulberry
From one fig tree last year to too many this year.
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No he has his own orchard. The trees are quite large. He will trade and add them with time if they prove to be worthwhile. He may have some of the older ones. Many wilds are traded already, but only recently has there been a surge of new finds.
Another interest of mine are old proven heirlooms and luckily there has been a surge of them too. I added figs from Italy, France, and Portugal last year.
Also some found figs have been amazing. Like Smith is just awesome and we have yet to actually find it in Europe. A must have if you ask me. Others too, many others like Fort Mill Dark which is a VdB type, Bordeaux, or Black fig. It stands out for it’s excellent strong flavor, and it’s earlier then any others I tried. So I still not sure what fig it could be? I can say it’s not Petite Negri, Valle Negra, VdB, Galicia Negra, or Nero 600. But many other black figs are out there, so who knows? Found in Fort Mill, SC. It’s usually on a 2nd wave of fruit before any of the mentioned even ripen a fruit.
I culled Petite Negri and Valle Negra as I have too many blacks, and these were the bottom two for my tastes. I have a wild black fig too, Valley Black.
Brian M introduced it and had this to say
“That is my listing and this is why it was named. It was verified by the owner of the tree to be a seedling that germinated on the side of there house. It is a new variety and that’s why. The odds of this happening to produce an amazing fig is extremely rare.”“It was really amazing for this to happen. I walked my son by this house soo many times over the last few years hoping to see someone home. I finally got lucky and this is out of hundreds of seedlings around town in fresno. In fact I would say 90% have not fruited.” Out of all the figs my wife and I have been eating this is both our favorite. It’s cool to try a bunch at one time of different varieties because they are all so different. This fig wins because of the complex flavor kinda like a fine bottle of red wine. For instance the adriatic is good but just tastes like sugar that’s it."
I disagree about his assessment of Adriatic’s. yes some are sugar bombs but a few have very good flavor. My Valley Black fruited last year for the first time, and I only got one fig, so the jury is still out for me on this one. It should produce a decent amount this year.
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On topic, I did buy a stick of cherry cordial on figbid.
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