Inedible figs ;-(

I have a fig tree in my yard that every year is covered in fat, purple, beautiful looking figs, but they are dry and inedible when opened. Anybody got a clue as to what is wrong? Thanks!

They may not have gotten enough water. Fig trees need deep watering every week or two. You didn't mention the fig variety, but common figs should produce edible fruit. The San Pedro fig needs a pollinator for it's second or main crop. The Smyrna fig needs to be pollinated by a caprifig. Figs also require full sun all day to produce sweet juicy edible figs.

The tree was here when I moved in, so I don't know what variety it is. It does look like the San Pedro fig though. It does get full sun, and this year it got PLENTY of water from the rains, but the fruit that has ripened is still dry. I'm totally ignorant of these things, how does one go about pollinating a fig tree? Is it one of those male tree/female tree things?

You don't really want your figs pollinated, as it involves a small wasp crawling around inside the fruit... Most figs don't require it anyway, and those that do will shed the fruit before it matures if it hasn't been pollinated. The remaining variety are the 'male' figs which don't normally have large, good fruit, but in some particular cases have been bred to yield a decent early crop. At the end of the fig is a hole which can be tightly closed (desirable) or open for pollination (and will lead to dripping of juices and drying on the inside.

I assume you're waiting until the fruit is soft and starting to sag before picking it; it will not ripen at all once removed from the tree (it's not really a true fruit), and will be dry and not very sweet if picked too early.

I'm hoping that was the problem with mine...LOL
I finally have figs but the first one I bit into I spit out
guess I was expecting a fig newton......
maybe i jumped the gun,it was dark purpleishbrown

Wow, who would have thought that figs could be so complicated! I'll wait judgement this year until I'm sure they are good and ripe....maybe I'll get a few good ones. Thanks for the tips! (a wasp crawling around inside.......kind of gives me the willies!)

I have the same problem with my fig tree, I have waited until they are fully ripe and it is still dry inside, any more suggestions? I don't want to cut it down, but it does take a lot of space and if the fruit is no good I would rather have some thing else growing that gives edible fruit.
Thank you for any help.

Margu wrote "It does look like the San Pedro fig though." San Pedros are members of the Smyrna figs, and they need a pollinator. For this reason, when people ordered any of the females, a male was sent along, referred to as the "Capri fig". Capri means goat, thus figs that only goats can eat. If the capri fig is the only tree you have, maybe the females got cut down and what you have left is the male. Do a Google search for Smyrna fig, or capri fig and you'll see that maybe you need to start over, or at least get a female for your tree.

Edited to say: Not all figs need a pollinator. Some varieties are self fertile and produce very good figs on one tree.

This message was edited Jun 25, 2006 9:02 AM

Thanks Penn_Pete, I'll do some research. There is only one tree, so I guess I probably need another.

Black Mission figs are very common in California, especially southern CA and don't need a pollinator. It still seems to me that your figs needed water. You can't rely solely on rains to provide water. I've included to good link for you: California Rare Fruit Growers and UC Davis Extension.

http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/fig.html
http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/Fig.shtml

While there is still fruit on the tree, cut a small branch with fruit on it and take it in to your local extension office for identification. Keep the cutting fresh by placing it in a plastic baggie. You can find your local extension office through this link:

http://ucanr.org/ce.cfm

I hope this helps.