Finally...Figs!

I bought a small dwarf petite negra fig from Park Seeds last July (Photo taken 4 months after receiving the plant) - http://maggiewang.com/photos/albums/gardenFall2005/20051111_fig_petit_negra.sized.jpg) and it is currently setting fruit on four or five branches. (Photo taken this week - http://maggiewang.com/photos/albums/figs/Photo_053106_014.jpg)

This is my first full year growing anything evenly remotely plant-like, so I'm not sure if I need to prune my fig tree. Is there any reason to do this given that I'm in zone 9b/Orlando, and probably won't have more than 2-3 days of sub-freezing temperatures? So far my tree has been extremely low maintenance.

I also bought an LSU purple and a brown turkey fig (http://maggiewang.com/photos/albums/figs/P1030092.sized.jpg) this April, but they are still very small and unlikely to produce any figs this year.

causticmuse~

Stick them in the ground near a wall facing south. And stand back. These are five fig trees I started planting December 2004 on Longboat Key (off of Sarasota) FL. We've had fruit from all of them. the ones at either end were cuttings. The plant in front center is a Meyers Lemon -- disregard that. But there is a slow growing black fig behind it.

We've had fruit from all of them.

(Give them a little pelletized lime. They love it.)

flyboyFL: The main crop figs haven't even begun to form on my tree and won't start until late this month so I wouldn't worry about yours having no fruit yet. Mine has 11 figs that formed as the tree just started to leaf out and they will be ripe this month but are a second "early" crop that forms some years while other years nothing. I think the more drastically you prune the tree in the fall, the less chance you have of getting an early crop. Here's a pic of my tree taken today. By August the tree will be twice this size and hopefully loaded with hundreds of figs as last year. I've treated the tree once with Messenger over Memorial Day and plan on treating it every three weeks through the season.

Rich

In case anyone is interested I just found this at Logee's and though of you, Flyboy-

http://www.logees.com/prodinfo.asp?number=R1062-4

and also this-

http://www.logees.com/prodinfo.asp?number=R1256-2

richh~

Beautiful. I'll be patient.

and:

Ivy!~

Thanks for the links. The figs sound great -- but, at my age, I don't buy green bananas. 2.5 inch pots seem pretty small.

Be well

: )

That's the problem with Logee's! I got an Elephant Ear plant (Taro) from them this year to put in a pot with some Coleus and the Coleus are bigger! The Taro is about 2 inches tall.... maybe should call it a mouse ear? Hope it grows fast...

Ivy1~

Patience. (They say it's a virtue -- but one, sadly, I am lacking.)

Me, too. At least the Taro will like all this blasted rain we're getting....

Stand back -- once it gets started.

: )

For you folks looking for figs on your tree I noticed today that fruit is just starting to form for the main crop on my tree. I will take some pictures next week as I will be away this weekend. The fruit forms at each node on most every branch of a mature tree where a leaf stem meets the branch. You first notice a tiny bump that quickly turns into a discernable miniature fig. It's looking good here for another big crop.

Rich

My Celestes started showing figlets last week, in Princeton.

Let's hope

I just picked my one and only Turkey fig today, Shared it with DW. Deliscious! As for my white, nothing yet. Oh well! May be a late bloomer.

Here's a shot of the main crop figs forming on my tree. From what I can see every branch is forming figs at every leaf node. Now I just have to wait for about 6-8 weeks.

Rich

And here's a shot of the tree taken today at about 9 ft. tall and growing at least 6 inches per week in this very warm weather. It's been treated with Messenger twice so far this year.

Rich

Here is a photo of my small fig growing in its pot. I just repotted it a couple of weeks ago. No sign of fruit yet.

Donna

How do you know when a fig is ripe and ready to be picked? Two of the (many! Hurray!) figs on my petite negra are around 2" in diameter, dark purple brown, and soft. They are starting to droop from the stem.

When they droop on the stem they are definitely ready to pick.

Rich

With all the talk about pomegranates and juice, I would love to know how to juice mine at home. I have a juicer and a citrus squeezer. Do I juice it like an orange, or should I use my big juicer? I am afraid the big juicer will break down or will end up with lots of hard seed pieces in the juice. I can't wait! I have a small young pom in a pot on my patio and a dwarf in a pot as well. Will post pics.

Also, a brown turkey fig in a giant clay pot on my patio that is loaded with figs. Got it off ebay 2 years ago, It is obviously a cutting as I will show in a pic. The rigs are getting big and will be sweet and juicy. Would love to have some recipes referred to in previous posts, however, do no know if that is off topic?

That was a pic of my brown turkey fig in a giant pot. Here is a closeup.

And here is a pic of my pom tree, this is its second year . . .

And finally, a pic of my dwarf pom, about 5 years old . . .

gardereryou~

You grow my favorite fruits.

My pomegranates are down in Florida. They're a year-and-a-half old now. They started about three-feet high, and spindly. They both bore fruit last autumn, but this May I left them loaded. One is about eight-feet high, and the other is a slow starter. ( I found that it hadn't been puddled when planted, and there were voids around the roots.) I sqeezed a few cubic feet of planting mix in, and it's now spurting.

The "seeds" are "arils" and they are edible. I break the pomegranate under water in a big bowl, and rub the seed pods out. They settle to the bottom. (this way they don't stain your hands and clothing, when the arils spurt.) I've never juiced them. We eat them like grapes, or sprinkle them in salads.

The juice is expensive -- a California company produces a great product, called POM. They are also starting to market a pomegranate extract called POMEX. It tastes horrible -- has to be mixed in some water or juice -- but it's incredibly high in good stuff, like anti-oxidants.

Why don't you plant yours in the ground? And the figs, too?

Be well

: )

flyboy FL: My trees are in pots because I have no ground-space. But I have a very large patio.

I remember eating pom "arils" as a kid and finding the seeds a real turn off. That's why I was hoping someone had a way to juice them. Thanks!

Every time I walk past my fig tree, I grab a couple and eat them. Great snack. Just common figs. My Kadotas are not yet ripe.
trois

hey trois~

nice to see your name.

i am back in nj, but i left some real good figs on my trees in fl last month. i guess the squirrels will be enjoying them

my figs here are about nickel size, and growing

:)

Yeah, you been missing for a while. Tree ripe figs are great, right off the tree. So far, the other critters haven't found them yet. When they do, no more for me.

Luckily I have enough. I keep a hav-a-heart trap under them while I am there, so it scares them. It's tough at the beginning of the season, while we are both watching for the first ones to ripen. They're particular about eating unripe ones.

Where is the action here at Dave's?

Be well

: )

aMy little, repotted a month ago, fig tree has little figs at each leaf crotch, almost. So hopefully this fall will have ripe figs. We have been having very warm weather for this area, all the past week. Had rain first part of June but none lately, so am irrigating constantatly.

Donna

There's nothing, well, almost nothing, like a fesh fig off the tree.

Brad

The only thing that might be better is a tree ripe Fuyu Persimmon. I don't think I ever made it to the house with the first one each fall. Drool.

Besides what we're both thinking about (lol) the only thing I can think of better than a fresh fig just picked off the tree is that same fresh fig wrapped in a slice of prosciutto. Heaven!

Rich

I read this thread about a month ago and with all your comments about how delicious they are ripened on the tree I decided to take a Sunday ride down to Homestead Fl about one hour from where I live and buy a Black Mission fig tree. Now I can't wait for it to bear figs! You guys had me drooling especially flyboyFl. If I had his address I'd make sure the squirrels didn't get the figs! LOL

Just getting in on this thread.
In addition to Ray Givan's site, here's another great site for fig info & photos of various varieties - http://figs4fun.com/

I grew up growing & eating figs & pomegranates in central AL, but after a number of years trying figs in-ground, here in KY, I finally 'moved' cuttings of all I had to pots - in-ground figs routinely froze to the ground every winter, and never were able to re-grow, set figs, and ripen them before frost. I've been eating fresh figs for the past two weeks from my potted plants.
'Dark Portugese' and 'Sal's Fig' have been the heaviest bearers so far, Celeste is ripening now, Marseilles is just now setting some small green figs, and the LSU Purple, still in-ground, has a good crop going this year - need to check on them to see how they're progressing.

While pomegranates have not been a do-able fruit for most of us located north of zone 8, there are some Russian/Central Asian selections that are much more cold-hardy, and may actually be able to handle zone 6 winters(with some protection) and fruit outdoors.
Lots of neat info on pomegranates here.... http://www.oakcreekorchard.com/

I'm still up North, watching my Celestes trying to ripen. It's not as prolific as my Florida figs -- but it has been growing tall -- and the figlets are still popping out.

Had a Florida neighbor report back that he is enjoying them.

And that my pomegranates, there, are huge -- and ripe for picking. I'll have him mail some to me.

: )

We are now pigging out on Fuyu Persimmons. Very, very good!

trois~

Some day i am going to try the persimmons.

They are very, very good, and can be eaten when they are just turning or when they are soft. Totally non-astringent.

Do I need to buy a tree?

When do they fruit?

I bought my wife a Sheng persimmon a couple years ago. They are delish!

Very large fruit (for a persimmon) and also non-astringent. The tree started "begatting" in only 3 years and is fully loaded each year now!

Shoe.

My fuyus are just now ripening. Mine are aout 4 times the size of store bought fuyus. We shall add a few more trees. They are completely seedless.

I have never seen a Sheng.