I have a Black Jack fig that has a lot of fruit on it.  They all feel light and airy.  Is that how they are supposed to feel? 

One turned a darker color and is now soft but it is still airy feeling.  This is my first crop so I don't know if this is normal and this one is ripe or if I should wait.  Need advice please.

Not sure what you mean by airy. Also don't have that variety.

As a general rule, most people want to pick figs before they are ripe. A ripe fig will sag. The skin will often crack and a drop of honey may appear in the eye.

Joe

By airy, I mean that they don't feel like they have any heft to them.  I expected them to feel like a peach would feel but they feel sort of hollow or spongy weight wise.  This probably isn't good  :(

My first crop is probably a failure. 

Post photos of the figs.

Joe

Perhaps you could sacrifice one fig and cut it in half to see what going on and to show us. Then perhaps someone will be able to give you a better answer.
"gene"

Here is a photo.  The dark one is also significantly bigger than the rest.  That seems odd to me.

Sacrifice my first born?  That's all there is... there is only one that is questionably ready. 

isnt blackjack just another name for brown turkey?

I would wait till the fig get ripe.  By then it will swell up, gain weight and be ready to pick.  You'll see.  cheers, Dennis

Figs are not as heavy as peaches & pears. Figs are not that heavy by weight because there is plenty of empty space for air. It gets more weight as it matures and ripens in my view (and unfortunately more so with rains which may spoil it).

Jason, its my understanding that Black Jack is a different strain than BT.

Cassandra, The pic that you posted looks like you'll have a nice fig real soon.

Black Jack, Brown Turkey, California Brown Turkey, Walker, Blue Giant and Braun Turkey all test the same by DNA at USDA/UC Davis.

The fig in the pix is not ripe.

Figs that do not have a heft or weight usually end up being dry inside, like a caprifig. The lack of juicy flesh significantly reduces their weight.

My one fig is even softer and darker today.  I'm going to wait until it has a crack or sags I guess.  If one of the critters gets it before I do, there might be an untimely death around here... we have a peacock and some guineas.  So far they aren't bothering my figs.

I noticed tonight that the eye is wide open.

See Growing Tips for some ideas on controlling birds.

See Growing Tips for signs of ripeness.  Some figs need to be kind of ugly before they are really ripe,

Those links were very helpful... Thanks!  I guess my one big fig is fine.  The others will hopefully follow.   

I'm now worried about the other birds too.  I have some mosquito netting that I am going to use until I can get bird netting.  Must save the fig  :)

The japanese beetles are chomping away at my peaches but are not too interested in the figs.  Anyone else have Japanese beetles?  Do they just wait until your figs are almost ripe?  Last night I found about 25 on one peach.  They can eat a significant amount.  They are selective so maybe figs aren't their thing.

the only thing that has attacked my fig leaves are big black wooly caterpillars.  And they did  a number - i thought it wa ssquirrels, but clearly i was wrong.

You know Cassandra, this year Japanese beetles are not bad.  I've seen one or two trying to land on my figs.  Last year was a different story!  Last year they were everywhere.  We had a pretty harsh winter last year.  The hard freeze must have killed a good number of grubs.  I heard that Beetle grub control works but you have to throw that stuff down in the Fall.  I don't treat my lawn in fear of harsh chemicals getting to my trees.  I wish I had more hawks to keep the birds at bay!

I have to agree with you about the beetles last year.  I had no figs or peaches last year to worry about.

I'll take a picture of a peach I pulled off my little tree that was covered with beetles.  I put it in a jar to show my husband and still have it, complete with beetles... although the beetles might have expired by now.  I'm just sure that when my very first fig gets closer to ripe and starts exuding a sweet aroma the beetles will be there with their little forks and knives.

I thought about leaving the mosquito netting on my tree but I wonder if the drastic reduction in sunlight will make it hard for the figs to ripen.  Any opinions?

I've been covering a few of my BTs with newspaper this year, and they still ripen fine, although they don't color up as dark as they do in full sun. The same thing happens with figs at the bottom of the tree where the sun is blocked by foliage--not much purple develops.

I'm not bothering with netting this year because the tiny dried-fruit beetles will be emerging shortly, and at that point the crop is ruined. So, as soon as I see beetles, I'll strip off any ripening fruit and toss it in the compost.

For some reason, my main crop BTs aren't very good this year anyway. If this is how they usually taste to other people, I can see why they're not big favorites. The interior blossoms seem kind of dry and the fruit isn't very sweet; plus, now that our summer rains have started, the figs are mostly watery and insipid. Even the birds are leaving most of them alone this year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for better luck with the closed-eye varieties.

Cassandra,
I know exactly what you mean by airy, spongy. Many of my trees have the same problem. Your lone almost ripe fig looks better than mine, LOL. A lot of my trees that were good producers of delicious figs last year have failed to produce an edible fig. They are shriviled, spongy, and finally drop off. Inside is immature, dried up. Dehydrated, as Jon says.

It has been very hot here and dry. Lots of thunderstorms but very little rain that hasn't done much good. It dries up fast in the heat. I've had to water daily and judging by my just received water bill I wasn't negligent in watering them.

The one larger fig that is hanging on is still soft and spongy. I'm waiting till it is ripe, if it hangs on that long, then I'll cut it and see if there is anything inside. I'll let you know.

Peg
CT, zone 6

    

Nope, the fig dropped. I cut it in half. Undeveloped and dried. That's the end of that.

Peg 

Sorry about your last fig Peg.  I wonder if it's some kind of deficiency that causes them to be spongy.

The skin on mine is cracking now.  I might pick it tomorrow evening.

Cassandra, Sorry if I missled you. I have lots of trees with unripe figs. Some trees have figs that look prety good but slow in ripening. Other trees figs don't look plump as they should and their progress is doubtful at this point.
The one fig that just dropped was the largest one to color up and I hoped it might hang on to ripen but it didn't make it, as I expected.

Since some fig are fairing better than others and all treated the same I think its the unusal weather. These same trees produced delicious figs last year.

Good luck to you.

Peg

Japanese Beetles like plants in the rose family, Rosaceae. Figs are a ficus part of the Moraceae family. Maybe you have June bugs? They are also called Figeater beetles. Both beetles love peaches.

My lone fig was wonderful.  I picked it this morning since I noticed a few small bugs were on it.  It wasn't spongy or dry inside as I had feared.  It was delish.  If I had waited one more day, it might have been overripe.  I'm amazed at the transformation that occurs right before ripening... the swelling especially.  Mine at least doubled in size. 

Hopefully I will have many more soon!

Peg, I'm glad that wasn't your last fig... that would have been sad.

nhardy, my beetles are definitely japanese beetles.  My husband is a farmer and he knows his beetles.  I bought a japanese beetle trap yesterday.  Has anyone here ever used one?  It's the kind that works on pheremones (sp?).