Today I noticed I have one getting ready to fully ripen. Either tomorrow or the next day we will get to taste. This tree is growing like a coconut palm with coconuts on it.
"gene"

That's great Gene!

Please add pics of it from the inside if you can.

Thanks for the photos Gene, hope you enjoy it. How tall is the tree currently and is there any signs of mosaic virus?

 Pete

Gene, is your tree from RW. Mine is from RW. Last year the figs were getting ripe and I think the racoons got them. This season I prune the top off and there many side branches. It is a good grower for me. No brebas this season.

Pete, my tree is in a 3 gal pot and is about 3 foot tall. I almost lost the tree to FMV when I first got it. It had only 1 small sprout with contorted leaves and it did not grow at all. Late in the season it shot out another sprout from near the ground level. That sprout grew like mad until the end of the season and showed no signs of virus. Last year it grew a little and put on a few figs. They were nothing to brag about. This year it only grew a little and also grew a sprout near it's junction with the original trunk. The little sprout has 4 figs on it. I will soon air layer the top of the tree and will prune the little sprout or air layer it. Hopefully by topping it, it will be encouraged to finally grow into a tree.

Paully, yes mine came from RW also. I hope to get mine to grow by topping it also. This year I have 12 figs on it, I think. One of them is a breba. It seem very unusual for the fig to be all clustered like they are. If you have a picture of your tree please post it here for all to see.
"gene"

Very nice Ischia Black fruit!

I think that I should just give up on my (UCD) one.
It has been struggling just to stay alive for years now [b/c of its FMV].

Thanks gorgi, mine has been a struggle also. Hopefully when I take the top off, it will decide to grow properly. The fig is lovely, but last year I got a few and I'm not sure about the taste. It was not figgy at all but tasted fruity but I don't know what. Maybe this year I will bet a better idea of it's taste. Last years figs didn't impress me at all.
"gene"

ps: I see you're an early riser too.

I like/looove those white dots on any black fig!

When it is fully ripe, please do take (and show us) a pic of the pulp...

Will do gorgi.
"gene"

Yes that picture is very inspiring. Excellent looking fruit! Hope mine develops as nicely as yours Gene. I just acquired a Black Ischia start at the NE Fig Growers meeting, thanks to the member who provided it to me!

Gene,

Here are a couple more pictures showing the whole tree. It isn't pretty but I can fix that if it will grow.

This shot shows the crooked trunk. The bend at the bottom is where the original trunk was growing which I pruned off when the sprout, which is now the main trunk, out grew the main trunk.


This shot shows the branch growing lower on the tree, which I will airlayer soon.

Hi Gene ,
im sure you know this but i mention for other folks that may not know .
Easy way to make straight when one puts into a bigger pot eventually just tilt in new pot and its straight.

Yes Martin, I learn that trick from you. Thanks.

Here is a picture of the tree in 2010 showing the little main trunk that was heavy in FMV and the taller sprout which now has become the main trunk.



"gene"

I think I would bump that up to a larger pot even though it's looking comfortable where it is. I like to give the special figs a good start early so they put on lots of growth. But then, maybe not until the fruit ripens. 

Gene, I can email picture of my BI tree to you. I have not learn how to post pic's at F4F.

Here is Paully's BI. A very nice looking tree that for sure and it came from the same source as mine. Thanks for sending the pictures.
"gene"

Barry, I  repotted it this spring. It was not root bound but I did trim a little off the bottom and freshened the mix. I haven't looked at the root since but I'll give it a look see soon. My next step it to hit it heavy with the fertilizer.
"gene"

That is one good looking fig Gene thank you for sharing.Paully your black ischia is awesome.How long did it take to grow that big?Thanks

@rob -- 2nd season with me. It was a single whip. Note -- I had remove the top before it broke bud and it gave me a few more branches. I started fertilizing when I saw buds breaking out. It is a good sign and I did the same to many trees and they flush out with many new branches.

gorgi, as you requested. Here are pictures of the inside and outside of Black Ischia.
It's a good looking fig with its black skin and white dots. It's almost perfectly round on a very short stem so you cannot judge ripeness by looking for the hangman's neck. I checked it for softness and felt it was time, especially with all the rain we're having, almost daily. When it comes to the taste, I'm puzzled by it. It's very thick and jammy, sweet and very fruity with only a very little taste of fig. This is a complex taste but I haven't eaten enough of them to come to a conclusion. This fig is small and weight only .9 ounce or 27 grams. I will say that's it's much different from any other fig I've eaten. Has anyone else eaten any and what are you thoughts on it.

I only hope mine fruits this year!  Looks awesome and sounds awesome.

Way to go Gene that first cluster of figs reminds me of my Negretta.
Hope they ripen all at once for you so you get a memorable taste to linger .  ; )

I decided to let one of the figs on my tree get to the point of extra ripe. Well that didn't do any good as it soured. Today I picked another one perfectly ripe and it looked identical to the one I pictured earlier. Again the taste was fruity and then a taste of over ripe blackberry and then an aftertaste of fig. It hasn't won me over yet but I'm beginning to like it a little more.
"gene"