Jack,
That sounds pretty much exactly like Memphis, TN.  Of course you are only a few hours drive away..... I'll be following your reports with great interest, I'd love to have a Black Madeira some day, if it does well in, as they say, "the dirty south".

Congratulations, Jack.  And best wishes for Black Madeira in NC!!!

Meanwhile, 4 years later......

Wondering how the trial went.

Southeastern fignuts would love an update from Jack or anyone else who grows B. Madeira in hot humid climate.

I just noticed this thread is from '08.. Too bad. I was already thinking of reasons why I needed this fig. ;)

The trial did not go well. The tree, along with several others, got wiped out in a hurricane/tornado a few months later.

Mine in Charlotte is doing fine. Mine is in a huge container and will fruit again this year. I do have a very sick small one as my backup. If it pulls thru, I may plant it in my orchard.

dang, was hoping to see the 4 year old tree....anti-climactic bump

In post # 21 Scott had 4 Madeira's he propagated from UCDAVIS all from 1 piece .
He was kind to send me 1 of those plants from the 4 pictured.

As a note it died to soil level in past when i was doing the fig shuffle but it came back and showed pictures last season of ripe fruit from plant here near Chicago that looked as nice as you can imagine.

Black Maderia grows well and seems happy here in central Arizona.  I have had problems with several varieties that don't do well in the intense heat here.  Black Madeira grows right through it.  Here is a photo from this morning of my tree.  I planted it a year ago as an air layer.  My 75 pound dog is sitting next to it for perspective on its size.

that's a beauty.. and plant doesn't look all the bad either. :)

pete

Pete,

Joe--I assume you don't have any critter problems with that sentry on duty? ;-) Great dog, and your tree looks superb as well--congratulations!

Ken,

Noss, mine did the same thing but did not have FMV.  My 2 trees were loaded with figs and then one day both just dried up and died.  That was 2 years ago.  Here are some pictures.  My 2 trees doubled in size that year (2010) so I know I was doing something right but not sure why they committed suicide!  I think they were stressed with a lot of figs and maybe too much heat b/c both died the exact same way and time.  I plan on discussing this issue with the folks at UCD this year.  Last year, I contacted a friend who had a HUGE one for sale.   So, I bought it from him and paid high dollar for it.  It was loaded with figs.  I got some to ripen at the end of the year before it got too cold.  They were darn superb! Today, I have another large another one that's 4yrs old in a huge pot.  No other fig can compare to the flavor and taste of the Black Maderia fig tree! 

Tuscon Ken - in your picture (post #38), I notice a metal plant tag in the lower right corner. Did you make that, or buy it/them?

Ken, I hope you won't mine me responding to Gina's comment. 

Gina, I use to make my own out of old gutters and a Dremel engraver and I may go back to using them because they seem to last longer but time consumming to make.... plus if not cut smoothly...the edges can cut you.  But they reflect light greatly in photos!  I also like the alumnium plant markers on eBay for about $18 buck per 100.  Two problem with them is over time the thin metal wire will break and lime will erode at the alumnium if the tag is laying at soil level.  I started using small riot wraps instead of the thin metal ties and it seems to work better and is also squirrel proof!  Here is a link to them on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-METAL-TREE-TAGS-PLANT-LABELS-ID-MARKERS-/270617549007?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f021018cf

Dennis,

This is certainly true for young blueberry plants that set too many fruits. A young plant can die unless you pull off most of them. A very hard thing to do.

Thanks for the info. I've been wondering about tags. I've seen those you linked at ebay and was very tempted, but I wondered if the metal was thick enough to last over the years. I don't want to have to re-do labels after a couple years.

The other day I ordered some 30 gauge soft aluminum sheeting that should be here later today. That is about twice as thick as the metal used in pop cans (which is not thick enough for me - you can tear it too easily) but is still supposed to be embossable. I'm hoping I can impress variety names with a pencil or ball point pen. I'll let you know.

There are two reasons to take fruit off young blueberries - one, if they have too many (the branches totally covered with fruits), it can kill them. Some varieties more than others - Misty being one.  Second, fruit in the first couple years takes away from vegetative growth. But if they don't have too much fruit, you can leave some on. I did. Just couldn't remove them all.

If you are in LA, you are probably growing Southern Highbush varieties, as I do. And maybe some rabbiteyes. I also grow them in pots for several reasons. Mine are several years old now, and doing well. I have about 50 of them. It's just the beginning of harvest season now. :)  It's still a bit early in the year for much stem and leaf growth.

I've learned a lot since starting to grow these. Others know more, but I'd be happy to answer any questions I can.

Dennis, the Dremel is a great idea--I've been using an old, dead ball-point pen and just trying to press hard enough to leave an impression. Trouble is, the impression is usually deeper on my finger than on the tag.

they have copper tags for around $32 for 100. little more expensive, but might be more attractive. it says they can be marked with ball point pen.

pete

Re tags. As mentioned, I had ordered some 30 gauge soft aluminum sheeting from a place called whimsie (artsy-craftsy). I got a piece 12 inches by 36 inches for, including fast delivery, for $22. (Ordered Monday morning, arrived Thurs from across the country). Depending on the size I cut my labels, I should be able to get at least 150 or more.

They had a section on their site that this was the stuff they use for plant labels, so I took a chance. It's about twice as thick as soda pop cans, but you can still cut it with scissors. I use an old paper cutter for greater accuracy, straighter edges, and speed. It does curl a little, but is easily straightened.

I've tried soda pop cans but don't like them for several reasons - they are too thin, you can tear them and rip the wire right out of them. They don't lie flat, and the label on the back will always be visible. And they are sharp.

I've also tried the bottoms of disposable cookie sheets/pie pans, which works OK - much easier to work with than soda cans. But if you buy them new they are expensive, and are also too thin IMO. They are about the same 36 gauge as cans. They do lie flat however.

The 30 gauge heavier stuff is also sharp when cut, and if you have kids or grandkids or pets that chew, or if you tend not to be careful working with things, don't get it.  That said, I like the stuff. It's heavier weight, can easily be flattened either with a rolling pin or between pieces of light cardboard, is relatively easy to emboss with a ball point pen. I think these labels will last for years and years which is what I want.

For the wire hole, I fold back the label about a half inch, then use an awl to go through a double layer for greater durability.  I'm not sure that is needed however, but I like how it looks. This is also sharp on the back.

I've used mini blinds for years and love them, but they don't emboss... I know writing on them with pencil can last for years, but I want 'forever'.  And I like to tinker. :)

If I was a sane person, I would've gone with metal labels from ebay.  But I'm not. :)

If you were a sane person, you wouldn't need 150 fig labels--and you probably wouldn't be hanging around on F4F with the rest of the fignuts!  ;-)

LOL, I was thinking the same thing.

Anything worth doing is worth over-doing. :)