I tried to get as close as I could to show you the many figlets now growing on my Borgosotte Gris tree.  It has 3 main trunks, and they all look like this.  This tree will be a monster one day.  It's trunks have girth, it's leaves are large, and it grows with vigor.  A new trunk has formed at the bottom.  It is in ground and gets sun all day long. 

The first year I got it, it stayed in it's pot.  Last year it was planted in ground (in a gopher basket like all plants are on our property).  It struggled in it's new spot, and you all helped me rescue it.  Remember?
 

I have never tasted a fig from this tree, and will post photos when that day comes.

Suzi

I like the look of those two figlets growing from a single node- she wants to produce for you, Suzi!

I forgot to say that this tree never went dormant when the others did.  It made it through our one day of snow just fine.  I think you are right Jesse, she wants to produce!  She might be a good variety for colder places, but who knows.........  It's 80 degrees at the moment.

Suzi

Congratulations!  I hope it produces lots of great fruit that you're able to eat.   How will you keep critters from it when the time comes?

Not sure Bob.  I've got yards of bird scare tape, wasn't successful last year with those little nylon bags but still have some.  Something munched right through the nylon. I'm saving up plastic berry snap containers.  Might give those a whirl.

My slew of rubber snakes seem to work pretty good!  Maybe I'll get a fake owl to perch on the top of that tree..........  Last year the tree quadrupled it's size, and I imagine it might do the same this year too.  What worries me are the possums and coons. 

The tree has a lot of figlets, so I'm sure to get a few un-pecked and un-bitten.  Bugs me when something takes a bite and leaves the thing hanging.  Why don't they eat the whole thing?  Crazy!

I just heard so much about how delicious this variety is, I can't wait to try a really ripe one!  I'll slice and take photos before downing it.

Suzi

Suzi ,
It might be worth trying what Bob Harper suggested I try last year to keep birds off ripening fruit.
He slices large clear plastic cups on both sides down to about an inch from the bottom, then slips those over the branch to cover the figs.
Worked like a charm for me for birds and just about everything else , even to keep excess rain off .
Faster to apply than the mesh bags or clamshell containers, but some areas on the tree with lots of branching were hard to get them to fit the space.
Might confuse the possums , but raccoons may just get a good chuckle.

That sounds like a great tip, Kerry.  They have done some work with mesh bags on the other side of the island but the plastic cup would have an added benefit for us here on the wet side.  
Thanks,
John

Kerry, I'll try that!  Thanks!

I'm pretty sure I got my Verte from you, and you should see it now!  In ground and you can watch it grow.  I set benchmarks for it, and every day it inches closer.  The fruit is amazing!  Jim, who "I don't like figs," suddenly does!!

Suzi

I have to use organza bags to keep out the yellow jacks and welded wire with 1/4" holes to keep out the raccoons.  Sometimes I protect a cluster, sometimes the whole bush.

Hi JLee , 
That may be a problem some places.
I was using a lot of my old "rooting" plastic cups so they already had holes drilled in the bottom which gave extra ventilation, but probably would have been fine without it since the sides are slit open most of the length of the cup.
Also I just put them on close to the time of ripening when I worry about them being too tempting to critters .
I worried about overheating too at first ,but in my situation it worked.
My main problem was I think Bob suggested the 32 oz.size and most of mine were smaller because that's all I had on hand.
The taller size would have worked better.

That's a beautiful fig, I hope to be able to grow it and taste it one day. Is yours the strain originating in Prusch Park, California?

Unfortunately I don't know what strain mine is.  I got it from a member in this forum, and he's no longer here.  Life probably took over for him.  Haven't seen him in a long time.
I'll post photos of ripe figs and try to explain the flavor when that happens.  From all I've read this tastes more strawberry than a real strawberry.  We will see.

Suzi

Got to love sunny cal. I thought louisiana was sunny. California got us beat. My figs are leafing out in green house but in ground just have buds :((

Suzi, I would put JD(that's his name right?) to work building a cage for you. This year, it could be as simple as 3-4 poles or sections(tall enough to account for this years growth and your height) of metal conduit staked into the ground and some chicken wire wrapped around them, with a layer on top as well to stop the climbers and flyers. Attach the chicken wire to the poles with some steel wire as you wrap it around until it overlaps where you started by about a foot or so, don't attach the overlap to the last pole(which would also be the first pole where you started). To make a gate, just crimp the cut ends so they don't poke you, and fasten the overlap layer of chicken wire to the underneath first layer with something like a couple cheap alloy carabiners or similar. The very end of the overlap/gate piece could also be wrapped around and stapled to something like a section of 1x2" wood cut to near the height of the cage, this will give the end of the gate some rigidity and prevent it from being unweildy. Another point, when you buy chicken wire, it comes with thin wire wrapped around it to hold it together, this thin wire works great to attach layers of chicken wire together if the height isn't tall enough, just overlap top and bottom 4-5 inches and use that thin flixible wire to secure together.


Cheap carabiner key chains can be found for less than a dollar each.

Wow Calvin!  That sounds like a project!  We tried something like that on our persimmon, but something very heavy squished all the chicken wire to the ground.  It's still there a year later.  There are so many boulders here, it's hard to pound stakes in.  Whatever got to our persimmon left us plenty to eat and gift to friends. 

I'll pass your idea on to JD.

Suzi

Well, it's been 13 days, and here is a new photo.  She is growing.  Figs are getting fatter!  

Nice looking tree

jc_figs, I emailed the photo to a friend in Europe this morning, and he was astounded that I took the photo today.  All his figs are dormant, as are most figs in the US and Canada.  He also set me straight on the spelling which I will edit ASAP.  :-)  Suzi, learn to spell the names correctly...  Didn't take French.  If it was Spanglish, I could do it no prob!

Suzi

Lol

Very nice little tree Suzi. So jealous , it is snowing outside!

Very nice tree.

It's still very pleasant where I am too. Windows open, warm air, figs growing..... no rain in sight....

There could be rain this weekend.  But who knows.  Those dudes are often wrong!  Gonna post an update in like ten days from now.  This is the fig everybody should have!  Why do the French always win on the sexy fig stuff?

Suz

Hi DesertDance,
I'll be fair : Your trees have a good head-start :) .
Long season fig trees seem in paradise at your place. If you're looking for ideas: Panache, noir de caromb , col de dame noir / blanc / gris , bourjassotte noire, Black mission .

By the way, not sure the bourjassotte series is French ... Sure it is a Mediterranean strain ... But that makes many countries to choose from .

jdsfrance, we do have a head start especially this year.  It's been a warm winter.  I do have Panache and Black Mission planted in ground.  Don't own the others you mentioned, but I've got some favorites you didn't!

I'll update this in 10 days or so, so you guys in the snow can see what you have to look forward to.

Suzi