Plenty of good,  healthy wild figs.
If weather helps there will be a great crop in June to warrant pollination of all the caducous types, San Pedro (2nd crop) and all other volunteers.
Here a few pictures showing the winter crop - Mamme (the big and ugly) and the young shining Profichi.
In a week or two, wasps carrying their load of eggs will abandon all the winter Mamme figs  to enter the young Profichi and fill their galls with fertile eggs (one egg per gall) for the next wasp generation.
Around the end of March all Mamme figs will soften, dry and fall.
Through this move there will be no pollen involved and the insect, once their duties accomplished  will die.
We have to wait 3 months until mid June to see the new generation of pollinating insects to leave the ripe Profichis and share their pollen witll all the other figs.

 
 
 
   

   


Francisco
Portugal 

thank you for the awesome photos and info Francisco.

Always love your posts, Francisco!  Thanks for the photos.   Now when the profichi are occupied by wasps they lose their shine, is that right?

Nice photos!  Amazing!  Thanks for posting!
Suzi

Can you eat wild figs after wasp. And are any of them good. very good. Or excellent?

Francisco thanks, great photos.

If the proficis are not populated in this phase they fall?
In order to start a wasp colony now is the best time maybe to bring some mammes near male trees with proficis?

Thank you all for your appreciation and kind words

Andreas - do you pollinate some of your figs ?
On his trip to the Archipelago (1901) G.Eisen said that when for some reason one Island was short of Caprifigs, there were others with plenty and farmers would haul and distribute Caprifigs by the boat load.

Bob - Yes, once the Profichis are taken by the wasps (caprificated)  they change color.. But not to the extent of a Smyrna where the skin colors are far more marked. Let's move now to what will happen in coming June so you see what those shining Profichis will look like..here they are: ...

 
This picture was taken on June 16th/2012 and these figs are from that same tree above.

Suzi, Thanks . You need to have a Caprifig.. Just throw Calimyrna clean seeds along the North side of boulders, loose rocks. etc..avoiding full exposure to the Sun
Some wilds will pop up and you then select the best one .

figpig_66  No no these figs are not edible at all. There are a few which are edible, like Croisic for instance. Years ago found a wild which is half-edible but I prefer to eat a Pastilliere!
It is a very large fig and comes slightly later that those above. here it is ...sweet!

 

Eli, Yes correct. That's the synbiotic relationsjip. If for some reason wasps do not enter those Profichi and fill their galls with eggs, the figs would turn yellow and dry/rot and fall.
If you have a male fig with much Profichi but no Mamme, yes that's the ideal time to bury in a pot near your Caprifigs 2 or 3 branches with Mamme about ripe. With a bit of luck they will root and you have another wild fig.

Francisco
Portugal

Thank you. Thats a big ass fig!!! Thanks for answering my question and everyone else's questions. Love learning from members. What people dont realize there is alot of aspects of figs.

Thanks again for beautiful photos, Francisco.

This reminds me and, if I understand correctly, perhaps a modification to your answer to Eli.  This is the time to bag some profichi to test for persistence.  If the wasp is prevented from entering the profichi and it remains (persists), it is a persistent type which can be used for breeding common fig types.  Otherwise, if it drops, it's offspring will not include any common figs.  Approximately what size must a profichi be before a wasp can enter?

Francisco, I am picking up a couple Caprifigs from Sue this month.  She got some cuttings, and rooted too many for her own use, so she's gifting me two.  One Zidi and One Capri.  I've been reading up on these and I know the wasps ride the winds and there are many wasps within 100 miles all directions of here, so my fingers are crossed. Los Angeles is due West, and San Diego is South.   If some wasp doesn't come along, I'll be messaging HarveyC!!

Not sure where to find a Calimyra for seed planting, but I'd be happy to do so if I could find those figs.

Suzi

Francisco,

Thank you for the beautiful photos.
Do those caprifigs have any names?

Changes in Scents of spring vs scents of summer males:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01818.x/abstract;jsessionid=FB19C59AA6DAAC2CA689582AD51E1054.d04t04

no Francisco i do not pollinate figs. (to lazy i guess) but this year i will try and airlayer a caprifig and bring it to my figs.
i hope that works out...

Thank you for all interest and comments

Harvey - You right, it could be done now ! but I believe Eli has other plans.. a little bird told me that IP  may have already settled in the Holly Land.
To your question of receptive size for Profichis, I would say around 1/2 inch (12 to 13 mm) about the same for Smyrnas and Smyrnoids... this is when the wasp feels enough softness on the 'sepals' around the eye, to lift them end push in ,  and the fig cavity is sufficiently large for her to move around and find the galls to oviposit her eggs.

Suzi, you are a lucky girl . Sue did a fantastic selection for a gift to a fig lover in California, a Capri and a Zidi. Wish the best outcome for this pair and my compliment to Sue.
I made a test last season with a similar couple and the results were beyond imagination.
For me it was a happy surprise.. never seen a Smyrna so big, heavy and delicious!!
When I mentioned  Calimyrna that was for the dry figs I believe still sold in your State, in small bags.
Their seeds if planted will generate new fig trees.... most will be Caprifigs and if lucky you may also get one or two edible fig (Smyrna most probably).

Igor, in Portugal there are no particular naming for Caprifigs.. the reason may be, there are plenty and everywhere, and generally speaking of acceptable quality.  The ones I like best I code them with a name,  a number and  GP data. This one is the most regular (it never failed so far) and it's code 4 . Already gave scions from it to a number of friends in the Eastern Hemisphere....

Eli, Thank you.. That is a very interesting paper.

Andreas - Think it's a good move and worth to try-

Francisco
Portugal

Francisco, yes.  I am a lucky girl!  I'm looking forward to picking up those figs from Sue.  She lives a couple hours drive from our house and we plan on visiting this month.  I'm happy to know that your tests on a similar pair were a big success for you!

I will do as you say and get some bags of dried Calimyrna at the grocery.  One of the specialty stores in town has big barrels full of dried Turkish figs.  Would those work as well? 

We own some wild land, inhabited by a lot of boulders and weeds outside our fence.  A seasonal stream runs through it.  I'd like to toss some seeds out there and see what happens as well as starting some seeds, caring for them and planting any trees that grow in a place with easy access.  We've lived here two years and have never even seen the stream or crossed up the other hill.  The property outside the fence belongs to us but we've never walked it.  Access is pretty hard.  There are huge bushes, weeds and boulders with the possibility of snakes lurking....... Inside the fence is very tame (you still have to watch for snakes though), although rocky and steep with open areas for planting and man-made steps for access.  It's that other side where I could picture some wild figs for sure!

Thanks for your photos and input!  This is a very helpful thread.

Suzi

Thank you for sharing Francisco. Those are beautiful caprifigs. They look so tempting to eat...

Hi Francisco,

I have figs on my Smyrna trees but they are dropping already. Shouldn't they stay on the tree until at least June for the wasp to emerge? Are they dropping maybe because they are still young (1 year)? They are about 2'-3' tall and never went dormant. I had 6 figs, 4 have dropped.

My 1-year old capris have fruit also but the eye is so closed I don't see how a wasp could enter at this point. Maybe they are too young and the ostiole will be more open next year?

I have access to someone a few miles away who has a wasp-ladened caprifig. I was going to take my capri and Smyrna down there and leave for a few months in hopes my trees will be inoculated. I'm thinking I need to wait until next year to do this?

Sue

Hello Sue,

Your climate is not much different from mine...Most of the  Smyrna figs with more or less help from the weather, late winter/early spring show a few figs which will not stay on the tree for long.These are not the real ones. It's too soon for that and invariably all these early fruit will drop.

You still need another 60 days approx. for the good Summer figs to show up (the ones ripening in August/September). You may start seeing them early May or slightly before that-

See now this sequence of these Smyrna ,

On the 16th of May/2014 .... (Zidi)

 

On the 21st May... (Inchário Preto)

 

On the 21st/May ... (Zidi) approaching pollination time

 

On the 27th of May

 

On the 28th of May,.. Zidi already pollinated

 

Same Zidi fig  seen a couple of days later May 30 with conspicuous signs of having received  a
visit or visits from wasps.. There is one on top of the fig which was caught by a spider web on attempting to move into the fig or away from it.

 

I agree that it's a good move to place now, your Caprifigs and the Zidi near the Caprifig of your friends.
Your Caprifig could well have their potential Profichis taken by wasps and  the Smyrna fruit, caprificated.

Francisco
Portugal

Thank you for sharing the very informative photos.

My friend send me photo Mel fig from TUNISIA yesterday she will bring to her country to grow ,she show me how looklike !!! It is amazing i naver see like this , sorry my english very poor! Sorry i ty o put photo but they say only 1mb my picture to big i use ipad anybody can tell me what i can do to make photo small sorry ifor that but im keep trying!

Thank you for taking your time to look at those pictures.

Suzi - Sorry I did not respond to your question on the dried Turkish figs..
I would say that the majority of their dry fig exports to the US are Smyrna light varieties but there may be exceptions.
In doubt, you take a fig and scrape a bit of the dried pulp with seeds and wash well... Once the seeds clean of pulp put them on a small transparent glass with water..and they will either float or sink.

If they float the corresponding fig was not pollinated and the seeds are just hollow shells ..these seeds will not germinate. - just like the seeds of all non pollinated Common varieties

If they sink to the bottom of the glass. this means that there is a kernel inside the tiny seed and if given the conditions it will germinate and grow up making a new plant

Dan - I am curious if you have Caprifigs in your area.. Being so close to the Ocean in a 10a climate (very similar to mine) there must be some.. and you shall need it to 'marry' with the DFIC0023 on your wish list

Gina - Now you know approx when you should bring a necklace of 'waspy'  Profichis near your figs.
On last season ripe Profichis were early ( 27May) but so were the Smyrnas, sufficiently receptive to welcome the pollinating insect. I would say that this business should be followed very closely and checked every day.
By the way, that same fig shown above with the wasp on top, did ripe nicely and was picked up on the 1st of August

Sofia - Very nice! I would also like to have a friend in Tunisia. May we see that picture ??
I do not know your whereabouts but think I should tell you that the majority of figs from there are Smyrna varieties and need pollination.
The following link list some of their best figs with a short description and pictures. It is in French ..hope this is not a problem for you

http://www.asnaped.org.tn/caract_varietes.htm#v1

Francisco
Portugal

Francisco,

Thankfully I do have some caprifigs in my area. I spot new ones every now and then. There are two quite large trees that I am keeping an eye on. I only have pictures of one at the moment. I think it's a child of a Negronne or VdB because of the deep red/orange color of the stems. The picture doesn't do it justice. It almost shocked me when I saw the red stems, mostly because I have never seen red stems before. When the fruits ripen, they are a very dark purple. 

   

This tree is in Northern San Diego County. And here is the picture of the fruit. This one was shriveled on the tree and interestingly had no wasp activity. Due to this, I suspect this specimen is a non-persistent caprifig. 

 

And here is a wasp trying to enter a Filacciano breba. You can see his little wings trying to push through the eye. Looks like a very tight squeeze.

 

I'm very happy there is wasp activity. I feel like making clones of the caprifig pictured above and spreading them around the city to increase wasp activity...I'm not sure if it is legal to do that though...just a thought. 

Dan,
Many years ago, one of the 'Fig  Fathers' (Gustav Eisen) when describing in his book  the few varieties of Caprifigs known in California, wrote these lines ( in 1901) ::
..quote/

Mitchell.— Leaves small to medium, the smaller leaves generally being."1 and3 lobed, while the larger leaves are almost entire: surface rough and deep graygreen.
The leafstalks are bright red, and in this respect differ from any other caprifig known to us in California. The profichi are turbinate, with long and distinct neck and stalk. As far as can be seen from uncaprificated trees the figs are rough, lopsided, and when matured will probably be red. The profichi have more male flowers than any other variety seen by me. The profichi and mammoni crops overlap each other. This very interesting and probably very valuable variety was originated in a garden in San Francisco, probably from seed. The fig is named after Mr. Greorge O. Mitchell, who has kindly donated the trees for further propagation (*)

...unquote/

So, you may have a clone of that Mitchell caprifig... who knows ??
DFIC 0023 an hybrid  also has red stems..

It would be interesting to date those pictures you attached to your post..just curious.
The open fig you show IMO looks a Profichi that for some reason  was affected by some weather extremes and collapsed. I say this because it has a sizable bush of male flowers just under the ostiole.
Have you pics of other figs from the same tree but growing healthy ??
If you spot Caprifigs in your place with some frequency you should not worry about that.. certainly birds, rodents, etc..are feeding on pollinated figs in the proper season and disseminating here and there, particularly in the places where they hide or sleep.

That wasp trying to enter a Filacciano breba.... that happened exactly when ??
They do not pierce through the eye but.. lift the sepals to open a tiny slot and then pass through that very small aperture move into the fig... and in most cases may loose both wings.

Francisco
Portugal
(*) Cannot remember details  but last year another forum member had apparently found a wild fig with
similar red stems.

Francisco,

Wow thanks for that info. I had not known about the Mitchell Caprifig. It sounds similar, but the leaves are very different. Unlike the Mitchell and DFIC0023 which have "1 and 3 lobes", the leaves on this unknown caprifig are multi lobed, slightly serrated, and moderately recessed. It might not be a Mitchell, but it could definitely be a cross between a Mitchell and an unknown common fig.

Part of the reason I'm interested in this Caprifig and dfic0023 is due to the red stems. They are very ornamental and pretty to see.

And what you said about the plant being stressed and dropping its fruit is very likely. It's growing wild and not watered at all and last year was one of the hottest and driest years in Southern California.

Yes sir, the open caprifig was a profichi crop. I don't have pictures of a healthy ripe crop, but in the pictures I posted, you can see heathy unripe profichi that went on to mature later on. The pictures of the caprifigs were taken April 2014 and the picture of the wasp crawling into the Filacciano breba was taken yesterday.

I think I remember a similar post last year too. I will try looking for it.

Dan,
Wish you the best for that red leaf stem fig...think you should keep it. Later on, by the time its Profichi's
are about ripe (2nd/3rd week of May) and for your records cut a healthy fig in halves and show us how it's inside. I use to monitor them every season, their potencial for pollination by the volume of male flowers/pollen as well as the extension of live galls (wasps).. like the one on this picture taken May 10th/2014.

   

The wasp crawling into the Filacciano breba yesterday, means that in your area,  they have already started to leave the winter figs and  colonizing the Profichis..(just like here!).That insect is probably confused and taking that breba for a 'nice' Profichi. Even if she manage to enter into that fig, nothing will happen as she is not carrying a single grain of pollen.

Apart from being highly ornamental the DFIC0023, in your environment, will give you lots of nice black figs, sweet, crunchy and very tasty! Although behaving as a Smyrna type, this hybrid will probably  surprise you with a few brebas. In your rather dry and hot area this could well happen.

 

Francisco
Portugal