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Do I Need Them All?

Hello Everyone,
I was just looking at my cutting/plant list and I noticed a trend. A lot of figs that end with the same name. Black.

Kathleen Black, Marseilles Black, Malta Black, Socorro Black, Durio's Native Black and Durio's Italian Black.

I already have Gino's Black and Scott's Black. I want productive, tasty, easy to care for figs. I am also trying to grow a range of figs so I'm looking for the best examples not all the different types. Due to space constraints if there are some on my list that are very similar or not as productive or tasty as another fig I have, or fig that is on the list, I'd like to know. All input welcomed.

Thanks

Zone 9b California
Wish List: Sweet Joy, Gris Olivette, Figion
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Malta Black from herman2 is the only one you need. :)
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You need all of them all.  White, black, red, yellow, green, grey, rimada and no color names.  2 or 3 back ups of each.  I hope you can find a good deal on 25 acres and 4 or 5 120' greenhouses.

It's actually a good idea to look up flavor groups and ripening times and be guided by those.  The best in one area may not be the best in another so trials in your conditions are important.  If you have winter highs in the 60s Hardy Chicago and Salem Dark will ripen figs for you all winter long but you may have a different favorite in mid summer.
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You have some excellent varieties.
Not sure how old your trees are, but some varieties require much longer than others to become productive and some are not really suitable to be grown in pot if you wish to maximize their potential. In pot and based on relative age so far, the dark most productive and delicious fig I found is the Preto.
Since you are in Zone 9b, you've got no problem with this variety except that perhaps it still might ripen later than many others.
If you want an early ripening and a great tasting variety that is super productive, the right Celeste would make an excellent choice.




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Originally Posted by rcantor
You need all of them all.  White, black, red, yellow, green, grey, rimada and no color names.  2 or 3 back ups of each.  I hope you can find a good deal on 25 acres and 4 or 5 120' greenhouses.




I'm still at point A trying to save to get to point B, but I'll get there! Couldn't agree more with you though! Winter figs sounds crazy, though that will never be my reality. Like Natalina, the Christmas fig! What!!?!?

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They're all great choices, but you may want to consider not adding Marseilles Black & Malta Black. The reason being: you already have Gino's Black. I'm not sure how large you're letting your trees get, but Gino's is very similar to Marseilles & Malta Black. The 3 of those are "Hardy Chicago types" and when put side by side only have minor differences in terms of taste. Productivity, hardiness, etc... may be a different story. 

Not sure if you listed a honey fig (I hear Flanders is incredible in your climate), but you may want 1 or 2 of those as well. I'd also recommend 1-2 of these.. Sal's Corleone, an English Brown Turkey type & a California Brown Turkey type.
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Thanks for the responses.

Ross- thanks for the info. As a first year fig person my personal taste experience is limited. Taste, productivity and easy of care. My garden mantra is "you've gotta earn your spot."
I'll trial Gino's and Scott's while I see if I can find a Kathleen's Black.
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you need them all.. then you start thinning out the ones you don't like. problem is, everyone has different taste and no one can tell what you would like. if i had to choose one, it would be Paradiso Gene.. amazing fig full of sweet nectar. does well i live and put on enough for me to enjoy through out the summer.. and then there is VdB and RdB. and Niagara Black.. all amazing figs. i like Black Madeira, but not enough heat or something, not good here.
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That's a loaded question
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Pete:

My favorite Fig is Italian 258. Surprised you don't mention that one. It's the best one in my collection and it came from you my friend.
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dan, 

i totally forgot about I-258. if i remember it was similar to Black Madeira, but from the leaf shape, at least at my location, they looked different. 

see.. this is how it starts. at first i was set on 5 trees.. and then i keep remembering other trees.. then i was add more and more and end up with more trees that i can handle. i don't know how dennis and john handles all those thousands of trees.. sigh.. 

tho, i might ask you for few cuttings for I-258 later :) 

pete
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Pretty sure the heat and planting in ground helps ;)

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