I have given myself a 12 fig tree limit for this very reason.  I have 12 spots in my backyard with fig trees planted in the ground.  I plan on letting them all get about 10 feet in height.  I know that when they mature they will produce way more fruit than my family can eat.  If any one tree does poorly in its spot I will remove it and replant a different variety.  I plan on doing this until I have 12 mature trees of varieties that work for my taste and my climate.

joe,

what are your 12?

pete

Black Madeira

Thanks Michael for providing some solace to this disquieting dilemma, but what do I do after I clean my bowl?

Gina, I like your logic and enthusiasm.. I personally have a problem with giving my "children" away. Once they burst forth into this world, I feel obligated to protect them from all the evils of the world until they come to a natural death...unless they produce tasteless, watery figs, of course.

Joe, I like your resolve. Are you sure I can't tempt you with a Jolly Tiger for spot #13?

Interesting thread subject.

I have a terrible tendency to be impulsive, and passionate when it comes to growing plants, hobbies, etc.  I embark on far too many, time-consuming, and very costly quests, and can't rest until I have what I think I need.  In almost every case, the anticipation was always better than the actual thing.  My motto:  90% of everything is BS".

I have very carefully chosen the few fig trees that I'm growing, and they give me a great deal of relaxation when I tend to their needs.  My trees reward me with delicious figs each season.  I'm pretty content growing what I have.  I refuse to get caught up in growing every fig variety.

Everyone enjoys growing figs for different reasons.  Anyway, growing excessive numbers of fig trees pumps more oxygen into the air we breath, and decreases your carbon-footprint....if you believe in this crap.  : )

Life is short, and sometimes excess can be exhilarating...as long as it doesn't control you.

Just some thoughts.

Frank

FMD you're too funny.  I want to stick to my plan for now.  Anyway the open space I have in my yard keeps getting filled with more vegetables.  But I understand where everyone is coming from.  I hear about how awesome Ronde de Bordeaux and other varieties are and I think, "Maybe just one more".  But for the most part I like to keep up with the forum and get ideas for possible replacements.  I also find it really helpful to hear how different varieties respond in different climates.  Celeste makes very nice fruit, but if it keeps dropping its fruit here in the desert it might be one of the first to go.

Cuttings in process, not rooted trees. :)

These are cuttings from approximately 25 varieties, including a couple synonyms. And not all are gauranteed to root.

I don't know what my success rate will be, and some of the varieties may not be worth keeping such as Norman's yellow, which came in an end of season group lot. Some have bad fmv too (Mary Lane seedless - egads - totally distorted), and those I find very unpleasing so unless they grow out of it fast, they may get tossed.

The plan is to keep only the most vigorous of rooted cuttings, and give away the rest. I have lots of time to decide. We will see...

I learned from my mom who also loved to start things, then give many away. If you give them away, you have room to start even more.

When I was starting blueberries a few years ago, I ended up giving away maybe more than half of them. Those were nice too - most a couple years old. I find it helpful for my mental health to totally pre-absolve anyone of responsibility for taking care of any plant I give them. Roses, sages, landscape plants too...

I also start numerous seeds in the spring and give away many tomatoes, peppers and the like. It gives me pleasure. :)

I was asking myself "How did I get here" just  yesterday . I have 5 potted up into 1 gal pots and I counted all my figs in cups yesterday . 3 large totes worth 72 in the totes,12 on a shelf in my wifes crafts room and 6 in the kitchen window .I started out with a 'Gillette' fig back in December . It wasn't even a cutting .     I saw an add on Craigslist Olympia  for 'Fig Wood' for smoking/fire wood . I got a pick-up load of Plum and Fig wood .  They were ripping out the trees to make room for a sun deck that faced the water . I asked her what type of fig it was and the lady said it was 'Gillette' . She said that her Grandfather ,who originally owned the house planted it back in the 1930's. He had always called it a 'Gillette Razor Fig'.  I clipped some branches off of the fig logs and put them in moist perlite. Now I'm hooked . I got the fig bug pretty bad . 18 varieties . Is there a figaholics anonymous?

As a retired police officer, I assure you, there are many many things worse to overindulge in, both for your health, family, bank account and sanity.

Enjoy the mild group lunacy!

Overwhelmed??? I just came back from the post office where I happily sent out a package containing 8 rooted cuttings.

For me, being overwhelmed was not so much of a philosophical issue as it was a time/resource management issue.  I had cut out a nice BIG area to plant my rooted cuttings.  My "OH S&!T" moment came when I reached about 85% capacity having planted just under 50% of the cuttings.  I have not even started trying to root the cuttings I received from UCD.  Earlier this year, I had to back out on a deal for 10 apricot trees and a couple of new peach trees because I didn't have enough time to prep holes for them.

Needless to say, there will (hopefully) be many young trees being sent out in Nov/Dec.  If there is something you want, let me know now.  If I have it, remind me in November.

~james

Every time I think I'm done I read about a variety new to me and the bug bights again, I'll be done after I get this one and that one.... For the 20th time I'm nearly done ...again 

+1 for Byrne reference.  I don't understand how anyone does more than 100 trees.  If I had more yard, I could probably do more, but I'm having a hard time breaking that limit.  I was overwhelmed watering this afternoon.  When it takes more than 15 minutes, you know it's time for auto-irrigation.  I need to get off my duff and do it this year already.

I just look at 18 cuttings of Desert King and asked why am I doing this for friends. So far almost all will cite "oh ya" I wanna have a tree. For some strange reason the tree I gave them will usually die. I am still propagating to give DK out. I guess I qualify to be a fignut. Same with my fishing. I let them go or whoever needs a fish by the river. Too bad I don't have a money tree. I have fruit trees where friends come & pick plums, asian pears, figs & fuyu persimmon. Most times we even pick for them.

I think there is a tremendous amount of satisfaction in just rooting the cuttings and planting out the baby figs. I love propagation season. I love seeing what varieties I can get, though I am usually disappointed in what I am able to get before the first of  May. Next year I start  looking earlier,and send out a request to UC Davis. I'm still new, but I figure that I'll be good at propagation when I am able to get my hands on some rare varieties.