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Fig Most likely to succeed next year

Good day everyone,
Now that fig season is just about over, I would like to know which one of your figs is most likely to be an awesome fig?  Here are my categories for 2010:

Black fig:  Native Black
Last year I purchased this fig from Durion nursery, not knowing what to expect.  I repotted it and it grew a little.  This Spring I repotted it in a larger container and watched it grow.  It produced 4 figs this year.  The figs were large and has a very good flavor and sweetness.  It is one of the blackest figs I have.  It is a late producer.  I think this fig will do very well in my area.  Therefore I plan on planting it in the ground in February.  I give this fig 4 out of 5 stars in my research of black figs.

Brown fig: Gilubeau French
Here is another fig I purchased from Dalton Durion.  Again not knowning what to expect, I repotted and it grew well in a superroot pot.  It produced a few medium size figs.  I did not know the figs were ready to pick until a bird pecked one open a few days ago and revealed its ripeness.  The figs did not show the normal signs of ripeness.  So, I picked the fig and tasted it.  It was good!  I was amazed at the sharp flavor and taste.  I give this fig 4 out of 5 stars in my research.

Purple fig:  Pannanas Purple
Here is a fig that many on this forum have in their inventory.  Well, my tree started ripening in August and oh my gosh what great flavor.  This is one great fig and I plan on planting it in the ground in February.  I give this fig 4 out of 5 stars in my research.

Yellow fig: Byadi and Deanna
I could not decide which of these 2 figs was most likely to succeed.  To me it was a tie.  Size wise, Deanna was the largest, almost twice the size.  But I like the way these 2 trees talked to me.  Both are in containers side by size.  Byadi's container is 3 times larger than Deanna's.  However, when they got stressed, neither dropped fruit.  THey just looked sad and after a little water, they perked by up and kept growing.  I like that in a fig!  I give these fig 4 out of 5 stars in my research.

Red fig:  Taco Fig
KK from New Jersey sent me a tiny fig tree in Spring 2009.  He called it Taco fig.  He told me he found the mother tree growing behind a Taco Bell.   He took some cuttings, proagated them and the cuttings took.  Well, when I got the tree it was a small quart size cutting.  I repotted the tree in  my mix when I got it last year and by the mid year last year, I had to repot it 2 more times.  It grew FAST!  I posted pictures of the this fig and its fruit weeks ago.  Some were saying it is a Celeste but to me the leaves do not look like your normal Celeste.  Plus, I have 5 other Celeste fig trees, not from the same source and those 5 grew slowly all at the same rate.  This fig out grew those others and KEPT GROWING.  Finally, I decided to repot is again in spring and noticed the large root ball and decided to plant it in my yard.  This year it produced some truly sweet medium size figs.  And it does not drop fruit like Celeste.  This fig is likely to be an awesome fig.  I give it 4 out of 5 stars in my research.

Green fig:  Green Greek and DJ's Fig
I have a tie between these 2.  Starting with DJ's fig, I got this fig from Home Depot last spring.  At that time, I bought 2.  They were in one gallon size pots, I left the figs there until late in the season and much neglect I repotted it.  I repotted both in 5 gallon containers.  Over the winter, I left both outside on my deck unprotected in the rain, wind and snow.  In late April, I moved these 2 trees inside my greenhouse to see if they were alive.  In May they started to leaf out.  Within a few days, both leafed out fully and had no winter damage.  I posted pics on this forum request identification but no luck.  Therefore I am calling these figs DJ's fig.  Both produces fruit the size of Atreano.  The taste is very sweet with a light pink center.  I air-layered one limb weeks ago and repotted it up 2 days ago.  This fig has an awesome sweet tast for a green fig.  I give this fig 4 out of 5 stars in my research.

To me, Green Greek ties with DJ's fig.  In comparing this fig to Strawberry, Calvert, and Parasido, to me this year, this fig comes in second place.  I would like to taste these figs all at the same time but could not.  The fruit is a little smaller than Strawberry and Parasido but the fruit taste like a real sweet berry.  It's not watery at all, kinda thick.  My GG is in a small 3 gallon pot.  It is a late producing fig.  So far I have tasted 2 figs from my tree and both were superb.  It has a tight eye and cracks slightly when ripe. 

So there are my Most Likely to Succeed figs.  Do you have any?  cheers,


I wonder how come you could not see when your Guilbeau is ripe.
This fig turn dark purple when ripe,if you have Guilbeau?.
A gardener in Texas also rates it high,as is doing well for the Texas hot climate.

Herman I think the reason was because my Guilbeau fig is green and then the bottom of it turns red.  It could be because I did not let it fully ripen, the birds pecked it open and that is how I noticed it was ripe.  Plus according to Dalton's site it states that and I quote:  Guilbeau is green to brown fig comes to us from France.  The flavorful pink flesh is very sweet.  This is a popular cultivar wherever it is grown.  The green skin takes on a little brown coloring as it ripens.

And my had fruit that is hanging straight down.  I'll take a few pics and post later.  But it does taste very good to me.  Say Herman where did you get your Guilbeau?  I on ordering more of my most likely to succeed tree tomorrow when I get paid.  Maybe ours are different figs.  Mine is suppose to be a Guilbeau French.

I have my Guilbeau from George Michalev collection,and I did not question,the origine of the fig,with George,but as far as I can see it is as close to the Description,i could reaserch,to this point .
Yet your Guilbeau seem to be different.?

For the record,

I first bought my Guilbeau  as scions (aka. cuttings)
from the Seed Saver Exchange, (coded):
Guilbeau (SSE - GA IN C 06).

Thanks Gorgi for your reply. I guess people are afraid to comment on their figs. Oh well, you can't blame a guy for trying. I wish everyone the best. Be blessed.

Hi Dennis,

I got a Native Black from Durio's, but it's a little tree that suffered through this heat here, this summer.  I hope it will produce figs next year so I can taste them.  They sound good.

I googled the pannanas fig, but nothing came up for it, but it sounds interesting.  Could you describe the flavor in more detail?

I also got a Black Celeste and an Italian Black from Durio's.  The larger Black Celeste that Dalton has for cuttings, I guess, because it's not for sale, had three of the blackest figs I've ever seen on it.  I wanted to taste it so bad, but when I had stopped back by the nursery, no one was there--They had closed early.  Then, I saw Dalton way in the back on a tractor mowing the grass.  My hand was trying to pick one of the figs, but my brain scolded it and told it it wasn't my fig and I couldn't pick it without permission.  :(

When I went back a short time later, Dalton was there and I told him I was wondering if I could taste a fig from the tree and told him how badly I had wanted to pick one, but no one was there and so I didn't and he laughed.  He's a nice person.  I will be having him plant a Satsuma and a Meyer Lemon tree for me.  He said March would be the best time.  He did answer my question about what color the inside of the fig was, red, so though I didn't get to taste one, I know that much about it.

I was hoping it would be the same as a Malta Black, but I've been told it isn't.

Good luck with your figs and please keep letting us know what you find out about your figs.

Thanks,

noss

Hello Noss, I think I misspelled Pannanas Fig. The correct spelling is PANANAS PURPLE.  Go to Jon's Fig Varieties page and you will see it there.  My tree had some pretty purple figs.  They are not a super sweet fig.  But they were sweet and every fig on my tree looked exactly the same, medium size and very good.

The blackest fig in my connection is the Native Black.  Its a large long black fig...not fat like Atreano almost the same size though.

Your story of Dalton's black fig reminds me of the fig raid I did on an abandon fig tree I found last year.  I past by this tree for 2 years.  One Sunday morning on my way back from church, I made a quick dash from my truck to that fig tree.  In was late June and some of the figs had started to ripen on the tree!!!  I grabbed a couple, jumped back in the truck and headed home.  It was an awesome sweet snack!

My Malta Black is small.  But I did get 5 figs from it.  They tasted pretty good.  I think the figs will get better as the tree grows.  My tree grew fast this year.  I had to repot it from a 1 gallon pot to a 3 gallon pot.  Next year, I am expecting some great figs from my Malta Black.  Cheers

Dennis,

I can resist all kinds of temptation without a twinge, but I really had to wrestle with my hand to keep it away from those figs!  Go FIGure.

I can just picture you jumping out of your truck, snatching a few figs and racing back to your truck with your treasures.  LOL!

It's an addiction, is what it is.

Can you compare your Malta Blacks to the regular Celestes in taste and size, even though your MB is still a young tree?

Thanks for the clarification of the spelling of the Pananas Purple fig.

noss

Hello Noss, to me all Celeste type figs have a semi-chewy thickness and is very sweet.  And it is hard to eat just one.  Malta Black is not chewy.  To me, it taste very sweet with a lingering after taste, more flavor.  Kinda like a cross between a black raspberry and a sweet Celeste.  My MB has a darker red interior than my Celeste and the figs ripen after Celeste.  I have a Black Celeste from Dalton.  Next year I want to grow them side by side with my O'Rourke.  cheers,

I'll be very interested to hear about these figs next year, Dennis.

Thanks,

noss

My most likelly to succed next year from my young figs that got ripe fruits this year are:
Adriatic JH
Bataglia Green
Paradiso (Bronze?),
Nero 600
I also have the Native black,Pananas purple and Guilbeau that The poster named his likely to succed,but in my climate those cultivars are relyable getting ripe fruits every year only if they are grown in container.

If grown in ground they will not get ripe all fruits,because of lack of adeqvate Sommer lenght and heat,in my New Jersaey climate,and the fact they are large fruitted cultivars that require more heat.

Now, that is what I was looking for!  thank you Herman.  I just got an Adriatic JH from a buddy from this forum.  But my Strawberry fig was superb this year.  Now, I got a couple of Paradiso (bronze) that did very well and the taste was so so nice.  Both are in containers but I plan to planting them both in my orchard in February. 

I got a very young Bataglia Green.  I plan on keeping them in containers and report on its progress next year.  I don't have a Nero.  I am looking for one though.  According to the Ray Given video, Nero is a very good fig. I was going to place an order for one but my funds a low at the moment and the wife's birthday is coming up.  So, no Nero for me till next year.  How is Bataglia Green compared to Lynhurst White?  Thank you for the report.  Cheers

Native Black and Dalmatie are the two cultivars  I can't wait to further evaluate next year. Both are very sweet rich/complex tasting LARGE figs. Dalmatie is a white fig.  Native Black figs are very dark in color......as black as a Mission fig.  Both have moved to the top 5 best tasting figs in my collection. I need more productivity and rain tolerance data on these two LATE season figs.  Native Black is an heirloom fig brought into the New Orleans area by Italian immigrants.

Joe Morle's White Triana is a real winner and has passed my fig trials with flying colors.....so has LSU Golden Celeste (the amber pulp strain and not the one at UC Davis nor the pink pulp strain).

LSU Scott's Yellow produced some very good tasting brebas for me around June 9th (one month before Celeste figs begin to ripen).  Good breba figs are desired by northern growers. Tree is very productive and has produced three crops of very good tasting figs.

Dan

Fig plants that produced for first time here near Chicago and by first impression real good to "me " only were and have promise.

Ronde de Bordeaux
Dark Portuguese

Had other types that did not give good first impressions.
Look forward to next season when others will produce for first time . 

Dennis:Bataglia green is much better tasting compared to Lindhurst white.
Lindhurst wite is a much ragged and cold hardy,cultivar,suitable for adverse ,climatic conditions where many cultivars will not make it in ground,so it is got it's own merits.
Nero 600 is not the cultivar that Ray Givan is writing about.
It is a new cultivar in the US,and so far I know Nobody else to have it.
My tree is very young ,it was in second year,and so it had a couple of fruits only,yet I see it is a high quality black fig that can outbid Violette de Bordeaux,and Ronde de Bordeaux in the future.
I am evaluating it so I will not say it is a fact,yet that is superior to the 2 i mentioned.

I can also note with certitude that is not just another double to an allready known cultivar,but a genuine separate specymen.
I got it from The owner of Planet fig (eastern France)site,in a trade 2 years ago.
The Paradiso Bronze I have is not the Dusan strain,but a lighter color Paradiso,I got from Henry Lyel as Such and it came from Notorious Zergas cuttings,but nontheless it is a Paradiso,cultivar.
I honestly believe that the Paradiso from Dusan,and Adriano's fig trees is:Paradiso nero,and not bronze.

Herman, I saw that you listed JH Adriatic as a fig to watch next year. I agree.

Just FYI.......My JH Adriatic is late in producing its figs for me this year. Today I ate two that were better tasting than any fig I ate from a mature Strawberry Adriatic fig tree this year. In my area, JH Adriatic definitely has an edge over Strawberry Adriatic for flavor.  I still do not have good rain tolerance data for the JH Adriatic. They always seem to be ripening during dry periods. From my trials.....the Strawberry Adriatic can handle some rain; however, it will definitely split after HEAVY rains and get infested with bugs. Strawberry begins fruiting a month after Celeste begins and as such is a good compliment planting to a lone Celeste tree for extending one's mid season figs in my area.

Dan

Adriatic JH do not split in rain here.
I had them getting ripe while raining,with no splitting.
This is a gem of a cultivar,and the future will confirm my prediction.
I planted 4,all around the yard, just in case

Did I mention that Native Black figs taste FANTASTIC when they fully ripe?? Well I ate several more today and they sure do taste great even when ripening in cooler weather. This large fig is very BIG on flavor. This cultivar appears to be related to Black Mission. It has that same black mission shape.....only it is a much larger fig. The interior pulp is not quite as dense as a Black Mission fig......as the pulp is a bit looser. Some of these figs will ripen to attain that AWESOME rating......sweet and rich/complex tasting.

This fig will surface skin crack early in the ripening process. Many will split at the eye. What is unusual about this particular fig is that the split does not attract fruit beetles. The split does not release any juice and actually HEALS itself and continues to ripen.....very unusual. Some of my VDB figs have done the same thing this year. Native Black continues to be one of the best tasting figs in my collection. It is an Italian Louisiana heirloom fig that definitely is a fig to watch and definitely deserves further testing in other areas.

Dan

Still tasting exceptional figs. JH Adriatic, VDB of Raintree , and Stella. Since protecting fig trees is soo much work here in north nj ; I don't mind a bit as long as I have Gems like these!!!
                                 Stay Well,
                                            Anthony                              

My most promising variant this year is GINO. It gave me about a dozen ripe main crop figs from mid Sept to early Oct. This is a small tree, slightly over two & half ft tall. It had good branching habits. For 2011, I am hopeful the following variants would deliver :

Sequioa
JH Adriatic
Smith
Kathleen Black
Maltese Falcon
Grantham's Royal(Large colored fig -- was away when it ripens)
Latarrula "Red"
Black Tuscan
White Greek

I am please to learn JH Adriatic have performed very well in the Eastern & Southern zones. Hopefully my feedbacks would be similar to compliment JH Adriatic performances reported to-date. Current feedbacks on JH Adriatic seems to suggest it is amongst the best white figs. Appreciation goes to JH for sharing this wonderful find. I have seen JH adriatic pic's as a productive variant. It was unfortunate that I did not have the opportunity to trial a ripe JH fig that I kept one day too long -  it was stolen by the coons/possum.

Herman2  --  is GINO a productive fig ? I am impressed with its small tree size delivering about a dozen ripe figs. Certainly I did pinched some figs off. My tree has good branching habits too. If this variant holds true to its early ripening traits for main crop in Sept., this would be a gem for my zone to compliment DK. The most reliable variant in my zone now is DK. Very promising is Granthams Royal. Hopefully Dauphine too.

i have no clue what would be most likely to do well. but just looking at what is growing the fastest, i'm hoping that my kathleen black will do well. gene's paradiso is also growing fast also. negronne seems to be growing rather slow, but from what i'm reading it seems to be very good fig for everyone. i'm hoping to at least taste all three of them by this time next year. and hopfully have two more fig trees. i think five fig trees will be good enough for awhile.

pete

I have quite a few that look promising and will pay close attentiont to the following next season.

Black Marseilles VS
Black Yugoslavian
Branca
BT-MD
Colasanti Dark
Dalmatie
Doçe
English Brown Turkey
Enrico
Hollier
Large Greek Black
Nardi Black
Pane Vino White
Preto
Sal's EL
Salem Dark
Unk. Black Portuguese
Vincenzo

Paul:Gino is very very productive,and kind of natural dwarf,with bluish leaves and black fruits.

Vasile, this is excellent news. Thanks. Next year I am going to airlayer an extra tree.

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