I have a(nother) planting site that is below a stone retaining wall, the bottom of the tree will always receive sunlight only from 10 am to 2 pm. Once the tree grows past 6 ft. it will get full sun up top. I want to plant a Gino, but am worried that it might not be the best choice because I read that Gino is a smaller plant, so it would spend longer growing in the shaded zone. But maybe it will get all tall and leggy like other figs I have seen in the shade?
Any thoughts are appreciated, I am digging out the rosebush that is planted there now later this week.

Gino is too good of a fig when ripe ,to risk planting it in shade and by doing so,the plant will make less fruits in zone 7 ,which is normal.
No fig in zone 7 will produce a good harvest in the shade.
If it was  zone 10 yes,it would have helped a little shade!

Man!  Gino is one amazing fig tree!  I love the flavor and taste of those figs!  Beautiful looking tree when the figs start to ripen!  Here are a few pics of mine which is in planted in my orchard now.  But I got 2 more in 20 gallon containers.  Flat out a good fig to have!

Fair enough, thanks for all the advice. I was excited about the spot because it is so protected, but what good is that if the figs don't get ripe?

Noss- Think I might pay a visit to an abandoned tree that I know of that is over 20 ft and edit: air layer that bad boy! a trunk for that spot. Good idea, I can still pick the figs from above the wall and then prune it down every winter.

Herman- Thank you for the advice, I would hate to do this fig a disservice. edit: I will keep this one in a pot.

Dennis- Great looking plant, I have planted 2 Gino's in an ideal spot already and can't wait to try some figs.

Can anyone compare Gino's fig to say Hardy Chicago or Black Marseilles? What makes Gino's stand out? Flavor, size, production, color- anyone with more details or photos on this fig? A kind and generous F4F member shared a nice Gino's tree with me and I'm curious to know more about this fig. Thanks guys (+ gals).

Hello Dr Leion, I'm sure VS will chime in. Here is my observation. I have all 3 of these growing side by side in my orchard beside another good fig....Don Fortis! Gino is just as hardy as HC, MVS and DF. Gino's figs are slightly a tad bit larger, rounder and more prolific than these others except DF. I'll look around and see if I have any more pics.

Thank you Dennis. Your feedback is well appreciated.

Well it has darker interior exterior,and I like the taste and flavor better,compared to HC and Marseilles vs Black.
Don Fortissi Black in my opinion ,is identical to Gino"s fig,as I grew them side by side for a while and ,they both have bluish Leaves ,and very Black fruits,much darker than HC and Marseilles vs black

Yes I forgotten to Mention Gino is slower to grow and it will remain a smaller tree compared to Marseilles vs black and HC.
In my opinion Gino is a fig that is as close in quality of fruits as possible to Ischia Black.
I had a few fruits of Ischia Black and can tell you the interior exterior is as close as it can be in color except Gino is round,and of course I would estimate Ischia Black can be higher in taste and flavor by a notch when not infected by the extreme fig mosaic virus case.
So far Gino is the substitute of Ischia Black in my Garden.

Herman, do you consider Gino's fig better tasting then Kathleen's Black fig????

No,but if Summer is hot and long they will be at the same level of quality of course totally different in Flavor and Taste.
And of course if Winter is Mild Kathleen black will have a lot of extra large Breba while Gino,only a handful,plus Katleen black makes larger main crop,so ,comparing the 2 is like eggs and nuts,compared.

Herman, how old was your Gino's fig before it started having that bluish cast to it's leaves?

You know Herman...Gino and Don Fortis might be the same!  Both are in my orchard about 12 feet from each other....Hmmmm.  I need to go check this out.  My Gino is younger and smaller than my Don Fortis.  I hope they are the same that way I can move Gino from the ground to a pot and add a new tree in it place.  Hmmmm.

Dennis, Herman's mature Gino's fig has a bluish tint to it's leaves. are you saying that Don Fortisi's fig also has a bluish tint to it's leaves, also? 

Robert,I noticed the Bluish leaves only when was about 4 years old and was planted in between Italian Honey on left side and English Brown Turkey on right side.
at that point I took a picture and I could see all theree figs in the pix,and Gino had Bluish leaves while the ones on the sides had normal green leaves.
That is when I went farther from the tree line and look at them and yes I could also see that Gino had bluish leaves while the other 2 ,green normal leaves.
Don Fortissi Black was in a different row and one year younger.
When Don Fortissi grew at about the same size as Gino,it too had bluish leaves.
Dennis:Tho these 2 figs look similar and make similar fruits,I think that the adaptability to cold is different with Gino being hardyer.
That is because tho they come from Italy,they came from 2 Different sources,and one person might have been living in Northern Italy while the other in Southern Italy,so they adapted differently to cold.
I made a mistake when I said they are identical,because they look very similar but adaptability is different

Herman, I believe in a previous  post you had mentioned that the VDB from Raintree is in fact Gino's and less hardy. Do you believe that over time this cultivar can adapt to the cold just as well?

 Pete

PHD :I had a Violette de Bordeaux originating from Raintree that was Identical to Gino,but that was true in that particular year,because Raintree order plants from Wholesaler,and at the present Time they  may have Genuine Violette de Bordeaux.
Not only That ,but it might have been that they sent a Gino fig ,instead of Violette de Bordeaux by Mistake,and that was not done with every sale.
It is a fact tho,that my Friend Antonio Esposito bought a Violette de Bordeaux from Raintree ,and gave me cuttings and when I grew them ,i noticed ,that yes the plant was identical to Gino fig.
Later Antonio got cuttings from my Gino fig and his conclusion was the same as mine ,in that the plant he bought from Raintree was identical to my Gino's fig.
He never complained to Raintree because Gino is just as good tasting as Violette plus is better in rain.
After that he acquired Violette from Fred Born,and from Edible Landscaping so now he keeps them all.
As about Hardiness ,the plant from Raintree is not as hardy as Gino's fig,I concluded after about 5 Winters here so in the Fall of 2011,I sold the mature plant to a farmer in Virginia,that bought many figs from me and of course at a fraction of what they were worth.

Herman, thanks for the info. This year a friend of mine gave me a small tree that came from his mother tree . He told me it was a VDB from Raintree. However the leaves look more like Hardy Chicago than VDB, so I believe my tree is in fact a Gino or possibly Hardy Chicago, I guess I will find out this summer when I taste the fruit.
 Pete

Forgive my ignorance but aren't there a lot of Ginos?  I know there's a Geno.  Any way for us troglodytes to tell which one you're talking about?

Herman2 introduced the variety, the full name in Gino's Black. I do not see it in F4F database, but am pretty sure H2 will  continue to sell cuttings and trees in the future.

Here is the pix I am talking about.
Observe the side ,green leaVES,figs compared to Gino
gino fIG,IN CENTER!

That is a very impressive photo Herman. Thank you.

Awsome photo Herman, I like the shape of the leaves also. They make a pretty pattern.
"gene"

Very pretty color on plant and also i like the shape of those leaves.
Thanks for the pictures once again.

Herman,
Are you sure that this pic was not doctored?
I do see some blue-hase around.
Or is it your camera setting?