Howdy, all...  First of all, Im talking bugs, not country-club denizens (heheh)

I won a couple of cuttings off of eBay from GardenCrochet.  They were not only speedy in getting my nice, fresh cuttings to me (thanks!) but they threw in a free gift...two cuttings of Stanford.

It's my understanding that this variety is a Caprifig and Im a couple of thousand miles from the nearest fig wasp, so - as generous as the gift is - its pretty unusable for me.  I Hate to waste, so Id like to send these two little jewels to someone who can use them.

1) First choice is to those crazy east coasters who've I have read plan on starting a wasp colony -- cause that is a crazy cool idea if you can pull it off and I like enabling tilting-at-windmills projects. Think that is Greenfin's Idea?? He has first right of refusal.

2) Second choice is to whomever has the beloved little insect and could use a caprifig to good effect.

I just don't want the little fellas going to waste...

James

Thanks for the offer, I'll take them :)

There are no fig wasps in northern Florida?   I don't know why, I figured that there would be. 

Nice offer, nice score. 

Lord I hope not COG -- if I knew there was the wasp here then that would open up a new class of figs and then .... well, I'd be in even more trouble with the Missus....

James Ill send the cuttings out with your Ischia and Scotts' Black.

Thanks NativeSun!

I looked up fig wasps and found that Florida has two native species of fig and a native fig wasp for each one. the literature suggests that the native fig wasps only pollinate its native fig and they do not seemed interested in the imported Caprifig.

I have done a lot of reading, and you are very right,  the Blastophaga psenes is not present in Florida. 

OK, maybe I missed something here but are there wasps in Kansas now?  James are you starting your own colony?

Actually it was my idea and others have toyed with it but Stanford isn't a persistent caprifig so it will not give rise to common fig seeds.  It's a great host for the wasp but all of the seeds will produce smyrna figs or caprifigs.  Once it's producing 3 crops regularly you'll have to get someone to mail you some wasp laden caprifigs to start you off.

What are some popular cultivars of persistent caprifigs?  (are any offered by UC Davis?)

Also, I'm also starting to think it may be challenging to keep caprified fruit from exploding in my greenhouses.  I maintain extremely high humidity levels which can contribute to exploding fruit, and extra expansion from caprification may compound that issue.  So if I start a wasp colony in a greenhouse, I may want to make that particular greenhouse much less humid.  Does that reasoning sound correct?

I saw some earlier posts as I began researching this ... I think JD from Florida was asking for some Caprifigs... Im wondering if it would be possible (even legal) to introduce the species to Florida and what would prevent a successful introduction.  Also would the native wasps not use available types of figs or are they extremely specific (species? cultivar? ) as to what type of fig they need.

This has turned out to be an unexpected, and fascinating, turn of events.

Would this cultivar (Stanford) even produce an edible fig sans wasp? It sure is a beautiful piece of fruit

The reading indicates that each of the native Florida fig species release a perfume that attracts only it's pollinating wasp species.  Any wasp that reaches the wrong tree will result in a failed pollination, both the fig and the wasp larva with fail do to the inability for the fig species to cross pollinate.

Introducing a new fig wasp to the Florida environment "should" have no effect do to the same reason as above.  Yet I'm sure it is very illegal to introduce them, Florida already has pretty of issues with introduced species. 

DFIC 6, 8, 10 and 126 are persistent.  127 has 2 entries for caprifigs, 1 persistent, 1 caducous so I'm not going to mess with that one.  The edible caprifigs should be persistent but I don't know if the wasps will survive the liquid environment.  I have Gillette and Greenfig's Black Prince so I should be able to find out in a few years  :)

I've been suggesting wasp cultivation to the Floridians for a long time now.

http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/fig_wasp.shtml

The text below is from the link above.  There are several more collaborating sites.

If nobody does this in the next 10 years maybe I will do it when I move back to FL and start my fig orchard.  I do think it will require a substantial population of fig trees to support a wild population of fig wasps.  There is at least a chance the f carica wasp can survive in FL.  Maybe it's too hot/humid for them, but certainly winters are mild enough (in some parts at least).  But I'm thinking of grapes.  Most of them don't survive in FL because of the heat/humidity and they perish due to Pierce's disease. 

But it is almost certainly illegal. 

Maybe one of the state universities should do it.  I think there are folks on this board who have some affiliation with one or more.  If you are listening, what are your thoughts?  Maybe you should discuss it with them?  When all the citrus trees die off in a few years due to the greening disease, all those farmers will need something else to plant.  Figs would be one possibility. 

Rob,

Have a look on this very interesting paper...

http://lee.ifas.ufl.edu/Hort/GardenPubsAZ/Ficus_aurea.pdf

It even gives the name/address of the fellow who could tell you a lot on the subject

If many  Americans dream of moving to the southern sunny places for pleasure, what's wrong with letting a tiny and inoffensive bugger go there for 'work' !!?? 

Francisco
Portugal

Thanks Francisco, that's an interesting paper. 

I have read about the strangler fig before.  Interesting plant. 

James (Greenfin) couldn't take the cuttings.  Im going to have to try to  root them myself and start a crusade to introduce the fig wasp to our part of the state.... I will be contacting the University of Florida to see if it is legal and or worth considering

Speaking of this little tilting at windmills experiment, I must beg the question...

Got wasps?  I may need some :)

It may certainly be possible and I am going to try to start the cuttings as an experiment.  If anyone knows that this fig WILL not be suitable please let me know -- I know very, very little about Capri figs / caprification as it is not part of my fig-growing-experience.  I am also checking with our state university to see if it is (A) legal to import fig wasps and (B) if this has been tried before, and if so , the results.

If the men in black will not be taking me away and the folks at the University think it is worth a shot, it is going to be a very interesting experiment.  Florida is looking at many alternatives as our citrus industry is getting the snot kicked out of it by Citrus Greening, so alternative crops, both commercial and for home use, are being explored with a renewed sense of urgency/interest... and figs certainly fit that ...

James