I have recently done an experiment that I didn’t really believe that it would ever succeed.

I bought a package of dried figs from Greece at my local supermarket recently. As I was eating them I decided to remove a few seeds and wash off the sugar from them.

Next thing I did I put them in a small Tupperware in a warm spot to see if they would ever germinate. To my surprise when I had a look at them after 3 weeks some of the seeds started to germinate!

Most probably these seeds were pollinated by insects when they were growing in Greece. Yet, these germinations might end up being male plants whole will not produce fruits. However, it is very interesting to see that it is possible after I read in a few places that this is impossible.

Here is also a proof:

(The image is of a very bad quality but this was the best my camera could do)  

Anyone had any similar experiences?

<Yet, these germinations might end up being male plants whole will not produce fruits. >
Keep in mind that even if they are "Females" They will not produce edible fruits unless they are polinated by male polen via wasp
Only if the male parent of the fig that was producing the supermarket figs was a persistant male caprifig,you stand a small chance to have a few inferior hybrids that will produce some bland fruits.
"BUT",and their is a BUT,"Persistant male Caprifig are very poor polinator,so traditionally they are not used for polination of crop.
I am to nice to tell you that you are not going to be succesfull,and will not get what you want,and let someone else ,or "nature" tell you that.If you want to grow fruitting figs ,find cuttings in your area.
Best Regards

This is just an experiment…

I already have a few cuttings growing therefore I am not counting on these seeds to produce fruits. I will let them grow to see what will happen.
Thanks for the info Herman

From my first set of seeds, 3 never fruited, 2 have fruit the size of a peanut, one is pretty decent, and one (which a friend has) is supposedly the best fig they have ever eaten.

From my second batch, 1 caprifig, 6 haven't fruited yet, 1 is pretty good, and one (based on two fruit its first season) has the potential to be quite awesome.

It is a low percentage game, but when they come up from where birds dropped them, I play with them. 

Jon :Are you talking about your Vista seeds?
Because if you are then it is a different ball game.
Because you have:Vista(partneocarpic,common)+Caprifig(cauducous)=Vista Seedling.
In the Supermarket fig case,chance is zero,persistant,because:
He got:Smirna,other Turkish figs,(cauducous)+Caprifig(cauducous) =All Cauducous Seadling(No persistant figs).
Best Regards

Jon,
I have Enchantment, and encanto vista seedlings,  none have fruited for me yet. Which ones fruited for you?

I did experiment with dried fig seeds ~2 years ago.
Just to see, (any)  first time a fig seedlings in my life....
Tried Turkish smyrna, CA (same) calmyrna  and  mission.
Mission seeds were all duds, the other 2  sprouted and grew like weeds!
Of course, me having a  limited  space to fool around fig-nature, all were destroyed.
George (NJ).
.

The first batch were from Vista Mission seeds. Encanto has fruited and is pretty good. Enchantment has not. The second batch are presumed to be from Black Madeira, as they grew under that tree. The two that have fruited are greenish, not dark as their presumed parent is.

What about this? from http://waynesword.palomar.edu/pljun99b.htm

9. Female trees may also produce apomictic seeds--i.e. without pollination and subsequent fertilization. In general there are two main types of apomixis:

[1] Parthenogenesis (agamogenesis): A haploid or diploid egg within the embryo sac (or diploid cell from 2 fused haploid cells of embryo sac) develops into an embryo. [Formation of haploid cells may involve crossing over during Prophase I of meiosis resulting in some genetic variability.]

[2] Agamospermy: An embryo arises from tissue surrounding the embryo sac. If this involves cells of the nucellus or inner integument it is called a nucellar embryo. Nucellar embryos are chromosomally identical to the sporophyte parent. They are essentially clones of the female tree. Apomictic seeds allow propagation of choice edible fig cultivars (female trees) without the transmission of viruses through cuttings.

Are black mission figs from California viable seeded or will any that sprout be clones?

I kept some seeds from a fig I bought at a street market in Munich, Germany. I put some in a wet paper towel in a zip sandwich bag, and now have little sprouts.
I have planted several and hope to be able to nurse them into a tree.

@hrhcsh, I think you borked up your image link.  Here is the picture that I think you meant to post:

What is the growing rate of figs when grown from seed? 1 year old seedling can be grafted?

Depending how well you grow it you probably could graft (saddle or splice) but why would you?

Would you not want to wait until the fig has proven itself and you know whether it is a good fig on its own?
Or if it proves to be sick or not vigorous you may not want to use it for rootstock anyway. 

For me I was thinking about trying to graft seedling fig trees onto already established in ground tree branches.

I have 600 in ground fig trees planted. If each tree has 100 branches that can be grafted onto. Then it may be possible to get up to 60,000 different fig tree seedlings growing, in a much smaller space than if they were each planted in the ground.

I have not tried it yet, just an idea that's been floating around up there. :)

Is this an attempt to discover a new variety?

Is it true that seedlings are generally super vigorous? I know Harvey said that the fig breeder prunes them as a single upright stem and by the end of the growing season can get them to 4-5 feet with fruit on it (equal or better to alot of cuttings).
If this is true, i think your grafting idea could be onto something figgsy, could grow a ton of super cheap seed root stock one season, and next season graft onto them and even with a modest success rate one could have a ton of relatively large trees after just 2 growing seasons for a good price

Seedlings are vigorous growers. Most of mine grew between 5-8ft the first season. They can start putting figs out as early as six months. Right now about 70% of seedlings have figs forming at a little over one year old.

I like to leave them as is, not trimming to single trunk. I am using them for a privacy hedge, so I want under 10ft dense bushes. All of the branches can have figs on them, not just main trunk. Bush form give you the most chances to get figs.


Also if your seedling produces high quality fruit, a densely branched bush will have many branches to propagate cuttings from.

I have 2 Seedling-Figs what have ripen Fruit with 4 Years without Pollution. The most later. I so happy about this good and extremly winterhard Figs, so i grow more Seedlings. The Seedlings my biggest Trees and all people like have the Tree Kunduz.

hi I planted seeds from ebay I just looked and one is sprouted there from madera be fun just to see what they do or I could graft also .

wow I now have 14 plants with 2 sets of leaves going to move them to cups. hope I get lucky with one good one down the road time will tell.

If no decent fruit they're apparently great for root stock. I have two Persian fig trees started from seed..... Very cool looking....Will be posting pics as they mature...