Hi, a retired friend lives most of the year about 20 miles south of La Ribera, Baja California Sur Mexico,  [23.596711,-109.577564]



Average weather for the area:   http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=983030


He has a nice garden, growing vegetables, citrus, passion fruit, etc. He is a good farmer and is successful at growing many different different things.

I asked him if he has ever grown figs. He said that he tried but he doesn't think the weather gets cool enough for dormancy.   I hear that figs grow all over the tropics so I am not sure that's the issue

I was thinking...maybe the figs he tried weren't able to handle the summer heat there, or maybe the ground has an excess of salt  [it is only 100 yards from the seashore but the citrus and other plants do just fine]

Do you think maybe he just tried the 'wrong' varieties? 
(I was going to suggest that he go to some of the little villages and ask if anyone is growing figs and would be willing to give him some cuttings.)

Can anyone suggest some varieties? he is miles from any town and  so they would need to be figs not dependent on fig wasps.


Thanks!

Paul

If he can grow citrus, he can grow figs.  Many people grow figs near the sea, so that can't be a problem.

Suzi

I agree with Suzi.  When I lived in Lake Havasu (zone 9), my trees never did go dormant the year it didn't freeze.  They produced fruit following year just fine.  I had a kadota, several VDB's, and a local (to Lake Havasu) unknown.   

Figs should do fine down there.

I came across some articles last year that concerned historic fig, pomegranates, etc., that grow in the southwestern parts of the States and in Baja California.   One of the articles is here http://www.academicjournals.org/ijbc/pdf/pdf%202010/Apr/Nabhan%20et%20al.pdf titled Desert Oasis as Genetic Refugia of Heritage Crops:  Persistence of Forgotten Fruits of Mission Orchards of Baja California, Mexico    I have some other articles related to this but am not at home to find them.   This article is not specific to the exact area where you friend lives, but sheds some general light on the region and what was grown there. 

  Here is another interesting resource, although not directly related to where your friend lives http://www.desertmuseum.org/center/kinocontext.php?print=y

   I think that where your friend lives, there should not normally be a problem growing figs unless there is something wrong with the soil where he tried a fig before.   I have forgotten how tolerant figs are to soil salts.   There are bound to be some figs growing in his area and should ask some locals about growing higos and if there are any higos in the area.  Local folks will know this.

  I just came back from the central region of Mexico and know that you can rely on local folks for that type of information.   

Ingevald

 

I really think that is perfect fig climate. I own land on the east cape and in the corridor. I am planning to plant tons of figs and mangoes there one day.

@Forrest -- good selection, especially mangoes. Add papayas too. Man, looks like your place is a must visit if I am down that way.

It can get humid down there around fig season with tropical storms pushing through.  You may want to try varieties that work well in the south.

Thanks everyone. Yes it sounds like the ideal place to grow figs.  I did a "Google Maps Street View tour of Santa Anita, the first town north of the Los Cabos Airport and saw lots of mango trees, including one with fruit [23.181698,-109.701431].


I really need to have my friend explain his situation....is he having problems propagating/growing the fig trees, or are the figs just not ripening? If the latter, maybe he tried Smyrna figs and there are no wasps in their area. 

@Forrest - yep he's in East Cape,  closer to Cabo Pulmo than La Ribera

@padsfan - it does get really humid there so choosing a Southern-friendly variety would be smart



I found out there is a Fig Tree Beach ("Playa Higuera") in the vicinity, named as such because of a big fig tree

http://www.cabosanlucasbeaches.com/figtreebeach.htm

The info on that page is misleading because the description (35 miles south of la Ribera) differs from the location on the embedded Google Maps (somewhat NORTH of La Ribera), that's nearly 40 miles off.

Here's a larger picture of that fig tree.... can anyone tell if it's Ficus Carica?

Hi, I have been to fig tree beach, I wasn't into figs at the time but my recollection is it didn't look anything like carica.

I wouldn't say it humid there from my experience. It's probably the driest beach you'll ever walk on other than by the Salton Sea, and mangoes do insanely well, including dry loving Indian types. You bet I'll plant papayas Paul, I've got the whole tropical garden of Eden planned, trust me! Anyone will be welcome to come hang as long as they like :)

@Forrest, it's definitely a special part of the world...the most amazing sunrises I have ever seen, and so different every day. I've been five or six times, and hope to return next autumn.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/559217_4988283910008_1705350530_n.jpg

Paulandirene that could be Ficus palmeri or similar. anyway someone grows Ficus carica in tropical Indonesia. I wouldn't see why not. I saw a Pomegranate full of fruit in Tulum, Quintana Roo state Mexico, that probably is a more humid and tropical location. The Pomegranate, mediterranean plant looked happy and was full of really many fruits, that was back in May.