Thank you very much, it's very nice to receive a welcome so warm.

Yes jdsfrance, there is the wasp, but i think i have almost only parthenocarpic varieties, maybe some of my new varieties are san pedro, i have to check.
I'd like to try to grow figs that require caprification, like Smyrna types.

I would appreciate if someone could explain to me how to purchase from Montserrat, perhaps with a private message, if you cannot publicly.

Buon venuto Fico

Hi Fico
Welcome to the forum
Congratulations
It's not usual to read a member interested to grow Smyrna varieties
These are excellent figs. Please protect your Caprifigs.
I may help you with scions of a couple of such varieties and/or San Pedro from Portugal, and now is the time!!... here some pics.

cheers
Francisco
Portugal
(zone 11)

       

Thanks to all!

Hi lampo,
i have had exchanges of cuttings with some portuguese, i received Colhão de burro, Três num prato, Pingo de mel. 
Very nice figs in your pictures, i heard that portuguese varieties are among the best; what variety in the photos?

I'm interested in figs that require caprification, for me it's a fascinating practice, and i'm curious to see the results. I read that in common varieties can even be counterproductive.

Caprifigs are very common here, people don't know caprification, and not practice caprification, at least in my area. 

If you are interested, we can exchange! I've some interesting varieties, i think it would be perfect for portugal.

Welcome to the forum, Fico!
Here in California I often visit farmer's markets. In the season, you can see people selling a lot of figs.
I like to start a fig discussion , I am often surprised how open people are and what you can learn. I am sure the markets at your place are no different.

Thank you greenfig,
here is another world. I live in a very small village, figs are hard to find for sale,
but fortunately if people want a fig there are a lot of plants in the countryside, and just go to pick them up.
Many people also have orchards for personal consumption. In other areas it's easier to find them, where, of course,
those who want to eat them is forced to buy them because there aren't.
It must be said, that the fig is good only if it's perfectly ripe, and in the markets the figs for sale are picked unripe.
Those who have never eaten a fig just picked from the plant has never really eaten a fig!

Fico, welcome to the forum. Even over here the markets sell unripe figs. I worked many years as a produce manager in a large supermarket chain and found that when the figs were nice and ripe most people thought they were going bad and would not purchase them. I would try to explain but no use, I would often have to reduce to sell. What a shame. Of course I knew better :).

Hi Fico,

The first 3 pictures on my previous msg show Inchário Preto and Inchário Branco figs.
Both are Smyrna fruit and caprification is mandatory.
These are among our best figs, both for the table (fresh) and/or dried, for winter consumption

Caprification is good for ALL figs but you have to be wise at the time of pollination (generally by mid June) not to allow excessive numbers of insects to approach your figs.

The big figs on the 4th picture are Lampeira Preta (a San Pedro variety) showing the first brebas by the 3rd week of May and a main (second) crop in September. This second crop to ripen needs pollination.

For a start these 3 exceptional varieties are a good choice for you to initiate your field  trials with the Caprification process . You shall receive my PM soon.
The Portuguese varieties you say to have already traded are great also.

Living in a small village in the countryside you should be well positioned to learn from the local older people and get 'hands on' experience on most matters related to caprification, rooting and grafting scions, pruning, fertilizing, etc...
Can you please send pictures of your figs and Caprifigs ??
Are your figs rooted in ground or in pots ??

Francisco
Portugal

In a country when a product is not common, it's normal that people doesn't know its characteristics.
I think that also in most Italian cities ripe figs be discarded, figs aren't a fruit common like apples or bananas,
and not all know them well as more common fruits.
Fig is a special fruit, and if there is a forum like this , it means that there are many to think this!

Lampo, i've seen your photo album, congratulations!
Unfortunately older's people wisdom is a wealth that is disappearing, since people, to eat fruits and vegetables,
no longer needed to cultivate, because it was in a supermarket.
Many people abandoned orchards and gardens, trees of ancient varieties have been cut off, and agronomic pratices have become prerogative
of a few people.
I ask olders especially to know varieties names.

I will post photos as soon as possible.
I've not caprifigs in my orchard, but i could plant them if necessary.
My figs are all rooted in pots. Since some time i make root my cuttings in a plastic bag, and when well rooted, i put them in a pot. The plant grow in the pot during spring and summer,
then is transplanted in the ground, during autumn or winter.
This year i'm also experimenting rooting in the ground of big cuttings, we will see the results in a few weeks...
waiting for PM...

Fico, welcome to the forum!

Fico,

PM sent

Hello Fico!  Welcome to the forum. 

I have been a member for a long time, but only pop into the forum now and then.  I have time now due to a bad cold.  

We have just enough trees for our family and neighbors.  I have many favorites and welcome new trees now and then.  I live in a Mediterranean climate in Southern California, USA, where it rarely freezes, and if it does, it doesn't last long.  I start cuttings under an orange tree in the shade, laid vertically in the dirt in trenches.  When they grow, they get potted until big enough to go to their final home in the ground, on our property.  We are on a hillside overlooking a small town, and there are no fresh figs for sale in stores here either.  You need to grow them if you want fresh ones, and I think I am the only person around here that does!  I've driven the streets of this area, and never seen one fig tree, which surprises me since they grow so well here.  There are huge commercial citrus orchards though, and we have citrus trees too.

Your fig photos are beautiful and the figs look tasty!  After 4 - 5 years of collecting figs, there are some favorites that I keep back-up figs in pots.  We do have gophers here, and they love the roots of fig trees.   We all have specific things we like in a fig.  I love sweet, honey, juicy flavorful figs.  Not a fan of dry figs.  I would not give up the Kadota or Mary Lane Seedless in the Yellow varieties.  Green outside with red inside, so far Verte is by far my favorite, and my Bourgosette Gris that has never produced, has tons of figs on it so it might be a favorite too.  I am not sure yet which dark fig is my favorite.  Violette de Bordeaux is a little to dry in this climate for me.  The birds got to Ronde de Bordeaux, so not sure.  Hardy Chicago and Black Mission are equally good, but I don't LOVE either one.  LSU Scott's Black is just a baby.  Marseilles vs Black got planted on a side hill that is hard to navigate, so nobody got down there to taste it's fruit. 

We have a saying here about trees planted in ground.  "First year they sleep.  Second year they creep.  Third year they leap!"  That seems to be the way of trees here.  All my trees, grapevines and roses in ground follow that pattern.  The first year fruit is never as good as that that comes when the tree is more mature.  These things take time.

Enjoy the forum.  Lots of knowledge here.  Look forward to your posts.

Suzi

Lampo, i replied to the PM.

Thanks DesertDance, but figs on the pics aren't mine, are lampo's pics. 
It's strange that there are no figs in your area! I think that the dark-skinned figs are tastier,
 but i'm ready to be proven wrong.

Poking into the phone, i found some pics taken in january, of inground cuttings.

I used this technique:  dug a hole wide enough and deep, filled with good soil, and i put the cuttings,
in oblique-horizontal position,leaving only protrude a few centimeteres. I chose a damp spot under 
a rock, but well drained and fertile.These are big cuttings, some of almost 70-80 centimeters.   
   

My father used another technique: he put cuttings, bent to "L" shape, in a deep and large hole, 
but burying only the bottom of the cutting. Soil is clayey.

I've posted an identical topic like this with pictures, but i made a mess with pics.
Images trespassed the edges and made it impossible to read. There's a way to post pics
that to be displayed should be clicked? 
      
      
   





































l

.

You can get an account at tinypic.com and upload your photos there.  There are other photo hosting sites you can use also. 

I may try your rock method.  Our hillside is covered with boulders, but it's hard to find where they stop.  Some just get wider under the dirt..........

Suzi

Ciao Cl....!

Nice you followed my suggestion to join figs4fun. Your cuttings have been callusing, yet. Think roots will appear next week.
Like the first few hours showed, here are many many people being interested in what you can tell about sardinian figs.

I'm looking forward to your pics in the summer.

Greetings from Munich!

Bernd

Welcome Fico! I'm a newbie here as well. Lots of great info and people here. Looking forward to seeing your pics!

Hello!
I try again to post the pics of cuttings planted directly in ground.

Welcome to the forum Fico...

Fico, wow!  Those are huge cuttings stuck into the ground.  How much is below in relation to what is above.  You know me!  I love the ways of our fathers.  I like just planting figs in dirt and there is no stress with that!  My only success has been with cuttings in dirt.  Gonna try a new method this weekend, not with figs, with my dying lime tree.  So going with perlite.  Just an experiment.  I owe a Winery owner a gift, and they are Italian.  My big job is to bring them some really good fig cuttings, but the problem is, nothing went dormant here.  We never had winter yet.  So, gonna try to root a few tips, but worst case, I'll air layer, which I do not wish to do!  A pain!!
Suzi

Fico, you have a private message from me.  I hope you know how to access it.  If not, I'm wondering which side of the boulder to plant the cutting in the manner you describe.  North, South, East, West.  Which is best?

Thanks!

Suzi

Welcome Fico.

welcome Fico!   Reading your post is like taking a mini vacation from my  home.  It will be fun the follow your journey to acquire the old figs and learn about them.  Most exciting will be your sharing with us.   I am newbie also and your english is just fine.   Joyce

Welcome Fico

Ciao e benvenuto, Fico!

Benvenuto Fico
Mario Di Natale from Wallingford Ct ,USA originally from the mountains of Abbruzzo near Teramo