Hi,

I've been lurking for a while, learning so much, getting addicted to figs...sounds familiar, right?

At any rate, this is my first post...

I have a Brown Turkey fig that's grown through the pot into the ground.  This is the second year we're getting figs from it.  But the quality is hit or miss.  Some are sweet, juicy, fabulous.  Others are bland but still juicy.

I try to let them ripen (in organza bags) on the tree until they droop or fall off, when they are very soft and look almost damaged in some spots.  But the flavor is still not predictable.

Is this normal for the quality to be so uneven?  Is it because it's a young plant?  Or is that typical of figs in general?

Aloha,
Alina

Many of the big figs like BT have poor quality when they are getting too much water. Water status of the plant is related to weather, irrigation, plant size age and rooting. Yours has rooted into ground and has access to more water esp during rainy and humid weather.

Other varieties may be less affected by excess water. I like the smaller figs that shrivel as they ripen like Strawberry Verte. Even it suffers quality loss during rainy weather. Maybe try some of the figs that do well in the southeast like LSU selections.

I am still searching for a Brown Turkey that is 'sweet, juicy, fabulous". My experience is bland and semi-sweet.

From my limited experience figs vary every year based on numerous reasons so I tend to think all figs will be the same. Our trees growing up in New Orleans varied in production and taste annually. Very hot summers forced the figs to ripen early and they did not develop the sweetness of a cooler summer. Same with rain, too much the figs would swell and crack and the wasps and ants got them all. Too dry the trees shed young figlets so production was down. My parents did not eat the figs and the trees grew without any care. Also growing up with Celeste trees in our yard makes my fig choices related to Celeste as my baseline for taste. To me a Celeste/TN Mountain is the epitome of a Southern brown/purple fig so far. In a good year the taste and texture is a dream fig. I have many varieties growing but only VdB, LSU purple and Gold have impressed me. But, out of 50 small trees in pots only 5 have produced figs so far, so my fig adventure is really just beginning.  Once I determine what will grow and taste good I will weed my collection down. I have great hope for the black figs and some white and yellows I have. Last year I almost broke down when my Celeste (in ground) dropped all figs in our drought while I was on vacation. I harvested none last year.

I encourage you to do the same, find what works for you, there are many BT fans out there and it could be I just have never had a good BT fig. My BT hates me or the location. Both it and my Celeste we purchased at the same place, time and size and planted 20 feet apart. The BT has stayed under 2 X 2 foot. The Celeste is 7 X 7 foot and has been trimmed, it has produced for two years. The BT even froze to the ground this year and was my only "loss". The Celeste is looking beautiful. I will see what happens with it this year before I move it to the back of the property for bird food.  Maybe the freeze back will invigorate it this year. I will say this, I find it interesting that the BT was not used for much in the research and development of new varieties and may explain why all of the LSU figs I have tasted I like....they came from Celeste stock. I have had good Texas Everbearing figs and rumor is they are a BT. Who knows with figs and all the different names for the same fig....         

Welcome Alina.

Brown Turkey is usually hit and miss. I am trialing 60 varieties in Hawaii.

The top in flavor so far are.

1. Figo Preto
2. Napolitana Negra
3. Ronde De Bordeaux
4. Violet De Bordeaux
5. Grise Olivette
6. MBVS
7. LSU Purple
8. Peter's Honey

Rain resistent varieties

1. Flanders
2. Conadria

Requires dry weather conditions to be top quality.

1. LSU Hollier
2 Wuhan
3. Brown Turkey
4 Napolitana Negra
5. Ronde De Bordeaux

Sid, do you have the wasp in Hawaii?

@cjccmc: No fig wasp in Hawaii.

The Brown Turkey sold by Petal from the Past isn't a true BT.  It originated from Italy according to one of the professors at the nursery.  I had 3 larges one.  The ambrosia beetle got one, now I have 2 large ones.  The tree has a red center and has an amazing flavor and taste.  If you can get one of those, get it!  But its not extremely hardy.  May have to cover in some climates.

Welcome to the forum.

When in pot, your biggest concern when it comes to flavor is over/under watering. If your watering is off, you'll never get consistent results And by the time you realize that something is not right, the season is over.
If you forget to water once on a hot summer day, you end up stressing your tree and your fruit quality will be the first thing to suffer. If you overwater, you will dilute the flavor to say the least.
Since not all fruit ripens at the same time, picking fruit a day or so earlier or later than you should is not recommended.
I'm certain that some fig varieties need more watering than others, while others prefer the right amount of water in order to deliver the quality that you seek.
Root overheating is another thing to take into consideration and avoid if possible, when you seek tasty fruit.
The name of your variety does not matter. You'd have to get to know your tree and try to find the optimum conditions needed for a tasty crop.
I don't know which BT you have, but there are some delicious BT's out there. One of them is the Vern's Brown Turkey.

Very well said Sas. VBT is awesome! I have 4 of them. Mine are not huge trees but they do produce without any doubt.

Welcome!  Many people feel that BT is an inferior fig.  Not Dennis, though  :)  A lot depends on your weather.  You don't state but does your, "aloha" mean you're from Hawaii?  Location is key to determining which plants should do best for you.

In my travels across the US, I eagerly look for figs and fig trees. I found an old tree years ago in Charlotte. The owner was home and I knocked on his door. He came out. We chatted, he asked me to come back next week and I did.

Some of the old members might remember that post I submitted when I went to what I thought was a BBQ but was really a funeral! Days prior the home owner asked me to come back on the weekend so he could take cuttings from his amazing back yard tree. Little did I know true home owner died! The folks there were honoring him. Boy I will never forget that!

But yeah, I seek fig trees where ever I go. Some Brown Turkey fig trees are mislabeled. Especially those at your local hardware store. So when a person tells me they have a brown turkey, I ask them to describe the color flavor size and taste. There are a lot people out there who believe all figs are the same. I've found some to be rare black figs from Europe! I've found 2 that were black figs without fmv. Today they are in my collection. And they are spectacular!

Thanks for the input, everyone!

Yes, I'm in Hawaii, but at a much lower altitude, so more sporadic rain, and no chill at all.  Not having the cold makes it harder to get things like pepper, tomatoes, etc that like cool night temps.  The plants will grow; the fruits, not quite so easy.

Brown Turkey is supposed to be "well adapted" to Hawaii...whatever that means.  I guess it means it will grow pretty much in most areas, from our mesic desert and beachsides, to mossy valleys.

I'm trying to get the hang of watering.  Still trying to get better success with starting cuttings.  At least I now have 12 or so varieties I was able to start from cuttings!  That's progress!

And yes, I have some of the LSU varieties, and some that you mentioned, Sid, like Peter's Honey, LSU Purple, Conadria, Flanders.  Also trying to grow stuff that works in the south, like Celeste.

I guess I have to just try and see, observe and learn, just like you all.

Brown Turkey may not taste good to some, but it was my first home-grown fig, and I was blown away.  I never expected juicy, sweetness from something so plain looking, that we normally eat as a dry fruit.  Needless to say, I was hooked...

Not that any of you would understand, huh?  What kind of crazy person would spend so much time/money/effort growing so many fruits they've never even tasted before?  And multiple varieties of the same fruit?  haha

Congratulations!  Starting trees from cuttings is a rite of passage.  BT is better in hot, humid places like the SE than it is for those of us with real winters so I don't know what yours is like.  But wait till you taste Celeste!