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Is this English Brown Turkey???

A couple weeks ago while buying some potting mix and checking out the figs for sale at plant world a local Nursery I noticed this fig tree for 20 bucks and since I had some credit at that nursery I purchased it the only thing labeled was fig bush. One thing I did noticed on this plant that have not noticed on any other of my plants is that It has 3 embryos at nearly everynode basically producing allot of twins with a new branch in between the figs. Well anyhow here are some pics hopefully figs will ripen soon and will post pics to comfirm.






103_0514.jpg picture by nelson20vt

Nelson20, Really nice pictures. That is a extremely heavy bearing young fig. If you can track down it's name please post it, on the forum. Also, as to how cold hardy it is and where it originated.


Bob


That main leaf in the pix,and the shape of the fruits is consistent with English Brown Turkey.
The double fruits,habit is not,but nowdays,people use tricks like spraying it with giberelic acid to exhaust itself and look good.for fast sale.I think this is the trick with this one.
The only cultivar known for numerous double fruits like that is called Binello,an italian fig with 3 lobes leaves,and,red interior,oval exterior looking similar to Kadota,but not the interior.

Bob I dont really know any info on the either one of the plants both bought the same day at that nursery and both labeled fig bush, hopefully when fruit ripen we can try and figure out what it might possibly be.

Herman thank you for your reply I agree with the leaf shape and is the reason I bought it.The three embryos is definately a new one for me and dont doubt it was sprayed seems all too commong now a days. The second plant on the last picture on the right has a funny growing habit all the branches seem to weep and is growing bushy.

Here are some pics of the second plant I thought I had posted but clearly didn't.










This one is Similar if not Identical,To DFIC 17 Brown Turkey from UCD,minus the Fig mosaic bad strain coming from the Collection.
Both can be good figs,but middle season,in getting ripe,sooo,full sun is a must if you want ripe fruits on these 2.

Thank you Herman I had a feeling both were some type of Brown Turkey I do have both out in full sun for atleast 11hrs out of the day. Hopefully they ripen some figs as its been very hot the last week hopefully this weather keeps up so we can see exactly what it is. Will definately be keeping both for a while and see how well they do for me.

One of my favorite Fig issues, "Brown Turkey"!

Here's what Condit gives as a description in "Fig Varieties: A Monograph" (downloadable as a PDF of about 3mb from my website: http://sites.google.com/site/kiwifruitsalad2 )
 

    Descriptions of fruit by Eisen and some other authors are not clear, as they are probably confused with similar varieties.  Confusion also exists in some descriptions, as indicated by the two synonyms, Large Blue and Small Blue, with reference to size of fruit.  The following description is from specimens grown at Riverside and Fresno, and as compiled from various English accounts.

    Leaves small, mostly 3-lobed; upper surface dull; upper sinuses shallow and narrow; base subcordate; margins crenate.


 

430                                                                                Hilgardia                                                          [Vol. 23, No. 11

 

    Brebas few, medium, oblique-pyriform, with thick neck that is often curved; stalk up to 1/2 inch long, sometimes swollen toward the body of the fruit; ribs prominent, producing a somewhat corrugated surface; eye medium, open, scales violet-brown; color mahogany brown, tinged with violet; meat white, with violet tinge; pulp strawberry; flavor fairly rich; quality fair.  (Plate 21, D.)

    Second-crop figs medium or below, turbinate or oblate, mostly without neck; average weight 28 grams; stalk up to 5/8 inch long, often thick and swollen at the apex; ribs present, fairly prominent, more deeply colored than body; eye medium, open, with violet-brown scales; white flecks large, conspicuous, scattered; color auburn to burnt umber; pulp amber to light strawberry, practically seedless; flavor sweet, but not rich; quality fair.  (Plate 15,E.)

    Caprified figs violet-brown, bloom prominent; average weight 36 grams pulp strawberry; quality only fair.  Second crop matures over a long season.

                  Rogers (1834) stated that if Lee’s Perpetual—bearing fig is “cultivated as it should be—that is, in pots, under glass—it yields fruit nearly all the year round.”


Given Condit's description of "Leaves small, mostly 3-lobed;" I can honestly say that I have never seen a verifiable "Brown Turkey" tree here in the Puget Sound Region nor a single locally grown ripe "Brown Turkey" Fig grown here in my 19 years of Fig growing. It is likely the variety with the greatest amount of name confusion of any Fig.

Even the USDA/UC Davis genetic fingerprinting has shed no light on what the true "Brown Turkey" is, having stated that "Black Jack" & "California Brown Turkey" are synonyms. Problem is that "California Brown Turkey" is properly known as "San Piero" which is distinctly different from "Brown Turkey"! Perhaps one day this confusion might have some light shed on it, but right now it appears to me that the USDA/UC Davis collection has some mislabeled plants in it that were used in the genetic fingerprinting.

Nelson, I look forward to seeing photos including the interior of the fruit when your Figs from these trees ripen.

kiwibob
Seattle

Kiwibob I got my fingers crossed hopefully atleast one or tow will ripen in time so we can hopelly try and figure out what they are.

Thanks for the info

I have total confidence in what I said they are,and the ripe fruits will show it.
I have both trees,  to compare.

Thank You Herman, no signs of fmv on either plant thus far. The Brown Turkey plant with the weeping branches seems like an ideal plant to go inground as it would be easy to cover up for the winter.

Oops seen some of the links were broken.










That is it,This is the one of the 2 you bought and is English B Turkey.
The other one will be Purple and is DFIC 17 Bt,ususlly a later to ripe.

Thank You Vasile out of the other Brown Turkey's that I have tasted  this one so far is the best tasting one and is only in its first season so im sure with time it will only get better. The other Brown Turkey I have with the horrizontal growth had two figs that turned almost a burgundy colour but the squirls got to them before I did hopefully atleast one of the figs will ripen to see what it tastes like.

Yes it could be good for your,climate.
I started having doubts about English BT,in my climate because this Sommer it was showing that is getting ripe to slow,one by one and so ,in this case many will not ripe at all by the time the frost come.
I will see because so far I only had about a handfull ripe out of 60 fruits.

Vasile to be honest with you I am having the same dilemma, they have been ripening one at a time almost a week apart not sure if its due to the cooler temperatures we have had the last two weeks, but I too only pick one fig at a time.

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