Geeez, Holy Cow, Dang is there a better dark fig then the KB? Yes I abrev'ed but . . . 
Now I just need to "age" my KB plants 5 years.
Any ideas?

Yes, I have an idea.
Wait another four years. LOL

Where are the pics?

thx. Sorry I'll try and dig'em up. OK here they are but it's not a good picture, sorry.

As For the taste this is only a prelude of good things to come.
The older it gets the more it will surprise you,by improving every year.

Herman,
I got to sample some off the tree in Gene's old front yard on Saturday. I wish I could dig that tree up and take it home. As my plants are from that tree I've seen the future and I can't wait.

Gene Hosey, once told me that once I tasted his Kathleen's Black, I would want to feed Hardy Chicago to the pigs. That's high praise, when you consider that both Deisler, and Ray Givens consider Hardy Chicago one of the best tasting figs.

Our plant has been in ground now for two years, with winter protection. But each winter it has been killed down to the ground. It seems for us to enjoy it, it will  have to be better winter protected then we have done in the past.

Although we specialize in cold hardy figs for the north, we are willing to put up with it's cold sensitivity, and keep trying to get it to bear here.

Bob-zone5 Connecticut

Well certainly Martin and Ray deserve to be listened to, and I love my Hardy Chicago, but Kathleen's Black just seems special and it will be interesting to see what people think once KB gets spread around the community. 
Zone 5 is tough. I moved from 5 to 7 three years ago. I'd love to hear about your experiences with the cold hardy figs you've tried.

I need some basic information.  After doing a quick forum search for "Kathleen's Black", I found little information about the growth characteristics for this variety.

Is it a fast, vigorous grower?  I've read that it is difficult to propagate from cuttings.  Any problems with air-layering?  How many years, approx. does it take for this tree to settle down?  Any growing tips specific to this variety?

Just some general questions, for a quick overview of this variety.

Thanks,

Frank

frank,

KB is very fast growing, vigourous fig. however, some members had problem getting figs off this. some waited over 4 yrs with no figs on it. this is my 3rd year, and i got tired and started pinching it. this was its first year putting out the fig.

the taste is actually improving as the season goes on. the very first one was blah. the last one i had was rather nice, but till not as good as VdB in my opinion. but i have heard if grown in ground, it might perform better. i keep mine in 10 gal tub.

pete

p.s. there should not be any issue with rooting or air layering KB. it's actually hard to kill this one. it grows like a weed.

Frank,
I can't answer most of your questions. Perhaps Herman or Martin or ? can. I can tell you my summer cuttings are rooting but it has taken much longer than the other varieties started at the same time which were/are
Sal's Gene, Excell, Battaglia Green, Sicilian Red, Sotterley, Bremo, Monticello Mystery Purple, Lynhurst White, Sumacki and Brown Turkey (Monticello). It is rooting at just as high a percentage as the others - it's just slower.
I hope that helps.

My own experience w KB is only with cuttings thus far. I seem to have the right environment and had no problems rooting the ones kindly sent to me. I had roots on one in less than 2 weeks. There is a recent thread with pictures, but 'search' does not seem to be working at the moment.

This is one I'm greatly looking forward to tasting. Well, I guess they all are, lol.

i  have to say.....Hardy Chicago is the best tasting fig for an mid season fig.  HC when picked just right is amazing.  But make sure you're sitting down when you bite into one KB because that fig may make you pass out!

OK...now we're cooking with gas!    Thanks for the short and sweet answers.

I thought after reading some things about this Kathleen broad, I thought she was gonna give me trouble.  A real bi-ach!  But now, I can see that she's a proper, and refined, Grande Dame, and I'll treat her with my complete attention.  : )))  She was pouting for a while in July, but I think she's coming back to life now.

Interesting that there's really not a problem with cuttings, air-layers, etc.

OK...I think we can be friends after all.

Frank

mgginva,
Played with your photo in photoshop...hope you don't mind.
Sue

Sue looks better - perhaps you can fix some other photos for me. . . just kidding.

Here's my KB. 

enjoy,

Sure that's not a Black Mission?

Now now Jason, you should know better.  You can't tell much from a fig by looking at it.  However, feel free to contact the person I bought my Kathleen Black from.  His initials are VS.  To answer your question, I am sure it is not a Black Mission.  That picture listed was taken last year.  My two container KBs have no ripe figs yet.  But my Black Mission has been fruiting the past 3 weeks. 

cheers!

Are there any photos of the original tree(s) around....or, photos of older, established trees growing in yards?  Can anyone venture a guess as to who has the oldest "Kathleen's Black" on the forum?

Most/All of the photos  show young treelets, not, large established trees that might have been growing in grandpa's yard for the last 30 years.

???????????????????????

Frank

Dennis, this is my Black Mission.  See any similarities?  Note: these were picked after a heavy rain, and the ones with brown interior also had the most split flesh, so ... keep in mind that the one with the least splitting and pinkest interior is the typical sample from this tree.

http://goo.gl/r8hmy

That is why I'm asking if you're sure it's not a Black Mission.  BTW - my BM also hs freckles until the fruit is just passing ripeness.  Pics were taken with Blackberry, you can't see them so well.

Jason, I see your point.  The leaf pattern on my 2 trees are not the same.  I remember that post you referenced.  There are so many figs that "look like" some other fig. 
Marseilles Black VS look like my Brown Turkey. 
Sal's look like Hardy Chicago,
Stella looks like Adriatic. 
Adriatic looks like Verte,
Petite Negra looks like Aubique Petite,
Byadi looks like Marseilles White
Conadria looks like Georgia White
Celeste looks like Blue Celeste
LSU Black looks like Scott's Black
 and the list goes on and on........
 
This is the reason why I started buying as many fig trees as I could here and on eBay.  To find out for myself what these varieties are and discard the ones I dislike.  All I can say now is "welcome to the world of figs".

How bout those figs!!!!!!! 

Jason:You got a California Black Mission there.
It is not Kathleen Black.
Why ,it is not :Because I grew it,and it dies to ground every year here and produce late fruits that will never ripe.
Kathleen Black is a robust specimen ,adapted to cold climates,a fig that is known to have been grown in Washington DC area,for a couple of hundreds years,and large ,Mission like looking trees are known to exist in Washington DC area.
This tree must have been imported by some big shot ,In Wash. DC,and it made it there over the years it adapted to resist cold Winter.
I grew,about 5+,Black Mission kind,like Texas Black Mission,Alex Black Mission,California Black Mission,Malta Black Mission,and a couple of Black Mission that turned out to be mediocre brown figs,and The only one that resist Winter here and ripe fruits in time is Kathleen Black.
There are other black Fig that look like Kathleen Black some of good repute like Noire de Caromb,but I am content with Kathleen black as being the most adapted to the Atlantic coast,and in better climatic conditions will surpass all the others in producing large harvest of wonderful tasty fruits year after year.
My tree now 6 years old has a main trunk of 5 inches diameter ,and it  never died down,this trunk is the original it started with.
That is why it is different!

Edit Note:I forgot to note ,That I have another Mission in trial,2 years old that come from Riverside New Jersey,and it was given to me by Al,(northeasternewbe),and he collected cuttings from a tree that according to him is 20 foot tall and wide and in ground .
It does have Mission leaf type,but green tips and stems so I will see if this one is a worthy tree or not ,in another couple of years because it did not fruit yet.

Herman, are you saying that Kathleen's Black is a Mission variant?

Bob-zone 5 Connecticut

Thanks Herman!  For those who don't have a Kathleen Black......GET ONE!!!!!

Kathleen Black is the new Ronde de Bordeaux.

Robert:Possible,It could be a healthy strain of Mission,that successfully adapted to Wasington DC area.
The same could be said about Noire de Caromb,that it could have adapted well to grow in south of France.
The French sources insist the Noire de Caromb was originally imported from Afghanistan,and that is possible too.
One fact is sure:Some California Mission strains do look like Kathleen Black,and Noire de Caromb,so they must be related at one point in the past,but not today.
All other attempted trial to grow a California Mission type fig in the northeast,is known to end in failure due to the fact the cultivar is too tender for north east conditions.
Texas Mission,makes extra large fruits,that need longer Summer than we have ,it has the taste .
Malta Mission,makes one third smaller fruits ,otherwise it is Mission looking,and it has the taste.
California Mission is distinct because it show more FMV on leaves and is tender.
Alex Mission was California Mission.
2 Others turned ,mediocre hybrids.