Greetings fellow fig freaks. I just wanted to share the progress on my first set of fig trees I started from cuttings. I posted about these a while back because the leaves had all turned yellow, and y'all advised me to get them into the shade, which is just what they needed. All 8 trees are thriving. Thanks to you all for the guidance and inspiration!

These are an unknown variety that I cut (Feb. 2013) from the fig tree I grew up with. That tree was taken from cuttings from my Grandmother's tree in Fresno, CA, which in turn was taken from cuttings from a tree on my grandparent's farm in Sicily in the 1940's. I grew up eating these figs and it means a lot to me that I was able to obtain some cuttings, since my parents passed away many years ago. They have a thick green skin that we always peeled off. They are white and fuchsia streaked on the inside. They are not jammy sweet, but they taste "just right" to me.

One of the reasons I posted this today is that I just noticed that all of the trees are continuing to set new leaves, and two of the trees have little baby figs on board! Shouldn't they be going dormant this time of year? Should I remove the fruit? I am in Zone 9 - Fallbrook, CA.

Half of these trees are going to be gifts for my four sisters. Is now a good time to put the rest of them in the ground?

You've done a beautiful job on these Paul, congrats!

I can't answer about putting in ground, I don't because of crawly nasties in our soil.

they use too much energy in figlets, yes, take a cool picture and snip them. Good luck bringing the ancenstry fig line to the new generations. Best of luck there. 

I need to send you cuttings to grow from me !! Beautiful job.

They look fantastic.  great job.

Very good job with the trees.  Thanks for sharing the pics.

 Cyberfarmer,  You must have a genetic talent for growing figs.  Those are  so verrrrrrrry heathy looking plants.  WOW!!!!  IDK if that is the result of the variety or of your care, but you must have done it right!   
Soni

They do look good here in zone 6 we had a first frost a few nights ago. All the leaves are looking bad as the trees are going to sleep now. I'm sure you still have a lot of time there in 9

I was also impressed with the way they look, Must have a Green Thumb.....Maybe Miracle Gro....LOL

very nice job

I got a private message from someone who thought I altered the photos to make them look more green than they are. I did not. Just before taking the photos, I washed the leaves because they had some brown stuff on them... I think it came off the roof because they were sitting under the eaves where the dew from the roof condenses and drips on them. So, I think between the leaves being wet and the perfect morning light, they look super green. But, I just compared the plants to the photo, and they really are very green.

I am not a skilled horticulturist and have very little experience. I used Fox Farms Happy Frog organic potting soil. About once a month, I add a product to the water can called EM (Effective Microorganisms http://www.emearth.com/). Other than that, I just spray them with the hose every couple days as needed. I haven't used any fertilizers. Maybe they are doing well because I love them and talk to them a lot. My dearly departed mother loved the tree these came from and these trees are my way of communing with her.

Speaking of my mother... She used to have a brass bell that came off a sailboat. She would hang it from a branch in the fig tree and then tie a long rope to the branch that reached all the way into her kitchen window. Whenever the crows or the mockingbirds would land in the fig tree, she'd yell with her Sicilian accent,  "da birds are back!" and one of us kids would yank the rope and ring the bell.

Great..looks healty plant...

I'm pretty sure if the skin is thick they are excellent for canning whole.  I use to have Kadotas with skin like that. They held up very well to canning whole, they kept their shape and texture almost like fresh figs, It was wonderful to pop open a jar and have whole figs any time of year.  I hope you name this fig after your mother, or give it the family name. :-)
  PS we used to live in Valley Center. You are in perfect place to grow anything. Lucky

Soni

If these figs grow up to be good enough to deserve a name, I'd like to call them "Realmonte" since that is the name of the town in Sicily where the mother tree was (or is) growing. ...or possibly "Anna" after my mother, since I took my cuttings from her tree.