so there has been some interest in Paradiso Gene. and few who followed my threads on this fig knows that i love this fig. but this fig is not without problem. still, this is my favorite fig.
the tree i have is one that gene h. sent me when i first started growing the fig. the tree was rooted in spring of 2010. so the tree is now going into its 5th yr. i have pruned heavily this yr in order to do major root pruning. also rooting some back ups.
the tree has been growing very well. it's about 5' tall. couple of yrs ago, i cut the leading branches so it will not grow any taller, but i can see the potential for this trees to grow very tall and strong.
leaves are very attractive. it's a good size leaves and good healthy green color.
the figs are medium size and since last yr, it will have honey at the eye when ripen.
the taste is honey and nut during the summer and during late season towards the autumn, it will have melon note.
but this tree has a problem. it doesn't like humidity. the figs will get very soft in high humidity. if the weather is not hot, as in last yr, this will not happen. when the weather is hot and humid like our typical summer, the fig will turn soft and the eye will open up. this will attract large number of bugs around the area.
during the summer of 2012, we had rather hot and humid late summer. this basically attracted all the hornets and wasps in the area to my Paradiso Gene. for about 3 days, i didn't even go near the tree. i don't like getting stung by the wasp, nor hornet. then i figure if i manage the figs little better, i won't have that problem. so i took a long stick and started knocking down the figs that were damaged. for the rest of the season, i had no issues. but i made sure to pick the figs as soon as they were ripen, and did not leave any figs that were damaged on the tree.
last yr was cooler and wet all yr around. with amount of rain we had, i was sure that Paradiso Gene would be a disappointment. however, it wasn't.
out of 3 original trees i had, Paradiso Gene was the only fig that kept it's flavor intact. VdB bleed all the flavor out, and Kathleen's Black was still improving. however, Paradiso Gene's flavor was still full and complex with note of honey and nut. it was a great joy enjoying this fig. i made sure i monitor the tree often and get rid of any figs that i didn't get to so it won't attract any insects. but with cooler wet weather, insects weren't much of problem. the skin on the fig was different in 2013. it was little more.. thicker and had bite to it. it wasn't as soft as previous yr, however, if left on the tree longer, the skin will more or less separate if handled rough.
the tree puts on good amount of fig, but for the size, it's doesn't put on as many as VdB. VdB at about 3' tall, put on about 80 figs last yr, most of them were tasteless. Paradiso Gene put on about 50-60 figs. it's very reliable as far as taste is concerned. last 3 yrs it has improved in taste and i'm hoping to get more taste out of it this yr.
this fig isn't exactly a fig for people who doesn't like to micro manage their figs. however, if you are looking for a good tasting fig, this will fit right in.
i have been trying to collect most of known Fico Paradiso. currently, i'm also growing Paradiso Bronze and Nero, however, i have not had chance to eat from mature tree to know what they will taste like. i had few off cuttings i rooted last yr, but they didn't impress me. thinking back, the figs on Paradiso Gene in 2011 wasn't all that impressive, however, it only ripen in nov., and it still had melon note.
previously, i had failed to keep Mario's Paradiso Nero alive, however, the name of that fig has been changed, and thanks to bill saxon, i'm also growing it to compare to others.
in conclusion, it's a great tasting fig. however, if you have serious bug problem in your area, this might not be the best fig for you. taste is reliable, and productivity is just in the middle of the road.