I am new (to posting) here and looking to grow some variety of fig trees from cuttings. I only have a Brown Turkey Fig that I bought from Home Depot.  If anyone has any cuttings they can still take and send to me, that will do well in NC, then I would be most grateful. I am particularly interested in Col De Dame White, Violette De Bordeaux , Black Mission, Celeste, LSU Purple and Maltese Falcon. I chose these varieities because people on the forum ranked them as very good tasting and the names sounded cool.  I would be glad to trade for some Triple Crown Thornless blackberries plants. Thanks!

-DT
 

Just curious, is it too late to take cuttings for propagating?  I want to get the cuttings going soon, or I suppose I can wait until next year :(

Hi homemade
I have some cuttings left over I could let you have.
(unknown variety but excellent figs.
Vito

Vito, thanks for the offer.  I would really prefer to know the varieties, as have always been very particular about knowing the varieties of the things I grow, but at the same time I hate to turn down your generosity.  Let me wait to see if anybody else has the varieties that I listed.

As far as the cutting varieties I listed, those are preferred and I forgot to mention I will gladly pay anyone for the cuttings I mentioned or even pay the postage or whatever, if you are not up for trading.  As sattelitehead mentioned I guess it isn't too late and one can take cuttings from a growing tree.  Too bad I just got my first tree from Home Depot, so I can't get cuttings from it yet...

I've got a few of Vito's unknown.  Based on what I know about the history, sounds like it has potential to be a real winner.

Taste and production are more important than names in my collection ;)

Yes, like I said I hate to pass up on Vito's generosity. Plus I do have a few unnamed of my own that have slipped through the cracks, but I do know they are either this or that variety, but as you said if they are good and productive who cares...

Sorry I have Nothing to offer at this time but have a question.

When it comes to Blackberry, is there a variety that comes out on top?

Am I mistaken, but don't they come on canes that can be with thorns or w/o?


Dominick

Yes, the blackberries come up on canes and can be either thorned or thornless.  There have been a lot of different cultivars of thornless blackberries that have been developed with various plant characteristics.

I have one thorned variety, Kiowa, which can grow some viscious thorns, but the berries are huge and it is a vigorous producer.  I have had some of these berries 1 1/2 inch long and weighing an ounce a piece.  But, because I have small children, I will be moving these out of the garden into a remote part of the yard.

I grow the Triple Crown thornless blackberries and tie them to trellises. They are supposed to be one of the best for size, flavor and yield,  So far they have been decent producers and the fruit is great, this will be their third year.  I have read that 8 year old plants have produced 50 pounds per plant (my guess under ideal conditions).  I will be putting in two additional varieties of thornless, Arapaho and Ouchita, once my order gets here. I have heard a lot of good about these as well so we will see.  I always like to see what a different cultivar has to offer!   

David

Once you plant a blackberry, you will almost NEVER NEVER NEVER get it out of your orchard.  When they root and start growing, they keep going and going and going and going and going......

Hello David,

I ordered some thornless blackberries a long time ago, from a mail order catalog and when they started to grow, they had mor thorns than any kind I've ever seen, which were wild!  What a disappointment.  Back then we used to be able to go out along fencelines and pick them wild, or get permission to go into fenced areas to pick.  That's all gone.

What is the difference between blackberries and dewberries?  What zone do you live in?

Mainly what I wanted to say, though, was that so many varieties of figs aren't what they are supposed to be, by name, and figs will taste great in one place, but not another that if you have the chance to get a great-tasting fig from your own area even if it's unknown, then go for it.  It's how a fig will do where you live that counts and people here can help you with that.

noss

Noss,
You reminded me of the seedless grapes I got from the home improvements store that ended up having seeds.  We have lots of wild blackberries along roads here in NC I see people pick from time to time, they are usually small and tart. Dewberries I believe are just a smaller relative to the blackberry, so similar but I don't think they get as big. I am right on the line of zone 6B and 7A.

I think I am understanding now what a few of you have said about the varieties not being that important, that makes sense to me. Plus, taste is always subjective.

Snaglpus,
I have never tried to get rid of blackberry plants so I cannot answer to never being able to get them out the orchard.  I do know that my Kiowa is very prolific and I have seen it pop up from the ground five or six feet from its row.  I have not had a problem with the Triple Crowns doing this though.

Well, I will not be picky here, so if anyone has some cuttings they can offer that might do well here in NC, please let me know.  Thanks again.

David

Homemade, I can trade for blackberries. Send me a text.

homemade,

I grow the Kiowa blackberry too.  It is a low chill variety that does real well in my area (zone 9)......very large delicious berry. Good luck with your trades.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Noss, black berries are brambles and grow on upright canes whereas dew berries grow on running vines. The best dew berries I ever found were running along the ground in a large patch of waist high Johnson grass. While most people had been picking the edges where the berries were highly visible and small, I ventured into the interior of the field and found very large and sweet berries. I'd just walk until I found a runner and then follow it and pick the berries which were lined up pretty as you please on the runner. Some runners were 20' or more in length and held up to 1/2 gallon of big juicy berries. Black berries are just about my favorite fruit after figs.
"gene"

loslunasfarms, I sent you a text and an email.  Let me know if you got it.  Thanks!

Dan,

Have you ever tried thornless blackberries in South LA?  How about raspberries?  Do you know of a variety that grows in Zone 9?

Gene!  Thanks.  How in the world did you wade into dewberries and Johnson grass and not get cut to shreds?  Now you've got my mouth watering for dewberries and blackberries.

noss

Noss,

I have only tried Kiowa which has large thorns. A retired LSU Professor of horticulture  recommended it to me. It is an erect cane variety that can be grown in a bush form.....you don't need a trellis.  Give them plenty of water when they are fruiting. Build a small 6 inch levee around the bush so you can flood the ground to keep it moist when it is fruiting.  

Kiowa berries are HUGE (thumb sized) and they are more productive over a longer period of time (six weeks) than most other varieties. Low chill varieties do best in our area......Kiowa is one of the lowest chill varieties on the market. It was bred at the University of Arkansa and officially released about 5 years ago. It is a great blackberry and I don't mind the thorns.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Yeah--Who cares if your hands get torn up picking the blackberries?  They're so good, it's worth it.  We never cared when we went picking them.

They made the best blackberry jam.  I've got to find low chill raspberries.

noss

I don't mind picking the Kiowa myself because the benefits do far outweigh the risks...but when my 2 year old comes running past, not looking where she's going, I always get a little nervous.  I'm going to move them to a "safer" place.

I used to pick blackberries in ditches many years ago.  The great hazard around ditches though is stepping on a cottonmouth.   The most dangerous cottonmouth is the one you do not see!

I just pulled out a couple plants of variety called Chester because they're sour until its dead ripe. I have a few other varieties that keep bearing for over a month. Berries are very rewarding they come when other fruit is not bearing. I have blackberries, raspberries, currants, gooseberries, blueberries, wineberries, strawberries, mulberries.

I was at a local nursery this afternoon and they had red raspberry plants for $9.99 each and they're quite large and are leafed out with blossoms.  I'm going back tomorrow to get a couple of plants and hope someone special to me doesn't divorce me.  I could plant them somewhere and act surprised when Mike asks me what those are and tell him how blessed we are that the birds planted me some raspberry plants.  ?

Naw--I wouldn't do that to him.  No matter how much trouble I get into, I always tell him straight.  He does this thing with his eyes and mouth that is so funny.  When he's really not happy, his pretty blue eyes turn an even darker blue and shoot sparks and that makes me swoon.  :)))))

Gene,  We put some concrete edging along the front of the house to hold back the mulch and keep, er hinder the grass' invasion of that fig area.  Looks pretty good even if it's just plain concrete color.  (They call it limestone at HD.)

noss

I don't have trellis in use for my Triple Crown as they are an erect, thornless blackberry, zones 5-9. The canes are quite sturdy. I keep them trimmed no taller than 6 foot. My information says anticipate up to 30 lbs of fruit from a 2 year vine, though I read some trial data of production of up to 50# per mature vine. A very tasting berry, IMHO.  

@Noss: I have some friends with family in Louisiana and they have grown Autumn Bliss, Dorman Red, Heritage and Ruby.

@homemade: If I had anything to share with you I would, but I am just starting out. 

No problem, saramc.  I am just starting out as well.  This will be a learning experience that is for sure, but I am looking forward to it! 

As far as the Triple Crown blackberries, mine are going on year three.  It seems like only last year that they really got established, not really a whole lot of fruit yet. Plus, I have to tie mine to a trellis.  I think they are considered semi-erect.  They are a great tasting berry though. Hopefull this year they will really start to produce.  

David