Pete, I am with you sir.

I just mean that now any new member gets exposed to the concept as soon as they sign up and read any thread, so they could get the wrong idea. I think helping others out is a good thing, I have used somebodies wish list in their signature to send cuttings for a trade so I agree it is convenient. What about putting it in as a field on the member profile page?

Brent, there is a thread somewhere in the forum about wish lists, and have you ever tried to stumble through all those pages?  I put mine in my signature because it constantly morphs!  I receive cuttings that root, and they go off!  There is always someone here tempting me with a variety that sounds and looks amazing, so on the wish list it goes!  My wish list has shrunk, and I have not added in a long time because so many members have fulfilled my wishes, and I'm currently rooting many, and of 3, 3 root, so then I will have extras to offer.  I only want one of each.

If I can buy a cutting from Encanto Farms (my gratitude to Jon for running this site) I try not to put it on my wish list (miss some now and then).  Same with UC Davis.  I used to, but I have decided to only wish for varieties I can't manage to get somewhere else easily.

Regarding this topic.  New members rock!  If you are new, and you send me a PM, PLEASE put a subject in!  The no subject things are hard to track when you look back in a few days. 

Suzi

I have been on the Web Garden Fig forum for 5 or 6 years, it has gone fairly dormant ( not to misuse the word!) so I was just a lurker on here and decided earlier this year to jump in. I only trade within the US since not worth the hassle of dealing with receiving something that is tainted with bugs or virus and maybe brought in through improper channels

I think there should be a locked thread here for newbies giving instructions on "how to be a "shining star" forum member". I get a LOT of request for cuttings from newbies in the US and abroad. Most are one liners. After they've searched and read a few threads, all seem to be asking for those hard to get or new figs on the street. I love making friends and learning new ideas and techniques but I don't want to get in trouble with "the Law" sending cuttings overseas. I wish people had instructions on what to write on this forum. Fo instance,

a. If your mother has a tree or your grand mother has a tree, then kindly give details about the history of the tree, if known. If you don't know anything about the tree, then take several leaf pattern of the tree from the top, middle and low hanging. Take pictures of ripe figs whole and cut in half. Tell us what state you live in and when does the fruit ripen? How many crops does it produce? Describe the taste. Is the eye open?

b. If you know absolutely nothing about figs, then first please do not just fire away lots of questions, use the search engine. The "how to" search works great and 9 times out of 10 your questions have already been asked and answered. If not, kindly introduce yourself and ask away!

c. If you know about fig trees and want to sell cuttings from your tree here or on another selling site, please please please use your own pictures! Using pictures found on the internet is a RED FLAG for buyers to beware. You will be reported for stealing. If you know the name and history of the mother tree, then by all means, add them to your ad. We love hearing stories about figs. But joining this forum for one day and then posting an ad on eBay of your cuttings and saying you're a member is frowned upon. Most members here have learned to only buy from known sellers. Why? Because we got burned years ago from nurseries and individuals selling fancy Italian or Greek fig tree cutting and/or trees and later learning the next year that they got suckered into buying a plain ole Brown Turkey fig tree. Accidents like selling someone the wrong fig tree do happen but there are known people out there that do this just to make a buck. So again, members here are cautious.

These are the tips I'd like newbie to have. In the military we called these (OIs...operations instructions). Works great when you know absolutely nothing about an organiztion and want a quick word on who, what, when, where, how, and why. Knowledge is power.

Great idea Dennis!  And also, if you PM a member, put a TOPIC on your PM!

Suzi

"i'm new here and i'm entitled to your cuttings. send them to me".. LOL. that's new :)

most of requests have been very friendly for me. just wish i have enough to share. however, some new members who hasn't even said "hi" on the forum, a total stranger, asking me for cutting.. i like bit of introduction first. usually if the member has been here for awhile, and i recognize the name, and i have extra cuttings.. i try to see what i can send.

I think its great that people from all over the world are getting involved . Fig trees are not native to North America so those members from Eurasia have a lot to offer as far as fig history and culture , not to mention varieties .
My concern is with members posting about unproven techniques or ideas as being fact . Test your theories first . There has been alot of useless misleading info posted by some newbies which other newbies are taking as fact .
So please people just because your cat pissed in your fig which never fruited before but does now , doesn't mean cat piss is awesome for figs ;)

John

I agree about the "wishlist page" Suzi, although since putting the wishlist into the signature has started that page has not been used very much, it still worked out fine for me though ; ) thanks for reminding me to update it. I think having it on the profile page would be a good compromise. That way it is not an incentive for a new member to flood the forum with posts just so their wishlist is advertised (not trying to discourage anyone from posting, just not for the wrong reasons because it dilutes the quality of the forum). Of course there would be no trouble finding it on the profile page (one click closer from PM page) and then it would not be so prominent (not as easy for noobs to copy).

Brent, put your wish list in your signature.  Much easier fulfillment!  Trust me, I know!  AND, I have some sweet babies rooting.............

Suzi

PS, I don't ship internationally!!

how often anyone check other member's profile page? i know i don't. only time i check the profile is when someone asks me for cutting, and i'm wondering if they are in US or overseas. and if the wish list is on the profile page.. i really don't feel like clicking 50 different member's profile pages to see if they want something that i have. too much work :)

But what about new members that do not post very often Pete? They are then at a disadvantage to somebody who overposts, eg. less likely to get some of a limited supply of something because they are reading older posts and learning instead of asking previously answered questions or whatever to advertise what they want.

Pete,

I agree, I don't regularly check profiles unless I really want to know zone/location for relevance to Northeast growing and they don't have it in their signature line (Come On! lol) .
I also like the wish list, for me it's a reminder of what I want eventually, as well as something to look forward to getting/growing/eating. I'm not in a rush and I'm not overly greedy, I don't want your Maltese Beauty, I just want your airlayer lol. So it's an upbeat thing for me.
I respect that it's not everyone thing but it's pretty harmless to me.

For perspective, I am also a member of a scuba diving board, that board actually needs monitors (people) to control the basically hate posting, insane egotism and meanness of some members posts (they call it flaming).

Goodmorning everyone I just wanted to say if I offended anyone who has been here and is an active member of this forum I apologize this wasnt what I wanted to happen and im sure no one else wanted it either please dont take this topic personal there are certain members here that have gotten the same ONE liner emails as me those are the people im reffering to as for new members being excited and asking for cuttings and posting alot etc I completely understand I did the same thing and im sure alot of us did heck I still do so please just hang in there your all family and you should by now know who you are and thanks for being here.

To Johnparav, I understand where you are coming from, I really do. But I also understand that many here, including myself, are experimenters, and sharing what were are attempting to do, or experimenting with is part of the learning process, for us, and for others. We are not rigorous scientists, we are seat-of-the-pants-ers in most cases. There is a point at which we all have to take responsibility for ourselves. That means reading the material, and thinking about it, using our judgement, and drawing our own conclusions about whether is is valid or whether it will work for me/you. 

Wow!  I had no idea this type of requesting was happening!!  I received one pm from an overseas member for cuttings, and that was at least a month ago.  I guess my ridiculously long wish list keeps them away LOL 

Good Discussion.

Had a new member from Australia ask about trading cutting and politely told him that I didn't feel comfortable doing so.

Receiving plants from overseas can be tricky.  I saw a fig on ebay but backed off when I saw it was from overseas.   I’m a member of a forum dealing with aquarium plants and the subject comes up with buying aquarium plants on ebay internationally.  It’s something that I won’t do.   Any plants coming from overseas are supposed to go through customs and include a phytosanitary certificate and be examined by customs. Most overseas sellers do not follow the law and just ship them as regular mail. Although you won't have the FBI busting down your door, it is illegal to ship the way most of them do.   I remember reading a post from an aquarium plants member who received a notice that his shipment had been seized.  More likely because it was from Indonesia and customs was watching.  You don’t get in trouble when you follow the rules.

On a side note.  I am a new member and appreciate how I have been treated by the members of this forum.  You even see the compassion from the members when one is going through some hard times (hurricane, loss of a family member) and good (birth of a grandchild,  son publishing a book).  Great forum.

I know I've learned alot from these threads.  And I think newbies should spend some time and just read the threads.  Maybe they do and are just so anxious to get started.  I wasted so many cuttings the first year I got started and before I joined this forum.  For months, I just read the threads every night.  Some comments were a waste of my time but hey, it is a forum and you can just search to your heart is content! 

I agree with Jon, we all are experimenters.  I don't think no one is an expert on figs.  It excites me to hear how a member propagate their cuttings or what they put in their soil composition etc etc.  I'm no expert but I am smarter than the nurseries in my area on figs.  Last year, I spent an entire day driving and calling nursies within a 25 miles of Charlotte asking about figs.  All just had Brown Turkey and Celeste and didn't know anything except how to hold a water hose and water a tree!  So I see how newbies get anxious and frustrated especially if they talk to the clowns in my area.  My closest nursery tried to convince me that Brown Turkey figs are the only figs that grow here and are out of this world good.  After listening to her for about 15 minutes, I got on my soap box and explained the different varieties of figs and the over 500 I have in my possession and the dos and don'ts about figs.  Now, she sends me her customers to me and never says a thing about figs.  I asked her why the untrue statements about figs and she said,"its the only tree she grows at home and sells in her nursery and only knows about BT figs".  So, this is one way newbies are confused.  And most gardening internet sites including the master gardeners are telling people to go to their local nursery but those in my area don't know a fig from a Gingko tree!  Frustates the heck out of me!

Im new too. But this place is great. all the members i have talked with which surprisingly have been very very many in a very short span of time have all been friendly and helpful. Had a few trades which is awsome. I did post that i had cuttings for trade and got responces that way. but i wouldnt ask somthing for nothing or expect it. any one who does that needs to remember what mamma said growing up about manners. "kid in a candy store" just dont seem right. with me it was more like the kid getting the gold ticket to go to the chocolate factory. worse than the day before X-mass for a 5 year old.

This is post 135 for me yay.

There are many times I get questions from visitors to the nursery, and they are prefaced by "this is probably a stupid question'. . .  I tell each one, if you are sincerely interested in learning, and don't know the answer, it is NOT a stupid question, just a learning opportunity. If you want to learn, then every question is a good question. We were all there at one time. That was why I started the websites on figs and bananas, and my nursery site. Even the nursery website was an informational site before I "graduated" into selling plants. Just like figs, I don't have enough time to keep up with them, either. I have benefited from the experiences of hundreds of people, on rooting, grafting, pruning, and a ton of other gardening subjects, one on one, in lectures, seminars, books, etc. The day I stop being willing to share with the next sincere "newbie", I need to go off a cliff.

Jon and Dennis ,

It is not my intension to discourage anyone from posting about their trials and experiments . I have myself tried a few different things and posted about them , some succeeded and some did not . That's all part of learning and discovering . Learning is the reason I am on this site not cuttings or plants .
However just as Dennis was frustrated by people at nurseries giving him the wrong info , some of the newer people here may be getting faulty info from posters who don't clearly state that their assumptions are just assumptions .
I personally like to try out all sorts of wacky things and sometimes they work great like the Figloo . But I try to back it up with factual info or clearly state that it is only an experiment .

John

Figloo is a great thing I hope we see more things like this.

I am thankful for everyone's help here. Luckily for me members here have been generous and as soon as my plants are big enough I will return the favor. I'm sure the new members will benefit from you guys generosity. I hope I can be as helpful to new members as everyone has been helpful to me. And I won't be leaving anytime soon.( unless y'all kick me off the forum) I really enjoy learning from everyone here.
It is truly hard to find nice and generous people in this world these days. You guys and girls inspire me and fuel my new found passion.
Thanks to everyone's generosity I have been able to obtain variants that otherwise I probably wouldn't be able to enjoy.
Most have been members offering them to me. Thank you for that because I don't want or like to be that person that asks for things.
I would rather purchase than offend anyone or not be welcome do to asking. So thank you for everyone who has been so generous!
I will try to pay you back one way or another.

I love this forum!!

Interpol called me. They want your address.

Actually I am really impressed with the generosity of the people on this forum, in their willingness to sell, trade or give cuttings and advice, even if it is simply to look through old threads. This forum is a cultural phenomenon in several aspects. New people should take the time to approach it thoughtfully.

I am brand new here now.  I have loved figs my whole life.  Figs grow wild along the Sacramento River in California which is where I am from.
I finally figured out how to root figs after reading about the subject. I use clear gallon jars and put fig cuttings in there with a smidge of water on the bottom. I work in a restaurant so getting the gallon jars is pretty easy.
I came here because people I bought fig cuttings from on EBay are members here.
I didn't know there were so many varieties of figs and I thought all figs were black. Live and learn.

I currently live in central southern Missouri, zone 6.