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Old seedling

This seedling is 7 years old, and fruited for the first time last year (about 3-4 fruit). More fruit this year, showing nice size, color, and flavor.

Temp name is Strawberry 04B because is grew up in a long gone strawberry patch.














Out of all of the figs you've started from seedlings, what proportion have produced palatable fruit? Just wondering.

Really nice color on that one. Nice the to see the tight eye. Maybe it would do well down here in FL.

Hi Jon,

Is that a split ring like used on key rings?  Is it the same size as a quarter, by any chance?  I can't quite make it out, but I've seen other posts that did look like split rings.

Just trying to get a handle on the size.

Thanks,

noss

The ring is a key ring, and is exactly 1'" in diameter. Even then it is photographed at an angle, the widest point is still 1", so it makes a good measuring tool.

It is hard to tell how many seedlings have turned out well. Some take a long time to produce anything, which means for a long time, they are losers, but may eventually work out. It is still a very small %.


Jon, thanks, that helps a lot.

noss

CiaoJon, when you talk of your special seedlings that have come from Encanto, I would like to know this. Do you let a fruit fall and seed itself under a tree, Or do you take seeds from fruits and plant them (germinate yourself)?  I wonder because this is how alot of different varieties come to be and you seem to be getting lots of California varieties started with these seedlings growing for you.  Also, how similar are they to the mother tree they come from, I know that not many figs from seedlings are remotely similar to their mother trees. Do you have the Med. Fig wasp in San Diego??? Sorry for these questions but it interests me these nice beautfiul plants and fruits you are getting from "seedlings".  I find it very interesting. Ciao 

I have generally kept seedlings that have come up in the yard. Last season I kept seeds from specific varieties to grow out and try. I didn't get them planted this spring, so will probaboy wait till next season. I did plants seeds I got from Turkey on EBay and several of them are growing currently.

We have the wasp, as evidenced by the fertile seeds, and fruit on plants such as Zidi.

The "Encanto Group" was the first group of seedlings that I kept, which were from Vista Black Mission. One of those became "Encanto" which has done pretty well. It is not the same fig it was when it first fruited. Characteristics have changed with maturity. Of the rest, Hughes, which was given away, is supposedly fabulous. I never seem to get around to visiting it. "Scott" never fruited, two have good fruit, but they are about the size of a small marble. One finally fruited for the first time this year, and was very good. The next ones I kept were Strawberry 04A and 04B, in 2004. "A" has not yet fruited, and "B" fruited for the first time this year. They are likely seedlings of Vista, as well, but "B" is much larger, and juicier than Vista. So, it has taken 6 years to get any fruit.

The next group were Mad001 to 009 which were presumed to be seedlings of Black Madeira. A couple have been caprifigs, One became Encanto Red, seeming more and more to be either a San Pedro type or a Smyrna. One more has fruited, and looks promising, but is green/greyish - so fairly different. The rest are still unproven.

Next came Raspberry Latte (originally known simply as Coffee until it fruited) and three others. RL was different than the rest. It was incredibly vigorous, reached more than 10' tall in its first year, fruited in its second season and is close to 4" in diameter in its 4th season. Fruit is often very large, though variable, and quite delicious, but still has some splitting issues. The two others, Raja N and S have now reached 10' or more and have set their first fruit in the 4th season. Nothing has ripened yet. "S" set breba and main crop figs at the same time - so it will be interesting to see what happens. The last, Coriacea, has not fruited yet.

The following year, I saved CB001-016, and none have fruited yet.

Lastly came "Maize", which has grown well, but no fruit, yet.

This season I am again saving some seedlings, DBrazil001-005, Pan001-012, and will pick out some more a little later.

This is all in the category of fun, because one cannot have too much in the way of expectations.

I am told (unconfirmed) that Zaiger Bros in the Central Valley, who breed peaches, plums, apricots, pluots, amd apriums. make 10,000 crosses per year, plant out the seeds, grow them up til they fruit, keep about 10 for further trial, and hope to get one winner in the end. Kind of like trying to find Wagner amongst 50 million Germans. You convince them all to have a bunch of kids, grow them up, and see which one is a prodigy - except that you are not supposed to throw all the rest away.

See Seedlings for pix of this years seedlings. Notices the hundreds of seeds that did not sprout for every one that did.

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