Hi Everyone.  Jodi here in Camp Verde Arizona.  I am just getting into my fig addiction with 8 trees over the last 2 years.  We are classified as a USDA zone 10 with a wild range of temps from over 100' to 10'.  I have a 8 foot tall alleged Texas Everbearing fig that is my biggest tree.  It is covered in figs and our first frost could be as early as two weeks from now. Same thing happened last year, I have yet to eat a ripe fig from this tree.  I read online from Jerry Parsons at Plantanswers.com that there is an ancient practice of putting olive oil on the eye of the fig to hasten ripening called "oleification".  Professor Parson's describes putting a drop of olive oil on the eye of ripening figs.  I am wondering if anyone here in your amazing forum has heard of or tried this process?  My main question is if this is a one time application or done daily till the figs are ripe?  I would really appreciate any feedback on how to ripen these figs before the frost, a concern for many here I see in your forum.  Again, thanks for sharing the love of figs and the wealth of knowledge about their care.  I look forward to sharing more about my favorite plants. Best, Jodi 

From what I've heard that will speed ripening but at the cost of reduced fruit quality.

Camp Verde has a long hot summer. If you get the appropriate varieties you should get ripe main crop figs starting in August, breba in June. There must be plenty of fig plants in that area. See if you can't root cuttings of the best ones.

Thanks fignutty.  I am learning and agree with your assessment.  I wish I had known of this forum 2 years ago!  We do have long hot days and we get the coldest nighttime temps as we are down by the river.  The only productive trees I have found are away from the river up in the foothills. Going to get cuttings from some of them today.  I am trying the oleification on the ones I have that I know will not ripen in time. Do you know if it is a one treatment process?  One is already turning yellow on the bottom.  We shall see.  I would love to find more productive figgy people in the Verde Valley.  '-)  Jodi

Welcome!  Once is enough.   :)   There's a thread linked in the "Start Here" sticky in the list of topics that links to a thread on ripening times.  Get some of the earlier and mid season figs and you'll be all set.

I wanted to post an update about my experience with what I am now calling "oiling the belly buttons" of my figs.  This is working great for me.  Last year the first frosts came in November to ZONE 10 Camp Verde and I ate very few ripe figs off my assortment of trees.  This year I began oiling the eyes of the figs (largest ones first) in succession in mid October.  The figs ripened amazingly, usually like clockwork in 7 days.  So each week on Sunday I am oiling my biggest figgies and by the end of the week we are feasting on Texas Everbearing, Panache, Celeste, Peter's Honey and Brown Turkey.  Some have been oiled twice before they ripen. I have a friend with a 9 year old huge Brown Turkey and she has saved dozens of figs with the oil application.  Since this is really the first time I have succeeded in beating the frost to the figs, I can not say if there is any difference in the taste.  For my part they are a delight.  I know Texas Everbearing and Brown Turkey are pretty common figs, but if anyone wants any cuttings, I have found them to be very vigorous in my area, growing 8+ feet from a total die back each year in ground.  For this year that is all the cuttings I have to share.  Working on more for next year.  Thanks again to everyone here for all your information and expertise. This forum is my favorite bedtime reading.  Looking forward to more figgy adventures...Jodi


Wish List:
Any figs that have been successful in Zone 10 in ground and those that need to be kept potted.

Have cuttings to share:  
Texas Everbearing
Brown Turkey 

Hi, Jodi: Welcome!  I'm new here too and like you, I wish I could have known about this forum two years ago...I would have started then and I would now have large, fruit-bearing trees!

I can PM you about a Brown Turkey cutting.  I just started my collection and all of my cuttings are tiny.  Some trees I bought are in 4" pots so I don't even have much to share.  However, I am working on rooting my cuttings and as soon as I have some extra anything, I will surely remember the many generous people on this blog.

Love your idea about the oilification process.  I would love to try it when I get figs :-)

Meg

Don't know if you saw this video.