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Pingo de Mel=Honey fig=Blanche?

Hi guys,


I am currently in the process of trying to identify a fig tree I bought last week. I seriously suspect it is what we call in Portugal a Pingo de Mel (drop of honey).

My question to the forum, and pardon my ignorance, is as follows: Is a Pingo de mel the same as a Honey fig, and is it also known as a Blanche fig?

Furthermore I would like to ask if the Pingo de Mel requires the fig wasp to ripen. I have read in a Brazilian website that it doesn't, but I would like to double check with you guys.


Thanks!

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  • Tam

AnaCosta: Pingo de Mel is not Italian Honey or Blanche figs. It is a common fig tree which does not require pollination from wasps. It has a taste similar to Peter's Honey.  Below is the link to Pingo de Mel from Francisco who is a very nice member and he lives in Portugal. 

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/pingo-de-mel-is-ready-6459248

Best,

Tam

Ah excellent Tam! Thanks a lot :-) I'll try to get in touch with him.

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  • Tam

AnaCosta: Yours welcome. Where do you live? Do you live in Portugal? Thanks for sharing.

Best,
Tam

Yep, in Lisbon to be precise. The fig tree is living with me, in my kitchen to be even more precise :p :-)

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  • Tam

AnaCosta: Can you please let me know what is the climate in Portugal? Did you have snow in Lisbon, Portugal in the last winter? What is the average high temperature in the summer and the average low temperature in the winter. Do you have 4 seasons like we have in America? Your country seems to have very ideal climate for growing fig trees. Thanks for sharing.

Best,
Tam

Tam, Lisbon has the typical Mediterranean climate. It is pretty awesome for figs I would say.

We have four seasons. It hardly ever snows in Lisbon, and if it does it is usually one day in December or early January, and only for a few hours lol :-) . Spring is generally wet (by our standards, whereas a Londoner might consider it a drought ahahaha), with temperatures ranging from 12C to 27C. Summer is usually pretty hot and dry, temperatures are about 20C to 35C, but I have seen a summer where it got up to 45C!. Autumn is generally a very gentle season, of course there are exceptions, but rain comes more often, temperatures go from 14C to 24C.


Fig trees grow in abandoned sites, and they grow well and strong. They are usually found near ruins or historical sites, such as castles or churches.


I have a varanda where I could place my tree, and she'd get more sun that way, but being in the city means living in a completely messed up eco-system, and most of the plants I had in my varanda were killed by plagues. I am hoping that by being indoors, and close to a window, she'll get enough sun light and the proper protection from plagues (even though my pet carrot, which was indoors, had a horrible death by red spider mites this year. I was washing her every week to remove them, but then left for holidays for one week, and bam, death :().

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  • Tam

AnaCosta: Thanks for sharing your information about Portugal. May I ask you, how many percents of the Portuguese speak and write English? You and Francisco write very well in English, maybe speak English well too, right? Where did you learn your English? Do all of your family members speak English too? Thanks for sharing.

Best,
Tam

Hi Tam,


I would say a loooot of people speak English pretty well in Portugal, it was or is (they were about to change it recently, so not sure anymore) mandatory in school. Older people (65 and over) don't usually speak it. Kids and teens should speak enough to communicate almost anything, the ones that don't probably hated the language, were slackers or just have learning issues. Middle aged adults know the language well if they had a decent education, the better the education the greater the knowledge.

Another thing that really helps is the fact that we use subtitles on t.v, this really helps us build our vocabulary, work our pronunciation and keep the 'rust' away hehe. I learned Italian in Uni, and the rust there has accumulated over time lol.

In my case I can say I am fluent in English, I might not recognize some expressions, or terms, but this isn't very common. I am an exception though as I have lived abroad and I have had an international education, even when residing in Portugal. I spoke English every day, so it is only natural that I am fluent.

As to my family, my siblings are all younger than me, from age 19 to 23 and all speak English, some better than others, even though they all had similar education. One is living in London at the moment, and is doing very well professionally. My mother speaks decent English, although one of my brothers mocks her, my stepdad speaks it a bit better, my father speaks it just as well as my stepdad. My grandparents never spoke it, none of them went beyond fourth or even second grade, as was usual in those days.

I do not remember the source but it seems that Pingo de Mel=Gillette-Croisic-Cordelia

Hi Vitalucky!


I have been speaking to a Portuguese forum member and this is quite a complicated tree, she seems to be a variation of the Pingo de Mel, but not a Pingo de Mel lol :-)


Thanks for your help, I am going to start reading up on the names you mentioned and on other subjects relating to figs :-)

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  • Tam

AnaCosta: Thank you very much for sharing your information about Portugal.

Best,
Tam
 

No problem. If you ever need more info let me know :-)

Tam,

Thank you very much for directing Ana to me. We are taking good care of the problem.
In many papers and minds Pingo de Mel has been closely associated with other big name cultivars like Dottato, Kadota, etc.. One or two of its strains  could well be synonyms to those two.
Ana's fig has some particulars (skin - ostiole and pulp) which are not specific, neither seem related to the Pingo de Mel.
In her region  (Lisbon) the most common fig is PdM. But there are some other white figs of diff cultivars with many different names and she may have bought, by mistake,  some other fig.
Our nurseries do sometimes mix up the pots.
But all this will be soon corrected and... b'cause - in house - there are no restrictions, constraints and inspections,  I shall be glad to provide Ana with a selection she will decide upon, all parthenocarpic once 'chez elle' there are no wasps !

cheers
Francisco

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  • Tam

Francisco: Ana is very fortunate to have you help her and you also provide her a nice fig selection for her to choose. Congratulations Ana, you are so lucky to have a friend as Francisco who has a lot of experiences in growing figs. I wish you success in growing the most tasty figs in Portugal. Thanks for sharing.

Francisco: Do you live in Madeira or in the mainland? Thank you.

Best,
Tam

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/portuguese-honey-fig-id-6565899

I recently was given a fig and a couple cuttings of Pingo de Mel from my nephew's girlfriend. Her family is from the Pombal region of Portugal. She originally gave me the translated name of honey drop fig but later confirmed it is called Pingo de Mel.

Tyler

Hi

Tam, I am from and live on the mainland.

Francisco

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