I just took these pics and will report later on taste as I'm waiting on a fig friend to share with. Martin I picked 2 RDB but my mouth got them before the camera and yes they were very good I think the last pics are of RDB that I took a few days ago








RDB

Very nice Sal! IC, MVSB and Black Unknown look tastee...

Hi Sal,
those dark figs look nice, and the season is so young.
Whats those pale looking green things on the plate like a garnish for looks ? 
; )

Doea anyone have a black Magic marker for Martin?

He seems to have lost his.

What are you doing to get figs so early from Sal's Corleone? Is it pot grown? Are they brebas? 

it's called "zone 10b had an early spring" ;)

Martin,

Deep down inside I know you want to sink your teeth in those green figs.
Em em, I know I would.

Sal, How about you fedex a couple to Martin?

Jason, I guess I assumed with a handle like 2007 Giants it would be more like zone 6 or 7. zone 10b makes better sense. I am in zone 6 and my Sal's Corleone is no where near ripe, except for a couple brebas that should be ready soon.

It's quite a difference from z6 -> z8 -> z10.

Sal is eating main crop figs, I'd guess, and is well beyond brebas being ripe.  I've eaten a couple of breba figs in the last week or two, but main crop is nowhere near ripe, no bigger than a nickel in most places.  I reckon you're probably weeks away from brebas being ripe, and main crop.... is probably still waiting to bud off.

pretty incredible if you think about it.  Just a few hundred miles separating, and that much difference ....

So far this year I have had brebas from VDB, Petite Negra and one from Golden Celeste today. All of those are pot grown which I am learning gives them a bit of a head start. My Sal's Corleone is in ground and will probably not be ready til late August or Sept. It is loaded with figs though and still forming them.    

There's a Black Celeste ripening right now.  Just one.  Not sure when to pick it, but it's sort of crackling at the eye end and getting softer.  Can't wait to try it--It's very dark purple-looking to me, not as black as the ones I saw at Durio Nursery last year, but they were very ripe.

noss

Let me start by saying I'm fighting scale,ants and a powdery mildew which has affected fruit production and probably size and taste to an extent. With that being said my I/C was hit hard with scale so I lost alot of fruit.

Sal, I think a neem oil spray would alleviate most of the pests you just mentioned (except ants, maybe)

Hi Sal,
the black unknown i thought was kaput this season then like my Madeira had previously done it grew a shoot out of main at soil level .
It has grown several seperate stems growing in upwards fashion, one will be picked out to make it in tree form once again later this season.

Winters here can be tough on first year stored plants in my garage even though i sleeve them i do not heat garage and never will.

One day i get a black marseillies as im thinking its not just another sweet fig but one with character in its taste. But as for the other color that some folks tease about .

no and will always be
no.

Sal keep them pictures coming please as i really enjoy them especially the
one's  growing Pool side.

Hi Jason I believe you are right with the neem oil. My trees all have fruit and I'm kind of skeptical on spraying while fruit is on. I know neem oil is natural but still not sure how it will affect fruit taste, ripening or other wise. I'm thinking of spraying when fruit is gone and then again before bud break and leafing next season.

To be fair I want to show the bad with the good. Sal Corleone will split with excessive rain which we have had the last few days. The eye is not a closed eye but when ripe a honey drip will seal it. I don't think this prevents splitting in adverse rain conditions. These were not fully ripe, so not much honey formation at the eye  

Hi Sal,
thanks for showing the bad as well.
It happens.
I never seen my Sals El or Hardy Chicago split in good rains in my yard until a few years back.
We had a weekend of record rainfall of 9 inches
Both types split open just like your picture.

Martin I think we all can benefit with truthfull experiences, differnt climates, different humidity levels, different night time temps are just a few factors. I still cut away a bit of the eye and peeled some skin, you know I ate both not quite ripe as you see but still a good taste 

Raincoats.  We need raincoats for the Corleone and any other that split in the rain.  I'm talking for the soil in the pots, as well.  I have a project to work on, thinking about this.

noss

See Bill Muzychko (SP?) and his method in the F4F growing tips section. His self watering containers would prevent overwatering due to the wraps kept on them, I reckon.

Self watering containers are a great way to control ALL factors involved with growing.

I do not think that wet-feet (aka. wet soil around roots) is the only problem.

I agree with george I was about to post the same thing. This is especially true of figs eyes that point upwards

I've read where it's both the excess water getting to the roots, being taken up by the tree and ends up in the fruits and rain keeping the figs wet.

noss