Last year I barely got to taste any figs, just a few Celeste, Cajun Gold and Conadria breba. Most of the rest soured along with the Celeste, Cajun Gold and Conadria after the rain set in. I'm thankful that those three varieties were early enough to let me eat a few. So I've been waiting all year and most of last for some fresh figs. This week my Celeste started ripening a few, one here and one there. Yesterday I picked about 20 moderately ripe ones. Tomorrow I should get around 30. I also picked a nice batch of Cajun Gold today. Oh they are oh so sweet, like savoring fresh honey straight from the hive. When Linda eats one her eyes light up and roll back in her head and says, "that's my fig".

I also picked an O'Rourke, it could have gone another day but I just had to do it. I should have another one tomorrow. O'Rourke has a unique sweetness and flavor to it, unlike any other fig I've tasted. That's what I remembered from last year. Last year it was the only fig that didn't sour as it has a very tight eye. The one's I ate last year had that same sweet taste but they were watered down somewhat by all the rains but I was thankful that I got to taste them and wonder about that sweet taste. Well that taste is still there ripening in dry weather. I see that I have a LSU Tiger ripening also. It is showing it's stripes today. In fact the O'Rourke also has stripes showing.

So what's not fair about all that. Although we've been having some light well needed showers now and then, starting late in the weekend on into next week, just as the figs are ripening, we are suppose to get some heavy tropical rain move in from the Gulf, bad timing. Also Saturday, just as the figs are ripening, I'm leaving to go to Destin FL for a vacation, bad timing. I will be heading into an area where there was 12" of rain yesterday but the weatherman said it should get better. Also next Saturday is LSU fig day. I think none of that is right, none of it. Well we just might get back in town by Friday and if so I'll make the LSU day. I'm really looking forward to that. Maybe it's best that I leave town while all the rain is falling as that would be quite depressing and awaken memories of deja vu from last year. I guess I shouldn't be to upset as I've had many a good day in my life and I'm more than thankful for them. Life is an exciting journey and it's different at every turn. I guess I'll just be my happy self and see what unfolds. It might just turn out great on it's on.

On a good note I might get to meet up with darkman in Pensacola when we pass through.
"gene"

Plate of Cajun Gold which aren't so gold this year, and 1 O'Rourke


O'Rourke


LSU Tiger, sorry about the blur but I think you can see the stripes just like on O'Rourke

give it some time, the season just started :) 

Gene will you be able to get more ripe fruit in September or did you pinch the ends.

At least when you get to the LSU days, then you will get to taste more varieties than what you do have so that should make up for it.

I know you guys are right, it's early yet, but it been so long. Martin the only tree I've pinched is my Cajun Gold. I pinched about 2/3 of it for comparison against the other 1/3. Last year it just kept growing and growing and not ripening as many figs as it should have even though they all soured. I pinched a few ends, about 10 percent, and even they put out new growth almost as fast as the unpinched ones. This year the pinched ends are not making new buds yet as they did last year and the unpinched end haven't grown any more past the clusters of figs. This tree is still a puzzle to me. The only thing I know for sure is that I love it's figs. On another note, I did have a breba swellng and getting dark on my Martin's UK but we got hit by an inch and one half of rain yesterday and it split and soured overnight. It was the only breba on the tree. It was looking so good. It still has many main crop fig so I'm was hoping for a dry season.
"gene"

Gene,

Hope to meet you at LSU fig day.

None yet this year.  I had a Gillette breba but it mysteriously fell off a few days ago long before it was ripe.  I'm at least a month away from any main crop figs.

Same here Steve, keeping my fingers crossed. Bob I guess living in the deep South has some advantages.
"gene"

I don't have any experience with pinching figs however since I planted a Muscadine vineyard (OK it's only 29 plants in between my Citrus rows) I have pinching experience with them. To train the vertical trunks to the wires you have to constantly pinch new growth that forms at the leaf axils. I thought that this would be a every two weeks or so thing. NOT EVEN CLOSE! I have to go back through them almost every other day. My point is maybe on some varieties or under certain weather conditions you have to keep pinching. Maybe you have to pinch some figs multiple times.

Has anyone had to pinch more than once to keep a tree in check? Maybe this should be tried. Me I'd just like to get trees big enough to have this problem. LOL

I've never heard of any studies on the water uptake of figs, has anyone? I believe that is the key to understanding splitting. There has to be a way to reduce the chances of splitting. It is obviously linked to rain fall. I know that Epcot grows many things hydroponicly, and I do not believe the fruit or vegetables split ever! So we have two opposite growth mediums. 100% water and basically a "dry" soil and it is only when our soils reach a certain percentage of water volume that we get splitting. Maybe we should be growing in raised beds that are less organic or coarser grit, maybe pea gravel, to allow rapid drainage of excessive water. There has to be a solution. Maybe a membrane that only allows a certain amount of pass through per hour or it is impervious and the rest or all sheets off to be pumped away to something that wants the excess water (storage cisterns or ponds). Irrigation (from cisterns or ponds) and fertigation could be subsurface. There is soil moisture meters (Citrus growers use these and they are affordable) that interface with irrigation systems to keep the growth medium in the sweet spot. I'm sorry guys I guess I'm getting carried away a bit here. I'm just thinking of all the disappointed figgers as evidenced by the numerous posts complaining of this issue.


Gene my wife, Tami, and I are looking forward to seeing you when you pass through.

Steve and others likewise, MINUS the wife LOL, at the fig meet.