Hi, everyone! What an awesome resource here with many helpful fig lovers. ;) I'm a complete newb. Tread softly.

I've read around the web and have received conflicting suggestions about varieties that people have success growing well in Central Florida (Orlando). That's to say nothing about how overwhelmingly large the cultivar list is. I do have experience in the garden, so I'm not a brown thumb. 

I guess I have several questions:

1) Does anyone know firsthand about varieties that grow well in the Central Florida climate? I'm looking for vigorous growth, and sweet, sweet fruit. :-) I've heard Celeste, LSU Purple, and Viollete de Bourdeaux are nice here. Others have said no. :-/ Help!

2) Since I'm new to the fig world, I want to try my hand growing several varieties. I see on eBay people selling multiple cuttings of a single variety. Does anyone know where I can purchase an "assortment" of cuttings, preferably of the varieties I mentioned above (or similarly good in Central Florida)? On eBay, I only see people selling multiple cuttings of one variety. 

I appreciate your help. Sorry for the newbiness.

Welcome to the forum from Florida's capital, dizzymizzy.

There are several members from Central Florida who do very well with growing figs. Perhaps they will give you a more specific perspective on particular varieties but the 3 you mentioned are good choices. The fig types you want to avoid are those with an open eye. The Florida humidity will rot them quicker than you can eat 'em.

It is rare to find an assortment of cuttings sold on ebay, but if you become a "member of good standing" on figs4fun you will find many, many generous people willing to share their bounty with you for the price of postage or a heartfelt thank you.

Hi, Frank.  

Thanks for your response. I did read about the eye issue in humid, rainy, and buggy Florida. 

After further reading, I decided to purchase several cuttings of Celeste. After they arrive, I will attempt to propagate most of them, giving a majority of them to family and neighbors once healthy enough to plant in the soil. However, I will also make a few cuttings available for trade on this forum. Maybe someone will be interested to trade? 

BTW, I used to live in Tallahassee for some years (no Noles!).

welcome.

You may want to look into the LSU Hollier.  Being an LSU variety, it's well adapted to the humid southeast and supposed to be an excellent tasting, very sweet fig.  I'm in South Florida and rooted two cuttings about a year ago.  Both grew to over 6' tall in less than a year.  I recently sold the cuttings I had on eBay and donated 50% back to the F4F Foundation, however, if you PM me, I'll be glad to send you some cuttings after the next round of pruning if you cover shipping costs.

LSU have come up with newer better strains than Celeste. They are LSU Tiger, LSU O'Rourke
LSU Champagne, LSU Improved Celeste. I think Alma, Smith, LSU Scotts Black does well in
your humid zone. I will go with Frank's advise for closed eye varieties.

Pauly and Figaro, thanks for your comments. I will take them into consideration. Alma and one of the LSU strains were on my watch-list, I'll move them to the top and do more research.

I'm still new to figs, but here is some info,
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg214
http://agnic.msu.edu/hgpubs/modus/morefile/hg87_79.pdf

And two Florida nurseries that sell figs,
http://www.justfruitsandexotics.com/Figs.htm
http://www.pepesplants.com/fig-trees.html

You can also try Wellsping Gardens in Lakeland.

Welcome!

Welcome from Citrus county.

Welcome dizzymizzy, you came to the right place for knowledge. Those you mentioned will grow great in your area.  However, let me say this, try just one or two for starters.  Once you make connections here, you will get others to try.   Then you can share with us what you've learned.  Everyone here use to be a newbie.  All newbies want a lot when they first start, that's normal.  If I were in your shoes, I would seek those that do well in humid areas with a closed eye.  Figs with an open eye will spoil.  Some with too much humidity will split open just like a flower.  Some varities are perfect for your climate. 

Last year, the wife and I drove down to Hilton Head, SC for the weekend.  In my free time, I went seeking fig nurseries.  It was a rainy weekend but hot day!  I found a large nursery and had fun talking to folks there about figs.  You would not quess what fig seems to be king in that area?  Magnolia, aka Brunswick!  Go figure!  Magnolia has a bad rap for spliting.  It is an excellent tasting rich fig but you have to pick it in the right weather conditions.  I called another large nursery and they told me that Magnolia was king in coastal SC, GA & Florida.  Me?  I would not grow Magnolia in your area.  Back in the day years ago, I'm sure Magnolia was king but not in today's climate, I don't think it is. 

Seek closed eye varieties like Improved Celeste, Celeste, and a few LSU varieties.  The LSU varieties were bred for the hot and humid weather of the South.  And search for threads started by FMD, JD and others that live in Florida.  You will be suprised at some of the figs in their collection.  Again, welcome and have fun this year growing figs.

Welcome, I am in the Tampa Bay area.  Very familiar with Orlando as I went to college there - go UCF!

I am just getting started as well and don't yet have a full year of growing experience. A few very generous members of this forum helped me get started and I might have a few "extras" that I would be able to give you if you wanted.  I have VDB that I just rooted and transferred to cups.  Once I know they are growing good, you can have one.  And I might have some LSU purple growing from some trimming I just did, at the minimum, I will have some cuttings in the winter.  Just pay for the postage. 

I too am surprised with the number of nurseries in town that sell Magnolia.  I don't have experience growing it, but I can't see how it would do well once our summers turn into a humid jungle.  I ended up with one by accident when I bought what was supposed to be a Green Ischia from Lowes - I gave it to my neighbor, so i'll see how it does this summer.   

Thanks for all the welcomes and links.

Snaglpus and M5allen, I saw a Magnolia fig at Lowes but I passed it up. They also had a ton of Ischia cultivars that had greenish/yellowish pictures on the tag. One looked very nice and vigorous, but I passed it up too since I recently picked up some Celeste cuttings. I was going to use newspaper to root them, but picked up some fresh Perlite so I can root them according to a method I saw on this forum: http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/the-best-rooting-method-i-found-over-the-years-6717809?pid=1281181277#post1281181277 . This is definitely a nice place for information. 

Thanks, everyone.