I'm mid season into growing my first cuttings - taken from a local tree. I'll eventually post pictures of a ripe fig and leaves from the mother tree in order to get a better ID than 'white fig'.

In the meantime, however, I'd like to put in a request from UC Davis and I'd like some suggestions from the experts (or not so experts).

While I understand that some UC Davis cuttings have FMV, I'm not sure I care as long as they grow (I don't really have other choices for cuttings). I'd like to grow a range of taste, color and size and likely graft several varieties onto a tree or two at the end. Several of the trees I would think they would have - like Chicago Hardy - they don't.

So, I'm in Mercer County, NJ (think Trenton and Princeton) with a backyard that has full sun all day.

I'm thinking so far about:

Black Madiera
Mission
Violette De Bordeaux

These seem to have a lot of 'buzz' surrounding them.

I'd like to grow a range of taste, color and size and likely graft several varieties onto a tree or two at the end. They will start out in pots and eventually be put in the ground and wrapped in winter.

Would anyone like to suggest additional varieties which might do well in my area and be fun/productive to grow?

Thanks.

Andrew

Andrew, where are you in jersey?  I may have a tree or 2 for you. 

Andrew,
Come fall I'll have cuttings to spare as will a lot of others I imagine. Just PM me in a couple months. 

Andy....

Give Bass @ "Trees of Joy" your questions...He lives right there, near you in Bethlehem, PA....and certainly herman2 can give you some suggestions, also.  Two perfect sources for the information you seek.

Hope this helps.

Frank

Avoid ucd if you can. They have fmv and struggle growing here in nj. I say spend a few $$ and get vdb from el. Or trade for one.

If you watch EL (Edible Landscaping)they have sales and they also sell 4" pots with figs for $10 or $12. They are a very good place to get figs and have frequent sales. They sell the HC I have and it's a darn nice fig. UCD is not the best place to get cuttings. Encanto is good and I'm sure other members will help.

Grafting is the worse you can do because you infect the mother tree and all the scions with the sum of the Fig mosaic strains in the cuttings.
If you want to spend the rest of your life trying to root and grow  fig trees,get Violette de Bordeaux,Ischia Black and Black Mission cuttings,from UCD, and you are set.
If you want to enjoy the fruits of your labour take ,"The Celt" Advice
This is not a joke,you do not know what you are getting into trying to grow UCD cuttings as a new Gardener.
If you really want to try anyway,Google UCD Germaplasm ,and you can order cuttings,just follow instruction on the site.
I also ordered in the past as i did not know any better,because we did not have computers at the time.
O ,Yes Hybrids made by UCD,will grow but I found them bland tasting,or too late to ripe here ,if ever.

It will not infect any other as long as you do not graft it,on another tree.
Kadota is a stronger cultivar,even with Fig virus ,it will grow ,slow but it will.
And in Arizona it will ripe fruits too.
So it is up to you,if you see it that it does not want to keep up with the other healthy cultivars then replace it.

Hello Andrew, I live in Salem county,NJ and have some ucd plants that are growing healthy as of right now but with others advice I'm going to trash them. You are more then welcome to them for free if you want them. Let me know one way or another. I'm going thru them now and don't want to keep watering them if you don't want them.


luke

Thanks Herman.  I will give it a try. 

Luke,
Before you trash these figs I'd love to know what they are and have a chance to rescue any varieties I've been searching for. Are you open to sending me a list?
thanx
mgg

Andrew, I'd suggest you consider putting Marseilles Black VS (aka Marseilles VS Black) on your list.  

Mike   central NY state, zone 5

p.s.  you confused me with your handle saying "in NYC" rather than "in NJ" :-)

Michael - people move <g>.  I was in NYC pre kids.  Now Central Jersey (without the accent).

Marseilles Black VS (aka Marseilles VS Black) isn't a UC Davis offering, so I would need to rely on a member or buy it.

But, yes, it also seems to have a cheering section among fig growers.

Andrew

mgg: I'll try to get a list together and send.

Andrew: My guess is if you visit NYC, the accent comes back. Sure it does. Tell the truth, it will set you free.



luke

Aw, youse guys, I thought Andrew was saying he is without the Jersey accent!  That's the one you might not want!  (with apologies to all my NJ friends on this forum, or should I say condolences?)

smiling Mike

I'm devoid of all accents - being born in NY, growing up in FL, going to college in CT and then living in NY and now NJ - about all you can say about my accent is "it's not from XX" (fill in your own XX).

And yes the joke was to be that I'm without a Jersey accent.

So, along those lines,  -  "You're from Jersey? I'm from Jersey!  What exit?"  My apologies to SNL.

And yes, Noss, I have found the people on this forum (and most others I frequent) to be full of generosity, knowledge and wit.  My wife refers, to 'you guys' as my 'imaginary friends'.  I tend to get that 'only from a wife' look when I describe the threads or my new internet induced project (like strawberry towers full of grit, pine bark and Turface - ask about that one sometime!)

Andrew

is UCD cuttings having such issues up in NJ/NY due to FMV because the difference in weather from other locations?

i have 5 different variety from UCD this year. i do see Calvert and Ischia Green showing lot of strange leaves due to FMV, otherwise they are growing very well. Calvert is already putting on the figs which i knocked off. Black Madeira, Col de Dame Blanche, and Ischia White are all doing great.

i also have trees that are not from UCD, but they all show some sign of FMV.

i know we have longer and hotter summer than NJ/NY down here in NC. and i grow everything in the container.