UCR143-38, Giant Amber, Tena

TucsonKen
1310256343

The first UCR143-38 ripened today. I hadn't heard anything very positive about it, so was surprised to find it quite sweet and "figgy."

A giant Amber appears to be living up to its name as it ripens, since it has nearly doubled in size over the last 2-3 days.

I still haven't picked the in-ground Tena that I had thought would be the first among last year's cuttings to ripen fruit, because it's still quite firm near the stem end, although the large end is soft. Maybe tomorrow.

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rafed
1310257015

Ken,

I big fat congrats to you.
Hope you enjoy the rest of the pickings.

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TucsonKen
1310263012

Thanks Rafed, looking forward to it.

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genecolin
1310294099

Great pictures Ken, thanks for posting them. That Tena looks just like mine. I had only 2 figs on mine this year, it's first year in ground after one year in a pot.
"gene"

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TucsonKen
1310309272

Gene--when you picked your Tenas, were they firmly attached to the branch? The one I picked seemed ripe enough, but it actually pulled a little patch of bark loose when I removed it from the tree. I'm being more cautious on the next ones. Maybe Tenas just have a stronger attachment, or maybe it wasn't quite ripe?

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genecolin
1310337536

Ken the two I picked were hanging and came off with just a touch.
"gene"

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TucsonKen
1310343747

I definitely jumped the gun, then, on the first one. I'll give the others enough time to make sure they're ready.

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TucsonKen
1310659790

I let this Tena ripen until it was hanging straight down, and it was definitely the sweetest of the few I've tasted. The outside/bottom seemed as if it was starting to dry even while still on the tree, but it was still quite good.

The Giant Amber was a disappointment. I had understood that it had a closed eye, but based on this sole example (hopefully others will be different) I would say, small, but definitely not closed. So, when I picked it a driedfruit beetle emerged from the ostiole just in time to have its picture taken. When I cut it open, the bottom had visibly gone bad; I tried a little of the top part but it had already soured. I'll pick the next one a little earlier and see if that helps.

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theman7676
1310662781

tasty looking fig

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TucsonKen
1310747575

Today's picks, with observations on ostioles:

A Giant Amber was just starting to soften so I picked it for comparison to yesterday's, and probably 4-5 driedfruit beetles scampered out of its definitely-not-closed eye. When it was sliced open the first stages of spoilage were faint but clearly visible, although since it doesn't have a big interior cavity like a Brown Turkey, the beetles have less access to the fruit and souring doesn't progress as quickly. However, the beetles seem to prefer an early start, so the solid center is no big advantage--when I tapped another still-hard GA, several beetles exited the ostiole. So, GA is off my list for growing in Tucson, and at least based on this very limited trial, should not be considered a closed-eye variety.

Tena is also raising some doubts in terms of having a closed eye. My two plants--both from the same UCD cutting, but one potted and the other in-ground, have yielded mixed results. All figs (3-4) from the in-ground have been closed, with no signs of beetle damage, but a ripe fig from the potted tree had a beetle and spoilage, and another still on the tree but not quite ripe has a decidedly open eye with a beetle that beat it just before I took the photo. So, I'll keep my eyes on their eyes in hopes that these two bug-eyed fruits are merely flukes. It would be a shame to have to give up on Tena, because it has been a vigorous grower with a beautiful upright habit and good productivity, considering it was just a cutting only last year. Could the in-ground vs container-grown difference be a factor? It seems unlikely, but it's all I've come up with so far.

UCR143-38 (potted) had four figs this morning; one was far past ripe and obviously spoiled but the others were fine. Mildly sweet but not bad at all, and no beetle problems so far.

Violette de Bordeaux lost its previous three dinky fruits to ants, which just chewed through the skin. This one, still awfully small, seems to be coming along okay but I'll have to watch the ants. If they continue to be a problem I'll change the tree's growth habit; it's currently a multi-stemmed bush but I may need to select the best leader and remove the rest, leaving several inches of bare, single trunk that can be protected with tanglefoot.

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