My Violet de Bordeaux plants figs are starting . This tree is one of mine due for root pruning this dormant season.

Hi Martin.  Your VDB is ahead of ours here in Georgia.

This is the first year in ground for our VDB, that may have slowed it a bit, and it's been really hot up there in Chicago.

Whatever the reason, your VDB is clearly ahead of ours here, even though we are in Zone 7b.

Looks fantastic.  Hope it will taste as good as it looks for you.

Best wishes.

John
North Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

John the reason is simple and honest.

I have to cheat.  ; )

Hi Martin.

All is fair in love and war . . . or when you love figs and live in Zone 5!  ;-)

We have never had a VDB, this will be our first this year, but I have heard very positive reports on the taste of VDB.

Our VDB is loaded, probably well over 20, maybe 30 figs on a 3 foot tall 4 branched plant.

It may be good ours aren't ripening yet though, as we have had a good 5 inches of rain now in just over a week.  The ground is really saturated with water right now.

That's making the new in ground figs grow like weeds, but it probably wouldn't do much for the flavor of the VDBs.

Hope you are doing well my friend.

John

There coming in now. Here is pictures, these were just a tad dry not dry dry but a tad dry compared to last season. Trouble is this year the plant grew rootbound and coupled with warm weather i been watering this plant a lot to keep it in somewhat happy just not at its peak.
Anyways when i ate the figs oh boy what a treat.
Move over Hardy Chicago cause Violet de Bordeaux has arrived several plants over to you.
To compare at this point i would say Bordeau is like filet mignon and Hardy Chicago a nice aged New York Strip.
Next up to taste is Negretta a have 1 getting ripe now and hopefully more to follow it.
I tasted some more nice ripe santa cruz and to compare them to the VdB
and Hardy Chicago well i wont waste my time not to say though some folks may like its taste just not me.
SCD is defintely being chopped up fo scion and put on ebay this winter im not giving it another season No.

Hi Martin.

Those look fantastic.  Our VDBs are still in progress.

I actually think our HCs are outstanding, but we haven't tried a VDB yet.

Had our third ripe Excel this morning, and it was quite good, very sweet and better taste than the first two that came in the middle of heavy rains.  Having the better part of a week to dry out really helped.

I have an LSU something (uncertain other than it's an LSU) that is turning out to be a much better fig than expected in both productivity and taste.

We just got a digital camera (yes; I know; we are practically Amish) and when I figure out how to use it (hopefully this weekend) I will post pictures.

Hope you are well my friend.

John
North Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b