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What's Ripening now?

Good Afternoon All,

I just wanted to let everyone know, my Strawberry Verte and Vista is beginning to ripen.  I am in zone 6b columbus ohio.  These two are in pots.  I got the Strawberry Verte from Bass last year and the Vista from Encanto farms.  Both are doing well and have about 20 figs each on them.  I plan on planting them in the ground this fall.. 

Thanks for sharing.  My Strawberry Verte is still small but has about 6 figs on it.  They are still small and dark green right now, though.  Keep us posted on the progress of yours.  =)

Nothing is ripening yet of main crop here in Zone 5a. My last breba ripened this week but got messed up on the ground.
You said you are going to plant your plants in ground in the fall. IT may be safe since you are in zone 6b. It will be more safe if you could wait until spring and then plant in ground. More roots in ground may help in survival, in my opinion. Being in zone 5a makes me think of more caution. I don't have any plant in ground.

Colisanti dark is just starting to swell here, Adriano has ripened a couple already, RdB has been ripening over the last week, MBVS is starting to swell now too.

My SV did not have any figs this year. Last years they there were very good!

I agree with Ottawan that the chances of surviving the winter are better in an unheated garage or shed than by planting in the ground this Fall.  I would wait until Spring and let it get established and larger next summer.  Then protect well next winter.

I tasted my first Sal's fig last weekend, and the second one
is just about ready right now. The plant is a couple of
months old, but in a 5 gallon bucket, it quickly reached
4 ft. I kept a couple of figlets on it.
Of my 30 (ouch,I have a problem) varieties, in inland CT,
Sal's was first, looks like Peter's Honey will be second.
Not all plants had figlets this year.

So far I have had Petite Negri, O'Rourke/Improved Celeste, LSU Purple, Paradiso (J. Morle) and Chicago Hardy. Waiting on San Pietro (J. Morle), VDB and Peter's Honey (just starting to ripen). My two Negronne have produced no figs at all this season but their tips were burned during shipping this spring.

I've managed to eat one ripe Petite Negri today.  Real problems with fungus getting at any mature figs they can get at, even without recent rains, so I've just been going ahead and picking slightly unripe and mature figs.  The one ripe fig looked like it was in horrible shape, the skin split so it looked like a rotting zombie with pink flesh under the ripped skin.  Very delicious, though.  Strong, bright acidity, and good sweetness, taste and texture pretty close to strawberry preserves.  Not figgy at all, this time.

Ischia White, Ischia Green, White Greek, Paradiso Gene, Calvert, VdB, Kathleen's Black so far... still waiting on handful of others.

Update, I went out to check on both the vista and the Verte, The Vista fig is getting darker and the verte is drooping more and softer.  Ottwan.... I will cover the fig trees that I plant in the ground this fall.  I bend them in half, surround them with cardboard and stuff them with straw and leaves.  Cover the entire lot with black 6 mil plastic.  This works really well for me here. In May of the following year, I unwrap  them, use the Cardboard and leaves as mulch.  I fertilize with Rock Dust, Worm Casting, Bone Meal and Blood meal (4 lbs of Each).  They seem to love this!  

I'm also in zone 6b (South Central Pennsylvania).  My unknown figs (best guess is Brown Turkey) started to ripen this past week.  I have 2 well-established bushes in the ground, which I planted 42 years ago.  I look for a bumper crop this year. 

Noticed last night Peter's Honey has a fig starting to swell. This year I'll finally taste a ripe fig not from the store. Although, WF has had great figs this year for 3.99/lb.

  • Jed

My first fig tree, VdB has a total of 6 figs. The first one was ripe about the beginning of August. However, one of my dogs took half a bite out of it the same day I planned to pick it. I think he watches what fruits I am checking in my yard then taste tests as my dogs like Mulberry, Blackberry and their leaves as well as fig leaves.

Across the street, my neighbor has a fig tree she planted over 50 years ago. It does not seem that she knows what it is. I taste tested it with my ripe half fig. It seems hers looks more like a Black Mission as it looks like mine but tastes sweeter. She had a ton of figs and gave me as much I could pick. I picked the figs in a 3 gallon bucket until almost filled. 

My other figs left on my VdB are not ripe. I am considering cutting my losses and trimming them off so that roots can keep growing and  get stronger.

Southern Brown Turkey, Violet de Bordeaux and Celeste have ripened a few figs recently and more are starting to swell. they are all growing in 5 gallon buckets in a modified 5-1-1 potting mix.

    Attached Images

  • Click image for larger version - Name: Fig_Celeste__improvedCelesteAE1_8-31-13.jpg, Views: 31, Size: 99512
  • Click image for larger version - Name: Fig_SouthernBrownTurkeyandBryantdark_RipeFigs1_8-24-13.jpg, Views: 31, Size: 87965
  • Click image for larger version - Name: Fig_VDB_RipeFigs2_8-28-13.jpg, Views: 27, Size: 74967

Update.  I went out today and there was a Strawberry Verte, sitting in the pot.  Beautiful red Jammy Colour in the inside.  It rained last nite but the fig was jammy, creamy, with strawberry and raspberry accent.  If you dont have this fig you should get it.  This is a must have fig.  Cant wait until it get's older.   

Ooop, add Hardy Chicago. Several are starting to swell.

Doin a little dance...doin a little dance..da da da da dah!

At last I am happy,
figs seem to have stopped dropping,
and I had one ripe Lattarulla today.
too bad we had rain the last 2 days or it would have been better.
a few Grimo BT also show signs of swelling and changing colour.
the inground grimo natalina dropped all its main, while the potted one is still holding onto all or most of its figs.

Petite Negri moving towards the serious crop yesterday and today.  I have been picking them more or less unripe, but they are friggin' delicious, still, and nicely sweet.  Have had only one properly ripe fruit, and that one was only nice.  One mature fruit was already spoiled by the time I got to it.  Ain't gonna see fully ripe PN this year.  *Sigh*, the joys of burning latex on the lips and in the mouth, and sticky fingers...

I bought some plants early this year and all have figs except Negronne but I think I wont be picking any because they are too young...

Col de Dam, Frozen Joe's Jersey unknown, and VDB have all produced a few fruit and are ripening many more. 

Hardy Chicago,  Atriano, Celeste, Havasu unknown,and several other unknown's  are still a week to a month (depending on variety) away from producing anything edible.  

Black Mission and an unknown yellow fig are done for the year.

All are in ground.

Update.   Texas Ever Bearing about 15 swelling at this point.  Tree/Bush Style growing Habit.  Has around 400 plus figs easily!  I have Two texas ever bearing figs in ground.

I just noticed that Florea and Gino had a couple of main crop fig ripened. Florea was the earliest ripening last year too.

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