thx Danny.

Hey Doug !
It's been awhile. The figs you sent are growing very well. thx.
When are you going to breed one of this beautiful black tri's?

Levite,
I asked why VS left and he told me between health and a couple other issues he no longer has time. Loosing him was a serious blow, but he gave us a lot and I wish him well.
He may still be available on a very limited basis to those who buy from him on Ebay.

Hey Michael, glad those trees grew for you.

I just added a 1 year old blue eyes tri male to my family.
Puppies should be in the spring.
I will stay in touch.

Doug

I am not a fig expert.  I do have experience growing figs and other fruits in my climate.  I personally think it's OK to name a fig.  There are so many members here and gone that named their figs.  It's all in the love of gardening.  Telling me or another to name a found fig a certain way won't force me to do that.  Sorry if this upset some....its not my intent.  (Smile)  Again....To me, it's all about the love and the fun of gardening.  Figs are just one fruit that I grow.  There are others I am passion about too!

Over the years, I received a lot of completely false advise about growing figs.  And that's OK.  I learned.  I didn't get mad or slander anyone.  I just took what they said and learned a lot about growing figs in my area.  What worked for them may not work for me in my climate.  Any advice give is just an opinion.  I understand that.

Figs are a mystery!  That's why I love them so!  A few years back, I set out on a quest for figs over a 2 week period.  I drove from Charlotte to Atlanta, to Jameison AL to Florida to Louisiana and to Houston,Texas.  I spent some time talking to the folks at Petal from the Past, Mr. James Robin in Opelousas, Dalton Durio in Opelousas, JFE in Florida, and a few others during my quest.  I learned a lot about figs on that trip. 

Then I traveled and talked to the personnel at the Dept of Arg at UC-Davis--twice.  Over the years they taught me a lot about figs.  What they use to fertilize, how often they fertilize, leaf patterns, etc.  They've even asked me to send them some of my trees!  And yes, including those I found in Charlotte. They don't care what you name a fig.  LOL!  This is why I don't take naming figs so personal.  Over the years, I've located 3 local unnamed fig trees.  I will give them a name.  They will not have the prefix "Unknown" in their name.  Sorry.   I have the history of these figs written down along with the owners name and address.  I've searched the county public records and obtain the previous property owners name just to add more information about the tree.  But that doesn't tell you WHERE the home owners got their fig tree from.  To me, that's good enough!  LOL!  So, when I send my trees to UC-Davis, they will receive the history of the fig as it was told to me.

Having said that.....HOW BOUT THOSE FIGS!!!!!!!

Dennis Dennis Dennis,
Still rocking the boat I see. Not even unk after the name, eh?

With the exception of Dennis' ill conceived policy (just my opinion) about naming figs I want to credit him as one of the good guys on this forum.
When I was a newbie just to be generous Dennis offered to give me a Col de Dame Gris which at the time was a much sought after variety.
As well as sending me (out of the blue) not long after a 3 gallon Emerald Strawberry plant with a note just saying he really liked this variety and wanted to give me one. 
He's one of the good old timers still on this forum.
And a generous guy.

Hello there, F4F folks, I'm one of those old timers bums, alive and well. For those who remember, I am no longer on dialysis, having received a new kidney Nov, 4 2016. Still growing figs and most everything I can squeeze onto my property, albeit have cut my fig collection pretty much in half, (about 50 now) some died due to my inability to care for and others were gifted away as they were same/similar to other varieties. Still in touch with many other old timers, mostly on FB sometimes in person, such as Bill's figs 9th fig fest recently or Bass Fig meeting earlier in the year and occasional home visits. This forum was very instrumental in assisting me with my pursuit of figs and fig knowledge, and hopefully I was able to help some as well. No comments right now on others memories of the past or past opinions of why folks left, but will answer questions if asked to the best of my ability. 

Well I am glad you are doing better Barry!  Welcome back!  I chime in from time to time!  There is a lot of new blood here and that's good!  But most of the ladies are gone.  So sad!  I wish you the best!

Barry, I believe it was you who sent me my Cucumber fig cutting.
It is alive and well if you would like a cutting back.
Just let me know.
Nice to see you around.

Doug

SCfigFanatic, It was likely me as I sent a bunch of scion and cuttings to a bunch of people, don't recall specifically who. Anyway, glad it is alive and producing and wow those funky long breba it makes. Thanks for the offer to replace, right now, I'm good with what I have, will be taking inventory in the fall to see just what is what with the remainder of my trees.


Dennis, Until I read the posts in this thread, didn't know you were still here, but it is nice to see your posts on FB and follow what you are growing. I am on fb too much lol but that is what kept me occupied for the years I was unable to do much in the garden and now it is a daily habit having re-connected with old friends and made many new ones. I really do enjoy fb!! 

Levite,
My avatar is actually a banana spike in my back yard in Costa Rica (I lived in an artist colony for awhile). It is what the bananas will grow on.
Every morning the caretaker would set out bananas for us and we'd take very long bamboo poles and whack mangos (I learned to love mangos and I sure wish I could grow them and I wish I knew the variety that was across from my casita (there is 1600+ varieties of mangos) and have bananas and mangos for breakfast by the pool and watch the hummingbirds (I think CR has 50+ varieties including the ruby throated which migrates all the way to my house in Va and beyond).

I have always wanted to smith and I spent a lot of money collecting knife scales and a few blades. I have a lot of equipment still unpacked from 2002 during which time I was in bed and way too optimistic about my abilities to do certain things. I'd sell stuff if you know anyone interested. (it was about 19 grand in 2002.)

Actually the filberts were not as much trouble as you'd think. I planted the orchard so my tractor could easily turn around and bush hog easily. I used drip irrigation which only cost about a buck a tree back then. My well had a 35 gallon a minute pump and the irrigation was divided into sections and set with timers. I had water run underground to all the orchards as well as electricity. It was a great set up but divorce can ruin just about anything.


Yeah, Norfolk is about 4 hours from here.
Adios.

Neat. I guess I saw what I wanted to see on my little phone screen. :) furthest south I have been is Mexico City, my health is not great (lyme, etc.), else I would belt grind out a few sharp implaments. :)

Some artists in my family (grandmother and eldest daughter) and way back, one Spannish poet who had to buy his certificado de sangre puro. Homeschooling and the land (FIGs) has kept me very busy...

I dabbled into knife making briefly not too long ago when I had too many dull kitchen knives that my wife asked me to sharpen.  I did not have good tools then, and needed a pocket knife for everyday uses.  So a couple of hundred Youtube videos later, I have some basic EDC (everyday carry ) knives.  Let me tell you, it can be very addictive, just like fig-ing.  But I was able to resist the urge to get more and expensive ones, this applies to other hobbies as well.  So now I have the needed tools to sharpen knives, coupled with some woodworking tools and a 22" worn lawnmower blade lying in the garage waiting to be disposed.  So a bushcraft knife was born later...A great learning process, not just the skills of making one but the knowledge of blacksmithing, and leather making for the knife sheath as well. 

Back to the fig thing.  Who said that figging is easy and simple?


I thought that retirement is supposed to be easy going, and dozing away on a hammock under the tree shade on a hot summer day...

Levite,
Sounds like you may have contacts in Spain. Yes?
I am trying to find 4 Spanish figs and am hitting a brick wall.
  
Sorry to hear about the Lyme issue. How long have you had it?

schang,
I am a bit of a wood and fossil nut and the number of knife scales I have is kind of excessive. I bought mammoth, etc. stuff and a giraffe leg, hippo teeth, a big box of antlers, geeez all kinds of stuff. I got very carried away. 15 years later they are still unused as is the fancy multi-wheel belt sander and expensive 1./2 speed grinder buffer, etc. We are just about
finished with a really nice shed that I will use as wood shop next year after I take figs out as the other building turned out not to be big enough.
I think I'll cheat as I have about a dozen blades and all I have to do is manufacture the handle and sheath.
I'm telling ya the wheel goes round and round. A few years ago I sold my knife collection through Arizona knives and as I miss a couple of them -- . . . . geeez yep -- hooked again.
I'm always looking for spalted wood. I've even made some but it took years.
I wonder if there is anything else I could make out of a bunch of pieces of rare wood that are sized to be used for knife handles?

Yep, I just came in from moving a few figs into larger pots including moving my Italian 258 into a 15 gallon pot with biochar. It turns out I was just in time as my De la Senyora was being chewed on by something.

snaglpus, It sounds as though you've already done enough research trips to write a fig lovers road trip guide book -- thanks for sharing a great idea! 

Michael,  I understand the passion you had (or still have) on the knife things...I knew about the Arizona Custom Knives as they are high end, custom knives retailer selling quite expensive knives.  The fact that you sold your collection to them tells me something...

As for the rare wood already sized for the knife handles, it is not easy to alter their uses for other applications.  You may turn them, or carve them into objects that will show/enhance the beautiful wood grains of the rare wood...an example is wood pens

https://www.etsy.com/listing/400862889/rose-gold-curly-koa-swarovski-princess?gpla=1&gao=1&utm_campaign=shopping_us_KailuaBuilt_sfc_osa&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_custom1=0&utm_content=7408109&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIltKU3JCw1gIVxmSGCh3YTwAsEAQYBCABEgIMZfD_BwE

or use your artistic skills to make something that will worth your time and effort.  Or keep making knife handles till you use up your rare wood inventory.  It is also possible to sell them to other custom knife makers if you are not into it.

With the large collection of fig varieties you have, I don't know how you can memorize all these weird (or rare) foreign fig names ...

  

Off the figging topic. But since Michael brought it up, I'm a big rock and fossil buff too. Been collecting for year. The wife said she would never move a couple of tons of rocks again..... I also got bit by the knife making bug and started playing with stock removal a few years ago, right before we moved last time. I just started working on setting my shop up again last week. And shopping for a large band saw to try resawing some handle scales.


CliffH