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garden_whisperer

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
Just as i got off work this am on this 6th day of aug (my Bday) i had an ideal hit me like lightning. considering i live in zone 6 where there is no fig wasp, i started thinking what the fig wasp does. it seems from all my reading this tiny critter enters the eye of the fruit. (some eys being tighter than others) in doing this with mutiple fruits it spreads pollen from one to another and so on. so in this aspect would it be possible for me to say use a small pipe cleaner on my desert king fig trees to try and ripen up main crop fruits. seems like it should work, or at least be worth looking into.

any thoughts, at what stage of the fruits life (size) does the wasp enter it, is it close to ripe or swelling sending out a sent to the wasp to say its ready, or is it just first come first serve at any stage.

I would like to know more about this so please any ideals, hard core fact along these lines are welcome. 
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Dave Zone 6b Illinois

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can_smokva

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
Happy birthday
Do you have a source of pollen such one as a desirable caprifig?
Common fig does not have pollen and you can not go from one to the other like I read in your post!
If you do have a source of pollen, you may be good to go.
There are some knowledgeable people on the forum that can describe a handpollination technique.
Savage270

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Happy Birthday :)
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David, North GA, zone 7b Growing figs since May 2014. Wish List: Cuttings: Kesariani, Battaglia Green, Col de Dama Rimada, Col de Dame Noir 
garden_whisperer

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
nah just common figs other than one san pedro type

thanx 
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Dave Zone 6b Illinois

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Ruuting

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Happy Birthday, Dave!
Some of our California members may be able to set you up with Caprifig cuttings, or Proffichi figs at the right time of the year.
Hand pollination was accomplished 120 years ago in California, with toothpicks!
Certainly seems worth the little extra effort. More figs, tastier and juicier figs...fertilized seeds for seedlings??
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Rui
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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
From another thread brought to the front page you might be able to just use a caprifig someone mails to you. Bass said he used a 2 week old fig.
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