Just started showing some color but looks a little deformed to me, hope it holds on

Sal,

Sorry about the fig issue.

You have PM.

Thanks Rafed got your pm. hope we can meet some time
Sal

Hi Sal
let us know what happens.  ; )

The first one did not ripen properly and ripened to fast IMHO(7 days from showing color)  it was dark soft and seemed ready but obviously not. These are just stating to turn and from what I can see show promise. I had my reservations on that first one but I hold out hope on these
First fig far right

[IMG]http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo53/sgior/figs/100_3233.jpg[/IMG]
Bottom No taste wrong pulp color
[IMG]http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo53/sgior/figs/100_3235.jpg[/IMG]
New figs showing color for 3 days now
[IMG]http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo53/sgior/figs/100_3248.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo53/sgior/figs/100_3249.jpg[/IMG]
How Bout Them figs ;)

Look forward to seeing the ripe VdB .
Seems your climate is good example of how figs can look differrent in area's around country.

Martin your VdB`s look so different from Sal`s aren`t they ?

Remis yes the fig itself looks different at least for now.
I have seen pictures of his VdB leaves and they are a dead on match to mine.

 Since you visited last mine now have the pinkish red dotting on skin like last season.

Sals fig plant came from same source as mine tags are slightly different you cant see edible landscaping on my tag as that part is in the soil.

There close in age mine from January of 08 as a 5 gallon plant so counting on my fingers 07, 08, 09, 10 its in its 4th season .

Sals weather is so different from ours as everything comes in so much sooner like his veggies, there season is already finished and ours is in mid season.

Sal and i have another plant the same and it will be fun to see one day how fruit compares as well.

Just to clarify, mine was a small rooted cutting that I won a bid on ebay last August 2009 I received. That is the tag it came with and was listed as the mother tree came from EL. I have no reason to doubt what it is as the seller is a member of both forums. So it is really in it's first or second  year

I had observed a yearly variance/improvement form
my 2002 (EL) VdB fruit.
Do not recall them being so light-brownish skin color.

Recently, I had the most black-skin/blood-red-pulp and
possibly bigest fruit ever!

Last fall [ make that mid? spring], I divided the mama tree in 2, and gave one to my neighbour [actually the very young son that show intense interest in my figs] 
[just happy to be close-by watching {and advice} its performace].
I lost mine, and I am now re-starting from some saved cuttings.

Sal in your post #6 the 3rd picture down in that post i see that spot you mention . It appears to be a sting from some sorta critter perhaps, i have seen some just like that on green yellow pears that a friend used to bring to work and he said the bee's or wasps used to make those marks.
I have not seen those on any of my plants they usually come right when they are ready to be picked but nothing like before when i cut down the pussy willow tree and i shoe them away with my hat and sometimes get lucky and get them to fall on ground then there in trouble.

One of those dropped not ripe all the way and was still amber inside. It was a little soft so cut and tasted not as bad as I thought it was not dry and could taste some sweet and flavor. My wife ate the other half and said it wasn't bad. I believe I screwed this one up. this tree was in a 3 gal pot last season and when I potted up I root pruned a bit and did not cut much if any canopy. I should have known better after reading Martin's post last season on his HC I believe. My thoughts are there is not enough root to support holding fruit to full ripeness yet. I say Yet because I think I still might get some fruit of this tree by seasons end. Any input would be appreciated. here is the fig that fell off and one which is trying to hold on. I should also mention I acquired this in August 2009 a small rooted tree and should have not touched the roots at this point. I did this with my others I acquired last year but other than Improved Celeste and the vdb the others are holding and ripening fruit, The Conadria though is showing amber pulp compared to red from last year and this could also be due to it trying to ripen to fast

Yes sir thats what happened with me, root pruned hard without canopy prune and lost half my hardy chicago crop last season they just dropped, the other half held and was very good last season even with cruddy cool summer we had. This season i count over 100 figs which is normal for me on this size tree which i keep like this each year as i dont prune it back hard i keep at about 6 ft. along with canopy in check.

Sal i should note that Vdb root system is holding that tree back this season as only about 25 figs will ripen even with me nipping the branch ends some mid and lower branches have no figs on them, the roots have completely filled pot (my largest container i use ) where i can't even stick my fingers down into the soil with some coming out the top as well.
Have to do some root work come late winter so i dont freeze in garage i pick a nice day for it like i always do.

Yea Martin The more I think about it I believe that is what I did wrong. When dormant I will prune some and hope for a better season next year. The root system still has 5-6 months to develop.

When you say root work late winter I would imagine that means before bud break in spring. Is that correct?

Yes i do the root pruning before any buds open and make nice temporary mess in garage.  It may have been you that used the chain saw i remember seeing a post of that but dont recall for sure sure if it was you.
I just may buy a small chain saw not sure .

I'm not sure about your VdB. Here is my EL VdB (red purple pulp) and EL Osbourne (amber pulp). Leaves are actually a little similar.

I am with gorgi, they seem awful light colored for VdB, and really not the correct shape. They should be more tear dropped.

Scott

In my book those do not look like VdB leaves. They should have a pretty characteristic pointy center love, and all lobes should be pointier.





And from USDA/UC Davis



My 2 cents.

i have a Negronne that looks like Scott's, and a VdB that looks like the UCD one posted by Jon.  I have been of the understanding they are supposedly the same variety, though.

Thanks guys hopeully I can get a few to hold on by seasons end and will give me a better idea if it true to name. I think I will try to fertilize with MG to see if that helps it along 

Jason,

They are probably not the same, but very close, and have very, very similar leaves. They, along with Beer's Black, Petit Negri, Vista and several others are either the same or very similar, and have clearly been sold interchangeably under those an other names. Part of the "fun" of figs. All that I have seen are characteristically very dark skinned and very dark red inside. The majority of leaves seem to be three lobed, some 5 lobed (or 3 lobed with two little proto-lobes) and I have seen some with 7 lobes. But they to tend to have very pointy lobes. If you mix them in with a 100 other leaves, they should be easy to spot. The leaves are also usually more shiny, and thin.

Sal,
Hold-on/be-patient; eventually your (EL) VdB will show-off its true beauty...

Here are some pics taken this morning of my el vdb in 4th season.
The dominant shape on mine is picture with water in rocks below pot.

Even found a fruit or 2 eh maybe kind of like Sals color but far from being ripe at this point.
The dominant leaf shape is picture with water in rocks below pot.

Sal keep the pictures coming as season progresses in Florida and like George mentioned the true beauty of your plant will eventually show. 

Thanks Martin and George.Martin Like I said I have no doubt it is a VDB. My fruit looks like yours starting out at least. my leaf shape is same as yours only with rust spots lol. It is not holding on to fruit or ripening properly due to my own stupidity. I'm planning on giving a nice shot of MG today to all my figs with spray attachment. On a brighter note my black unknown trees are starting to show fruit color on breba and main crop. Have not picked any yet, but it won't be long now before we can eat more than just a hand full ;o) 

Scott - note the pics of Cecil's VdB in that same post.  Leaves match the one Jon is talking about, it also reflects the experience I've had.  I don't doubt that your tree could possibly be VdB since leaves seem to morph from tree to tree, it is just weird that it has a totally different (more club-like) leaf shape dominant over the entire plant than many other forum members. 

Hey - check out the pics Scott posted versus the Stella that Tim posted over here:  http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=4798849

Thanks for the comments and pictures Jon and Martin. Very dark fig, nearly black with a raspberry taste. What EL is selling labelled VdB anyway (I checked my receipt). The first leaf picture is the EL Osbourne, orange fig with yellow pulp.

Scott

For those interested here is what is mentioned in book about Vdb and Negronne type figs . Im sorry but i saw no pictures about this particular type.
Its good read about all the figs that are described in this book .

THE FIG:

ITS HISTORY, CULTURE, AND CURING

VARIETIES OF FIGS.

GUSTAV EISEN, Ph. D.

Sal,

I sent you an email regarding the plant.  That plant came directly from EL and was not propagated.  Would be curious to see how it does with time.

Thanks Tony for your response. I was hoping you had mother plant to compare.I did email you back also. I will let you know next season unless things change this season

Eisen book at Fig Link 270

Let's see if I can answer all the questions. I was away selling at CRFG Festival of Fruit  Friday and yesterday so got a little behind (figs and bananas).

Martin, didn't know that the bar was a high as it was when I used it - it was just what I liked and wanted more of. Yes, it turned out to be a high bar.

Ottawan, I find that the ones in pots seem to have less color overall, often more cream colored at the stem, and smoother skinned  That may be de to a lack of maturity, but I frankly don't remember what my Vista/VdB looked like when it was a juvenile. They don't show a lot of color till the begin swelling and ripening.

Apoist, gorgi, All I can say is that environmental factors and interchanging of names and varieties are probably responsible for many of the similarities and dissimilarities that we see in leaves. They are quite variable on the same tree, and given different soil, climate, etc as mentioned above may exaggerate or express leaf styles not seen else where, even if from the same parent. I have a Vista (officially Vista OL, for odd leaf) that had only single lobed leaves for a couple years. I thought I had mislabeled it until a side branch expressed the usual 3/5 lobe leaves. This season all leaves are 3/5 lobed, as normal, but it had no fruit. My Raspberry Latte has single and deeply crenelated 5 lobe leaves, some branches one way, some others, and they sometimes change back and forth in the same season or different seasons.

All of the Negronnes, Vista, VdBs, Beer's Black, etc, etc, etc. has very similar leaves, that seem distinct from any others, and the fruit is all similar or close. Are they all the same, or just very closely related? Only a bunch of $ for DNA testing will settle it, and even then environment is still the major factor.

Paully,

Dauphine (SP type) is really nice this year. Pratt Purple has dsuddenly matured into a nice fig. Samoa Sunshine (aka Yellow Unknown FN), was a surprise last season, and I have good expectations for it. I have a couple new seedlings with first fruits this season that are very promising (need to learn when they are ripe), incl one with an interesting breba behavior, that I will know more about in a few weeks, hopefully. Lemon was impressive last year, and has not ripened this year. Violette Dauphine has been late ripening until this season, and is among the early ones, and a great fig. Strawberry Verte is less sweet, but a nice fig, and heavy bearer. Col de Dame is a winner. White Adriatic (can't remember from which nursery, right now) had the best breba I have ever had (most are yucky here) last season, but none this season. Had my first Fico Piedmonte today (Belleclare) and it has very nice. Similar to Marseilles VS or Maryland Berry (aka BT-MD). Panache and Black Madeira are still awesome if you have the heat and long season they require. Hey, a list of 10 leaves out way too many. And flavor is not everything. If it doesn't ripen in you climate, it is still a "zero". If it doesn't have much crop, a "10" for flavor might not be worth the space. Ranking is dependent on many factors besides taste in many parts of the country (and other countries such as our neighbor to the north),

Jason, re: size difference. The first, and most important thing to learn/remember about figs is this: "They respond to anything and everything in their environment." This means weather (in general), length of season, temps during the season, temps when ripening, water (amount [overwatering, underwatering, inconsistent watering, drip, flood, hurricane, etc.], frequency, salinity, dissolved minerals, whether from rain or irrigation, time of year of rainfall, etc.), fertilizer (type, frequency, inorganic, organic, salt concentration in manures, etc), soil type (clay, loam, etc), whether in-ground or in-pot, sunlight/shade percentages, breed of neighbor's dog (or you dog, or lack thereof) if he is peeing on your trees, caprification, and anything else that enters their environment. This was the only real pearl of wisdom I took away from a lecture from a guy that has been growing figs about 40 years more than I have. (I am sure there were others, I just didn't retain them.) It seemed a "little" exaggerated at the time, but becomes more true every season. Sybil of Paradise Nursery did not recognize her figs when grown at my location. It is part of the mystery and FUN of figs. To some extent, you never know what the next season will bring.