My 3 year old,inground,Red Sicilian fig,very sweet and cold hardy.   Marius

Prety

Nice photos Marius, good looking figs. How well do they handle the rain?

I have had a "unknown" fig now thanks to  Marius I think I know what it is!

Since 2007, I have been growing some, no-name, rooted-twigs that were given to me, and, I only know them as 'Red-Italian' figs.  These twigs, are now respectable-sized trees, and they grew in-ground since 2008....the roots grew into the surrounding soil after escaping out from the container's drainage holes.  I discovered this too late, and because I am basically lazy, I let the trees grow in-ground until this spring.  Since 2007, I gave them no winter-protection at all.  I only watered and fertilized these trees as needed.  Mother Nature did the rest.  No die-back, vigorous growers, no souring, BUT...will split in heavy rains.    ( Note:   I will now control water at the roots when ripening commences, because they have been planted into large containers, after I did a root-pruning, earlier this spring.  These trees are doing just fine in the new containers, and are once again, growing vigorously).

These trees set a fairly large breba crop, - which I remove -  and a larger main-crop, of smallish, brown-red figs that look much like the photos.  I will bet that my "Italian-Red" figs, are in fact "Red Sicilian" figs.  Starting today, I will re-name my trees and call them "Red Sicilian" figs.  Properly ripened, these figs are very sweet.

Glad I read this thread.  Thanks for the photos.

Frank

Took a long time, won an Ebay thingy, and finally, after JD went down and gave the post office what they deserve, finally my Red Sicilian cuttings arrived.  Now it's up to me to make them live!  Long live Sicily!  Long live the LA Kings!!  Wooo Hoo!
Suzi

You mean Flyers west?

I mean LA Kings!  The beat goes on!  They should have nailed the Stanley Cup last night, but more Hockey ahead!
Suzi

I had many anxious days waiting for my Red Sicilian, or Red Italian trees to start forming main-crop figs.  The weather has been just horrible, here in The Bronx, NYC...and of course, this was the year I decided to do a major root-pruning, and re-potting of all my fig varieties.  The trees just sat there stunned for at least a month.  This morning the corn-kernel size figs have popped out from all of the leaf nodes, and it looks like I will have a fairly decent crop after all.

These Red Sicilians-Red Italians are vigorous, and have sprouted new branchlets all along the main trunk.  Al's gritty-mix seems to be working very well in my large containers, and I fertilize with "Foliage-Pro" at every watering...much diluted, supplemented with liquid macros-micros....and Dyna-Gro, Pro-teKt.  I buy my fertilizers in the Pot-Growing  Supply stores...excuse me..."Hydroponic-Supply" stores.

Hope the remainder of my short-season goes well.

See posting # 5 for  why I use "Red Sicilian-Red Italian" name. 

Frank

Don't want to hijack this thread, just a quick work to Suzi. LA Kings are being called "Flyers west" due to the number of ex Flyers players currently on the roster or in the front office, Simone Gagne, Michael Richards, Jeff Carter, Ron Hextall (front office) to name a few. Anyway, congratulations for winning the Stanley Cup and defeated the evil Jersey Devils 

Wow Making me drool, do they taste as good as they look?

BLB, Thanks for the Congrats!  Now you can return the favor by helping out the Ducks when you guys beat those evil San Jose Sharks next year!!

Luke, I'm sure they do taste as good as they look.  I have my cuttings, some in the ground, and some in perlite.  Hoping at least one will root!  If not, they will go on my wish list and hopefully I can buy a rooted plant one of these days!
Suzi

As far I am concenred, this Silcilian Red fig is a very close cousin
(if not exactly the same as):
 BC: Sal(Corleone); Bass: Portugese Dark and my own: GM17...

All good news to me, gorgi!  If my cuttings fail, I have a promise of Sal's from a fellow member, and if Sal's is the same as Sicilian Red, then I'm covered!  Thanks for the reassurance you just gave me!
Suzi

That is great news George,

I've got these Red Sicilian cuttings back in 2009 from the village of Villafrati,Sicily,from a good friend of mine,Martino Vanoli.So far,this fig it's a winner for me ,for my cold area.   Marius

Ohh! I forgot to mention the good old Leon's 'Aldo' (Palermo Red) fig...

Marius... anybody....

Do you have any knowledge if the 'Red Sicilian' figs that you are growing since 2009 were in the US before you received your cuttings?  Was this an already established variety here, in The States?

If this 'Red Sicilian' originated with your imported cuttings, then the fig that I am growing, that looks very similar to the posted photos, cannot be the 'Red Sicilian', because I got my rooted cuttings, in 2007,  from a man in Mount Vernon, NY...and he called them 'Red Italian' figs.  They look identical.  I will probably never know just what variety I'm growing.  But, my ripe figs are definitely red.

Just confused.

Frank

I know you posted about your red Sicilian fig years ago. I just joined. I wanted to know how many years it took to start producing

Frank,

I too am wondering about the origins of Mariu's figs as I have just recently obtained a Red Sicilian fig tree.

@ SEGeo/Chris:

I have no answers.  I've been wondering since the first postings.  However my fig trees look identicle and they came from wood that's been in the USA-Mount Vernon, New York for a minimum of 20 years....so, I don't think my trees are identical to Marius', but whose to say.  My "Red Italian" trees supposedly originated from wood brought over from Italy.  The mystery continues.

@ bifera:

Marius said the cuttings came over from Sicily in 2009, and he posted the photos in 2011 (see post #16).  I'd guess, two-three years from rooting to fruiting.



Frank

Bifera, welcome!  I can't tell you about the Red Sicilian but I can suggest you start a thread telling us about yourself and your involvement with figs.  Happy to have you here.

Those figs look delicious. Does anyone know if this is the same Italian red fig that Almost Eden sells. They look very similar.

I once had an 'Italian Red' fig which was actually a 'Brunswick' variant.

Paul, Frank (BronxFigs) can chime in but I think the variety he has and the one that Almost Eden sells are one and the same.