Originally Posted by BronxFigs
Forum Members.....Herman, Martin ??

I am growing "Black Mission" for the first time. The tree is at bearing age, is approx. 5 ft tall, and growing in a 5-gallon bucket.  Last year the tree had about a dozen hard, but reddish-purple figs, that never ripened by the time cool weather hit NYC.  This year, I have only a few main-crop figs, but they seem to be under-developed compared to the rest of my fig varieties.  I have my doubts as to whether or not I will see ripe figs on this tree by the end of my short season.  I have about another 3-4 weeks, and then, it's over.

Now, I have just read that "Black Mission" can be considered a late-season fig, and that it has to cook in the heat of an extended season to ripen figs. This season has been unusual in that the spring was very cold and all my trees were very late to leaf out, this "Black Mission" included.  Could this be a reason for the delayed development of the figs?  The developing figs seem to have a vivid, rose-violet pigment on the top side of the fig that's exposed to the sunlight.  The leaf-stems also have the same rosey-pink coloration.  Leaves are thin, and the tree is asymptomatic of FMV/D.

So...has anyone in Zone-7b ripened "Black Mission" consistently?  All my questions may be premature and moot.  This is only the first year, and the tree may be great in subsequent seasons, but still, I'd like to know what's ahead, if predictions can be ventured.

Thanks for any suggestions and cultural information that you can pass along.  My other varieties are starting to ripen, so "Black Mission", growing with the same cultural and growing conditions, should be ripening some figs also....I hope, soon.  By the way, "Black Mission" fig trees, are sold in local Garden Centers in this area.  I've even seen them being sold at the local Home Depot.  Is this an indication that this fig variety is matched to my climate, and is it a to be considered a 'late-ripener'?


Frank