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Subject: Osborne Prolific Replies: 11
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,789
 
Picked one of two breba's today. The Mocking bird got the other one earlier this week. Taste similar to main crop. Somewhat watery toward the stem end and sweet toward the bottom end. 47 grams.

Attached Images
jpeg OsborneProlificBrebaJun2013_6.jpg (170761, 38 views)
jpeg OsborneProlificBrebaJun2013_4.jpg (186638, 40 views)
jpeg OsborneProlificBrebaJun2013_5.jpg (169999, 33 views)

Subject: Honey tasting figs? Replies: 8
Posted By: nana7b Views: 899
 
whisperer, shah and ohjustaguy,thanks for your input!

Does Peters Honey have a fairly open eye?

I wonder how it would do in the heat such as the Texas summer heat.

Any other bee's honey tasting figs?

Subject: Honey tasting figs? Replies: 8
Posted By: nana7b Views: 899
 
Which fig varieties have a honey taste or honey tones in the flavor profile?

I know many are named "honey" but that may be in reference to the sweetness and not necessarily the flavor of bee's honey.

Thanks!

Subject: anyone have a kaffir lime to trade Replies: 2
Posted By: nana7b Views: 366
 
Michael,

Sent you a PM.

Ruvan

Subject: Too much grafting tape? Replies: 13
Posted By: nana7b Views: 2,296
 
Sorry to hear about the little accident. That is always a danger. I should have warned you!

Regarding the tape I go around quite a few times but I stretch out the parafilm so that it is tight and thin.

I think as long as you don't have a heater blowing hot air it should be fine without having to wrap the whole stem. I cover mine overnight just because of the heater. During the day they are exposed to a south facing window with no cover.

Regarding the knife the advantage with a grafting knife is that it has a very thin blade that allows for controlled and precise cuts. Both surfaces are also concave which also helps.

Attached Images
jpeg Grafts2.jpg (268544, 50 views)
jpeg Grafts1.jpg (231825, 53 views)

Subject: Save your eggshells Replies: 33
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,641
 
I put all my compostables including egg shells in a gallon zip top bag. This goes in the freezer right in the kitchen. When the bag is full and I have time I put it in the compost bin outside. When turning the compost the shells get broken up. By the time the compost is finished they are in small pieces. My thinking is that as they break down further they will slowly release calcium.

Subject: Replies:
Posted By: nana7b Views:
 
Thank you for sharing the pictures! Like you said you can rarely buy a good guava in a store. You have to grow them yourself , very much like figs.

I grow guavas as well and had some this year that exceeded 2lbs each and still tasted very good. In my climate I have to grow them in pots and bring them in the garage during the winter months - Nov through April.



Subject: Fall Colors Replies: 3
Posted By: nana7b Views: 577
 
A little different from the summer - color and shape. The skin is thicker too. The inside is sweet and figgy. This is a handful of Celeste harvested today and that is about it for this year from this tree.

Attached Images
jpeg CelestFall5_1.jpg (239924, 17 views)
jpeg CelestFall1_1.jpg (342579, 18 views)
jpeg CelestFall3_1.jpg (240865, 35 views)

Subject: JH Adriatic Replies: 7
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,089
 
Finally got the only I left on the plant to ripen. This is from a cutting that Jon generously shared earlier this year.

It was relatively small but tasted nice for a first fig. Can't wait for more next year!

Attached Images
jpeg AJHc.jpg (461116, 117 views)

Subject: Osborne Prolific Replies: 11
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,789
 
Mark, Paully and Michael thank you for your comments and feedback!

Does anyone know if the fruit ripens over a extended period of time when grown in ground?

Subject: Osborne Prolific Replies: 11
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,789
 
You are welcome Pete. Just wanted to hear others impressions of this fig too. It is not the prettiest fruit but it has its positive qualities.

Subject: Osborne Prolific Replies: 11
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,789
 
I just harvested the last fruit on my tree today. Rain yesterday and today plus ants - did not want to take a chance.  The fruit was quite good. I have one in a pot and one in the ground. The potted one bore about 20 fruits this year. The in ground one is bigger but no fruit. Both are in the second year. While I give the potted one a light dose of MG often the in ground only gets organic ferts now and then. Hoping the in-ground one will produce fruit next year.

I had both in part shade. I moved the potted one into full sun after our high temps went below the 100's a couple of weeks ago. On a hot sunny day the leaves wilt a bit but recovers by evening. I think this also helped ripen the last batch.

What I like about OP:
1. Sweet fruit. The stem end is fairly watery but the bottom half is very sweet. Sweeter than Celeste. Surgery sweet and not much of a figgy flavor yet. I start eating from the stem end and save the best for last. I love the contrast.

2. Nice size fruit. About 45 grams for the larger ones.

3. Nice foliage on the tree and nice form.

4. Fruit on it ripened over a 2 month period. Small batches at a time. Not sure if this is due to growing in a pot?

5. Birds have not figured it out yet!

What is not that great:
1. Large eye. Ants get in very easily. Did the Tanglefoot but sometimes I forget.
2. Large eye. Have not had any beetle or souring issues yet but .....

Attached Images
jpeg OsborneProlific16_1.jpg (129111, 172 views)
jpeg OsborneProlific11_1.jpg (515965, 136 views)
jpeg OsborneProlific10_1.jpg (323487, 136 views)
jpeg OsborneProlific14_1.jpg (292913, 151 views)

Subject: fig jam with skins or fig jam with no skins? Replies: 26
Posted By: nana7b Views: 4,059
 
Vince, I've done it both ways. Taking the peel off is a lot of work. However, there is a certain elegance to preserves without the peel. It has a uniform texture dotted with the seed. On the other hand some like the mouth feel and texture of the skin pieces. My preference is the peel less.

My work flow in making preserves go like this;

1. Pick fruit as it ripens but not too ripe. For me preserves out of really ripe figs do not taste as good.
2. If I am busy I place freshly picked fruit straight in the fridge for unto 3 days.
3. When I have time and there is a good volume of fruit I  wash them, remove stems and cut off the eye end a little(tends to be a little hard), and quarter the fruit.
4. Place cut up fruit in freezer bag. Double bag it so as to prevent odors infiltrating the fruit.
5. Weigh the bag. Write the weight and date on the bag and put it away in the freezer. (if your recipe calls for a certain amount you can package at that weight)
6. When I have time, usually on a weekend, I thaw them in the fridge for one day.
7. Then I make the preserves and pressure can them as time allows.

Then I get to enjoy a little bit of heaven! Home made fig preserves are just awesome! Its a bit of work but fully worth it. I share mine with relatives and friends during the holiday season. That's my Xmas gift to them.

I make mine out of Celeste.

Subject: UC Davis White Texas Everbearing Replies: 16
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,747
 
Dennis,

I got WTEB cuttings from Jon in 2011. They have grown well but they are not producing edible figs for me. Well I had a single fruit that ripened last fall indoors that was edible. All from this year (about 25 so far) just fall off when ripe and they are hard and dry looking. On the outside they look similar to the pictures you posted.

I am not sure if they need caprification or is it the climate? I am making an air layer of it for you to try out. My climate is hot is the summer(multiple 100F days), but can get into the teens in the winter.

I hope yours turn out just as you tried them in CA.

It was discussed in the following thread;
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/Seeking-White-Texas-Everbearing-5939287

Subject: fruit sites Replies: 9
Posted By: nana7b Views: 867
 

Figfinatic,

The fruit of the seedless was not very sweet as they were not perfectly ripe.
They were mildly sweet and crunchy. It was quite good, but if I had left it on the plant for another week it would have been better. While trying to take a picture of the plant the tiny branch holding the two fruit snapped while moving the pot. I have since air layered the small branch(bud sport) hoping to make a plant of it to see if it will keep the seedless characteristic.

The mother plant produced sweet and flavorful fruit last year. This year the fruits are much bigger as I fertized them often. Now I have to wait till some ripen to perfection to see if the fertiliztion made a difference in the flavor and sweetness.

I did see the image of the Indonesian seedless in GW. The fruit reminds me of a baby Beluga whale. Check out the following video. It mentions the Indonesian seedless. That may be a source for it.

http://papayatreenursery.com/guava-tree-pruning-video/

Subject: fruit sites Replies: 9
Posted By: nana7b Views: 867
 
Figfinatic,

I love guavas too. I too wish that there was a site dedicated to guavas. Just like figs but perhaps more so,  people have not been exposed to guavas. You cannot generally buy one that is really good.

I currently grow 3 varieties, a large Thai white and a smaller white and strawberry guava.

Last year I grafted the Thai white into some seedlings I grew. Of the 5 I grafted 2 were successful. One of those bore 2 funny looking fruit  this year. They were on one small branch but had a lot of wrinkles. They looked odd. Couple of weeks ago I harvested them. Take a look at the pictures.

Attached Images
jpeg GuavaBudSport51.jpg (306329, 18 views)
jpeg GuavaBudSport31.jpg (307748, 19 views)
jpeg GuavaBudSport21.jpg (262080, 14 views)
jpeg GuavaBudSport41.jpg (332444, 28 views)

Subject: Petite Negra has ,ripe fruits! Replies: 4
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,181
 
Very nice. Thanks for sharing the pic.

Herman, how does it compare to VDB in taste and growth habit and size of the plant as well as the fruit.

Thanks!

Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
The next grafted plant to ripen fruit was Mega Celeste. I posted some pictures of the fruit here;

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/Mega-Celeste-a-winner-2910067

This one fruited in under 6 months after grafting. About 4 fruit on this plant dropped several weeks ago. I decided to remove all of the rest but two to give them a chance to ripen. Sure enough one started swelling and ripening.

Yet to fruit .....Hunt and Mission NL. I removed some fruit from Hunt as some of its fruit dropped too.

In the attached picture the plant to the left is the rooted cutting while the one to the right is the grafted one.

Attached Images
jpeg MegaCelesteCuttingGrownAndGrafted1.jpg (299981, 32 views)

Subject: Mega Celeste, a winner Replies: 15
Posted By: nana7b Views: 2,871
 
Just picked my first one today. The hot days ( ~105F) really helped ripen this one fast. Taste is very similar to Celeste a little bit sweeter perhaps. I like the larger size over regular Celeste. On the negative side the eye is a little larger so ants can easily get in. You can see some of them in one of the pictures.

Attached Images
jpeg MegaCeleste11.jpg (179212, 103 views)
jpeg MegaCeleste41.jpg (232474, 114 views)
jpeg MegaCeleste21.jpg (228488, 101 views)

Subject: Seeking White Texas Everbearing Replies: 12
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,723
 
Dennis,

I got cuttings from Jon in Feb 2011. I have one in the ground and one in a large pot.

I was able to taste one last fall. It ripened indoors sometime in December. It was not bad for one that ripened inside and thought it had potential.

This year both plants have grown vigorously. The one in the pot has a lot of fruit. Unfortunately I have not been able to taste one this year even though several have ripened. The first to ripen started elongating its neck. Then it started to droop. I watched it for several days till it started to shrivel a little. Then I picked it but was dry inside. I did not even taste it. This is the one in the picture. It had a light green to light yellow color when I picked it. The second to ripen had the same shape but turned a nice yellow color. It started drooping. I picked it before is started to shrivel. I cut it open and there was still latex inside. I threw it away. Several have tried to ripen but get dry now. It still has a lot of fruit but a few young ones have dried up and fallen. I am sure the heat here is not helping.

So far I am disappointed in this one. I will hold out till fall to see if any that ripen when it is cooler would be better. This may be a good one for a cooler climate.

Attached Images
jpeg WhiteTXEver21.jpg (171228, 32 views)
jpeg WhiteTXEver11.jpg (141513, 31 views)

Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
Jon, I think you described the condition very well. Also, the fact that you can fertilize the grafted ones a little more aggressively than rooted cuttings helps increase size by end of season,

Ken, sorry to hear BM is slow going. I was hoping it would take off too. If I am not mistaken BM is a slow grower and somewhat dwarfed. I think Dennis posted a picture of the UCD tree which was small. I was thinking perhaps a vigorous rootstock will help a slow growing scion(Using the same logic as a dwarfing rootstock slowing growth on the scion of a otherwise faster growing plant).  Perhaps the reverse is not true. Anyone else have any experience in this area?

Subject: Fig Candy Replies: 15
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,371
 
Thank you for your nice comments! You are a funny bunch with a nice sense of humor!

I was just trying to share with you what I tried. I tried a couple of pieces of the candy today and I thought I sensed some off-flavors. So, if I attempt it another time I would remove a little more moisture to where it is dryer. More toffee like.

Sooner or later our affliction might bring us more figs than we know what to do with. So, if you hit that point try this out.

By the way here is the recipe I use for fig preserves. The product of this recipe is awesome! Better than anything you can buy out there.
It is a bit of work but the outcome and the guilty feelings you will avoid by not wasting fruit will be worth it!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Drunken-Fig-Jam-350120

Jo-Ann if you want a Celeste plant PM me.

Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
Herman, you are right  - grafting onto tree growing in ground or one that you intend to keep healthy is a gamble - UCD or not. It is like taking a blood transfusion without proper screening. Thank you for pointing that out.

What I propose is to use cutting grown plants to use as root stock solely for the purpose of propagation. In my case I used Celeste as the root stock. In the end I do plan to have everything growing on their own roots by air layering.


Subject: Fig Candy Replies: 15
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,371
 
I processed 12lbs of Celeste into Brandied fig preserves this past weekend. On the last batch I decided to sacrifice a quart and make fig candy.

I kept boiling the preserves till it formed into a ball. Then I spread it into a half inch thick layer on a parchment lined bread pan. Added some lightly toasted chopped walnuts and pressed into shape. Dusted with confectioners sugar to finish it off.

It turned out pretty good. It reminds me of Turkish Delight that I had tried long ago.

Attached Images
jpeg FigBars1.jpg (294261, 89 views)

Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
Tim,

I just started grafting figs early this year. The first week of February to be exact.

I had the root stock plants in a dormant state in the unheated garage.
As I ordered the cuttings I brought them inside the house and left them near a sunny window to 'wake' them up. Upon receiving the cuttings I grafted them. I didn't think grafting in a dormant state would work. I had grafted pear and jujube in prior years as they broke dormancy and that worked really well.

You should definitely try grafting. It is quite rewarding and your chances of raising a good sized plant by fall is greatly increased. Frankly I don't think I will root fig cuttings anymore. It is too much work in my opinion. Of course to graft you have to be ready with root stock plants. There is some upfront preparation but then it is pretty easy.

Subject: Celeste Dropping Its Fruit Again Replies: 27
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,484
 
Mine used to do this as long as I remember. Maybe 20% of the fruit fall. This I hardly see any fall.

Only things that are different this year;

1. Decent spring rain. (I has been dry and hot and dry for the past month or more)
2. Trimmed the tree a little in the winter.
3. Gave it a good dose of home made compost.
4. Gave it a shot of lime in late winter.

In past years I tried irrigating when it got dry but that did not seem to help.

It could be that the tree cannot support all the fruit based on the nutrients available. This is my thinking now. My tree is in ground and about 10yrs old.

Subject: One more to identify - then I promise I'll quit buggin you all. Replies: 4
Posted By: nana7b Views: 605
 
NightSpell, how does the Celeste compare to the ones in the picture in this post?

Subject: NJ Red - Under Wrap Replies: 22
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,757
 
FMD, These are my Hardy Chicago fruit from EL. I bought the tree in the spring of last year. I think I have read here that HC from EL is Sals. I put it in the ground this April. The few fruit I have had so far were relatively bland. I am hoping it will improve with age. The tree is struggling a little. It is next to brick wall that gets hot. I did notice yours are shiny while mine are not.

Attached Images
jpeg Sals2012_21.jpg (354927, 13 views)
jpeg Sals2012_11.jpg (273590, 16 views)

Subject: it's so disappointing when the cuttings are not making it.. Replies: 13
Posted By: nana7b Views: 892
 
Pete, I know what you mean. My saving grace was grafting this year. I would have lost 2 of the 6 varieties I tried if I had not grafted! I think my problem was the soil mix I used. Anyway, I am tired of rooting cuttings. I don't have the patience for it. It is too much work. I will from now on rely mostly on grafting. It offers a different level of excitement!

Subject: Celeste too big this year! Replies: 17
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,187
 
Cecil you are welcome. Celeste is a workhorse for me just like for you. Mine is about 10yrs old.

Jo-Ann, you are welcome to come pick some. I bet you are not too far from me. If you want to come by tomorrow PM me. I can give you a Celeste plant too.

Barry, brandied fig jam is just awesome. Here is the link to the recipe I use. I omit the lemon now but it is really good!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Drunken-Fig-Jam-350120

Subject: Celeste too big this year! Replies: 17
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,187
 
Now they are becoming the regular size and color. They are ripening by the multiple hundreds everyday. I think Herman was right as to why they were bigger.

This year I was lazy to net it as it is at least 15 feet in diameter and about 12 feet tall. There is still plenty for me and the birds.

Noss, those in the earlier the picture are ripe but not super ripe to the point of it shriveling. Almost 100% of what I pick go into making preserves that I share with friends and family at Christmas time. No one else in the family eats these figs unfortunately. I am hoping the kids will try them as they get older. Even I get tired of it and hardly eat any fresh ones. Fig preserves out of these on the other hand beats any kind of jam or preserves you can buy out there. Specially, the recipe I follow that has brandy in it.

Attached Images
jpeg Celeste2012_31.jpg (188541, 44 views)

Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
Ken, I think the key was starting early. I grafted them around the first week of Feb. Then by mid to late March they were outside and had a good 2+ months to grow well in warm but not hot temperatures. I did give them a daily dose of dilute MG and pinched them to make branches. Now it is very hot and nothing is really putting much leaf growth, but they are pushing little fruits. Hopefully your monsoon season will kick them into high gear. Rain water does wonders for plants. In fact I watered them exclusively with collected rainwater in the spring.

Martin and Luke, you are welcome. These are some of my first black figs and I am really liking the look and taste. In the fall I will try to sum up my learnings.

Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
I had the first ripe fruit from a grafted tree yesterday. While all 4 fruited the Marseilles Black VS was the first to ripen. I think I could have picked it a day sooner, but it was very good. Beats the best Celeste I have had. It was jammy and flavorful, sweet but not overly so. I can't wait for this one to get better with age. Also, MBVS seems to take the heat really well. We have had a few consecutive days where the temps were around 105F and MBVS did not show the slightest distress.

It took less than 5 months from cutting to ripe fruit on this graft! I am looking forward to trying the rest of the fruits on this plant!

Attached Images
jpeg MSVS_FirstFruit.jpg (200753, 49 views)
jpeg MSVS_Ripe1.jpg (158453, 36 views)
jpeg MSVS_RipeSplit1.jpg (231045, 45 views)

Subject: Celeste too big this year! Replies: 17
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,187
 
At least the first batch ripening is larger than normal and don't taste as good as I remember. The color is lighter too. It is almost as if the tree got too much rain while the fruit was swelling. I have seen this before and it renders the fruit almost inedible in my opinion. Last good rain was a couple of weeks ago before fruit started swelling. The tree is about 10 years old. I am hoping the later fruits will be somewhat normal.I mostly make preserves out of them so it probably does not matter much.

Here is what is different this year;
1. I pruned a few limbs. May be a total of 5%-10% of the bush last fall
2. Gave it a good dose of homemade compost in late winter plus a shot of lime.
3. Had a 'breba' crop early this year due to warmer weather. Most of it fell
4. Crop is ripening about 3 weeks ahead of normal due to warmer weather
5. Had good rain this spring
6. Very few fruit drop so far in the main crop

My guess is that one or more of the above factors contributed to the larger fruit. I ate the one split open in the picture and it was pretty good. Maybe I am getting used to it.

Anyone else notice anything similar?

Attached Images
jpeg Celeste2012_21.jpg (216530, 88 views)
jpeg Celeste2012_11.jpg (367261, 98 views)

Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
An update ....

The grafts are still doing well. Growth compared to the rooted cuttings is quite good. All four grafts have put out multiple fruits. I have air layered two of them one of which is ready for removal.

Had to up-pot all of them due to growth. The smaller pots in front are the rooted cuttings.

Attached Images
jpeg MBVS_and_MegaCeleste.jpg (199847, 86 views)
jpeg Hunt_and_MissionNL.jpg (227793, 60 views)

Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
An update ....

The supports I added for the grafted plants were not quite adequate. The winds last week snapped one of my grafts. This particular graft was somewhat weak. I don't know if it was the technique or the variety involved. It was growing really well but the graft union was weak. This was a Mission fig. The others have good graft unions.

To fix the problem I placed taller bamboo supports on all my grafted plants. The one that snapped is still doing fine. It is connected to the rootstock by a very thin section. I went ahead and air-layered it.

The pictures are of the one that snapped, the snapped graft union and one of the others that had a nice graft union.

Attached Images
jpeg graft_support_strong.jpg (107222, 71 views)
jpeg graft_cracked.jpg (104709, 63 views)
jpeg graft_good_looking.jpg (50698, 59 views)

Subject: simple step-by-step grafting Replies: 26
Posted By: nana7b Views: 2,910
 
Nice photo essay Ken! Thank you for sharing. I would like you try your technique next year.

I think supporting the graft union is very important. One of mine snapped last week. I underestimated the growth rate and my splints were not strong enough to support the growth. Will post some pictures later.


Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
Here are a couple more that I grafted. These cuttings were received later and grafted later than the ones I posted earlier. Also I ran out of potted rootstock so I  grafted them onto an in-ground tree.

Initially when I grafted them the rootstock tree was just leafing out. After a couple of weeks the canopy totally shaded the grafts. I was concerned that the lack of light might affect the graft so decided to air-layer them at the same time. I started with 3 grafts but one failed.

Yesterday I removed them and potted up earlier than I had planned(the roots showed up pretty fast). Now I will keep my fingers crossed!

Aaron, I added a couple of picture on how I handle the air-layers.

Attached Images
jpeg GraftPlusAirLayer1.jpg (383339, 93 views)
jpeg GraftPlusAirLayer2.jpg (335416, 113 views)
jpeg GraftPlusAirLayer3.jpg (168259, 74 views)
jpeg GraftPlusAirLayer4.jpg (265262, 60 views)
jpeg GraftPlusAirLayer5.jpg (97529, 48 views)

Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
Here are a couple of pictures of the support sticks I attached to prevent breakage at the graft union. Spring time winds have picked up around here the last week or so. There is also a close up picture of the graft union.

Attached Images
jpeg graft_union.jpg (274812, 78 views)
jpeg graft_support.jpg (189049, 90 views)
jpeg grafts_04282012.jpg (327714, 84 views)

Subject: Advice on the best: plums, asian pear, jujube, hardy kiwi Replies: 8
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,407
 
Regarding Jujubes RedLands4 has impressed me. Just like figs the performance of Jujubes may depend on where you live.

In north Texas this variety did well for me last year. Size wise the larger fruit are a little shy of a ping pong ball with a somewhat 'pumpkin' shape. They were sweet for a Jujube and prolific. I liked them quite a bit.

I grafted a 8 inch segment into my existing Sherwood last spring. By fall I had a 6ft branch with a bunch of fruit - more fruit than I could consume.

Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
Aaron,

Ken had a very good point. Air layering is probably the easiest way to propagate figs. I assumed your MIL did not live near by so did not mention it. If you have access to the trees then I would forget about all other methods and just air layer a few branches. If you have not done it before a little reading may help.

Here are some things you will learn from reading or experience;
1. A wounded or wounded and healed area tends to root better.
2. Not to let the medium go dry
3. Keep the medium shaded if exposed to sun - use foil to shade and reflect heat
4. Provide shade and humidity(plastic tend with some ventilation) when you sever the air layer from the mother plant and plant in a pot. Gradually remove the tent and then gradually acclimate to sun.
5. Limit the number of leaves(You can remove). The small root system will not be able to support all the leaves. You may loose a lot of moisture from too many leaves.


I cannot recall a single fig air layer that failed for me. Also, in my experience air layers seem to root better in the spring time when plants are actively growing. Depending on your climate another advantage to start air layering early in the season is that it is easier to transition it to growing on its own roots when it is not too hot.

Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
Aaron,

Assuming your MIL can provide you a good number of cutting why not try several different methods to increase your odds of getting at least one plant?

Here are things that come to my mind;

1. Graft
2. Root in moss in a ziplock bag later transfer to cups .... then on to pots
3. Cut the leaves off and stick it in dirt and place in a shady place in the garden
4. Cut the leaves off and place in moss for about a week till the cut wound heals then stick in dirt
5. Cut the leaves off and place cuttings in barely damp paper towel in a ziplock bag and place in the fridge for a week or two( fool it into going dormant) Then try any of the methods above.

Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
Ken, your grafts look awesome. Did you bark graft them?

One thing I noticed on mine was that the graft union does not seem as robust as say a pear graft union. Also spring winds have picked up here and I was afraid the scion portion may break off at the graft union. To prevent this I taped a stick as support with the lower portion of the stick taped to the root stock and the other end to the scion wood(used parafilm for this as well) You might want to consider something similar as your graft puts more growth/weight. I will post some pictures this weekend.

Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
I think so far my success rate at propagating figs with grafting is greater than rooting cuttings. This is my second year rooting cuttings, first year for grafting.

What I like about grafting;
1. Need a smaller amount of scion wood
2. Water freely
3. Fertilize freely
4. Expose to full sun sooner
5. Faster growth partly due to above reasons.
6. No frustration with mold, checking for roots, rot, transfer ........baby sitting cuttings ....

Only thing is you have to be prepared ahead of time and have many root stock plants with different thicknesses to accommodate scions of different thicknesses.


Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
James,

I think I agree with you on the LSU purple. I just planted one in ground. I got it from EL in the spring of 2011. I potted it in a large pot last fall. By the time I took it out this evening I was able to pull the whole root ball intact. The roots of VDB and HC were no where as vigorous as LSU purple. I may have to air layer some of these just in case for next year!

Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
Boris, TMC and Ken,

Rootstock - Celeste cuttings that I rooted in the spring of 2011. They were not given much attention and remained pretty small which worked out well for grafting. I placed them in the garage around mid November as they went dormant.
Once I ordered the cuttings from Jon I brought them inside the house and placed them near a south facing window. This was about a week before grafting. My thought was to bring it out of dormancy.

Graft - I used a wedge graft. Cut the scion at approximately 20 degrees. Cut a wedge on the root stock and push the scion in to where the cambium matches at least on one side. Then wrap tightly with parafilm.

Care - After grafting I placed them in a bin and create a tent out of plastic to keep the humidity in. I also place a lamp near by for light. It was placed near a south facing window. Every evening or so I would remove the cover and air-out the container. Sometimes I would spray some water. After about a few days the buds turn green and begin to swell. Progress seemed pretty slow.

After about a month and a half I brought them outside and gradually acclimated to sunlight. The nice thing with grafting is that you can fertilize the plant. I am trying to get some good growth while the weather is nice and not too hot. In a couple of months it will start to get very hot here in Texas and things will slow down considerably.  I am currently watering them with rain water followed by diluted MG. They seem to be responding nicely so far.

I did have a couple of failures. One graft seem to take off within a week but then I had to be out of town for a 4 days. I left the light off in my absence. When I got back that particular graft was failing. The rootstock had also started to produce another shoot from below the soil line. The combination of energy going to the new shoot plus lack of light and adequate air exchange probably did not help. Some of the other grafts also dropped a couple of leaves.

Ken, regarding grafting on to already leafed rootstock - I did graft a couple of scions I received after my Celeste leafed out. Progress seems slow. One failed, two are hanging in there. Part of the problem is that the branches I chose are shaded.
I went ahead and air layered these so that I can move then soon and get them a bit more light. My advise would be to go ahead and try. For grafting you need only a small piece of scion wood. I think it is good insurance for a 'rare' variety.

I hope I answered your questions. If not please ask.

Attached Images
jpeg scion_celeste.jpg (164849, 97 views)
jpeg grafting1.jpg (142657, 81 views)
jpeg grafting2.jpg (150197, 90 views)
jpeg grafting3.jpg (153187, 106 views)
jpeg grafting4.jpg (179225, 113 views)

Subject: 2012 Cutting progress so far ..(Grafting Vs. Rooting) Replies: 47
Posted By: nana7b Views: 3,012
 
I have had pretty good luck grafting fig cuttings this year. About a 80% success rate.
The grafts and cuttings were started on the same day. Approximately the first week of February.

My plan now is to push some growth on the grafted ones and air layer them. Just wanted put this out there to encourage others to try this method.

Attached Images
jpeg 2012GraftsCuttings.jpg (104399, 207 views)
jpeg 2012_RootedCuttings.jpg (70741, 132 views)
jpeg 2012_GraftedCuttings.jpg (140680, 164 views)

Subject: Your First Fig Tree Replies: 72
Posted By: nana7b Views: 4,724
 
Celeste. Planted it about 10yrs ago. It is my workhorse today. --> Lots of preserves. Even though it drops fruit it makes up for it by making more...

Subject: Hail Disaster Replies: 15
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,273
 
rchucca,

Sorry about the damage to your trees. Right now things may look bad but by this time next year it will be as if nothing happened.

I had the same problem last year around this time. My larger Celeste got hit hard. Surprisingly I got a very good crop of fruit subsequent to the damage. The figs were dinged but the insides were fine. I even thought the fruit appeared bigger than usual.  The bark did get damaged but healed without any intervention. On the smaller plants like the ones in your picture - they took a while to bounce back but today I do not see any evidence of that damage.

Hang in there and I am certain they will be just fine!

Subject: Celeste breba? Replies: 7
Posted By: nana7b Views: 1,035
 
Looks like my Celeste is producing some breba this year due to the warm winter. I have not noticed them this early before. I am in what used to be USDA zone 7b. Hopefully no more freezing temps....

The pictures were take a couple of hours ago today.

Attached Images
jpeg CelesteBrebaMar072012_2.jpg (54745, 27 views)
jpeg CelesteBrebaMar072012_3.jpg (104268, 26 views)
jpeg CelesteBrebaMar072012_4.jpg (65896, 23 views)
jpeg CelesteBrebaMar072012.jpg (73486, 25 views)