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FMD

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
I am saddened to report that the much anticipated unveiling of the first ripe Blue Ischia is neither Blue, Black nor an Ischia.

See the initial post on this fig several from two years ago:
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/blue-ischia-5617317?highlight=blue&pid=1271364591#post1271364591

Hirt's is still selling it on ebay and amazon with a picture of a beautiful black fig that looks a lot like Ischia Black.

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Ischia-Edible-Fig-Plant/dp/B003WZ0HEY/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1404914522&sr=1-1&keywords=blue+ischia


 Last year, many of us got into such a frenzy convincing ourselves that it could be the mythical virus free Ischia Black that Hirt's sold out all of it's plants in a matter of weeks. Well, unless mine was mis-labeled we can all scratch that one. Looking forward to others confirming or denying these results.



photo 1.JPG 
photo 2.JPG
  photo 3.JPG 




The fig was pecked at by birds and it could have stayed on the tree a few more days





 

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Frank
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greenfig

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
WHAT??????
I am checking this thing every day. But my leaves look like from a Black Ischia.
Maybe yours was mislabeled?
Can you post a leaf photo, please?
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FMD

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
I hope mine was mis-labeled for everyone's sake.
Here is a picture of the mother plant:

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/blue-ischia-root-riot-air-layer-6401669?highlight=blue&pid=1278515510#post1278515510
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Frank
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greenfig

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
Hmm… My leaves look similar, let me  take a photo.
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WillsC

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Well that bites......wait that long just to get disappointed.  Are you going to contact them?

Check your email btw.
waynea

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Oh crap, say it's not so! I had high hopes. Hirts needs to know and trace the original stock. There are dozens of us  if not more that need to not even gift this until we know what it is.
greenfig

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
Ok, here are my leaves from this morning.
But, you at least have something to taste!!
My 2 figs are not even showing the embryos :(

Attached Images
jpeg biLeaf1.JPG (235.00 KB, 91 views)
jpeg biLeaf2.JPG (236.27 KB, 89 views)


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DatesNFigs

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
Did it at least taste any good?
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Drew
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waynea

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
This a mature leaf from a year old tree and a young leaf from a 2 month old tree. This is my first time doing a photo, I hope it works. DSCF1767 (640x480).jpg  DSCF1768 (640x480).jpg 
bullet08

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
i know i'm color blind.. even i can tell that thing is not blue-blue-or any shade of dark fig. USDA/UCD Ischia Black is doing very well. slow growing figs are doing much better. i guess that's due to less need for water. 
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Pete
Durham, NC
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"don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill
"the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." - the baroness thatcher

***** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. *****
***** and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...*****
snaglpus

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
Pete, give your plant some liquid fertilizer now for about a week and watch what happens.  My 2 trees are grow well with several figs on.  I picked figs last year from my trees but did not post any pics.
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Dennis
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JD

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Posted Reply with quote  #12 
Frank,
It could have been mislabeled but this feels TyTy-ish.
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jd | tallahassee.fl | zone 8b
MichaelTucson

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Posted Reply with quote  #13 
I bought one of those "Blue Ischia" trees too, back when there was a lot of chatter about them last year.  I separated it into 3 trees (they were all tiny), and they're growing nicely now.  But the leaves don't look anything like your pics in that other thread.  It does sound kinda suspicious  (but then, the whole idea of "Blue Ischia" sounded pretty suspicious to start with).  If I get a chance after I get home, I'll make some pics of the leaves and post them here.

Mike   central NY state, zone 5a 
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MichaelTucson

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Posted Reply with quote  #14 
By the way Frank, I think that blue looks more like black-yellow-white.   (A color my brother describes every now and then).
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hicrystalfan

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Posted Reply with quote  #15 
oh that's disappointing....I have one of them too....don't think I'll buy from them again :(
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Jeri

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mnedelcu

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Posted Reply with quote  #16 
Waynea,you have a "Lattarula" fig leaf in your picture.
deerhunter16b

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Posted Reply with quote  #17 
Here is my blue ischia that I got in February from them...grew out nicely but who knows what it could be dark or light fig

Attached Images
jpeg image.jpg (217.76 KB, 62 views)
jpeg image.jpg (201.97 KB, 62 views)


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john
Zone 7a

waynea

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Posted Reply with quote  #18 
"Waynea,you have a "Lattarula" fig leaf in your picture"

Thanks Marius, I think a couple other members do too.
SCfigFanatic

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Posted Reply with quote  #19 
Here is my Blue Ischia from hirts


DSCF1329.JPG 


Any ideas?

Thanks
Doug
gettingfiggy

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Posted Reply with quote  #20 
Looks like my "Ischia" from Lowes.
waynea

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Posted Reply with quote  #21 
Doug, it looks like mine.
gettingfiggy

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Posted Reply with quote  #22 
Also, I see you are in Tallahassee. I'm in the Tampa Bay area and mine ripened last week. I really think the Lowes variety and the Hirts variety are the same. 
waynea

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Posted Reply with quote  #23 
Frank is in Tallahassee and I am south of you near Fort Myers.
Quackmaster

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Posted Reply with quote  #24 
This bites, I have 2  also but my leaves look a little different then the ones posted above.
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gettingfiggy

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Posted Reply with quote  #25 
I think I found the source of my "Ischia." My Lowes fig came from Dewars nursery in Florida. I don't know this for a fact, but I'd guess that Dewars gets their tissue cultures from Agristarts. Here is the "Ischia" page on Agristarts website:

http://www.agristarts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.plantDetail/plant_id/92/typeID/45/index.htm

The only confusing thing is that it says the fig has a light pink flesh. My fig looked the same as the fig pictured in this post, white with tan seeds. Maybe the color shows up in different weather conditions?

Perhaps this is also the "Blue Ischia" fig? Maybe Hirts also got tissue cultures from Agristarts? At least my description was somewhat close to what I got, even though I wrongly assumed it was Green Ischia.
gettingfiggy

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Posted Reply with quote  #26 
This is another possibility. Hirts also sells Lemon Italian Honey Fig Plant which looks a lot like what you have.  Maybe it was a mislabeled fig?

http://www.hirts.com/Lemon-Italian-Honey-Fig-Plant/dp/B00L1JC00M?field_availability=-1&field_browse=2260876011&field_keywords=figs&id=Lemon+Italian+Honey+Fig+Plant&ie=UTF8&refinementHistory=brandtextbin%2Csubjectbin%2Ccolor_map%2Cprice%2Csize_name&searchKeywords=figs&searchNodeID=2260876011&searchPage=1&searchRank=salesrank&searchSize=12
FMD

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Posted Reply with quote  #27 
Perhaps they sent me the wrong fig, perhaps not. As previously noted, there was a such run on this fig from members of this forum that it forced Hirt's to place it on back order for over 6 months. So, soon there will be many more people posting pictures of their ripened figs and we shall see. BTW, Hirt's is not known for its friendly customer service.
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Frank
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Chapman

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Posted Reply with quote  #28 
The figs from my tree from Walmart labeled "Ischia" looks just like yours Frank.  I bought in 2012 and the pot was marked from Dewars Nursery in Florida.
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MichaelTucson

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Posted Reply with quote  #29 
OK, I took a couple of leaf pictures of my "Blue Ischia" trees.  As you see, mine look different.  For the record, I ordered mine from Hirt's Nursery on 2013-10-28 (and it shipped that day).  It arrived with so many tiny trunks, I was able to split it into three trees.  They're thriving OK, but they would seem to be a different variety from yours Frank, and different from the others posted above too maybe.  Two grown leaves plus a juvenile leaf in the pictures.

<<edit, a couple of minutes after posting>> Looks like possibly the same leaf as john's (deerhunter16b's), and can't tell but possibly same as waynea's.  Different from the others>>

Mike   central NY state, zone 5a


"Blue Ischia" leaf A, 2014-07-10
Blue Ischia Leaf A 2014-07-10.jpg 

"Blue Ischia" leaf B, 2014-07-10
Blue Ischia Leaf B 2014-07-10.jpg 

"Blue Ischia" leaf C, juvenile, 2014-07-10
Blue Ischia Leaf C 2014-07-10.jpg 


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FMD

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Posted Reply with quote  #30 
I don't know Mike. Leaves can have such variability depending on age of plant, sun exposure, time of the year etc. For example, the leaves in the top picture could easily look like mine if they were a little older. The one thing that has always stood out, to me, was the deep dark green color or the plant.
Regardless, once more people start posting pictures of the ripe fruit, we will have an answer. Should they all tuen out to be green figs, I strongly suggest inundating Hirt's with complaints. They should at a minimum change the name of the fig.
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Frank
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deerhunter16b

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Posted Reply with quote  #31 
Have to agree with Frank....I guess time will tell
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john
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waynea

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Posted Reply with quote  #32 
 

Maybe this is the new blue.


Good luck trying to get a resolution, but I am in, it is worth a try.


They have 144,001 feedbacks and probably have some more sales w/o feedback
hirtsgardens (144001)                    

This is a message you get if you try to ask a specific question.


"We're sorry we couldn't find an answer for you. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of messages this seller receives, they are unable to respond to your specific question right now. We suggest reviewing the item again to see if your answer is in the seller's listing."

Also, they give 15 days for an incorrect items, go figure:

"Problems must be reported to us within 15 days of receiving the product. Send a photo of the items in question using the 'Attach Photos' button in ebay. Shipping costs will only be refunded if the incorrect product was sent or received damaged or defective. Your money will be refunded in the same manner it was paid."

I also agree with Frank, at least label the plants correctly. They need to be held accountable.

 
greenfig

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Posted Reply with quote  #33 
My prediction :
All those TC Blue Ischias will turn out to be different varieties.
LOL
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waynea

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Posted Reply with quote  #34 
I believe your prediction is correct. If you are an expert on predictions you should have told us so before we purchased these new unknowns. LOL! What? New unknowns??? That's it Frank, we need to resell them on ebay as a new rare variety Unk Golden Blue Ischias discovered in the Hirts neighborhood, we could make hundreds$$$$$$$$.
Hershell

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Posted Reply with quote  #35 
The crazy thing is that I keep looking on eBay to see if FMD is selling them there yet.
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greenfig

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Posted Reply with quote  #36 
Hershell, I can sell you a very nice rare specimen of an Unk. Blue Ischia outside eBay,
use your time to watch the FIFA Final instead of wasting it on eBay :)
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Tonycm

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Posted Reply with quote  #37 
I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled a Ty Ty and just sent out any ol' tree as long as it had fig leaves. Then by the time it produced fruit people would forget about it. Being that their 15 day policy is too short to be able to tell exactly what tree you get would go in their favor. You might get better results by calling them to complain. If they get tired of hearing complaints they might give a full refund or send the real Blue/Black Ischia.

At least it's not Brown Turkey!
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MichaelTucson

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Posted Reply with quote  #38 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank
I don't know Mike. Leaves can have such variability depending on age of plant, sun exposure, time of the year etc.

I agree Frank.  Too soon to tell if it's different.  Ripe fruit will tell the tale though.  That won't be this year for this variety here though... they're growing nicely, but started so small last October, they aren't big enough yet.

Mike   central NY state, zone 5a
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Vladis

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Posted Reply with quote  #39 
In Russia you can buy Brown Turkey, under a new name: 1. Kadota Purple. 2. Kadota Blue.
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waynea

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Posted Reply with quote  #40 
I emailed Matt Hirt and this was his reply to me:


 
 
Matt Hirt      
To Me
 
Today at 6:05 AM

That order is from 2 years ago. I have since switched suppliers. My supplier claims they are now correct.


Not an apology, or we will make it right, just a "now we have the correct Blue Ischias"

I think this will be a lost cause but give them your thoughts.
FMD

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Posted Reply with quote  #41 
Thanks for following that up for us, Wayne. 

How about some corporate responsibility,Matt? Now that your supplier "claims" to have the correct Blue Ischia, I'll be sure to order half a dozen more plants and wait two years to confirm the "claim".

 It appears that "Hirt-ing Our Customers Since 1985" would be an apt company logo. Go ahead and use it, Matt. No charge.
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Frank
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deerhunter16b

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Posted Reply with quote  #42 
Lol
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john
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JD

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Posted Reply with quote  #43 
Interesting. I suppose "Hirt-ing" is defined by blind trust. Is it fair to expect that someone at Hirts sampled the fruit and received photos of the correct Blue Ischia after having sold an untold number of incorrect Blue Ischia? Better...grow and fruit it before selling to the public.
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waynea

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Posted Reply with quote  #44 
Very good point. Oh well, I still feel that everyone needs to email Hirts, it won't hurt!
WillsC

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Posted Reply with quote  #45 
Well at Daves Hirts has.....

141 positives
32 neutrals
117 negatives
waynea

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Posted Reply with quote  #46 
Not good!
FMD

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Posted Reply with quote  #47 
Anyone else get a ripe fig from this loser -- yet?
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Frank
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OttawanZ5

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Posted Reply with quote  #48 
Things like this happen often but are not always disappointing.
 I had received a BLack Mission from a fig friend here and it turned out to be greenish/yellow. I like it so much that I would not want to change it for any strain of Mission. OK, may be except for Vista Mission if it is a Mission strain but I already have this one. Also, my squirrels (my nemesis) like it more as well.

And look what happened to this very dark fig !!
http://figs4fun.com/Thumbnail_Very_Dark_Greek.html
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MichaelTucson

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Posted Reply with quote  #49 
No ripe figs here yet from this variety.  But as the tree grew (and it did grow fairly vigorously), the leaves now do resemble yours Frank.  I expect the figs from it will resemble the ones you got too.  Did you ever get any more figs from it?  I mean, some that weren't bird food, and that you actually tasted?  
Mike 
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Herman2

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Posted Reply with quote  #50 
Mine made a couple of Celeste fruits ,(like),that dropped out before getting ripe.
It went in the chipper,so I have no( hard evidence).
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