This tree was a gift and, despite not knowing the variety, i planted it in 2009. Here it is in 2010 with a few Brebas.

 

After 4 years with the same outcome, i decided to prune it drastically that fall and graft it the next year.

Here's the tree in April 2015. I grafted 4 varieties (Bomfim, Branco especial, Inchário Branco and Inchário Preto) and a caprifig 
 

In 2016, i grafted 2 more varieties (Sbayi and Negronne)
 
 

In 2017, i grafted 4 more varieties (Col de Dama Blanca, Violeta, Sofeno Preto and Grise de St' Jean)

Here's the tree now
 



   
 
 

More photos in this Album

Nice! Using good fig wood like that  for both grafting stock as well as a living germplasm repository for hard to acquire and heirloom varieties is something to aspire to....

Hello Jaime
This is a very interesting project.
Congratulations!
Am curious on the development  of the 2016 and 2017 grafts... Did any of those showed any fruit so far ??
On that particular root stock and all associated  scions where have you found better response  - W&T's  or Chips ?

Thanks
Francisco

Tony,

You are right. My main goal was to preserve all these precious Portuguese varieties (thanks, Francisco) that are disappearing and grafting has proved invaluable for that objective, as some of them are not the easiest to root and i might have lost them, otherwise.


Francisco,

Negronne (Whip and Tongue graft) has produced figs 7 months after being grafted and they were very good - Here's a few photos 

Sbayi, grafted with the same technique, also had figs developing - Photos -  but they didn't mature before the cold and the rains arrived (they started to develop too late, due to being grafted in March).

Of the 4 varieties i grafted in 2017, only 1 - Grise de S' Jean - is showing a couple of figs (it was a very small branch that i grafted and has all the competition of the others, but it's developing well).

 

It was the only variety (of the 4 i grafted in 2017) where i used whip and tongue and this technique tends to produce a stronger union and the development is usually faster, sometimes with figs in the same year, if the root stock is mature enough, so i prefer it, whenever possible.

The only drawback is that it uses at least half a cutting, usually 3 buds. That's 1 graft versus 3 possible one's with chip-budding so, if i don't have enough cuttings, i tend to use chip-budding which, usually, tends to develop a bit slower and rarely produces figs in the same year - there are exceptions, like the Strawberry Verte i posted about in another thread.

Thank you Jaime for your response and pictures.
Whenever possible the W&T is preferred, making a rather strong binding and robust growth.
But, on some chips the 'marriage' is so strong that on the following spring the scion growth rockets up to strong and thick 5 or 6´limbs already with fruit..

Francisco

Jaime,
Not to change the subject, but in the 5th photo, is that one of your 
bird scarers, or a real bird?

Francisco,

Don't get me wrong. I also have robust growth with chips that grow 5'' or more in the first year.

 
 
The diference is, they don't usually fruit the first year.

But they do tend to compensate for that in the second year. Here's an example:
 

Ray,

It's a bird that was caught by the camera. Probably fleeing from one of my fruit trees near by. They are devastating one of my best tasting Portuguese pears variety, 'carapinheira' that has a small fruit, but with a very sweet flavor, that they simply find irresistible.

I had to pick them half ripe or the flocks of birds that stormed this tree would have eat them all.

   

I do have to put up my scarers (i have to make some new ones - last year, a late September storm has destroyed the one's i had), but i have to do it quickly, or i will loose some of the varieties that are maturing now.

Jaime, you need some nets. It's what I use. I know they can be expensive,
but in the long run, they're well worth it. I'm not busting my rear end growing
my favorite fruits, in order to feed the birds.

Last year, in this particular grafting project i used a net so i could taste the precious varieties that were maturing for the first time.

Here's the tree in September, 4. The net i had didn't reach the ground, so i tied it to the trunk. I didn't thought much about it then, but it was a very bad idea.

 

Over here i have lots of humidity and have problems with rust attacking the leaves. I don't spray fig trees (the rust causes a few problems, but the trees only loose a few leaves).
Also, having a caprifig grafted, you can see that i won't be spraying this tree against anything, so i don't risk the potential for developing wasps.

I don't know if it was the net smothering the leaves (most likely), but the usual rust problem was much worse. All the leaves started to brown up and fall.

Here's the tree in September, 23. The leaves of the small grafted tree to the left (not covered with the net) were fine.

 

I didn't like it one bit so, this year, i have to find a way to place a net much higher (which is difficult). Probably, i will just place one of my scarers on top of this fig tree.

Regarding the nets on my other fruit trees, it's not feasible to cover hundreds of fruit trees (when i start counting i realize they are that many) with nets.
I may do that with some of the new varieties that show only some fruits, to be able to taste them for the first time. But, with the other one's, i know that i have to share them with the birds. It's just infuriating when they peck ALL the fruits of one single tree.