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Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > Inground Fig Progression Zone 6/7
 
 


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figgi11

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
Hi all! Hope your fig season is going great. Just wondering where everyone is at in zones 6/7 that have inground figs. My trees are thriving and very big at 6-1/2 feet tall and wide but the figs are under 2" including stem. Anyone else in these zones find it normal? I was thinking of pinching but every time I do it the trees just put out more branches and grow bushier. Is there anything that can be done to ensure that the figs will ripen by the end of the growing season? Am I doing the right thing? My peaches are almost ready to pick about 3 weeks earlier than last year so I can't imagine the figs having any issues ripening within the growing season. I'll have to take some pics when I get home as the latest ones on my phone are from July 12th.
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GeneDaniels

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
I am in zone 7. Some of my inground are producing right,  Hardy Chicago, Celeste, and Black Italian are all giving me a few figs each day. My LSU gold and unk are both still waiting.

I've always heard it takes 90 days from the first sight of a figlet to a ripe fig. I wonder if it has more to do with heating units, but 90 days sounds like a good rule of thumb.

By the way, my HC is in its 4th year and is giving me some amazingly good figs! I've always heard there are better tasting varieties out there, but here in zone 7 it is hard to beat HC for taste, hardiness and productivity.


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Zone 7b (Central Arkansas) Seven trees in the ground: Hardy Chicago, Celeste(?), LSU gold, Italian Black, Southern Brown Turkey(?), Strawberry Verte, and Unk yellow.  Trees in pots: VdB, CdD, and Sicilian?
pino

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
I am in zone 6.  In ground fig trees are growing strong (5'-8' growth) but not as tall as previous years due to no rain. 

This year we have had something like 23 days > 30C (86F) usually we get 3 days > 30C by this time of year.  
However spring was not early so the figs broke dormancy at the usual time.  Figs seem to need close to 90 days (depending on variety) from the time figlets form to ripening.  Temperature may be more of a factor in ripening timeline when it is cooler compared to when it is hotter than normal.  

However my figlets seem bigger than usual size for this time year so I am expecting the in ground figs will start ripening 2 weeks earlier than average in mid August. 

Another factor that affects ripening of fruit is rainfall.  We finally got a nice rainfall this week but we had no measurable rain since early May.  We are still in a drought situation.

To speed up ripening watering if you haven't done so will help.  Also dropping any of the figlets that formed late or that you don't think will have time to ripen will help.
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Pino, zone 6, Niagara,  JCJ Acres
Wish; Peace on earth and more figs Italian 258, Galicia Negra, Luv, trade suggestions welcome.
Maris

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 

Hi I am in zone 6 too. Here are some photos of my unk. fig tree and main crop fruits. Tree grows near wall. Summer is warm, not hot but humid. 

[20160728_122715]  [20160726_114906] 
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Lanckorona, Poland

Elevation 455 m (1493 ft) (49° 49')

USDA 6

Wish list: My area in USDA ZONE 9 :D

My varieties: Panache, Peretta, Napolitana, Michurinska-10 and probably Brown Turkey.
figgi11

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Here are some pictures from today. As you can see the trees look great but the fruit size seems small. The trees leafed out in late April and are in 8+ hours of sun daily with regular watering. Any ideas?

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figgi11

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Anyone?  Will they ripen by the end of the season?
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jkuo

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
I would wager that those figs are far enough along that they will likely ripen by the end of the season. What varieties are they? If they are earlier ripening, then you have a good chance of getting a fair number of ripe figs.
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Johnny - Lancaster, PA, Zone 6b
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bigbadbill

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
Hi. Are they Celeste? I agree with Johnny Cage ( Kuo)- sorry Johnny, you just bring me back to my mortal kombat days- that they will ripen by the end of the season. In fact, if they are Celeste, they may be ready in 2-3 more weeks.
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figgi11

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jkuo
I would wager that those figs are far enough along that they will likely ripen by the end of the season. What varieties are they? If they are earlier ripening, then you have a good chance of getting a fair number of ripe figs.


One is a Celeste and the other was labeled Spanish Mission which I can't find much info on but neither produce any brebra. I'm almost convince that they are both Celeste and they came from the place.

Thank you.
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jkuo

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigbadbill
Hi. Are they Celeste? I agree with Johnny Cage ( Kuo)- sorry Johnny, you just bring me back to my mortal kombat days- that they will ripen by the end of the season. In fact, if they are Celeste, they may be ready in 2-3 more weeks.


I'll take Johnny Cage. It beats being short-circuited to Johnny Five.
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Johnny - Lancaster, PA, Zone 6b
Plants I'm growing: Google Doc
figgi11

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
Just an update. Here is the latest and greatest of my two Ingrounds and one potted Kadota in the middle. The two inground are Celeste and "Spanish Mission" (whatever that is). They both look very similar though. About 7'-8' in height and very wide. Figs are still small though and the SM on the right has been dropping a few figs and had a couple of yellow leaves on the bottom probably because it needs more water.

Attached Images
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pino

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Posted Reply with quote  #12 
This has been a stressful year for container figs given the record drought and heat in Niagara this year. 

Looking forward to the in ground figs that have started ripening now.

1st off the mark is Lattarula (red phase) had a fig over the weekend Aug 27, picked a couple last night and have another 6 or so ready now.

The tree has been in ground since May/2015.
lattarula red IMG_4458.jpg 

Ciccio Nero (>20yrs in ground) has ripened 2 figs with many more starting to swell. 

Ciccio IMG_4471.jpg

Very sweet and tasty this year the in ground trees loved the record heat.

Attached Images
jpeg lattarula_IMG_4527.jpg (86.54 KB, 13 views)
jpeg lattarula_red_IMG_4537.jpg (217.43 KB, 12 views)


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Pino, zone 6, Niagara,  JCJ Acres
Wish; Peace on earth and more figs Italian 258, Galicia Negra, Luv, trade suggestions welcome.
gofiger

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Posted Reply with quote  #13 
Pino is that an organza bag in your picture and do they work against yellow jackets?
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Steve
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Oshawa Ontario
That's Canada eh!

Wish List: A Canadian member that is willing to share there cuttings with me.
figgi11

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Posted Reply with quote  #14 
Great pictures! Surprisingly - while picking up a few dropped immature figs I unexpectedly noticed a few ripening ones and even one mature one that I picked and ate. Thing is - it was rather a small size that was predominantly green with reddish undertones and very tasty. Any ideas as to what type of fig this could be? Thanks!
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pino

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Posted Reply with quote  #15 
@Steve - organza bags definitely help against most critters except racoons and the like.  Green bags seem best since they camouflage the figs.  Need to snuggle them up tight so the ants and bees can't crawl in via the neck.

@figgy11 - we had a big rain last night.  Today on my walkabout I noticed some of the other in ground trees also ripening; the hardy Chicago has 3 dark figs a day or 2 away from ripe, fico bianco had a couple ready today but covered in ants.  Will put organza bags on the ones ripening now.   For some reason this fig variety is an ant magnet.

If some of your figs are smaller than past years I wouldn't be surprised given the heat and drought this year.

Attached are more photos.

Attached Images
jpeg Ciccio_IMG_4546.jpg (197.82 KB, 13 views)
jpeg Ciccio_IMG_4543.jpg (64.50 KB, 14 views)
jpeg ciccio_nero_IMG_4601.jpg (278.97 KB, 6 views)


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Pino, zone 6, Niagara,  JCJ Acres
Wish; Peace on earth and more figs Italian 258, Galicia Negra, Luv, trade suggestions welcome.
paully22

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Posted Reply with quote  #16 
Latarrula, Enrico, Granthams Royal, Brunswick, Desert King, RdB, Dauphine, Melazana AF 'Not', Yugo Yellow,
Longue d'Aout, Osborne Prolific, Nebo, Salem Dark, Filaciano, LSU Hollier, Conadria, Elana, Champagne, Florea,
Flanders -- these are my trees in ground that have done well in my zone 6/7.

I have plans to put in ground late winter 2017 LSU Improved Celeste, St Gabriel, LSU O'rourke and Lamperia Preta
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