Register  |   | 
 
Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > palmofig synergy
 
 


Reply
  Author   Comment  
greenfig

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 3,182
Posted Reply with quote  #1 
While driving in Los Angeles, I stumbled upon an interesting sight, a green wild fig (kadota?) growing as a part of a palm tree. 
The location is on the East side, and the figs are not very ripe.

Attached Images
jpeg palmofig1.jpg (944.80 KB, 73 views)


__________________
wish list: Violeta, Calderona. USDA z 10a, SoCal

FiggyFrank

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 2,712
Posted Reply with quote  #2 
Now that's very interesting.  Good find!
__________________
Frank
zone 7a - VA
DesertDance

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 4,518
Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Wow!  I'd steal a couple cuttings, then take some pictures in a month or two when the fig leafs out!

Very cool!

Suzi
__________________
Zone 9b, Southern California. "First year they sleep, Second year they creep, Third year they leap!"  Wish List:  I wish all of you happy fig collecting!  My wishes have been fulfilled!
greenfig

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 3,182
Posted Reply with quote  #4 
DesertDance, I can mail you some, if you want to. I am not sure about the fig eating quality, it may have some palm aftertaste :)
__________________
wish list: Violeta, Calderona. USDA z 10a, SoCal
nullzero

Registered:
Posts: 206
Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Great pictures, I have seen this happen before). If you like wild CA figs, these are pictures I took from a regional park where there are hundreds of wild figs growing (its literally a fig forest). 

https://picasaweb.google.com/107208852026469120887/July312012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMyL0sG1-NuIrAE&feat=directlink
greenfig

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 3,182
Posted Reply with quote  #6 
nullzero, what park was that? Did you look for them on purpose you only see the fig trees only while looking at a forest? I caught myself once or twice on that!
__________________
wish list: Violeta, Calderona. USDA z 10a, SoCal
nullzero

Registered:
Posts: 206
Posted Reply with quote  #7 
I saw them from the road, then toured the park... It was pretty amazing how many figs there were growing, easily could be over 1000 growing. I never got to taste the quality of the fruit (competition with animals and timing). These figs disappear fast, the skunks, possums, raccoon, etc. eat them all. I know were several fine specimen trees are.

If anyone lives in SoCal and is interested in getting cuttings, we could plan a little get together on Saturday to collect the cuttings before the trees leaf out. These figs are located at Habor regional park in Carson, CA.
greenfig

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 3,182
Posted Reply with quote  #8 
Wow! That's near Long Beach. Not too far from me. I probably would go, but depends on timing and a day. How would we know which one is which since they are leafless now? I guess, we would need to take the GPS coordinates of each location and go back when the fruit is on and see what we've got :)
Totally chasing a wild goose!
__________________
wish list: Violeta, Calderona. USDA z 10a, SoCal
Grasa

Registered:
Posts: 1,819
Posted Reply with quote  #9 

Looks someone like palm tree more..the poor fig was hacked, but it is fighting back with glory! I would love one of those suckers!
__________________
Grasa
Seattle, WA
lampo

Registered:
Posts: 2,060
Posted Reply with quote  #10 
Fellows,
If this is of some help, the only trees displaying figs NOW, are the Caprifigs !
They could be very usefull for some forum members who claim having problems with some fruit not reaching maturity and drying/falling.
I would love to see any pictures you may take.
Cheers
DesertDance

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 4,518
Posted Reply with quote  #11 
Quote:
Originally Posted by greenfig
DesertDance, I can mail you some, if you want to. I am not sure about the fig eating quality, it may have some palm aftertaste :)


Thanks for the offer!  I am rooting quite a few cuttings right now, so I will graciously decline!  I hope you are able to test drive them yourself and let us know how they taste when ripe!  Interesting the figs are there when the leaves are gone.  Wonder what type of fig this one is!!

Suzi
__________________
Zone 9b, Southern California. "First year they sleep, Second year they creep, Third year they leap!"  Wish List:  I wish all of you happy fig collecting!  My wishes have been fulfilled!
greenfig

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 3,182
Posted Reply with quote  #12 
Hmm.. caprifig you say. And yes, I took the pic today, Feb. 21st. 
It may be possible. I opened one fruit, the color was like light honey, not strawberry.
__________________
wish list: Violeta, Calderona. USDA z 10a, SoCal
nullzero

Registered:
Posts: 206
Posted Reply with quote  #13 
Greenfig,

Im available on the weekends, Saturday and Sunday. I remember where the trees are from memory. If you would want to get together this weekend or next, tell me. We can go out tag the trees take some cuttings and distribute. When the figs come in this summer, we could then arrange to go back bag some of the figs (to keep the critters off it) and try them.
ForeverFigs

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,062
Posted Reply with quote  #14 
Great pics...and a very interesting find...where I live we very seldom, if ever, see those types of chance happenings.
__________________
Vince
Edison N.J.
Zone 6b

Wish List: LaRadek's EBT
greenfig

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 3,182
Posted Reply with quote  #15 
nullzero, I'll let you know tonight when I could make it. We should also check when rain is not predicted, this winter is WeT and CoLd (ok, the people East of Nevada, don't laugh! )
__________________
wish list: Violeta, Calderona. USDA z 10a, SoCal
greenfig

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 3,182
Posted Reply with quote  #16 
nullzero,
did you see any black figs in the pack or they were all green? Did you notice different varieties out there or they all looked the same to you?
__________________
wish list: Violeta, Calderona. USDA z 10a, SoCal
nullzero

Registered:
Posts: 206
Posted Reply with quote  #17 
Greenfig,

They were all green from what I could recall. However shapes varied from tree to tree. Some were larger, some rounder, some with a little more neck then others, etc. I am sure the original grove was started by a green fig like Kadota, or Excel. These are all seedlings though so the variation for taste is there.
HarveyC

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 3,294
Posted Reply with quote  #18 
Francisco (lampo), some of my common figs still have old immature fruit left on them from last year.  My wild male (caprifig?) that we talked about before hasn't shown any changes yet.  We have still had frost as recent as two nights ago and all of my outdoor figs are very much dormant.
__________________

Harvey - Correia Farms
Isleton, CA (Sacramento County) USDA zone 9b, Sunset zone 14

http://www.figaholics.com
https://www.facebook.com/Figaholics
lampo

Registered:
Posts: 2,060
Posted Reply with quote  #19 
Harvey,
The Caprifig will take mild frost without any great problems... but eventual , abnormal 'heat waves' of April or May are much much worse,...making them behave like Smyrna, i.e., drying up and falling. One has to inspect caprifigs very carefully now, because the emerging crop (profichi) are still very small and may be confused with new leaf buttons. Close up pictures in the vicinity of the Mamme (winter ones) will certainly show them (if they are caprifigs).
In a month time the profichi must be sufficiently developped, say at least 1/2 inch in average diameter in order to have emough space to receive the wasps.
Francisco
greenfig

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 3,182
Posted Reply with quote  #20 
Francisco,
I will take a close up photo of the palmfig branch and a fruit splice tomorrow, maybe you can tall if it's a caprifig or not. 
__________________
wish list: Violeta, Calderona. USDA z 10a, SoCal
greenfig

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 3,182
Posted Reply with quote  #21 
Nullzero, I just sent you a PM
__________________
wish list: Violeta, Calderona. USDA z 10a, SoCal
lampo

Registered:
Posts: 2,060
Posted Reply with quote  #22 
greenfig,

If it is a caprifig it will be very similar to the tree and fruit (Mamme) on the attachements. In the pics there are two varieties of caprifigs.
When you slice the fig open do not cut through the 'meat',.. rather cut around the skin of the fig receptacle to about 1 or 2 mm deep in order to leave the interior as it is, i.e, showing the small  witeish or golden gallflowers inside which there are the wasp larvae. With a powerfull lens you may see through the gallflower skin, the contour of the larvae, in development, one minute beast for each gall.
Good luck
Francisco

Attached Images
jpeg Caprifig_20121230_1530.jpg (36.29 KB, 14 views)
jpeg Caprifig_20121219_1505.jpg (38.32 KB, 22 views)
jpeg P1020777.jpg (45.12 KB, 17 views)
jpeg P1020737.jpg (79.72 KB, 18 views)
greenfig

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 3,182
Posted Reply with quote  #23 
Please see a sliced fig photo attached. I think it is a bit disappointing though. It is not fully ripe yet and quite small (almost the largest one there). I couldn't see any larvae.

Attached Images
jpeg figcut601.jpg (995.89 KB, 19 views)


__________________
wish list: Violeta, Calderona. USDA z 10a, SoCal

lampo

Registered:
Posts: 2,060
Posted Reply with quote  #24 
greenfig,

I think you have a good caprifig of a given variety which I cannot tell you for sure. It could be a Roeding which among the different varieties is the smallest.
Size here does not matter much providing it has their galls (distinctly shown on the picture) and apparently not at all empty!
These figs do not mature as the edible varieties. In a month time the wasps will come out through the ostiole , loaded with eggs for the new generation of insects, and the green, hard fig you have now, will soften, become yellowish and fall to the ground. I would reccomend that you keep an eye on this tree and to follow the next generation of caprifgs, which most probably have already sprouted close to the fig you have shown on your picture.
There may be other caprifigs around that place same es this or of different varieties.

Good luck for the next steps
Francisco
greenfig

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 3,182
Posted Reply with quote  #25 
Hi Francisco,

Thank you for your insightful explanations! I will keep an eye on the specimen. 
__________________
wish list: Violeta, Calderona. USDA z 10a, SoCal
lampo

Registered:
Posts: 2,060
Posted Reply with quote  #26 
Greenfig,

Thanks. If I may, I would reccomend you to try and dowload 1901 Gustav Eisen's book:
THE FIG: ITS HISTORY, CULTURE, AND CURING WITH A DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE.....etc.
Around pages 100 to 110... you have a very well laid down description of the caprifigs/wasps, their typical 3 crops and interaction with all other figs. Very good information on those writtings from one of the US  'FigFoundingFathers'.
Hope to send you later today pictures showing what local caprifigs look like.

Francisco
lampo

Registered:
Posts: 2,060
Posted Reply with quote  #27 
Greenfig, HarveyC

Here the pictures to show what the average Caprifig look like now.
The new generation of young Profichi (the green glossy smaller fruit) shooting up now from last year's wood. The dark bigger figs are the winter crop od Mamme.
Francisco

Attached Images
jpeg Caprifigs_23022013.jpg (103.44 KB, 19 views)
Previous Topic | Next Topic
Print
Reply