Self Pollinating

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gorgi

Registered:1188888396
Posts: 2,864

Posted 1376422796	Reply with quote #1

I know that many other fruits (with normal flowers - e.g., peaches or plums) can be self pollinating. But how can a fig tree be self pollinating?!? Recently, I noticed some (foreign) ebay fig plant/cutting listings claiming so. (fig seeds are also listed! - are they really viable?). I think that self-pollination is a rather misleading fig-term and 'self-pollinating' is NOT-equal to 'no-caprification-needed'. __________________ George, NJ_z7a.

pitangadiego

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Registered:1188871011
Posts: 5,447

Posted 1376433813	Reply with quote #2

Common figs are self-pollinating in the sense that they produce fruit WITHOUT pollination, where "self-pollinating" means they don't need a separate tree to provide the pollen. You don't need a male and a female tree. The seeds of a fig tree, to be viable, need to be pollinated, as I understand it. I am consistently told that if my figs have viable seeds, they must have been pollinated. Don't know where the pollen comes from in my neighborhood, but it doesn't come from my trees. The viable seeds can produce "common" type figs if they were pollinated by a persistent caprifig (or so I am told). I agree self-pollinating is not the same an no-caprification-needed". True self-pollination requires "perfect" flowers which possess both male and female parts, or both male and female flowers on the same tree (such as pecan). Some plants have perfect flowers or both male and female on the same plant, but still require pollen from a different tree to set fruit. Some apples are this way - they need to different varieties, not just 2 trees, to set fruit. __________________ Encanto Farms Nursery http://encantofarms.com http://figs4fun.com http://webebananas.com "pitangadiego" everywhere

rcantor

Registered:1309799312
Posts: 5,724

Posted 1376436880	Reply with quote #3

I read an article on African fig wasps that traveled over 100 miles to pollinate fig trees. No idea if European fig wasps can do that. __________________ Zone 6, MO Wish list: Galicia Negra, De La Reina - Pons, Genovese Nero - Rafed's, Sbayi, Souadi, Acciano, Any Rimada, Sodus Sicilian, any Bass, Pons or Axier fig, any great tasting fig.

scott_ga

Registered:1189222943
Posts: 302

Posted 1376444334	Reply with quote #4

Looking at Enderub figs (edible caprifig) this year when collecting pollen from them--I noticed lots of pollen distributed inside the fig and the seeds were very hard, like caprified fig seeds. Will these figs pollinate themselves? I neglected to save the seeds, although I know where I threw the figs in case any seedlings sprout. Attached Images Enderubcut.jpg (41.35 KB, 18 views) __________________ Scott North Georgia Zone 7b

Bass

Registered:1188959030
Posts: 2,428

Posted 1376450208	Reply with quote #5

Just like Jon said, it is not self pollinating, since they really don't pollinate themselves and don't get viable seeds. Scott, a certain crop of a capri fig can get viable seeds, but in areas where the wasps survive, these seeds are eaten by the wasps. This gets more interesting. __________________ Pennsylvania http://www.treesofjoy.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trees-of-Joy/110193909021138

aphahn

Registered:1354927274
Posts: 321

Posted 1376455634	Reply with quote #6

Jon, There is also apomixis, or the formation of viable seeds without fertilization (pollination). I remember reading that apomixis is at least moderately common in figs and that it was one of the traits Condit was interested in. A common fig that produced a lot of apomictic seeds would have been a boon to the dried fig industry as it would mean you would get the caprified flavor without the wasp. But then apomixis is definitely not self pollination. It results in a clone of the mother tree, not a recombination of genes. __________________ Andy - Zone 6a Lat 39.9º N, Alt 5390' Westminster CO ⚘ Scion List

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