To my surprise, my first year Smith has been ripening figs since the last week of August here in New York. This first year tree has 16 fruits, it arrived in a box the first week of April and immediately leafed out strongly. This might be why the crop has come in early, I understood this to be a late ripener. The taste and organoleptic quality have been off the charts incredible, beyond description almost. I was going to lump this into a thread with my recently harvested figs but it is too good to be buried among a bunch of other pictures. A mix of berry and melon. Even the honey droplet in the picture was delicious. As for the stories of Smith being an ugly fig, I don't really see the big deal. Just some cracking skin when ripe.

Looks great! Congrats.

Mine put on a bunch late this year, I thinned them to about the same number as yours. I'm hoping the tree holds onto it's leaves so they can ripen in the sun room this fall.

Those look wonderful.  Thanks for the report.

Awesome, Congratulations my Friend.   I have a successful Smith Graft and hopefully I will have some next year.

Thanks folks. Cis4elk I was going to move the tree into the greenhouse but looks like not necessary for this season. I am also curious if this tree produces breba-there was one breba that dropped off early, got bumped or hit by a noreaster in late April. It may be like Panachee or Preto, one of those that form but never hold the breba. Would love to know about others' experience with breba.

Organoleptic? I'll have what you're having Rafael lol :-) :-) :-)

looks good sounds better thanks for sharing

I don't know what's up with people, I think those are gorgeous looking figs!

Those look fantastic!

Smith is in my top-3 most wanted, hopefully I can get it this winter.  It sounds like a special fig that would do well in my semi-pit greenhouse.

Hi Donna, I spoke to the manager of the fair food stand in Reading Terminal Market, she spoke to Giovanni, he said his tree was badly damaged by this winter, and no figs this year
:-(

Just goes to show you can judge a book by its cover. Looks good when you open it up. :)

Those look great

Next year, oh yes, next year hopefully I will have 4 trees bearing and if Tx BA-1 is the same, then I will have many more. Can't wait. Not ugly at all. Thanks for the info.

Thanks for posting.  I can't wait. :)

Wayne, what is TX BA-1?

Great!  Now I really can't wait to taste mine.  No figs on it this year. 

Hello Rafael.
Those figs look awesome, enjoy.
Are you going to the State Island fig fest?
Vito

Vito

I will be there, look forward to seeing you again.

I just had a couple ripe figs on my yearling Smith too. I also did not think them ugly at all. But mine were just 'ripe', not seriously ripe with brown spots as some people prefer theirs.

Rafael, good job with this variety - they look awesome!  I had a rooted Smith cutting a couple years ago but felt overwhelmed with fig propagation and decided to give it to a friend's landlord who is Turkish.  I thought he would be good with figs but long story short, he killed it.  I was going to replace it but heard that Smith is not very cold hardy and I hope eventually to grow my figs in ground except for a couple exceptionally good cold sensitive varieties like Black Madeira.  Maybe I should reconsider.

Gina

While brown spots are a sign of dead-ripeness, on these figs it is totally unecessary. The cracks are all they need to achieve the perfection you see here.

Steve

Do reconsider. Unless my Preto turns out to be as good as last years crop, this was the best tasting fig I grew this year (still waiting for CdD to ripen on young plants also).

Hi Rafael, It (Tx BA-1) supposed to have been discovered in an area of TX at BA-1 location. Do a search for tx ba-1 and the threads can explain the information better than I can and also some of the threads compare it with Smith.

I will check. East Texas borders Louisiana where Smith originated.