If you were space limited, which of these would you add to your collection?  Can you say, I'd put in this instead of that?  (As in, I'd put Martineca Rimada in instead of any Mt Etna, for example)

What do you think of these varieties (Any or all)?

Would you compare these to any of the more widespread varieties? Early, mid, late, similar flavor to, better flavor than, earlier, or later than, more or less productive than, etc

Any other info on these welcome.

Thanks.

hopefully, you'll get more experienced and more helpful responses, but Rob's is/was pretty much the worst fig in my collection. the main crop was *consistently* bland, watery, and not worth the time to maintain it. i haven't said this about any other fig yet.

Can't help ya, buddy! Never even considered growing any of them!! My advice is two-fold:
Identify what grows best in YOUR area and see what does well in a container.
This will save you time, avoid frustration and increase your yield. Just my 2-cents.

I have grown Socorro Black in the ground here in zone 7a for 3+ seasons.  Here is what I've observed:

- somewhat less cold hardy than average
- somewhat slow growing with a mild case of fmv
- seems to be a long season fig; the only fruit I have gotten ripened in August the year I put it in the ground.  I'm pretty sure it was a breba.  It was very tasty by the way.


I'm giving it one more season in the ground.  I think I might try grafting it on a multi-graft tree that I keep in a container.  It seems this variety may only be suitable in the ground in much warmer zones than mine.

Nice collection you have! I have some of the same but it is to early to comment on them.Wish you the best of luck.  

Great list and I have a lot of them started but no info on them yet.

Galicia Negra is supposed to be very good from what I have read around here.

Thanks!  This is not my collection but ones that I might add.  :)  My plan has always been exactly what Charles mentioned.  Unfortunately

1. the weather is different every year so a fig that's great one year doesn't usually repeat the performance.  Only Hardy Chicago has been consistently good.

2. I'd prefer not to buy and try all these if someone else has experience.   :)

I have some cutting started with winter for O'Rourke and Petite Aubique so I can give you an update this fall. I have a Bayernfeige Violetta and it is predictable, I haven't seen any change in production for the two years I have owned it.  It produces a breba crop, which I have included a picture of. It produces a lot of figs for its main crop, every year it impresses me with the amount of figs. The main crop does take longer to ripen and being in Zone 5 I need a green house to get figs from the main crop. It needs a good amount of sun and heat to ripen.

   

On Galicia Negra:

Some people have had serious issues getting these to both root and grow. My GN's lineage of ownership is plant-creator/Hooray>Kriya>Bass and for me, it's one of my most productive varieties in terms of just overall growth. The roots are fat, the tree is tall, the trunk is widening all the time, and the leaves are strong and resistant to rust. I guess this post might serve more as a sourcing recommendation rather than an outright endorsement of the varietal itself; I mean, the fruit I've had is just fine but 2017 will be its second year so let's see how it improves. If nothing else, it'll make for great rootstock.

On O'Rourke:

Man, I killed more of these in transplanting than I have with any single other varietal. It has been so hard for me to get this going. I finally have one plant and I started out with something like seven or eight. Maybe it's just me, maybe not. I guess if you decide on O'Rourke, and if my experience is anything to go by, be patient during the rooting phase.  

Calvert:

If you can find one without debilitating FMV, let me know. The one I had was already rooted but died within a few weeks. It was about the size of a thumb and wasn't moving at all. Then one day, it just croaked. I hear it's great, though. 

Bob, I can respond to you long list of figs but maybe later tonight or tomorrow.  Calvert is one of the worse figs with FMV and Black Ischia isn't far behind!  For me, it took a lot of hydroponic science and potent liquid fertilizer to get mine to grow.

I remember a thread that someone said JH Adriatic is same as Calvert without FMV?

O'Rourke is very good, but Hollier is better and a little larger and not as rich.

Socorrow Black is, so far, my second favorite fig behind I-258. I only got one after a couple cold nights and it was still outstanding.

Maroc Noir is Moroc Noir. It has grown well and fruited, I should get ripe ones this year. I may have an extra one or two started.

I have @ 15 more on the list. At least half should fruit this season :)