Any recommendations for dark figs?

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TucsonKen

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Posts: 1,298

Posted 1311300896	Reply with quote #1

When I first started selecting figs for my yard in Tucson, I figured I wouldn't have any need for more than five varieties. However, the list kept morphing and expanding as I talked to different people and read various threads, but I didn't have much of a plan beyond wanting only closed-eye or otherwise insect-proof figs. Now I see that I'm a little light on the black/purple varieties, and would appreciate any suggestions for the 3-4 "must have" dark types that you think would be best in a hot, dry area with infrequent but inevitable hard freezes. My current dark varieties include: Improved Brown Turkey (to be discarded or just left unprotected as a bird decoy) Black Mission NL Violette de Bordeaux Black Madeira LSU Purple Thanks very much. __________________ Ken Tucson, Arizona Zone 8b

Registered:1252379847
Posts: 1,162

Posted 1311302466	Reply with quote #2

Consider Gino's Black Hardy Chicago LSU Scott's Black MVSB Sal's EL and a bit more difficult to acquire Black Bethlehem Dark Portuguese Kathleen Black Malta Black RdB Vista __________________ jd \| tallahassee.fl \| zone 8b

paully22

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Posts: 2,719

Posted 1311302936	Reply with quote #3

Black Celeste Malta Black Beall Ronde de Bordeaux Gino Marseillies VS Cul du Ruc Noir de Caromb Kathleen Black Col de Dame Noir Genovese Nero Vista Native Black GM #5(Maltese Falcon) Negra D'Adge Negretta Valle Negra Gypsy(Zingarella) Sal's EL Not sure whether they will be ideal for your zone Ken. I think these are some of the much sought after dark figs.

rafed

Registered:1252876934
Posts: 5,308

Posted 1311303609	Reply with quote #4

Great ideas from JD and Paul. Or, you can have one spray painted and shipped direct from TYTY. Glitter extra. All Jokes aside. I think it was at Jons or Adrianos place ( I know, two different Worlds ) I tried the RDB and the taste was out of this World!

Dieseler

Registered:1215735852
Posts: 8,252

Posted 1311305633	Reply with quote #5

Im almost speechless. C'mon guys leave some for moi, the more you like em the longer i have to wait to get some types ! Just keep eating the those light color ones. ; )~

hoosierbanana

Registered:1287901146
Posts: 2,186

Posted 1311309372	Reply with quote #6

I will throw in DFIC17 Brown Turkey as worth a try. Jon rates it below BM but it should be hardier and is a low/spreading grower that can shade its roots well. It is my best tasting fig so far, but I have added several of the other recommendations recently and I hope that changes next year. __________________ 7a, DE

Registered:1252379847
Posts: 1,162

Posted 1311312310	Reply with quote #7

@Alan. MVSB = Marsellies VS Black. 'Discovered' and named by VS b.k.a. Herman2. __________________ jd \| tallahassee.fl \| zone 8b

FrozenJoe

Registered:1244509224
Posts: 1,115

Posted 1311342153	Reply with quote #8

Ken, You and I have similar taste. I only grow 12 varieties and I actually have all of your dark varieties except for the Brown Turkey. Being from the North originally I have a soft spot for Hardy Chicago (which grows really well for me here in AZ). __________________ Joe Phoenix Area (Zone 9) I am MrFrozenJoe on YouTube. I am arizonafigs on eBay.

satellitehead

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Posts: 3,687

Posted 1311346791	Reply with quote #9

Have you tried Jose's Socorro Black? Discovered in your region, I would think it is well suited. Mine has a trunk larger around than my thumb this year and has finally formed fruit. I'm anxious to taste. __________________ Jason Atlanta/Grant Park area - z8

TucsonKen

Registered:1246833094
Posts: 1,298

Posted 1311357249	Reply with quote #10

Thanks, everybody, for the recommendations. BUT--I have to say you didn't exactly help me narrow down the choices very much! Should I assume that all of these suggested varieties are clustered pretty close to each other on the taste chart, or are there a few that rank well above the others? Obviously the Ty Ty idea is a run-away winner--I like the flexibility of painting the fruit any color I want, and adding glitter would just be icing on the cake, so to speak. Hey, maybe I wouldn't even have to order from Ty Ty! I'll just buy a few rattle-cans and spray different colors on my Brown Turkey till it looks like Christmas morning! The birds ought to be dazzled by the array of choices. Jason, no I haven't tried Socorro Black. To be honest, I've hardly tried anything, other than Black Mission, Brown Turkey, Fig Newtons, canned Kadotas (as a kid), some type of dried fig that my dad bought in bulk and which I'd gobble till I could hardly waddle, and the first-crop efforts from last year's cuttings, which, though reasonably tasty, are hopefully nowhere near as good as they'll get in a few years. Brent--do you know whether DFIC 17 BT has a tightly-closed eye? I've gotten kind of gun-shy about anything with BT in the name, after the disappointment of having my "improved" BT become essentially worthless after several years of excellent fruit. I'm definitely too old to go through that again. Joe, HC never caught my attention because I just assumed anything named "Chicago" wouldn't care much for Tucson's heat. If it's doing well for you in Phoenix it ought to do great here, since we're a little cooler. Martin, you've held the dark fig monopoly long enough! It's time to share the bounty--and I promise I don't have enough room to make a noticeable dent in how many are left for you. But just say the word, and I'll make up any losses to you by sending some of the white varieties I know you're so fond of! Mmmmm! Wouldn't you love to try a nice, first-year Kadota--mildly sweet, small, tough skin, kind of dry, with just a hint of sunburn? Now that's living! __________________ Ken Tucson, Arizona Zone 8b

rafed

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Posts: 5,308

Posted 1311358006	Reply with quote #11

Ken, Love your sense or humor! LMAO Just keep some room for another one. Will tell you about it once I get it ( again ). Had a bunch of cuttings and gave them away. Have 2nd batch coming real soon. Never forgot about you my friend. I picked names at random with the first batch. You will be on the 2nd batch. And yes, It is sort of dark. So to speak, ahmm.

TucsonKen

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Posts: 1,298

Posted 1311358849	Reply with quote #12

Thanks Rafed--and that "pale" fig still has your name on it as well. It will show up at your door in the spring, bare-rooted, or much earlier as a leafy hitch-hiker, if any ficus-powered Big Rigs happen to be passing through the neighborhood. __________________ Ken Tucson, Arizona Zone 8b

Dieseler

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Posts: 8,252

Posted 1311366719	Reply with quote #13

Ken these things people say are embedded in my memory . But just say the word, and I'll make up any losses to you by sending some of the white varieties I know you're so fond of! Mmmmm! I just added you to that list of folks " Kindly say no too "

TucsonKen

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Posts: 1,298

Posted 1311367035	Reply with quote #14

Martin! You're breaking my heart! __________________ Ken Tucson, Arizona Zone 8b

hoosierbanana

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Posts: 2,186

Posted 1311373014	Reply with quote #15

Here is what Herman had to say about eyes on GW- "Totally closed eye does not exist! _Some figs have when ripe a very small open eye wich measure,from:.5 to 1 mm. They stop insects from going in .EX:Celeste,Gino's fig,Mission,Malta black,143-36,Scott's black,LSU Purple These are usually refered as closed eye varieties. _Then there are small eye varieties,wich have an eye from 1 to 2 mm ,and solid interior,EX:Verte,Hardy Chicago,Sal (both),Marseilles vs black,Stela,Paradiso Gene,Atreano,Tacoma violett,etc Almost no souring, Only in the haviest,rain,and only very few,and far apart.Insects do not get in. _And third come the open, large eye,that is open only at the surface and solid,(interior) immediatelly after about 1mm deep. These are just as good in rainy climates as closed eye fig. EX:English Brown Turkey,DFIC 17 ucd,Guilbeau,Sweet Georg, Weeping Fig,Late Black _The forth is the open eye that closes down before ripe with a plug of clear amber. Also doing well in rain. EX:Alma,LSU Gold ===================================== _Last,are the open eye figs,that have large eye and a large interior cavity,that comunicates with the entrance hole. These are very bad in rainy climates. EX:Brunswick,California Brown Turkey.Will sour very easily from any small precipitation,or humid day. Insects will get inside any time trough the eye. Fig black beetle love this type of fruits to congragate inside." I believe California BT is the same as improved BT, but could be wrong. Herman has had DFIC17 fruiting longer than me so he would know better. __________________ 7a, DE

sergio

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Posts: 115

Posted 1311377813	Reply with quote #16

Hi Brent, I had Cal. BT and have Imp. BT, the latter is amber flesh with nice flavor and sweetness kind of ablong instead of round and insipid, bought it at HDepot 4 years ago. Sergio in NJ.

rafed

Registered:1252876934
Posts: 5,308

Posted 1311379894	Reply with quote #17

One day when Martin and his big dog are sleeping I will sneak into the yard and replace couple of his dark figs to white ones. And maybe eat a couple of his ripe figs too. I will leave him a thank you note.

paully22

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Posts: 2,719

Posted 1311381044	Reply with quote #18

Rafed, remember to send buddy in PNW some rare Martin cuttings. LOL.

rafed

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Posts: 5,308

Posted 1311383576	Reply with quote #19

Paul, You are always on my list, you know that.

Dan_la

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Posts: 1,438

Posted 1311383723	Reply with quote #20

What's confusing is that a fig eye can be closed by its natural skin and by its covering scales. It can also be closed by resin and/or by honey. And that honey can be either a liquid or it can be solid. A "naturally" (i.e. not due to honey) blocked eye is always closed (permanent) to the entrance of insects. However, a honey blocked eye sometimes is often only temporarily blocked as a heavy rain or a time frame of consistent light rains......can dissolve away the honey that is keeping those insects out. Liquid honey dissolves faster than solid honey......so "solid" honey blocked eyes can keep insects out longer during certain rainy periods than can "liquid" honey blocked eyes. I like to use the term "blocked" and "closed' to distinguish that there is a difference between the two. Accordingly, LSU Purple has a naturally "closed' eye. While LSU Gold and Golden Celeste AP have honey "blocked" eyes. Dan Semper Fi-cus

TucsonKen

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Posts: 1,298

Posted 1311386532	Reply with quote #21

Dan, would that mean the "blocked" eye only gets sealed up once it's already pretty ripe? I've been finding that the beetles go inside as soon as the fig swells, but still several days before it's ripe. I hope that doesn't mean they'll ruin LSU Gold--I've been really looking forward to that one because the descriptions all sound so good. __________________ Ken Tucson, Arizona Zone 8b

hoosierbanana

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Posts: 2,186

Posted 1311387241	Reply with quote #22

OK UC Davis does say DFIC 17 is susceptible to insects, I guess they just chew into the solid center, or the fig is not as solid in a drier climate or something. I will pay attention to what the eyes look like this year here. __________________ 7a, DE

Dan_la

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Posts: 1,438

Posted 1311410992	Reply with quote #23

Fig eyes are a study in itself.......as it can affect both splitting (not talking about surface cracking) and souring (from insects carrying yeast and bacteria). Skin qualities (thickness and elasticity) matter too. Most fig eyes start out "closed" then open up as the fig matures. Exactly "when" the eye opens up during the ripening process can make a big difference. For example........St. Jerome is a great tasting fig that can split and sour during heavy rains. However, this fig can still produce some very good figs in my yard. The "secret" is to know when to pick those figs. The skin on a St. Jerome figs will surface crack (not split) as soon as it is good to eat. At that stage of ripeness the eye is usually naturally bocked by the scales. The figs will taste good at this point. So pick them early if rainy weather is in the forecast. However, if rain is not in the forecast, let them remain on the tree for a few more days. The eye will definitely open up and the eye will still remain blocked now by liquid honey. This honey blockage still will keep souring insects out and the figs will become excellent tasting at this stage of ripeness. It can handle "light" rain at this point. However, the liquid honey in combination with the the now large open eye is no match for heavy rains. Rain will dissolve that honey away which then allows souring insects to enter the open eye and infecting the interior with yeast and souring bacteria. IMO, my first crop Atreano figs open their eye much too soon in my yard. It opens early and allows insects to enter "before" the honey has concentrated. The concentration of sugars at this stage is very low....so yeast and souring bacteria that is on the bodies of those insects actually do their damage BEFORE the fig is even close to ripening. If the concentration of sugars were high at that point......the yeast and souring bacteria could not grow. They cannot grow when the sugar content is high enough. FYI, I have never had such an issue with LSU Gold. It handles rains quite well and does not ever have any insect entrance problems. IMO, it has perfect elastic skin qualities that prevent any splitting....and always has enough honey of high sugar content to seal the small eye entrance. Dan Semper Fi-cus

TucsonKen

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Posted 1311426573	Reply with quote #24

Dan, thanks for the explanation. It sounds pretty complex--clearly not an "open and shut case" if the same variety can vary, depending on which crop you're looking at. I'm pleased to know LSU Gold still sounds like a winner. I guess the only way to really be sure on some varieties is to plant them in your location and see what happens. __________________ Ken Tucson, Arizona Zone 8b

Dan_la

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Posts: 1,438

Posted 1311445968	Reply with quote #25

You stated it perfectly Ken. Pay attention to my posts and those of Herman2 to find out those cultivars that do well in our mutual rainy climates.......and they should do well for trials in your area. We both are searching for rain tolerant and bug resistant figs. Dan Semper Fi-cus

TucsonKen

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Posts: 1,298

Posted 1311451645	Reply with quote #26

Will do--I'll compare the list of recommendations in this thread to those that worked well for you and Herman, and see what looks the most promising. __________________ Ken Tucson, Arizona Zone 8b

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