Register  |   | 
 
Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > what makes the difference?
 
 


Reply
  Author   Comment  
GeneDaniels

Registered:
Posts: 1,014
Posted Reply with quote  #1 
It seems from everything I've read that the same variety of fig can look and taste very different depending on growing conditions. What I would like to know is what are the main factors for creating this difference? Does anyone know? Is it soil composition? Is it amount of sonlight? What?

The reason I am asking is I have taken cuttings off a tree about 2 miles away, so same zone. This tree produces large yellow figs, but they are only so-so tasting. I want to try to create the maximum amount of difference for the growing conditions of the new trees I will start from these cuttings.

Any thoughts or ideas?
__________________
Zone 7b (Central Arkansas) Seven trees in the ground: Hardy Chicago, Celeste(?), LSU gold, Italian Black, Southern Brown Turkey(?), Strawberry Verte, and Unk yellow.  Trees in pots: VdB, CdD, and Sicilian?
DesertDance

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 4,518
Posted Reply with quote  #2 
My thoughts.  You can try improving the flavor of the fig in your neighborhood by enriching the soil, but if that is an old tree, those figs might be as good as that variety, in your zone, can produce.  Just my thought.  That same fig, in another zone might be much tastier!
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!
oldvt

Registered:
Posts: 214
Posted Reply with quote  #3 
I would do 2 things,make sure they get full sun and max temp, maybe black plastic  on ground around tree,next reduce water when figs start to ripen. black plastic will help with that as well. Rex
__________________
Looking to trade an IT 258 for basses Red Leb or a O Rourke for a Hunt.
mgginva

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,856
Posted Reply with quote  #4 
Get 2 soil samples (extension guys may do for free). Amend the soil in your new hole to differ as much as you feel you want/need to. One thing you should do just to speed things up is make sure your new hole has lots of organics. Bunny poop is excellent if you can get it. 
I used to live with a Master Gardener and she did a lot of soil testing and was constantly adding things to the soil. Her plants were amazing and the neighbors were always so impressed they started following her ways. I was very impressed and now pay far far more attention to the soil and live by the old adage, "Put a $10 tree into a $100 hole".
__________________
Michael in Virginia (zone 7a) Wish list:   Perretta, 
bullet08

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 6,920
Posted Reply with quote  #5 
ditto. give it lot of sun and heat. and some fig trees need time to mature to give full taste profile, up to 7 yrs. like suzi said, if the tree is old and it still doesn't taste good, you might not want that tree. 
__________________
Pete
Durham, NC
Zone 7b

"don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill
"the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." - the baroness thatcher

***** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. *****
***** and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...*****
GeneDaniels

Registered:
Posts: 1,014
Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Thanks  for the ideas, they are along the line of what I have been thinking. I know the original tree does not get full sun, so of course a better location will help in my yard. Also I always dig a large planting hole and completely replace the clay soil with a mixture of old yard mulch, mulched manure, and sand.

Also, as anyone ever tried "Green Sand" with their fig plantings? I have some that I use with berry plantings. It is very high in potash and a long list of other nutrients. Do you think it would be a good idea to add to my fig plantings this spring?
__________________
Zone 7b (Central Arkansas) Seven trees in the ground: Hardy Chicago, Celeste(?), LSU gold, Italian Black, Southern Brown Turkey(?), Strawberry Verte, and Unk yellow.  Trees in pots: VdB, CdD, and Sicilian?
GeneDaniels

Registered:
Posts: 1,014
Posted Reply with quote  #7 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bullet08
like suzi said, if the tree is old and it still doesn't taste good, you might not want that tree. 


I am going to keep it in a pot until I know one way or the other. The figs are so large and attractive I just had to give it a try. I really don't have much to lose since they are freely taken cuttings. In a couple of years, if the figs I get are no better than what the original tree produces, I will set it out in a field somewhere. Even if I don't like the taste, I'm sure the deer and other critters will ;-)
__________________
Zone 7b (Central Arkansas) Seven trees in the ground: Hardy Chicago, Celeste(?), LSU gold, Italian Black, Southern Brown Turkey(?), Strawberry Verte, and Unk yellow.  Trees in pots: VdB, CdD, and Sicilian?
jdsfrance

Registered:
Posts: 2,591
Posted Reply with quote  #8 
Hi GeneDaniels,
Most important 2 : Water it properly (11 Liters 2 or 3 times a week in July/August)
Most important 1 : pinch it as of 1st August each year ! especially if you have a short season .
Still helpful :
Feed it properly : fertilizer + compost. Don't disturb its roots.
Protect it in the winter sothat it doesn't suffer too much die back.
As for the place, a sunny one at least half of the day is better .
Fig trees seem to develop faster in dark compost as in comparison when in brown clay ground - I'm speaking of an 80 liters ground replacement here .

What size is your pot ?
__________________
------------------------
Climate from -25°C to + 35°C
Only cold hardy figtrees can make it here
strudeldog

Registered:
Posts: 747
Posted Reply with quote  #9 
I would look for a different cultivar, if only 2 miles away it produces inferior figs over a period of years unless it seemed the tree was not getting adequate light or some other obvious influence for inferior fruit.  If this year was the 1st you tried the fruit maybe just the temperatures  and rain.
__________________
Phil N.GA. Zone 7 Looking for: De La Reina, Del La Senyora, Martinenca Rimada, Parfum De Cafards, Ponte Tresa,  Sangue Dulce, Emalyn's Purple, and on and on
GeneDaniels

Registered:
Posts: 1,014
Posted Reply with quote  #10 
Quote:
Originally Posted by strudeldog
I would look for a different cultivar, if only 2 miles away it produces inferior figs over a period of years unless it seemed the tree was not getting adequate light or some other obvious influence for inferior fruit.  If this year was the 1st you tried the fruit maybe just the temperatures  and rain.


The original tree is shaded more than 1/2 the day. I am thinking that has got to hurt the taste of the fruit.
__________________
Zone 7b (Central Arkansas) Seven trees in the ground: Hardy Chicago, Celeste(?), LSU gold, Italian Black, Southern Brown Turkey(?), Strawberry Verte, and Unk yellow.  Trees in pots: VdB, CdD, and Sicilian?
BronxFigs

Registered:
Posts: 1,864
Posted Reply with quote  #11 
Culture, culture, and then, check your culture....again.

Full sun, heat, and some water reduction (at roots) when ripening, pinching, correct nutrients, water, pH levels....ditto the above suggestions.  Of course everything depends on matching growing location for a given variety, over-wintering, and age of tree(s).

Full sun, nutrients, and watering..... probably biggest influences.


Frank
__________________
Bronx, NYC
Zone-7
Aaron4USA

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 2,969
Posted Reply with quote  #12 

Gene,remove some of the old soil from the surface add fresh layer of Miracle-Grow potting soil into your pot, water and move the tree to a full sunny area, let it thrive ;)
fhanema

Registered:
Posts: 2
Posted Reply with quote  #13 
For some fun stuff, like a longue, fun threads, funny images, funny videos section check this page.
 
pitangadiego

Avatar / Picture

Moderator
Registered:
Posts: 5,447
Posted Reply with quote  #14 
Anything. Anything. Anything. Soil, fertilizer, water (pH, salts, chemicals), weather, sunlight, breed of neighbor's dog. Anything.

I have had figs that were yellow/honey and then green/red in the same season, on the same tree, in the same place in-ground.

Some trees, such as Encanto Honey, (in-ground) have figs of multiple colors at the same time.

[FP945-70] 

That didn't really help much, did it?!
__________________
Encanto Farms Nursery
http://encantofarms.com
http://figs4fun.com
http://webebananas.com
"pitangadiego" everywhere
GeneDaniels

Registered:
Posts: 1,014
Posted Reply with quote  #15 
Actually, all the replies have really encouraged me. First, lots of help offered when I asked a question. Second, most replies more or less affirmed my thinking. I have a bunch of cuttings off the old original tree. I will root, then pot them. I will baby them with the best soil I can mix ($1 tree in a $100 hole) and make sure they get a FULL sun location in the yard. If all goes well I will have some big yellow figs to eat in a couple of years, and maybe, just maybe they will be tasty. After all, that's why this is called a hobby, not a job.

And by the way, I am going to use Texas Green Sand in my potting soil this year. It can't hurt, and it might be a big help. Maybe use in on half the pot-ups, and leave the other half with my normal mix.
__________________
Zone 7b (Central Arkansas) Seven trees in the ground: Hardy Chicago, Celeste(?), LSU gold, Italian Black, Southern Brown Turkey(?), Strawberry Verte, and Unk yellow.  Trees in pots: VdB, CdD, and Sicilian?
DonCentralTexas

Registered:
Posts: 475
Posted Reply with quote  #16 
Speaking of $100 dollar hole....

I have used Greensand with great results in my gardens, and it really helps with early season chlorosis especially with perennials ( some brands have high amounts of iron).  One word of advice if your soil is already border line high alkalinity this will could raise it higher, it is something like 8.3 pH.  Too much (i wonder how I know this :), can effect the uptake of other minerals.

Another product that subjectively seems to alter taste of veggies at least, especially tomatoes is Rock dust, full of minerals and very slow release.  Gaia Green Glacial is a brand I can vouch for.

Not sure how it will effect taste of Figs, I don't have any (working on it) but everything from beets to zucchini grow like gang busters.  I also use goat and chicken manure that I compost, the chicken manure has to be at least year old and it contains tons of calcium so will raise pH as well, I try to balance with coffee grounds.

Good Luck!
__________________
Don  (Near Austin, TX zone 8b)

If you have these for sale/trade PM me: Zingarella, Grantham's Royal, Calderona, Genovese Nero, Noir de Barbentane
ascpete

Registered:
Posts: 1,942
Posted Reply with quote  #17 
Gene,
I'm with Frank (BronxFigs), proper Culture.
One Macro nutrient that is often overlooked for in ground figs and trees is Calcium. If the fallen leaves and ground cover (grass clippings) are removed yearly, there may be low levels of available calcium in the soil. Adding Limestone or Gypsum will usually provide positive visible results, as would mulching with good compost.

The same Calcium recommendation applies to containerized fig trees, IMO, they need a source of available Calcium for healthy growth and fig production. Good Luck
Previous Topic | Next Topic
Print
Reply