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figgary

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 

Again in my top 5 this year.
IMG_4017.JPG 
IMG_4019.JPG 

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Gary in CA 9A  Seeking: Bebera Branca*, Colonel Littman's Cross
Charlie

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
Very nice looking fig Gary! 
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Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas 
rmulhero

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Looks great! What is the taste profile like?
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Becky, zone 5
Growing: Hardy Chicago, VdB, Dessert King, Celeste, Green Ischia, Marseilles VS, Kathleen's Black, Red Sicilian, Adriatic JH, Violetta bayerfeinge, New Brunswick, Magnolia and Italian Honey.

Wishlist: Sicilian Black JR, Petite Negra, Sweet George, Lattarula, Sals Corleone (Gene),  Vasilika sika, Galicia negra, Dalmatie and any cold hardy fig.
FiggyFrank

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
Beautiful, Gary.  Mine is about to go to sleep.  It's a good grower for me.
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Frank
zone 7a - VA
figgary

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Thanks Frank and Charlie. It is a wonderful fig here.
Becky, the flavor changes a little during our long season. Not honey or berry. When dead ripe, it is very complex, fig/plum flavors to me. It is not overly sweet, which I prefer, just the right seed crunch, thin skin, and a nice acid/sugar balance.
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Gary in CA 9A  Seeking: Bebera Branca*, Colonel Littman's Cross
greenfig

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Wow! That is something to look forward to!
Congratulations!
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wish list: Violeta, Calderona. USDA z 10a, SoCal
lampo

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
Gary,

this is a very nice and tasty fig
Also called here as Bêbera Preta.

Francisco
Portugal
tylerj

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
Looks nice!!

Frank yours already ripened figs in your area?? I'm curious if its an early or late ripening variety.

Tyler
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London, Ontario zone 6a
Wish List: Martinenca Rimada, Genovese Nero AF, Galicia Negra, Brooklyn White
FiggyFrank

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Tyler,

I don't know if this is the norm for this variety, but mine was one of the first to ripen last year.  I even got a breba this year.  It was root bound in the SIP this year, so not much happened with it.
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Frank
zone 7a - VA
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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
Thanks Frank.. good to know
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London, Ontario zone 6a
Wish List: Martinenca Rimada, Genovese Nero AF, Galicia Negra, Brooklyn White
figgary

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
Tyler, here in my climate, I picked the 1st breba on June 15th. The tree produced until late October last year, but it will be done sooner this year. There are only a few remaining now. The picture is of a breba, from June.
Thanks Francisco, I actually prefer the name Bebera Preta. IMG_3633.JPG 

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Gary in CA 9A  Seeking: Bebera Branca*, Colonel Littman's Cross
figgary

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Posted Reply with quote  #12 
I thought I'd update this post about my Abebereira, or Bebera Preta. I just enjoyed a breba, that tasted as good as I remember the main crop did last year. Outstanding. My tree is in its 3rd year in ground, and has a nice breba crop of 12-15 figs. I was away a few days, and the person looking after my garden found 2 ripe ones, and was amazed at how delicious they were. We've had a fair amount of warm weather so far, that I suppose has helped in the ripening. So far, I've also had Negronne and VdB brebas, which were good, but not quite in the Abebereira class. Here are Abebereira breba pics.IMG_4297.JPG

IMG_4300.JPG 
IMG_4301.JPG

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Gary in CA 9A  Seeking: Bebera Branca*, Colonel Littman's Cross
Figinfever

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Posted Reply with quote  #13 
Thanks for the updates, Gary. The fig looks very tasty. I've read that this cultivar can be a slow grower. If I may ask, what's the tree's growth rate in your zone?
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Dan, West Central FL 9a

Wishlist- Great tasting dark or light figs with deep red interiors: White Madeira, Craven's Craving, Portugal Black Madeira, Sultani, Violeta, USDA Black Ischia, Dall'Osso, CdDB or CdDB-N
figgary

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Posted Reply with quote  #14 
Hi Dan. It has been a decent grower, though it does show fmv. Here is a picture of it. I started it as an air layer 2 years ago, and planted it in the ground winter, 2014. It is about 5' tall and wide.
IMG_4299.JPG 

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Gary in CA 9A  Seeking: Bebera Branca*, Colonel Littman's Cross
Figinfever

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Posted Reply with quote  #15 
Thank you. That is decent growth. I was expecting it to have growth habits slightly better than black Madeira, from everything I've read. Even with FMV, the 2 year growth in ground is impressive; Your results makes me seriously consider putting mine in ground next spring.
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Dan, West Central FL 9a

Wishlist- Great tasting dark or light figs with deep red interiors: White Madeira, Craven's Craving, Portugal Black Madeira, Sultani, Violeta, USDA Black Ischia, Dall'Osso, CdDB or CdDB-N
dfoster25

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Posted Reply with quote  #16 
Thanks for posting pics Gary. I had no idea that this one was that good. Reason enough to be excited about it come Sept here.

Thanks
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Zone 6, SE MICHIGAN
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   6F 1-18-16
FiggyFrank

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Posted Reply with quote  #17 
Very nice pictures, Gary.  Mine is in a 5 gallon SIP and I root pruned it this past winter since it barely had any growth last year.  It is growing stronger than ever now.
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Frank
zone 7a - VA
Figinfever

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Posted Reply with quote  #18 
Quote:
Originally Posted by FiggyFrank
...Mine is in a 5 gallon SIP and I root pruned it this past winter since it barely had any growth last year.  It is growing stronger than ever now.


So the Abebereira growth is from root pruning and nothing else has changed? If so, I wonder if this could apply to other slow growers?
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Dan, West Central FL 9a

Wishlist- Great tasting dark or light figs with deep red interiors: White Madeira, Craven's Craving, Portugal Black Madeira, Sultani, Violeta, USDA Black Ischia, Dall'Osso, CdDB or CdDB-N
FiggyFrank

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Posted Reply with quote  #19 
Dan,

I had several root-bound trees last year that responded very well to root-pruning this past winter.  Only two did not respond well, putting out a few inches of growth, and currently idling.  Perhaps I needed to prune more top growth, I don't know for sure.  Otherwise, just fresh potting mix after root pruning.  Several factors may be affecting a slow-growing tree, but keep in mind that some varieties are slow by default.
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Frank
zone 7a - VA
Figinfever

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Posted Reply with quote  #20 
That's good to know. Thank you for your complete response, Frank. I'm trying to make sense of all the seemingly contradictory ways slow growing figs cross the spectrum of sudden death for no apparent reason on the one side and put on growth like they are steroids on the next, as reported here in past various posts.

So far, if there is a pattern of best practice that can be applied generally, then I can't see it yet. Too many factors come into play and interact with each other. And like you said some varieties are slow growing by their nature.
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Dan, West Central FL 9a

Wishlist- Great tasting dark or light figs with deep red interiors: White Madeira, Craven's Craving, Portugal Black Madeira, Sultani, Violeta, USDA Black Ischia, Dall'Osso, CdDB or CdDB-N
FiggyFrank

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Posted Reply with quote  #21 
You are right, Dan.  You can only do so much before the tree's DNA takes over and it does what it feels.  Always keep 2 of every variety you do not wish to ever lose, if possible.  The good news is, after the first year of a fig tree's life, it is very hard to kill them, assuming you do the basics (watering, pruning, etc).  In my experience, after the 1st year, I've never had a tree die unexpectedly.
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Frank
zone 7a - VA
Figinfever

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Posted Reply with quote  #22 
Okay. Just get over the first year hurdle. And with my luck lately, I am going to double the back up number to 3 or 4 when possible/resource permitting.
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Dan, West Central FL 9a

Wishlist- Great tasting dark or light figs with deep red interiors: White Madeira, Craven's Craving, Portugal Black Madeira, Sultani, Violeta, USDA Black Ischia, Dall'Osso, CdDB or CdDB-N
eboone

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Posted Reply with quote  #23 
Quote:
Originally Posted by FiggyFrank

  Always keep 2 of every variety you do not wish to ever lose, if possible. 


Of course if your collection is large that becomes impractical.  I have duplicates of most of the several I have put inground last and this year, and of a couple special figs, but I figure if I lose a plant I have enough fig friends I could get cuttings again for most of mine.  I don't have a lot of costly types.
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Ed
Zone 6A - Southwest PA     
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Short wish list: CDDG, LSU Red, Dark Greek (Navid),  Col Littman's Black Cross.   And any cold hardy early fig.
Figinfever

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Posted Reply with quote  #24 
It's true that fig friends can be another source of back up. Once you build relationships, the links are your safety net. However, I don't think there's anything that can turn back the time invested. Imagine the favored fig trees that have reached maturity at year 5. Their fig flavor have reached the apex and stabilized. A freak freeze/ heat wave/ flood, etc...came through before any protection can be erected. Even if the trees recover from the ground, the five years of effort and growth have been wiped out. New trees can be rooted and planted, but I imagine I would feel a deep loss, like 5 years of my life had just froze to death.

That's why I think it wise to plant two of each variety in ground at different locations; one in the main orchard and another in a hedge as a hedge against disaster. The third string in the bow would be a container plant. The fourth and fifth are frankenfig and fig friends. In such a way the risk of lost time is spread out and mitigated. Of course practicalities and other limitations have to be considered too, like if there is no land, space, and other resources. By such point, the issue becomes about force-constrained decisions.

Given an unconstrained choice I would back up the trees in such a way that time invested in favored cultivars is preserved because the costliest, most irreplaceable resource, and most precious is not the monetary cost of attaining the variety, but the cost of time invested in attaining and growing it.

Sorry for the long reply post. Recently, I've thought a lot about what if plan ABC all failed, then what is it I want saved above all.
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Dan, West Central FL 9a

Wishlist- Great tasting dark or light figs with deep red interiors: White Madeira, Craven's Craving, Portugal Black Madeira, Sultani, Violeta, USDA Black Ischia, Dall'Osso, CdDB or CdDB-N
FiggyFrank

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Posted Reply with quote  #25 
You sound like you work in IT, Dan.  :)   Backup, backup, backup.  I have the same mentality.  I would hate to start from square one if I lost a well established tree.  I only have room for about 30 trees (winter storage), so every year I am removing and replacing trees, keeping the best performers.
Sorry for derailing the thread, Gary!
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Frank
zone 7a - VA
Figinfever

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Posted Reply with quote  #26 
My fault as well. I notice my attention goes on tangents a lot lately. My apologies Gary. Please update when the main fruits ripen too. We, who have no trees or productive trees, want to taste vicariously!
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Dan, West Central FL 9a

Wishlist- Great tasting dark or light figs with deep red interiors: White Madeira, Craven's Craving, Portugal Black Madeira, Sultani, Violeta, USDA Black Ischia, Dall'Osso, CdDB or CdDB-N
figgary

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Posted Reply with quote  #27 
No worries Frank and Dan. Easy to get sidetracked talking figs.
Dan F, I hope you get to enjoy some in September. My main crop should start in August. I'll update then, but I hope others will chime in with their experiences with this one.
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Gary in CA 9A  Seeking: Bebera Branca*, Colonel Littman's Cross
Figinfever

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Posted Reply with quote  #28 
I recently acquired one. It is in recovery after shipping in this weather. I am hopeful to get a couple figs to ripe yet not affect its growth too much. They are just embryos now.

Frank: no work in IT but have personally experienced repeated headaches and crashes on both Macs and pc. So 3 back ups or ABC is not enough. : )

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Dan, West Central FL 9a

Wishlist- Great tasting dark or light figs with deep red interiors: White Madeira, Craven's Craving, Portugal Black Madeira, Sultani, Violeta, USDA Black Ischia, Dall'Osso, CdDB or CdDB-N

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