Register  |   | 
 
Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > Harvested my first fig
 
 


Reply
  Author   Comment  
VeryNew2Figs

Registered:
Posts: 241
Posted Reply with quote  #1 
And I got to eat it, not the critters.
I saw the fig ripening on one of my first cuttings from last year in May.  The cutting had two shoots and I separated them and potted them in grow bags last July.  They were re-potted again into 4.5 gallon buckets some time in early fall.  They went dormant in November and were overwintered in the basement.  They woke up I think in March and went back outside as soon as the weather permitted.  One of the two I'm trying to espalier, in my own special way ;-)  This one was allowed to grow as it pleased, with the exception of occasional tip pruning/pinching.  The espaliered one has four figs on it, but it was a total surprise to see this one growing and ripening.
Here's the tree at 1 year and 3 months:
15-month old plant in 4.5 gallon bucket.jpg  I brought the plant in every night to make sure the critter didn't have a chance to steal it overnight.

Here's the fruit on the tree:
Fruit on tree.jpg 
Here's the eye (sorry for the bad pic):
Eye-sorry for bad photo.jpg 
Here's the fruit and most of the different leaves:
Whole fruit with leaves.jpg 
(Drum roll, please)  Here's my first ever fig that I beat the critters to:
Cuit fruit.jpg 
I don't know if this was totally fully ripe, but I saw the fruit flies circling and it was soft and had drooped.  There was no latex dripping after I picked it and the skin rubbed off when I touched it.  It was actually sweet and juicy.  Tasted kind of melony to me with a hint of what I can only describe as an extremely ripe plum taste.  The whole fig had the same soft texture, including the skin.  My only disappointment is that it was sooooooo small and there was only one.  Maybe the few other figlettes will ripen this year.  Otherwise, I'm looking forward to a few more next year.

Thanks to the forum for helping me identify this as a Hardy Chicago fig tree.  This forum has taught me quite a bit for which I am very grateful.  I even did my first air layered fig plant thanks to reading about it here.

__________________
Cheryl
Chicago, Zone 6a (That's what they say, but it still feels like 5)
Growing:  Hardy Chicago, Black Mission, Brunswick, Kadota, Ischia Green, Desert King, Osborne Prolific (slow but steady), Malta Black, Violette de Bordeaux, Texas Everbearing, Beall, White Adriatic, Nolo Pink Eyed Lady.
Rooting: Ronde de Bordeaux, Celeste, Nero 600 m, Violetta Bayernfeing, Marseilles Black VS, Celeste.
chucklikestofish

Registered:
Posts: 1,316
Posted Reply with quote  #2 
very very nice,i first looked i said that is an italian letizia tree,i have them,some and most will say it is the same as chicago hardy,i say it's not i will pick letizia over h-c any day ,the way you can be sure is letizia new growth hardens to wood real quick,while h-c takes really long ,this is one of the diff i noticed from all my varieties it wins all out ,growth ,production,and taste ,the taste you describe matches it too. where did you get it from ??~congrats too,good job looks really healthy~
__________________
Charlie

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,214
Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Congrats on your first of many! :)
__________________
Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas 
Sas

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,363
Posted Reply with quote  #4 
Flavor will improve with age and proper care. Congratulations.
__________________
Sas from North Austin TX Zone 8B
Wish list: Becane
VeryNew2Figs

Registered:
Posts: 241
Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Hi, Chuck:
These came from a friend of a friend who's now a friend.  She has hers growing in a bush form.  She said it was there when she bought the place in '78.  She does no winter protection, the fig is planted under a huge shade tree, I don't think she worries about watering it, but it comes back every year and fruits for her.  She doesn't know the variety.  I saw her plant maybe a month ago and it was loaded with young figs.
I got a lot of cuttings this past fall, and their growth is all over the place.  I started some in May and a couple of them are four feet tall.  Some of the others in that batch have branched and aren't as tall, but they're over two feet tall.  I don't really know if two feet is considered a lot of growth in 3 1/2 months or not.  I can't say much about the wood hardening because that's all over the place too.  It seems those that I pinched the wood did harden faster than those that were just left to grow. 

Does your Letizia's figs grow bigger than the Hardy Chicago?
__________________
Cheryl
Chicago, Zone 6a (That's what they say, but it still feels like 5)
Growing:  Hardy Chicago, Black Mission, Brunswick, Kadota, Ischia Green, Desert King, Osborne Prolific (slow but steady), Malta Black, Violette de Bordeaux, Texas Everbearing, Beall, White Adriatic, Nolo Pink Eyed Lady.
Rooting: Ronde de Bordeaux, Celeste, Nero 600 m, Violetta Bayernfeing, Marseilles Black VS, Celeste.
VeryNew2Figs

Registered:
Posts: 241
Posted Reply with quote  #6 
And thanks everyone for the congratulations.  This has been fun.  Now what to do for the winter?
__________________
Cheryl
Chicago, Zone 6a (That's what they say, but it still feels like 5)
Growing:  Hardy Chicago, Black Mission, Brunswick, Kadota, Ischia Green, Desert King, Osborne Prolific (slow but steady), Malta Black, Violette de Bordeaux, Texas Everbearing, Beall, White Adriatic, Nolo Pink Eyed Lady.
Rooting: Ronde de Bordeaux, Celeste, Nero 600 m, Violetta Bayernfeing, Marseilles Black VS, Celeste.
Frankallen

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 994
Posted Reply with quote  #7 
Hey Cheryl, Congrats on your first Fig! Hope you have many more! ; )
__________________
Frank from Bama-  Zone 7-b Alabama

....................................................

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever".

Mahatma Gandhi
chucklikestofish

Registered:
Posts: 1,316
Posted Reply with quote  #8 
Quote:
Originally Posted by VeryNew2Figs
Hi, Chuck:
These came from a friend of a friend who's now a friend.  She has hers growing in a bush form.  She said it was there when she bought the place in '78.  She does no winter protection, the fig is planted under a huge shade tree, I don't think she worries about watering it, but it comes back every year and fruits for her.  She doesn't know the variety.  I saw her plant maybe a month ago and it was loaded with young figs.
I got a lot of cuttings this past fall, and their growth is all over the place.  I started some in May and a couple of them are four feet tall.  Some of the others in that batch have branched and aren't as tall, but they're over two feet tall.  I don't really know if two feet is considered a lot of growth in 3 1/2 months or not.  I can't say much about the wood hardening because that's all over the place too.  It seems those that I pinched the wood did harden faster than those that were just left to grow. 

Does your Letizia's figs grow bigger than the Hardy Chicago?
~no letizia and hardy chicago figs are about equal in size and color inside and out ,but the more you tell me the more it sounds like my letizia ,mine was purchased from burpee nursery i will try to send a clip so you can read about it either way c-h is a good one to i like them both,but letizia is more vigerous for me~http://www.burpee.com/fruit/figs/fig-letizia-22275.html
__________________
VeryNew2Figs

Registered:
Posts: 241
Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Frankallen:  Thanks.  Would you believe it's 63 degrees here right now.  If figs need heat to ripen, I'm probably out of luck for this year for any more.  Kookie weather.
__________________
Cheryl
Chicago, Zone 6a (That's what they say, but it still feels like 5)
Growing:  Hardy Chicago, Black Mission, Brunswick, Kadota, Ischia Green, Desert King, Osborne Prolific (slow but steady), Malta Black, Violette de Bordeaux, Texas Everbearing, Beall, White Adriatic, Nolo Pink Eyed Lady.
Rooting: Ronde de Bordeaux, Celeste, Nero 600 m, Violetta Bayernfeing, Marseilles Black VS, Celeste.
chucklikestofish

Registered:
Posts: 1,316
Posted Reply with quote  #10 
Quote:
Originally Posted by VeryNew2Figs
Hi, Chuck:
These came from a friend of a friend who's now a friend.  She has hers growing in a bush form.  She said it was there when she bought the place in '78.  She does no winter protection, the fig is planted under a huge shade tree, I don't think she worries about watering it, but it comes back every year and fruits for her.  She doesn't know the variety.  I saw her plant maybe a month ago and it was loaded with young figs.
I got a lot of cuttings this past fall, and their growth is all over the place.  I started some in May and a couple of them are four feet tall.  Some of the others in that batch have branched and aren't as tall, but they're over two feet tall.  I don't really know if two feet is considered a lot of growth in 3 1/2 months or not.  I can't say much about the wood hardening because that's all over the place too.  It seems those that I pinched the wood did harden faster than those that were just left to grow. 

Does your Letizia's figs grow bigger than the Hardy Chicago?
http://www.burpee.com/fruit/figs/fig-letizia-22275.html
~the only thing i notice here that doesn't seem right  is the fig picture, mine are almost black when ripe~
__________________
vito12831

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 840
Posted Reply with quote  #11 
Congratulations Cheryl.
Enjoy your figs, you sure earned them.
Vito
VeryNew2Figs

Registered:
Posts: 241
Posted Reply with quote  #12 
Got another one I just saw coloring up this morning.
2nd to harvest.jpg  It's a tan/brownish color. 
Here's the tree this one is coming from.  I'm trying to "espalier" it: Different tree for 2nd ripe fig.jpg 

And here's me trying to make sure I get this one.  The pot is too heavy to be dragging it inside:
Thwarting the critters.jpg 
Just a few more days.

Chuck:  I looked at the link you posted.  This does look like the Letizia.

__________________
Cheryl
Chicago, Zone 6a (That's what they say, but it still feels like 5)
Growing:  Hardy Chicago, Black Mission, Brunswick, Kadota, Ischia Green, Desert King, Osborne Prolific (slow but steady), Malta Black, Violette de Bordeaux, Texas Everbearing, Beall, White Adriatic, Nolo Pink Eyed Lady.
Rooting: Ronde de Bordeaux, Celeste, Nero 600 m, Violetta Bayernfeing, Marseilles Black VS, Celeste.
chucklikestofish

Registered:
Posts: 1,316
Posted Reply with quote  #13 
Quote:
Originally Posted by chucklikestofish
http://www.burpee.com/fruit/figs/fig-letizia-22275.html
~the only thing i notice here that doesn't seem right  is the fig picture, mine are almost black when ripe~
~no they are same size i think ~
__________________
chucklikestofish

Registered:
Posts: 1,316
Posted Reply with quote  #14 
Quote:
Originally Posted by chucklikestofish
http://www.burpee.com/fruit/figs/fig-letizia-22275.html
~the only thing i notice here that doesn't seem right  is the fig picture, mine are almost black when ripe~
~about the same size cheryl
~
__________________
chucklikestofish

Registered:
Posts: 1,316
Posted Reply with quote  #15 
Quote:
Originally Posted by VeryNew2Figs
And thanks everyone for the congratulations.  This has been fun.  Now what to do for the winter?
~root cuttings in the winter cheryl ,it's fun and a great feeling of accomplishment ~  
__________________
VeryNew2Figs

Registered:
Posts: 241
Posted Reply with quote  #16 
Don't I know it.  I got totally carried away this past winter.  I've given away more than 25 baby trees from my winter cuttings/now baby trees, and I still have...so many more than that ;-)
__________________
Cheryl
Chicago, Zone 6a (That's what they say, but it still feels like 5)
Growing:  Hardy Chicago, Black Mission, Brunswick, Kadota, Ischia Green, Desert King, Osborne Prolific (slow but steady), Malta Black, Violette de Bordeaux, Texas Everbearing, Beall, White Adriatic, Nolo Pink Eyed Lady.
Rooting: Ronde de Bordeaux, Celeste, Nero 600 m, Violetta Bayernfeing, Marseilles Black VS, Celeste.
Previous Topic | Next Topic
Print
Reply